Annual Report for Firm F Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Annual Report for Firm F - Assignment Example There are a lot unmet vehicle needs in the market and Firm F aims at filling this market gaps in accordance to its available resources. Pricing strategy The company did not have a specific product strategy. However, customer based pricing and competition based pricing have been used for the past 5 years. Using the customer based pricing; Firm F has had the flexibility of charging different prices to its different customers which either fell or rose depending on the size of the customer’s wallet. The customer target for Firm F includes people of different sizes of wallet though they have a common need. Therefore, exceptionally high sticker price was tagged on each car after which information about a prospective buyer was collected to gauge how the buyer is price sensitive. If the prospective buyer as found to be price sensitive, a negation on the price was done otherwise, the car was sold at the price given on the sticker. High price for cars leads to high demand and high sales for these target groups. The vehicle industry is highly competitive and so Firm F had to use competition based pricing as its pricing strategy. In this strategy, the firm checked out on the competitor’s prices and then set the price of its cars about the same level or lower with the main of attracting more customers hence increased sales. The idea behind the use of this strategy is that when the price of the cars is set close to the price of the rivals, the firm does not risk losing its market share to its competitors. In future, the firm plans to use customer based pricing strategy as it is more profitable than the competition based strategy. Products strategy The firm did not have any specific product strategy. However, when the company started in the first period, it preferred to work on the up grading of its existing cars after which it launched another car named Falier in the second period. The firm has also three new cars during the last 2 to three periods and in betwe en the periods, the firm was busy trying to do minor and significant upgrades on its cars. Upgrading of the cars was a product strategy used by the company to improve the features of its cars in comparison with those of its competitors, and this mainly to avoid losing its market share to its rivals. In the beginning, Firm F had some cars like Fantasy, Fish and Fast which existed and later produced other cars like Flop, Farce, Fizzle and Falier. This product strategy was also aimed at meeting the tailored needs of its potential customers. The firm plans to continue producing new products in future to enhance its performance. The organization’s outlook and plan for the next 5 years Given its current customer segment, Firm F has a potential for growth. For example, it has a large customer base when it comes to enterprises. Enterprises have different needs when it comes to the variety of cars needs for its business operation. This is an opportunity for Firm F to design new produc ts which will suit the changing needs of its customers. Firm F has a capacity of increasing its production to meet the increasing needs of its products. When it comes to pricing, the competition based pricing may be a business threat. This is because other competitors may be using the same strategy hence reducing the price of their products below the new price set by the firm. At the end of the day, the firm may end up making losses. The fact that

Nuclear Plants and Their Impact on the Environment Essay

Nuclear Plants and Their Impact on the Environment - Essay Example Accidents from nuclear reactors in the late 1970s and early 1980s led to end to the initial rapid growth in nuclear power capacity. These comprised the 1979 Three Mile Island accident (USA) and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster (Ukraine) (Cracolice & Peters, 1997). In 2011, a hard-hitting tsunami led the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant to leak, resulting in hydrogen gas explosions and partial meltdowns. In order to caution the immediate populations from the adverse effects of the disasters, the Ukraine government enacted a 30 kilometers no-settlement policy around the Chernobyl power plant while the Japanese government implemented a 20 kilometers cautionary zone around the Fukushima I plant (Hoeve & Jacobson, 2012; Bennett, Bouville, Hall, Savkin & Storm, 2000).Radioactive DecayUsed up nuclear fuel from uranium-235 and plutonium-239 nuclear fission contains more than 100 carcinogenic radionuclide isotopes such as strontium-90, iodine-131 and caesium-137, and includes some of the most long- lived transuranic elements such as americium-241 and isotopes of plutonium. Disposal of these wastes in engineered facilities, or repositories, located deep underground in suitable geologic formations is currently the best disposal solution fronted (Cracolice & Peters, 1997).Nuclear Accidents and ConcernsDebate over the reliability, durability and quality maintenance of old nuclear installations has emerged following leakage of radioactive water in over twenty US nuclear power plants. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that emits a low-energy beta particle. It may be present in water emanating from a nuclear plant (Casas et al, 2004; Cracolice & Peters, 1997). The main concern over tritium is the high possibility of its entry into drinking water, in addition to the subsequent presence in crops that depend on tritium-contaminated waters. Uranium is mainly mined for use in nuclear power plants. The 1979 Church Rock uranium mill spill in New Mexico led to the flow of over 1,0 00 tons.

Atlantic Conveyor Belt System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Atlantic Conveyor Belt System - Essay Example In detailed, ocean waters circulate around the world in patterns due to factors including the differences in solar energy received by the equator and the poles, topography of the ocean floor and coastal land masses, changes in seawater density, rotation of Earth around its axis, and atmospheric winds. The pattern of the Atlantic conveyor belt is the northward flow of warm surface waters from the Caribbean along the Atlantic coast of the United States, known as the Gulf Stream. As the warm waters reach the North Atlantic, it becomes denser due to the lowering of temperature, and becomes more saline from the evaporation of surface water and formation of ice. Denser water sinks forming a cold bottom current in the Atlantic. The current then circulates to the south towards Antarctica and turn eastward. By passing across the equator, the water becomes warm, rises to the surface and veers westward towards the Atlantic Ocean (Bloom 2011). Moreover, the Scientists of the National Aeronotics Space Administration once suspected that the speed of the Atlantic conveyor belt has slowed down. However, using recent measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation show no significant slowing of overturning over the past 15 years NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2010). On the contrary, it was found out that water circulation had sped up about 20 percent from 1993 to 2009 (NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2010). The circulation of the Atlantic Ocean is very important in the climate system. The warm currents contribute to the higher average temperatures of about 5Â °C in the East Coast of the United States, Europe, and Scandinavia compared to other land masses along the same latitude (Bloom 2011). In general, warm currents transport energy from the tropics to the sub polar North Atlantic. It also influences weather and climate patterns. Cold currents facilitate the transfer of carbon from

The Meaning and Value of Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Meaning and Value of Work - Essay Example The morals of a business aim at expressing the vision of high-quality work, excellent workplace, preserve the conditions necessary to make work reasonable, just as well as benevolent. Work has a number of instrumental values such as; to make profits, feelings of fulfillment, get social rank, make a significant involvement to the society, get a sense of self-worthy, as well as self-esteem. The inherent value of work is to carry it out for its own sake. There are three theories about the nature and meaning of work. These include â€Å"The Convectional View of Work, Liberal Model and The Human Fulfillment Model† (Barry & Shaw, 2009). The best one is the Liberal Model. This is because; it is moderate and can be abided by both the employees as well as employers. This model gives individuals freedom to give views relating to the work being done. Therefore, employers can discuss with their staffs matters affecting them as well as payment agreements (Barry & Shaw, 2009). Work is there fore planned before execution, policies, as well as procedures that regulate employee’s behavior are set. In addition, a suitable workforce is recruited and workers are motivated through either incentives or encouragement to attain the organizations goal. Most preferred Model by the People In my view, I believe that most people accept the Human Fulfillment Model, which is viewed based on the operational conditions for the employees, the remuneration given to them, rights, as well as reimbursements.

College Players Should Get Paid Essay Example for Free

College Players Should Get Paid Essay In the world, college athletics grows and continues to bring large financial benefits to colleges, universities and even sponsors. This leads to many debates concerning the payment of the athletes. Some people think that scholarship paid to colleges for these student athletes is enough while others claim that the payments might make them to leave the college early for participating in the athletics. Division 1 college athletes should be paid. College athletes put their bodies on the line just like the pros do. Wide receiver Martin Brown tears his ACL and his career in football is over. Defensive tackle Eric Legrand gets paralyzed from the neck down and his career in football is over. Wide receiver Dante Love gets a spinal injury and ends his career in football. Players do a lot for their communities. Like the Santa Ana college football team devoted a whole weekend volunteering in two charity events. Last year Ohio State did community service for a total of about 6,496 hours. Ole Miss has a program call The Ole Miss Rebel Reading Program where they read to local elementary schools. The college athletes bring in a lot of money to their institutions. The players should receive some of this money because without them the schools cannot be able to receive all the popularity and the money. College athletes make enough money for colleges that it would not hurt to give some back. They should take better care of their student-athletes by paying them for their services. Many College athletes live in poverty because the money they get is not sufficient enough to pay for all of the expenses and basic necessities. The athletes that graduate from colleges stay because their parents support them by giving or sending money to them. If college athletes are paid, there would be more athletes graduating from colleges. Paying athletes would be good for everyone and players would be forced to go for college education instead of only concentrating on the sports. The colleges athletes are not allowed to work hence do not get money to purchase the necessities. This leads to players accepting any illegal money, cars, clothes, etc. Most college athletes dont turn professional, so the athletes wont have any working experience when they get into the real world. This would give the non-athletes and advantage in the working world over the athletes. Most of the athletes that have the opportunity to leave school and turn professional do so, because college athletes live in near poverty. To avoid all the illegal gains, the athletes should be paid. Marylands Gary Williams says . some of these guys are pretty poor coming here, and a lot of college students have some money you feel out of place, you dont feel competitive academically sometimes, and I think it could do a lot of good If colleges dont pay the athletes the professional leagues should. Professional leagues such as the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB use colleges as minor leagues. Most of the players in these leagues come from universities across the U.S.A. Since the leagues get the athletes from the universities, they should pay them the same way they league players. College athletes should receive money for all of their needs, or if they cant do this the athletes should be given the opportunity to work, which will assist them, learn about working in real world.

Analysis Of Renewable Energy Sector In Australia Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Renewable Energy Sector In Australia Marketing Essay Introduction In this century, the water usage of households is increasing in a rapid rate. This implies that hot water usage would increase directly as well. Electric and gas water heater are the common heating system, and renewable energy is not commonly used. Due to the high level of usage of electric and gas water heater, unwanted gas emission increases rapidly and killing the earth. Therefore, people are encouraged to be more environmental friendly to save the earth by reducing gas emission. To replace electric and gas water heater, solar water heating systems and heat pumps are encouraged to be used, as they are using the renewable energies that are available in Australia to generate electricity without causing any harm to the environment. Part 1. Industry Analysis of Renewable Energy Sector in Australia. This section includes the macroenvironment and microenvironment of Australias renewable energy devices. Macroenvironment Microenvironment Company Supplier Distributors Competitors Customers Political/Legal Environment Economic Social Technological The Marketing Environment Macroenvironment can be very large and can be grouped with the PESTLE model (political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environment). West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010 Legal: According to Kent, A Mercer, D 2006, a political organization, Australias mandatory renewable energy target (MRET) has been established since April 2001 in order to encourage the additional generation of electricity from renewable sources, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and ensure that renewable energy sources are ecologically sustainable (Renewable Energy (Electricity)  Act  2001, s3). The legislation (the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000) places a legal liability on most wholesale purchasers of electricity and large users to contribute proportionally towards the annual targets that increase to 9,500 GWh in 2010 and remain at that level until the measure expires in 2020. If they fail to meet required targets of renewable energy purchase, they face a penalty. Penalty could be avoided by purchasing renewable energy certificate through the market. Political: Political issues such as the changes of political party or decisions could bring influence to an industry. According to Reuters, the parliament had passed the amendments to the nations renewable energy target scheme, splitting it into by small-scale and large-scale. The large-scale Renewable Energy Target will benefit renewable energy companies that have stockpiled cheap certificates. Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) has been introduced to help household and small businesses with installation of eligible renewable energy systems, such as solar water heater (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2010). The Solar Homes and Communities Plan helped Australian homes and communities reduce their energy use and bills and better the environment. It successfully installed more than 100,000 systems as of the end of  April 2010 and  helped to increased accredited solar panel installers over the last year to more than 1,900. Technological Factors: Report from Ferguson, M, 2010; In order to support Australias response to climate change, the Australian Government announced it will provide $652.5 million as Renewable Energy Future Fund (REFF); to provide additional support for the development and deployment of large and small scale renewable energy projects. There are also further investment decisions of $110.5 million for existing renewable energy programs such as $92 million for Australian Centre for Renewable Energy funding for solar projects under the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program to build a 23MW1  solar boost to coal-fired turbines in western Queensland; and build a 40MW concentrated solar thermal demonstration plant in South Australia, by using Australias own Big Dish technology; and $18.45 million for Australian Solar Institute as fund for research into advanced solar energy technologies. Moreover, Australia has one of the best renewable energy resource bases in the world such as solar, wind, geothermal, sugar cogeneration and ocean technology. Australia has been the industry leader in a number of solar technologies such as Photovoltaics(PV), solar thermal technologies and solar concentrator systems. Australia also provides support for International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiatives. Economic Factors: Energy Matters 2009 shows that Australias renewable power generation provides around 8% of electricity consumed in Australia, gas provides 14%, oil 1% and coal 77%. In capacity terms, 8,229 MW of renewable power generation (254 projects) were in place at 31 December 2005 that was 16% of total installed capacity in Australia. According to a 2005 survey undertaken by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), the renewable energy industry in Australia supports the direct employment of nearly 6,000 people. Moreover, according to the Climate Institute, 26,000 job opportunities would be available from the $31 billion worth of renewable energy investments planned for Australia. This includes almost 2,500 new permanent positions, over 15,000 construction jobs and more than 8,600 indirect jobs in supporting sectors. Barton, ACT 2004 mentioned that Australian Government had spent about $50 billion on energy each year, while energy exports earn more than $24 billion a year. The sector involves massive, long-lived capital items such as electricity plants, transmission lines, coal, oil and gas production facilities, pipelines, refineries, wind farms as well as a multitude of smaller facilities such as wholesale and retail distribution sites. Following West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010, Porters five forces model used to illustrate the microenvironment: Competitive Rivalry: There are several successful firms in renewable energy industry. (taken from Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006) Solahart Pty Ltd is the first manufacturer and a recognised leader in the field of solar water heating. It was the first product that carried the European Solar Keymark label. Solahart has been officially recognized by the Australian Government with Export Dedication and Enterprise Awards (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006). According to Warren, M 2007, Solahart heavily dominates about 70 per cent of total Australian solar hot water market share through its leading brands Rheem, Solahart and Edwards. The next biggest player is household consumer supplier GWA International with its Dux and EcoSmart brands and followed by Rinnai/Beasley. Substitutes: A guide from choice online 2010, states electric and gas water heater as substitutes. Electric water heater prevails because electric supply is on 24 hours with day-rate systems which only receive power during the day. There are also night-rate systems, receiving power only during the night, suitable for households with solar-powered systems to avoid paying high day-rate tariffs. Gas is also a substitute available throughout the day and it can replace heat losses in a short time. Buyer: (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) The graphs above show that only 7.6% of Australian households are using solar water heating, with Northern Territories leading at 55%, followed by Western Australia at 21.8%. This data indicates solar usage at rural areas where access to gas and electricity supply can be limited. Therefore, they are compelled to use solar power rather than it being optional like their city counterparts such as Victoria (3%) and New South Wales (5.7%). The majority of the nation is using electricity (46%) or gas (37%) to heat up their water. This is both costly and a waste of unrenewable resources such as coal, which is heavily used to generate electricity in Australia (World Nuclear Association, 2010). In line with the Australian Governments initiative to reduce carbon emissions, this shows promising potential for solar water heating seeing as solar power is a green and renewable source of power (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2010). Part 2. Segmentation Cluster analysis is a group of multivariate techniques which main purpose is to classify objects in such a way that within-group differences are minimized and between-group differences are maximized according to some grouping variable. Cluster analysis is used in this segmentation part in order to define the clear and distinct consumer needs; also to list in order of importance the attribute or needs of product for Solarharts heat pump to consumer. Demographic Family Size of Australias Household (graph taken from Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006) A research from Australian Institute of Family Studies shows the average household size and number of households between 1911 to 2006. The graph shown that the average household size is in decreasing rate, while the number of households is in the rising rate. (table taken from Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006) The statistics above show that the number of household size in 2006 is about 7,596,000 which is almost 2,000,000 more compare to 1991. The average household size is remain constant since1996 which is around 2.6 person per household. Impact of household size, behaviour and geographic to Usage Rate of Hot water Refer to Harrington, L 2010, Hot water consumption is also affected by a whole range of demographic factors. Household size is the main factor as it refers to age of household members. For instance, teenagers tend to have a longer shower time. On the other hand, the presence of kids in households also consume a high level of water due to the use of bathtubs and also more washing loads compared to households without young children. However, household income could affect the level of use of water. Other factors that affect the hot water consumption include the behaviour of household members. For instance, the showering frequency and the flow rates and duration. The more frequent the household members shower and if the flow rate is set on the highest and also they are showering for a longer time, the level of water usage would be very high. In addition, the frequency use of dishwasher, the water levels settings and the preferred washing temperatures on the clothes washer will also affec t the hot water consumption in household. On the other hand, the selection of hot water system could be influenced by some minor demographic and geographical factors such as households, which have access to gas, they would prefer to have gas heaters. The water levels settings and the preferred washing temperatures on the clothes washer will also affect the hot water consumption in household. On the other hand, the selection of hot water system could be influenced by some minor demographic and geographical factors such as households, which have access to gas, they would prefer to have gas heaters. Furthermore, large household would need more hot water supply and therefore, large hot water systems would be preferred. Whereas, for those rental houses, they tend to focus on high operating rates and therefore, they would choose to get other conventional systems with low purchase cost. Restricted choices are available for apartments as solar systems are impossible. However, households which are located in a hotter place would prefer solar water heating. Behaviour of Consumer making purchase decision According to The ACRS Research Team 2010, different types of consumer have different behaviour. Firstly, the value consumers are those who spend their money wisely and smartly by focusing on what they need instead of what they want. Therefore the product must be worth for its cost. Secondly, the busy consumers are those who simply seek for convenience, speed and simplicity, as time is the most valuable thing to them. And the green consumers are those who are more concerned about environment. This type of consumers is environmental friendly consumers and they are willing to spend more to go green. They also gain some advantages such as traveling less to reach the product. Also there are also the bored consumers who are exposed and buried by various choices as the number of advertisements and promotions are increasing rapidly today. They tend to seek for a more unique products and services. And lastly, the digital consumers are those who are spend most of their time interacting through internet. The sources that could be found through internet improvise the way consumers approach retailers, and they are clear with what they are looking for. Part 3. Targeting Undifferentiated targeting strategy would be used in Solar targeting progress. According to Solahart, consumers of the solar heater water market are mainly household users. A marketing mix (Leader, WG Kyritsis, N 1990) will be designed for the solar water heater product to target all household users in Australia, aiming to increase the market share and to fulfil the governments renewable energy policies to increase the substitution of households with renewable energy devices. The marketing-mix will be tailored to the behaviours and demographic of consumers such as usage rate, income, and consumer behaviour in product attributes. The place and promotion strategy will focus on drawing consumers to approach this renewable energy product and simultaneously increase consumer awareness to green issues. According to consumer behaviour in 2009, consumers tend to be more aware of value; seeking for convenience, speed and simplicity, uniqueness and environmental friendly. The marketing mix strategy will relate to the key components of marketing: product, price, place and promotion. First is the product, encompassing packaging, labelling, product performance or service support. The solar heat pump has several advantages; it is fast and efficient with synergys large compressor that gives quicker recovery, providing hot water faster; easy to use and installation as no solar panel is needed and is equipped with an electric booster to provide a continuous supply of hot water for the cooler climates; valuable in saving electricity bill in the long-run; and lastly environmental friendly as it converts heat from the air to deliver hot water, reducing electricity usage or fossil fuel energy use and the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated. This is in line with the efforts of State Governments across Australia in banning the use of electric hot water systems in new homes. Second, the place to distribute the solar heat pump will be through retail chain such as Harvey Norman and Dick Smith. This is known as one level distribution channel (Mantau, U, Merio, M, Sekot, W Welcker, B 2001), where the distribution activities will move from manufacturer to retailer then to consumer. For example, Harvey Norman (intermediary) with a positive retail image could help build consumer trust in a product. Besides that, Solahart (manufacturer) could force goods through channels by giving intermediaries incentives such as higher margin to boost the sales of product. This is known as Push Strategies (Gillespie, A 2001). Intermediaries will be in charge of product service and advertisement efforts. They may also help consumers with claims under the governments renewable scheme for the purchase of solar heat pump. To deal with Internet buyers, Harvey Normans online store could help to promote the product online. Therefore users can easily obtain the specification and information of the solar heat pump and even purchase it on net. Furthermore, Solahart could promote their product through personal selling. The company itself can organize promotion fairs in shopping centres that are always full of potential consumers. This activity could involve salespersons interacting with consumers to bring their attention to environmental issues and supplying product information. Additionally, salespersons can better understand consumer needs and play up the benefits solar heat pumps can offer such as electricity bill-cut to persuade consumers to make the switch. Educating household users with environmental knowledge is important to increase the market share of the product. Solahart could advertise through media such as TV advertisements, newspapers and online websites such as Facebook, Yahoo, CNET Australia, eBay etc. to attract consumer awareness. This could also help portray a positive image for the company and build up brand reputation. 4. Positioning Positioning refers to the placement of product in the perception of product, brand or company in the mind of consumer. (West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010) A new position statement Solahart needs to make: [Convince] consumers that they are a green power brand, pioneering in solar water heater industry and the product is extremely energy efficient  and of highest quality. [That] Solaharts heat pump is environmental friendly, secure, durable, with long life-span and effectively provides hot water to household when needed with the most reasonable price. [Because] Solahart is an Australian-owned environmental-friendly brand which is also world recognised as a leading water heating company to fulfil needs of hot water system for consumers with the lowest, most cost-efficient and effective way. Successful criteria for positioning must include the four Cs of positioning such as Clarity in terms of market targeting and differential advantages. The positioning statement above clearly states that Solahart is a pioneer and innovator brand, giving credit to their professionalism and reputation in the product line of solar water heaters (Haig, M 2007). Solaharts innovation could help households to cut both their utility bills and dependency on gas or electric based heater for hot water. There must be Consistency in conveying the message to consumers, including the positioning statement. Solahart is truly an innovator brand, being the first manufacture of solar water heating. It has also been recognized officially by the Australian Government with Export Dedication and Enterprise Awards. Consumer perception of Solaharts Credibility is also important. The companys 55-year experience in supplying thousands of households across 70 has helped build up its brand reputation, where consumers trust the brand in what they are doing. Solahart also has Competitiveness where the companys differential advantages surpass its competitors. Solahart provides extended warranties to their users and provide excellent after-service to their consumers to insure their buyer policy. To increase competitiveness, Solahart could further develop their line to enhance performance or providing more functions and even enhancing appearance to lead to a new fashion of life style in the industry. High Recognition Low Recognition More Market Share Less Market Share * Solahart * Edwards * Rheem * Dux *EcoSmart *Rinnai * Quantum * Solco Perceptual map of Brand Recognition and Market Share of Water Heater Market (West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010) A perceptual map could be used by the company to assess its perceptual position in its consumers mind. The perceptual map above shows a variety of water heater brands to give the perception of that particular market segment. The perceptual axels are Brand Recognition Level and Market Share of the main competitors. There are three major groupings shown on the perceptual map. Solahart, Rheem and Edwards are companies in the high recognition group, owning the major market shares in the solar water heater industry. The moderate recognition group are companies with moderate market shares such as Dux, EcoSmart, Rinnai. The last group is the low recognition group with minor market share companies such as Quantum and Solco. Conclusion In conclusion, the industry analysis is to help the company to understand the macro and microenvironment of the renewable energy device market. It shows that there is a large potential of market share in renewable as the Australia Government is very concerned about reducing the gas emission by providing a rebate scheme to support household user to switch to renewable energy device as it is environmental friendly. Besides that, the segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy drive the company to target the right market with right marketing mix strategy and to make sure the company is in appropriate perceptual positioning in consumer minds. As the consumer needs are met, the demand towards the renewable energy devices would increase. Therefore, the aim of the government that is encouraging the use of renewable energy instead of electric and gas will be achieved. Referencing: Kent, A Mercer, D 2006, Australias mandatory renewable energy target (MRET): an assessment, Energy Policy, vol.34, no. 9, pg 1046-1062, Retrieved 18 August 2010, ScienceDirect The National Association of Forest Industries, What is the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2010,Solar Homes and Communities Plan, Australian Government, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Reuters 2010, Analysis: Australia energy law faces green certificate overhang, Reuters.com, retrieved 18 August 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66F3HX20100716 Ferguson, M 2010, Australias Biggest Ever Renewable Energy Roll-out, Australian Government, Retrieved 18 August 2010, http://minister.ret.gov.au/TheHonMartinFergusonMP/Pages/!budget_renewable.aspx.html Energy Matters, 2009, 26,000 Renewable Energy Jobs For Australia, Enerygymatters.com, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Barton, ACT 2004, Securing Australias Energy Future, Commonwealth of Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.efa.com.au/Library/CthEnergyWhitePaper.pdf Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006 Australias Renewable Energy Use, Technologies and Services, Clean Energy Council Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/resourcecentre/reports/Past-Reports/businchina/mainColumnParagraphs/0/text_files/file0/china2.pdf Solahart 2010, Company History, Solahart Company, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.digal.pt/Digal_I/company.html Edwards Solar Hot Water 2010, About Us, Edwards Company, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.edwards.com.au/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=828 Rheem Australia Pty Ltd 2002, Company History, Rheem Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.rheem.com.au/history.asp Solco Ltd 2010, Solco Corporate, Solco Limited, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Quantum 2010, Welcome to Quantum, Quantum Energy Technologie Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.quantumenergy.com.au/home-1.aspx Dux Manufacturing Pty. Ltd 2010, Dux Manufaturing, Retrived 19 August 2010, http://www.dux.com.au/about.htm AquaxMax Water Heather 2010, Retrived 19 August 2010, http://www.aquamax.com.au/ Rinnai 2009, Corporate Information, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Australian Agency for International Development 2000, POWER FOR THE PEOPLE: RENEWABLE ENERGY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, Australian Government, Retrieved 20 August 2010, Choice Online 2010, Hot water options buying guide, Choice.com Australia, Retrieved 20 August 2010, http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Household/Energy-and-water/Saving-water/Hot-water-options-buying-guide/Page/Storage-water-heaters.aspx Living-Australia.com 2010, Wages / Salaries Australia, Retrieved 21 August 2010, Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006, Family face and figure, Australian Government, Retrieved 21 August 2010, Harrington, L 2010, Hot Water End-use Measurement, DEWHA, Retrieved 22 August 2010, The ACRS Research Team 2010, The Australian Consumer Trends Report, Monash University, Retrieved 23 August 2010, Mantau, U, Merio, M, Sekot, W Welcker, B 2001, Recreation and environmental markets for forest enterprises, CABI, retrieved 23 August 2010, Google books Gillespie, A 2001, AS A level business studies through diagrams, 2nd edn, Ocford University Press, retrieved 24 August 2010, Google books Leader, WG Kyritsis, N 1990, Fundamentals of marketing, Hutchinson Education, retrieved 24 August 2010, Google books Clean Energy Council 2009, Solar, Australia Government, Retrieved 21 August 2010, http://cleanenergyaustraliareport.com.au/technologies/solar/ Haig, M 2007, Brand Royalty: How the Worlds Top 100 Brands Thrive Survive, Kogan Page Limited, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Google books Warren, M 2007,Solar heating not an easy switch, The Australian, Retrieved 26 August 2010, West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010, Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive Advantage, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press Inc, New York

Methods of Studying the Brain

Methods of Studying the Brain History of brain treatments Trepanning is a surgical procedure where a hold is drilled into the skull using a surgical tool, in the 17th and 19th century. The process involved drilling into the skull and removing a piece of bone. In ancient times trepanning was done as a tribal ritual to let evil spirts escape out of the head. It was performed to cure, headaches, and many mental illness for instance; Huntingtons, Parkinson, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Lobotomy is a surgical procedure in which the nerve pathways in a lobes of the brain are severed from those in other areas. The procedure was used as a radical therapeutic measure distributed patients, who had mental illnesses. Moreover, lobotomy was used in mental institutions where the patients wouldnt understand and known it is been done. (ETHICS) Also, the patients would often could out of the procedure with black eyes from the surgery and they would be given darken glasses to cover up the bruising ( ETHICS) A few years later Thorine a chemical lobotomy was designed which was better as there wasnt a risk of surgery. 2,900 lobotomies were performed. The last one to be performed was in 1967 due to the patient dying of brain haemorrhage. EEG stands for electroencephalogram which is a recording of the brains activity. Small sensors are attached to the scalp to pick up the electrical signals produced when brain cells send message to each other. Helped to monitoring and diagnosing conditions affecting the brain. Invasive methods Invasive methods are a therapeutic technique that involves breaking the skin. It involves the injection or a placement of a device into the body. Invasive pain management therapies have been used to treat neck and back pain. Invasive methods are done by open surgery or laroscopy. Advantages Disadvantages Increase safety less trauma to the body and far less blood loss Can be time consuming for patient and surgeon Less scaring only takes about two stitches to close the womb Long recover, some patient might be lucky to start to feel recovered by 6 to 8 weeks but others longer. You dont have to stay in hospital very long most patients get discharged within 24 hours. At very high risk of infection More accurate As well as find other damaged areas you might damage that area more or even they might have done the damage. When doing the surgery you may find other damaged areas and be able to remove or treat it. Very expensive Non invasive Non-invasive is a therapeutic technique which doesnt involve invading or breaking the skin. Therefore, the produce does not involve tools that can beak the skin or physically enter the body. For example; x-rays, CT scans, MRI, and ECG. Until recent years, exploratory surgery was routinely performed when a patient was critically ill and the source of illness wasnt known. Advantages Disadvantages The patient undergo less stress as no time for healing or been under general anaesthetic. Some of the scanning can be harmful to the body ad involves radiation Less time consuming Might not see if it damages any other area or if there is any other disease or damage to the brain. Very quick recovery Might not always be an opinion, the surgeon might offer Invasive first Reduced risk of infection Some of the scans may stimulate other parts of the brain Cheaper MRI scanner X-RAY machine Deep Brain Stimulation Deep stimulation is a surgical procedure (invasive technique) which is performed under local anaesthetic. It is perform in this situation so that the patient can talk and have brain movement to say the procedure has worked. Deep stimulation is the main type of surgery used to treat Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons is not cure able however; it may help to control the movement of the symptoms. Deep brain stimulation involved very fine wires with electrodes at the tip of the brain, which send electrical impulse to the targeted part of the brain. These are connected to extensions that are tunneled under the skin behind the ear and down the neck. They are connected to a pulse generator, which is placed under the skin around the chest. With Deep Brain Stimulation treating disease of mental health, some people not understand what is mean done and therefore their careers give permission for it to be done and this isnt technical right the patient themselves hasnt full agreed to it. Furthermore, the patient isnt de-brief before the surgery to make sure they full understand what the procedure is and this is all unethical to society. Advantage Disadvantage Very accurate Increase risk of infection. The implantation of foreign objects entering then body. Good technique Additional surgery may be needed is any of the equipment stops working. Sometimes every 3 to 5 years. Minimal opening to brain Time consuming Effective techniquie Devices which are inserted into the body can sometimes interfere with other devices. No damage to the brain during the surgery Sometimes uncomfortable sensations during stimulation can occur. Lesion Production Brain Lesions can be caused by injury, infection, and problems with immune system. There cause is still unknown. There are several of types and some of the effects can cause great harm to you whereas, some are harmless. In lesions, nerve cells die, leaving behind damages areas of the brain. Then after time the brain function in those parts of the brain decrease. Disease such as; Parkinsons, huntingsons Alzheimers and some types of dementia are a group of brain lesions. Some drug additions can be linked to lesions. Symptoms of a brain lesion vary depending on the type, location and size of the lesion. Symptoms include; Headache Nauseas Change of vision Memory loss Seizures Fever There are different types of Brain lesions. For instance abscesses and Alzheimers and other dementias. Abscesses are areas of infection, including inflamed tissue. This isnt a common however, theyre life threating. Brain abscesses often occur after an infection. Moreover, it can also appear after an injury or surgery. Alzheimers disease and other dementias these are another group of brain lesions. In these lesion, the nerve cells die which leaves behind damaged areas to the brain. then Problems which can occur from brain Lesions are: Mood changes Personality changes Behaviour can change Mental ability can change A loss of memory Having pain in joints and having difficulty to move Producing lesion is purposely destroying an area on the brain to research and investigate specific areas of the brain. From this you can see exactly which parts do which function. There are three ways to make an lesion. Chemically to destroy the neurons Electrical current to also destroy the neurons Surgically This involves cutting a part of the brain Advantages Disadvantages The whole of the brain been analysed at once therefore a lot of information and research can be gathered. Involves surgery cutting into patients brain could be a lot of blood loss. The removal of lesion can decrease or even stop seizures Recovery could take away Can look at the size of the lesion and see the damage cause for instance Wernickes or Brocas The surgery could cause stress for the patient Increase risk of infection due to the recovery time and its surgery Removal of a lesion can cause damage in the brain e.g Wernecks or Brocas- language and speech centres. Carbon nanotubes Carbon nanotubes are tubes which have a very small diameter for example it can be as small as one nanometer. This is a very new invention and scientists are hoping to build tiny transistors for computer chips and other electronic devices. Each day carbon nanotubes have more research on and so they are very new. Carbon nanotubes are electrodes which are surrounded by carbon atoms in the shape of a coil. They are really thin! Thinner than a piece of hair. Nanotechnology is used often as it has a lot of uses. For example; sunscreens, self cleaning glass and clothes with UV protection. Uses for nanotubes are Brain tumour research Possibility of using the nanotubes to directly deliver cancer fighting drugs into the brain Medical uses for instance; bone scaffolding and cell therapy. This is achieved by drugs or silencing genes Carbon nanotubes recently used to control the damage caused by a stroke, dental implants or synthetic muscles. Ethnics on carbon nanotubes is it is still experimental and we dont know how it will effect individuals in the long term. Its still be researched and developed. Advantages Disadvantages Many sectors e.g medical, energy and manufacturing benefit from it Newer technology therefore, not much testing been done. New possible cancer therapy Can be difficult to work with Lots of information on neurones and their responses. Very small and can be very expensive to produce. Future treatments of neurological disorders such as Parkinsons and strokes So far it is only been used in experiments so no long term effects seen We as humans are carbon based. Nobody knows how it will react to the body, will it be compatible Surgery will still be required and therefore, surgical; risks attached. Stereotaxic surgery Stereotaxic surgery is also called stereotactic. It is brain surgery where a brain tumour is removed with using image if the brain to guild the surgeon to a target within the brain. Neuro-navigation is a technique which may have an external frame attached to the head or imaging markers attached to the scalp to orient the surgeon in his approach. The term stereotactic came from Greek and Latin roots which meant touch in space. Stereotaxic surgery is used for many reasons, which include: Brain tumors Deep Brain Stimulates Monitoring activity of brain for instance; scanning Monitoring and treating Parkinsons Side effects for stereotaxic is that is have very few immediate effects than the normal radiosurgery, as the area being treated is smaller. However, you are likely to have hair loss, feel sick, feel fatigue, dizzy, have headaches or have rashes appear on your skin. These are common side effects of regular external radiotherapy to the brain. Doctors normal give does of steroid before the treatment or straight after to help prevent side effects due to swelling in the brain. Advantages Disadvantages No cutting is involved in Could stimulate wrong area of brain therefore different behavior would be seen Lots of research taking place Could damage the brain Used in Parkinsons treatment Bleeding could be caused Function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) FMRI is a technique for measuring the metabolic changes that occur in brain activity. It uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves frequency pulses to produce detailed pictures of soft tissues, bone and other internal body structure. It works by detecting the change in blood oxygenation and flow that occur in response to neural activity. When an area is more active it consumes more oxygen and to meet this increased demand blood flow increase to the active area. It can be used to examine the brains anatomy, determines which part of the brain are handling critical functions, evaluate the effect of stroke or disease. FMRI is the only technique which can detect abnormalities within the brain. This is a picture of an FMRI scanner, which is a large tube that contains powerful magnets. You lie inside the tube straight and as still as possible during the scan. Advantages Disadvantages Does not use radiation Scanners usually expensive Has no visual risks Person needs to be completely still for it to capture a clear image Evaluate brain function safely and effectively Researchers still dont completely understand how it works. fMRI is easy to use People are in an enclosed space, so people who are claustrophobic are faced with problems with MRI to be done. MRI scan can provide information about the blood circulation throughout the body and blood vessels The scan involves really loud noises while processing because they involve a really high amount of electric current supple Magnetoencephalography (MEG) MEG measures ongoing brain activity with millisecond time resolution. It works by detecting magnetic fields which are created by the brains electrical signals. MEG is used for finding out about diseases such as; Parkinsons and Alzheimers. But also is used for research to measure the time course of brain activity and can detect epilepsy, as well as detect areas of the brain that are most important to avoid during surgery. MEG has to be carried out in a shielded room often in the night when there are no other electrical devices on. This is because the fields are a billion times smaller than the earths magnetic field. The patient will sit inside a helmet of special sensors that detect the tiny magnetic signals produced by the brain, as shown below; Advantages Disadvantages Makes no noise Time consuming takes 2 hours to be performed. No discomfort for patient Needs a special magnetically shield room Detects areas of normal and abnormal activity in the brain. Used to compliment other imaging techniques Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) TMS is a magnetic method used to stimulate small regions of the brain. During the procedure, a magnetic field generator, or coil, is placed near the head of the person receiving the treatment. The stimulation take approximately around 20 to 30 minutes. While receiving the stimulations, the patient is normally fully awake, no anaesthetic needed. There are minimal side effects. TSM is used to treat depression, pain relief, feeling of euphoria of fear and patient who do not response well to antidepressant medication. The procedure is associated with mild and minimal side effects, including: feelings of light headedness temporary hearing problems, due to the sometimes loud magnet noise mild headaches tingling in the face, jaw, or scalp Advantages Disadvantages Non- invasive Could damage normal brain function No anaesthetic needed Magnetic items must not be worm Widely available Ethics Informed Consent disclosure of all significant risks, both those known and those suspected possible. Potential Benefit must outweigh risk Equal distribution of risk Particularly vulnerable patient populations should be avoided. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) PET stands for positron emission tomography. PET scans are images which can clearly show the part of the body which being investigated which could consist of abnormal areas of the body or brain and can highlight how well certain areas of the body are functioning. A PET scan works by detecting radiation inside the body, and images are made my passing x-rays through the patients body. Radioactive substances are injected into the body. The level of radiation is very small and the radioactive substance has a short decay time and neither of these will damage your body. A PET scan is pain free, and you should are able to return home on the same day without any side effects or restriction function adequately. Scans usually take around 30-60 minutes. Advantages Disadvantages Detect and monitor cancerous growths Very expensive Makes sure functions in the body are working. Not widely available only certain hospitals have them in the UK, and you might have to travel a distance to get one. PET imaging is able to be used as an alternative to biopsy and other exploratory surgeries to determine how much a disease has spread. Not as clear as CT or fMRI scans Reduce the number of unnecessary surgeries performed due to incorrect diagnosis and staging data. Tumour growth and inflammation of brain areas are difficult to tell apart. Stem Cells Stem cells are a class of undistinguishable cells that are able to differentiate into specialised cell types. It is most like that stem cells come from two main sources, for example: Embryos (embryonic stem cells) adult stem cells Stem cells are unspecialised cells which are restarting themselves through cell division and have the potential to develop into many different cell types which plays a central role in generation and for the generation to come of the body. Stem cells act as an internal repair system, dividing to replace other cells which are lost through wear and tear. Each time a stem cell divides, each new cell may either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialised function for example; bone or muscle cells. Stem cells can give growth to any tissue in the body and, from this it can provide nearly limitless potential for medical applications. Current studies are researching how stem cells may be used to prevent or even cure disease e.g Parkinsons, diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimers ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Medical benefits for example; therapeutic cloning gets treat chronic illnesses. Embryos that are not a patients own and the patients body may reject them. Provide an insight to the growth and development of human cells as the understanding of everything about human cells, scientists and researchers would also have a better understanding of disease, and how it comes and what damages the cells which leads them to illness. Difficult to find and extract from tissue Can replace faulty cells with healthy cells, so the individual is well again Adult stem cells only produce a few types of cells No embryo is destroyed so not an ethical issue Ethical implications Embryonic stem cell research poses a moral dilemma. It forces us to choose between two moral principles: The duty to prevent suffering The duty to respect the value of human life In the case of embryonic stem cell research, it is impossible to respect both moral principles. To obtain embryonic stem cells, the early embryo has to be destroyed. This means destroying a potential human life. But embryonic stem cell research could lead to the discovery of new medical treatments that would stop the suffering of many people. Â   Â   There is two issues of stem cells, one that we highly value the duty to prevent suffering and the other the duty to respect the value of human life. A potential humans life is a risk of life or not. It is more ethical to take stem cells from a bone borrow of an individual to help saves someones life as to do so it needs constant from the individual for the bone borrow to be given. Whereas, a less ethical view is were a stem cell could be taken from a embolic cord where the mother of the child may have given constant and mean it can go ahead however, the baby might not have wanted that therefore this is morally wrong. Foetal Brain-tissue Grafting A method of treating diseases, such as; parkingsons and huntingtons by grafting brain cells from human foetuses onto the affected area of the human brain. Human adults cannot grow new brain cells however, developing unborn foetuses can, this is because, grafting foetal tissue stimulates the growth of new brain cells in affected adult brains. Use of foetal brain tissue is consequent from aborted embryos or foetuses. The ethical issues related to a therapeutic approach, which is relevantly modern and therefore not only concern the possible side effects for a graft-receiving patient, but also the relationship between the requirements for foetal tissue and the decision-making process for induced abortion. Although for human embryos and foetuses have been the subject of biomedical studies, and, in principle, their use has therefore not been seen as ethically objectionable, the above points made it necessary to reconsider the moral issues. Bibliography http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02700424 http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Fetal+tissue+transplantation History of brain treatments http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=sfrm=1source=webcd=1ved=0ahUKEwjN8NXE35bQAhUWz2MKHYl8BFcQFggpMAAurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brain-surgery.com%2Fhistory-of-brain-surgery-1%2Fusg=AFQjCNGfniG_DTtMu0pnbq76NH6vFoSU4Qbvm=bv.137904068,d.d2s A good website to go on to first, as it gave an over view of the different methods but also different times e.g the Hippocrates and how life was like for treating the brain then. https://www.britannica.com/topic/lobotomy lobotomy surgery and how it is done and why it is done. http://www.ancient.eu/Trephination/ Brothwell, D, Diseases in Antiquity (Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd, 1967). http://www.imaginis.com/faq/what-does-non-invasive-mean Invasive and non-invasive http://www.frca.co.uk/article.aspx?articleid=252 Very good website to start on however no pros or cons one it. http://internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/Vol1_Issue3_02_Lavdaniti.pdf History on the technique http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/304235-overview Good over view and background information Deep Brain Stimulation https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/deep-brain-stimulation-surgery-parkinsons how deep stimulation is used to treat Parkinsons. http://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/centers-excellence/epilepsy-and-movement-disorders-program/deep-brain-stimulation-movement-disorders This website explains how deep stimulation can cure certain things and what disorders it helps to cure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW-SWAnphFU video of the deep stimulation back ground information and how it was performed http://videos.howstuffworks.com/sciencentral/2937-deep-brain-stimulation-video.htm Another video of how it works and what its done. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25597042 good for information on ethics for DBS. Clearly layout and simple to understand http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12152-015-9240-9 very very complex site and not good for getting information. http://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-lesions-causes-symptoms-treatments Lesion Production http://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-lesions-causes-symptoms-treatments http://www.emedicinehealth.com/brain_lesions_lesions_on_the_brain/page10_em.htm