Autobiography on how my life led to the decision of becoming a nurse Essay

Autobiography on how my life led to the decision of becoming a nurse - Essay Example I have overcome many obstacles and have made many difficult decisions to get where I am in life. The journey that I was meant to take has recently become clear. Ultimately, this decision was there all along; however I did not recognize it or realize that the calling of a nurse was one that was right for me. After having spent what seemed like forever wandering and searching for my life’s purpose, I reached the lowest point in my life. After much thought, I decided I needed to go back to school; yet my options were limited as the only thing I could afford was a technical school. I enrolled in a Medical Assistant School and instantly fell in love with the subject matter. For the first time in my life, I felt like a part of something greater than just the information that was being presented to me. I got a job the week I graduated and became a Medical Assistant in a large Allergy and Asthma practice. I went above and beyond my job and felt like this was finally the path I was meant to be on. My motivation kicked in and I knew this was what I needed to do; moreover, rather than it merely being a job, I craved more. I tried to figure out a way to go back to school in order to realize my dream of becoming a nurse, and there was no way I was going to settle for anything else. I wanted to go all the way and pursue my degree; however, the biggest obstacle at this point was purely financial. It just so happened that my older cousin moved in with my family at this time; because he too was feeling a little lost. The only thing that made him happy was looking back at memories he made while he was in the military. He kept talking about how much he needed motivation so that he could go to college and get a degree and how the military would now pay for it. This is when it all started to click for me. I finally realized this was what I needed to do to get where I wanted to go in life. I decided that I was

Coffee Stand Essay Example for Free

Coffee Stand Essay The proponents thought of a coffee business since Filipinos are known to be coffee – lovers. To satisfy consumer cravings, they came up with other blends of coffee, these blends will surely fulfill the cravings of the buyers. 1. 1 Project Proponents The proponents are composed of three (3) students from the College of Business taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management. The proponents have undergone series of brainstorming in order to come up this kind of business. Table 1: Proponents NAME| ADDRESS| NATIONALITY| OWNERSHIP| Paringit, Jerick U. | 78 Peras St. Bagong Barrio Caloocan City| Filipino| 33 1/3%| Lacabra, Elisha Grace V. | 43 Ero Bernardino Seminary St. Bagbag Novaliches| Filipino| 33 1/3%| Viloria, Vanessa DC. | 7 Pangako St. Bagong Barrio Caloocan City| Filipino| 33 /3%| 1. 2 Proposed Name of the Project The proponents named the business â€Å"Kofilicious† a combination of the words Coffee and delicious. It is a place where you can satisfy your coffee cravings at affordable prices. Kofilicious aims to serve blended coffees that are suited to the tastes of the customers. 1. 3 Type of Business Organization The proponents agreed to form a General Partnership with all three (3) partners. All of them will manage and participate in the business operation; each partner is subjected to contribute their share to come up with the required capital for the initial operation of the business. All of the proponents would be general partners with 33 1/3% shares each in capital requirement. 1. 4 Location of the business The Kofilicious will be located at the Walter Mart, North EDSA at the ground floor area. It is close to the LRT station, in front of Jackman. 1. 5 History of the business Initially, the proponents would like to start a Pizza Shop, a Restaurant or a Bar. However there is a difficulty in finding demand and supply of the main product. As time goes, the proponents have noticed that Filipinos are coffee lovers. So proponents were inspired by the idea of having a coffee shop. About the location, one of the proponent suggested to put up a business inside SM City San Lazaro at Felix Huertas St. Lacson Ave. Santa Cruz, Manila, but when they visited the said mall, the proponents found out that there are many direct and indirect competitors, so they searched for another location and found Walter Mart in North EDSA, Quezon City. It is a commercial place where it can achieve profitability through mall goers, students, employees. The most crucial factors that influenced the proponents in choosing what type of business project to establish and manage are (1) the need to obtain the necessary capital needed in establishing the business, (2) the marketability of the chosen project to ensure profit, and (3) the percentage and time needed to have return of investment in order to maintain and sustain the business project. Since the proponents are all students, capital is a limitation. The scale with which the business project will operate depends largely on the amount of money the proponents are able to commit to business. Nowadays, marketability of the product depends on the demand for the product. The project proponents chose food as their product because the marketability of beverages never decreases. As long as people drink, beverages will always be a top commodity. A survey conducted by the proponents showed that coffee is one of the most in-demand beverages. A little twist and little experiment, and the team came up with Kofilicious, coffee blended with other ingredients topped with whipped cream and wafer or wafer stick. CHAPTER 2 MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL The Kofilicous has a Stall Manager, Accountant, and two Store Personnel. Each personnel will work for eight hours a day, from Monday to Sunday. The term of payment will be given 15th and 30th of the month. The proponents choose personnel who have experienced and capability to work. 2. 1 Personnel The proponents formulate the policies, objectives and strategies to make the business productive and successful in its operation. The proponents will hire Stall Manager, an accountant, and store personnel. 2. 2 Personnel Requirements A. Stall Manager * Must be 21-35 years old * Must be a graduate of four year course which is related in Management, Hotel Restaurant Management or any other business course * Must be willing to work on shifting hours * Must have passion about coffee. B. Store Personnel * Must be 18 to 25 years old * At least 54 in height (male) or 52 (female) * With pleasing personality * Must have at least college level of education * Must be hardworking flexible * With skills in coffee mixing C. Accountant * Preferably a certified public accountant * With experience in financial statements preparation. 2. 2 Duties and Responsibilities A. Stall Manager * Oversees all the activities, * responsible for ensuring that the coffee shop maintains adequate supply levels, * maintains relationships with customers and staff, * identifies and estimates quantities of supplies to be ordered, * schedules staff work hours and activities, * organizes, plans, * bears the responsibility of ensuring that the coffee shop is adequately staffed, * makes sure employees are trained, * must handle all the advertising and promotion, * must manage the store and maintain the work flow and. * Must train the crews, and implements all the rules and policy. B. Store Personnel * are responsible for the preparation of coffee, * responsible for cleaning duties, * discover customer needs and appropriately suggest products with every customer to enhance service and meet sales goals, * Demonstrate the Just Say Yes behavior by taking care of customer needs, * Take responsibility to learn all aspects of the store personnel position, * are responsible for self-initiated learning, * enter purchases into cash register to calculate total purchase price, * accept cash payments, * count money, give change and issue receipt for funds received, * maintain sufficient amounts of change in cash drawer. * Keep register area neat and stocked with necessary supplies, * are responsible for inventory count, and * summarize daily sales and expense activities. C. Accountant * reports all financial matters to the owners, * prepares the business financial statements, * maintains of transaction records and the books of the firm, * manages the financial account of the business, * prepares the payroll. D. Proponents * oversee all work flow of the establishment, * Whenever the stall manager is not present, one of the proponents will be doing the after work inventory of sales. 2. 3 Organizational Chart Kofilicious adapted the line and staff organization that provides supplementing arms between the different levels of management. This type of organization is effective for good communication from top management to lower management. This form of organization is simple but helps avoid several organizational problems. FIGURE 1 Organizational chart STALL MANAGER Accountant STORE PERSONNEL 2. 3. 1 Proposed Rate of Salary Store personnel will be compensated on the number of hours and days of work they have ended. All employees will receive their salaries and wages every two (2) weeks. 2. 3. 2 Mode of Payment Payment of salaries and wages will be in the form of cash. Payment to be made twice in a month will be received by the employee on or before the 15th and 30th day of the month. 2. 4 Proposed Business Policies and Programs Be pleasant. Employees must wear a smile at all times. It should be part of daily operation. Be attentive. Employees must listen to every request made by the customers. Employees should exercise respect with customers at all times. Be patient. Employees must be patient in dealing with customers. They must exercise patience in order to please customers. Be accurate. Employees must give exact change at all times; make sure that accuracy is not only extended as to money matters, but in rendering service as well. The order is to be received correctly; the order is always to be repeated to the customer. Be loyal. Employees should give a loyal and honest service to the customer. Be observant. Employees must make it a habit to be on the lookout for little errors in service; and correct this in time. Be prompt. Employees must report for the duty promptly, and remain until relieved or until the manager has arranged for someone else to cover the work. Be clean. Employees must have a neat and clean appearance while on duty. Uniforms should be complete and in good order, properly buttoned and without spots or tear. They should observe proper hygiene daily. Management will not allow flashy jewelry, and excessive use of cosmetics. 2. 4. 1 Store Policies 1. The opening of the store is at 9:00 AM, exactly one hour before the actual opening of the mall, closing is at 10 in the evening. 2. All utensils used must be properly cleaned and sanitized after the operation, including the utility towels. 3. The crew should always wear their respective uniforms, caps, hairnet, and the nameplates provided by the company. 4. When the customer orders a product, the customer should be entertained and served in accordance with the span of time of making a blended coffee. 2. 4. 2 Uniforms All employees are required to wear their uniforms during working hours. The uniforms will be charged to the employee’s salary. The store uniform includes the following. a. Store shirt b. Pants c. Hairnet d. Cap and nameplate e. White socks and white clog shoes. 2. 4. 3 Attendance and Absences The company employs the strict observance on the attendance and absences of the employees or the following: 1. â€Å"No work, no pay policy† is strictly implemented. 2. Employees must work within the required hours and even during holidays, if necessary. 3. There will be a logbook and time card to have a record of the employees’ attendance. 4. Employees who intend to absent should inform the manager three hours prior to opening. 5. Employees who are absent for a day without any notice or permission to or from his/her manager are subject to: a. 1st offense- verbal warning b. 2nd offense- three-day suspension c. 3rd offense- six-day suspension d. 4th offense- discharge 6. Employees must be on time. A 15-minute grace period is allowed. Store hours will open at 10:00 a. m. as previously mentioned, but personnel are expected to be at the workplace one hour before opening time. 7. There will be a one-hour break per personnel, but this must be alternately done, that is, one personnel takes break, and the other one will be in-charge of the store, and vice versa 8. There is a one day-off, but it must be assigned and plotted by the manager. 2. 5 Proposed Management Style and Practices. The proponents will manage and supervise the operation of the business with the help of other people as their employees, and agreed to implement situational style of management in the supervision and operation in running the business. Considering the workers are one of the most valuable assets on our business, they must be treated fairly and with respect for them to work efficiently, effectively and productively. 2. 5. 1 Vision Kofilicious is committed to excellence. The partners are dedicated to offer not only the quantity but the quality of the proponents’ product, and the unparalleled service and love rendered to the people. 2. 5. 2 Mission To make Kofilicious a premium coffee house and to be competitive in coffee industry and its market. To be known through an excellent quality of coffee at affordable price with a strong reputation and consistent high growth in sales and profit. CHAPTER 3 MARKETING FEASIBILITY Coffee drinkers in the Philippines are among the most demanding ones. They favor well-brewed coffee drinks and demand great service. Kofilicous will strive to build a loyal customer base by offering a great tasting coffee located close to LRT Station. Our market research shows that 80% are the customer groups that are most likely to buy coffee. Since coffee consumption is universal, proximity to area of Walter Mart will provide access to the targeted customer. 3. 1 Market Description One of the major assumptions of this study is that the product can be patronized by all target market, since the proposed business is only small in scale. The target market population that the project covers is defined as the total estimate of people visiting the mall yearly. Since these people visit the mall and are free to go to any place at the mall, including the location of the project; all these people are potential customers. 3. 2 Demand. The computed demand was based from the survey the proponents conducted. The demand for the past five years and the projected five years are as follows: The survey showed that 80% of the respondents drink the traditional coffee. The respondents were also asked how frequent they drink coffee (given choice every day, once a week, twice a week). Respondents who chose â€Å"everyday† comprised 10% of the total subjects, â€Å"twice a week† comprised 30%, and â€Å"once a week† comprised 48%. The remaining 12% drink coffee for a frequency of â€Å"thrice a week to six times a week† – almost every day. This table illustrates the estimated demand for the product as defined by the percentages shown by the survey and the estimated population for the past five years Table 2 Frequency of Customer Demand for Possible Purchase Year| Total population| Interested to buy (80%) | Drinks coffee everyday(10%)| Once aWeek(48%)| Twice aWeek(30%)| Thrice to sixa week(12%)| 2011| 7,786| 6,229| 622| 2,990| 1,869| 747| The proponents conducted a survey at Walter Mart, North EDSA, Quezon City. This survey helped the proponents to know the number of respondents, target market and the total demand for coffee that the proponents need in the project. Based on 100 survey sheets that the proponents distributed, 80% of those people are willing to buy the product and 20% are those who are not willing to drink coffee. 3. 2. 1 Historical Demand Year| Total population| Interested to buy (80%)| Drinks coffee everyday(10%)| Once a week(48%)| Twice a week(30%)| Thrice a week(12%)| | | | | | | | 2007| 7,218| 5,774| 577| 2,772| 1,732| 692| 2008| 7,354| 5,883| 588| 2,824| 1,765| 705| 2009| 7,495| 5,996| 599| 2,878| 1,799| 719| 2010| 7,639| 6,111| 611| 2,933| 1,833| 733| 2011| 7,786| 6,229| 622| 2,990| 1,869| 747|. Year| Interested to buy(80%)| Total Demand(Annual)| 2007| 7,218| 607,004| 2008| 7,354| 618,441| 2009| 7,495| 630,299| 2010| 7,639| 642,409| 2011| 7,786| 654,771| Year| Total population| Interested to buy (80%)| Drinks coffee daily(10%)| Once a week(48%)| Twice a week(30%)| Thrice a week(12%)| Total Demand(Annual)| 2012| 7,935| 6,348| 634| 3,047| 1,904| 761| 667,301| 2013| 8,087| 6,470| 646| 3,105| 1,941| 776| 680,084| 2014| 8,242| 6,594| 659| 3,165| 1,978| 791| 693,119| 2015| 8,400| 6,720| 672| 3,226| 2,016| 806| 706,406| 2016| 8,561| 6,849| 684| 3,287| 2,055| 821| 719,945| 3. 2. 2 Projected Demand The Statistical straight line method was used to obtain the projected demand and based on the computed projection values, the proponents’ assessment is that there is a growing demand for coffee for the next five years. 3. 3 Supply Supply is the quality of goods that sellers are willing to sell out of given prices at a particular time and place. 3. 3. 1 Historical Supply The coffee may have a fixed price that could bring profile to the proponents or they have to sell it at whatever price it will fetch depending on the packaging. It is unlikely, however that they will continue to supply it if the price remain below the required amount to cover the cost and give the least profit. Competitors| Quantity sold per day | Zagu| 80| Coffee Break| 45| Tea Zone| 60| Competitors| Quantity sold per day in pcs. | Operating days| Total Supply| Zagu| 80| 360| 28,800| Coffee Break| 45| 360| 16,200| Tea Zone| 60| 360| 21,600| Annual Supply| | | 66,600| 3. 3. 2 Historical Supply Year| Competitor| Quantity sold/day in pcs| Operating days| Total Supply| 2007| -| -| 360| | 2008| -| -| 360| | 2009| 3| 179| 360| 193,320| 2010| 3| 182| 360| 196,560| 2011| 3| 185| 360| 199,800|. 3. 3. 3 Projected Supply Year| Competitor| Quantity sold/day in pieces| Operating days| Total Supply| 2012| 3| 188| 360| 203,040| 2013| 3| 191| 360| 206,280| 2014| 3| 194| 360| 209,520| 2015| 3| 197| 360| 212,760| 2016| 3| 200| 360| 216,000| 3. 4 Demand Supply Analysis 3. 4. 1 Historical Demand Supply Gap Year| Demand| Supply| DS Gap| % Unsatisfied| 2007| 607,004| -| 7,218| 100%| 2008| 618,441| -| 7,354| 100%| 2009| 630,299| 193,320| 436,979| 69%| 2010| 642,409| 196,560| 445,849| 69%| 2011| 654,771| 199,800| 454,971| 69%| Year| Demand| Supply| DS Gap| % Unsatisfied| 2012| 667,301| 203,040| 464,261| 69%|. 2013| 680,084| 206,280| 473,804| 69%| 2014| 693,119| 209,520| 483,599| 69%| 2015| 706,406| 212,760| 493,646| 69%| 2016| 719,945| 216,000| 503,945| 70%| 3. 4. 2 Projected Demand Supply Gap 3. 5 Proposed Marketing Practices Marketing practices include the practices that affect the relationship between the wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer and the retailer. 3. 6 Proposed Marketing Program and Strategy Kofilicious main purpose is to satisfy customers’ needs specifically on their taste preference, and to provide quality and friendly service. In order to achieve the business mission, the proponents constructed different strategies. Marketing mix elements are price, place, product and promotion. A. Price Price is the one that creates sales revenues. The pricing strategy of Kofilicious is set to determine if the market is capable of purchasing. The product having affordable prices is a must. A buffer of 10% and a mark up 40% were added to the Total Food Cost to get the selling price. B. Place Proponents proposed project will be located inside Walter Mart North EDSA, this site is chosen in order to capture the target market. Walter Mart is known for being one of the most visited mall in the country. C. Product. This refers to tangible service. The brand name has a connection to the product, and in sense, customers will hopefully be back for more. There will be a variety of products for the customers to choose from to satisfy their wants and needs. Below are the following nutrition facts of each coffee blend: Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino Calories 270| Calories from Fat 100| Total Fat 11g| | Saturated Fat 7g| | Calories 220| Calories from Fat 25| Total Fat 2. 5g| | Cholesterol 10mg| | Total Carbohydrate 48g| | Sugars 46g| Protein 3g| Vitamin A 2%| | Mocha Frappuccino Trans Fat 0g| Cholesterol 35mg| Sodium 150mg|. Total Carbohydrate 42g| Dietary Fiber 0g| Sugars 40g| Protein 4g| Vitamin A 8%Iron 4%Ricoa’s ChocolateCalories 290 Calories from fat 190 % Daily valueTotal Fat 13g 20%Saturated Fat 7g 35%Cholesterol 45mg 15%Sodium 115mg 5%Total Carbohydrates 39mg 13%Sugars 32gProtein 11gVitamin A 15%Calcium 35%Iron 15%Caffe LatteCalories 150 Calories from fat 50 % Daily valueTotal Fat 6g 9%Saturated Fat 3. 5g 18%Cholesterol 25mg 8%Sodium 115mg 5%Total Carbohydrates 14g 5%Sugars 13gProtein 10gVitamin A 10%Calcium 35%Caramel MacchiatoCalories 180 Calories from fat 45 % Daily valueTotal Fat 5g 8%Saturated Fat 3. 5g 18%Cholesterol 20mg 7%Sodium 100mg 4%Total Carbohydrates 25g 9%Sugars 23gProtein 8gVitamin A 10%Calcium 35%| D. Promotion| One of the Marketing Promotion tools used are tarpaulin, flyers and discount stubs. For the opening of the store there are 50 pcs. discount cards to be distributed, the stall will also distribute of 100 pcs. flyers and will post a tarpaulin besides the stall for the consumer to have the idea what products are being offered. (3. 7 Project Sales, see page 79) CHAPTER 4 Technical/Production Production is a major step in the series of economic process that brings goods and services to people. Producing a product that would cater to high level of customers satisfaction is one of the requirements for the proponents to cope with today’s successful companies. In this part, the proponents will discuss the production flow chart, project site, layouts and production schedule, facilities, floor plan, machine and equipment, utilities and raw materials. 4. 1 Product Description Kofilicious will serve different flavors. Every product is composed of different ingredients. The proponents decided to make a unique blend of coffee to satisfy the customers. These product items and ingredient are as follows: Vanilla Cappuccino. ? c Fresh Milk 2 tsp. Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Syrup 2 T Coffee 1 tsp. Cinnamon 2 T Whipped Cream ? c Ice Cubes Mocha Frappuccino ? cFresh Milk 2 TRegular Coffee 2 TWhipped Cream 2 oz. Milk Magic Chocolate 3 TSugar 1 cIce Cubes Ricoa’s Chocolate Drink ? cFresh Milk 120 gRicoa’s Cocoa 3 TSugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 cIce Cubes 2 TWhipped Cream Cafe Latte 1 oz. Espresso, brewed 1 oz. Condensed Milk 1cIce Cubes 1 tsp. Cinnamon 2 TWhipped Cream Caramel Latte Macchiato ? cSteamed Milk 1 tsp. Vanilla Syrup 1 oz. Espresso, brewed 1 TCaramel Syrup 2 T Whipped Cream 1 cIce Cubes 4. 2 Production Process. Production process starts with cleaning of the section. Then begin for preparation of the ingredients, followed by the setting of equipment, measuring ingredients, inspection of quality and then storing the ingredients. Vanilla Cappuccino 1. In a blender, put the fresh milk, sugar, vanilla syrup, and coffee. 2. Blend it for a second just to mix all the ingredients. 3. Then add the ice cubes and blend. 4. Put in a cup, top with whipped cream, cinnamon and your choice of toppings (either wafer or wafer stick). Mocha Frappuccino 1. Put the fresh milk, regular coffee, milk magic chocolate and sugar in a blender. 2. Blend it for a second just to mix all the ingredients. 3. Then add the ice cubes then blend. 4. Put in a cup and top with whipped cream and choice of toppings (either wafer or wafer stick). Ricoa’s Chocolate Drink 1. In a blender, put the fresh milk, ricoa’s cocoa, sugar and vanilla extract. 2. Blend it for a second just to mix all the ingredients. 3. Then add the ice cubes and blend. 4. Put in a cup and top with whipped cream and choice of toppings (either wafer or wafer stick). Cafe Latte 1. Put the brewed espresso and condensed milk. 2. Blend it for a second just to mix all the ingredients. 3. Then add the ice cubes and blend. 4. Put in a cup and top with whipped cream, cinnamon and choice of toppings (either wafer or stick-o). Caramel Latte Macchiato 1. In a blender, put the steamed milk, vanilla syrup, brewed espresso, and caramel syrup. 2. Blend it for a second just to mix all the ingredients. 3. Then put the ice cubes and blend. 4. Put in a cup and top with whipped cream and choice of toppings (either wafer or wafer stick). 4. 3 Flow Diagram Operation A production process can be defined as any activity that increase the similarity between the pattern of demand-goods, the quantity form and the distribution of these goods available to the market place. LEGEND * Operation * Transportation 4. 3. 1 Production Process 1. Cleaning the area 2. Setting of the equipment 3. Preparing of the ingredients 4. Mixing the ingredients 5. Presentation 6. Serving 4. 3. 2 Service Flow Customer Kofilicious Personnel 4. 4 Materials Handling Design The materials requested for the daily operation of the business will be purchased by the proponents every week. One of the staff will inspect the process of production. The store will be using FIFO or First- In First Out as its inventory method. Materials are kept in safe and secured storage. 4. 5 Project Site The project is located inside Walter Mart, North EDSA, Quezon City. The project site has a total area of 3 meters by 2 meters. The site was chosen because the business is located near public and private offices and residences. 4. 6 Project Layout The food stand is about 8ft. in height, 4 ft. length and 3ft. in width. For the proponents the area is big enough to meet the production and selling operation of the business, the storage and other equipment could still be accommodated in the proposed area. 4. 7 Plant Size and Production Schedule The proponents chose the proposed business at the first level of Walter Mart, North EDSA Quezon City with a floor area of 3 meters by 2 meters. Table – Personnel Schedule: | Stall Manager| Store Personnel (1)| Store Personnel (2)| Monday| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 08:00 a. m -04:00 p. m| | Tuesday| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| OFF| Wednesday| OFF| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| Thursday| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| OFF| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| Friday| OFF| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| Saturday| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p.m| Sunday| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 10:00 a. m -7:00 p. m| 4. 8. Floor Plan The stall has a total area of 3 by 2 meters which will have the operation area and the product display area. It has enough space for three personnel. The lease term is two months in advance and one month deposit. 4. 9 Utilities As for utilities, water supplied by Maynilad and electricity from Meralco will be included in the rental fee. The business will be charged Php 30,000. 00 every month with a 10% increase on rent per year. 4. 10 Coffee Materials Vanilla Cappuccino (8oz/240ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product Cost| Unit Cost| Food Cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 60 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 3. 60| 2 tsp. | Sugar| 10 g| P54. 00/1000 g| 0. 054| P 0. 54| 1 tsp. | Vanilla Syrup| 5 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 1. 65| 1 tsp. | Coffee, strong| 5 g| P 66. 95/100 g| 0. 67| P 3. 35| 1 tsp. | Cinnamon| 5 g| P 38. 35/30 g| 1. 28| P 6. 40| 1 T| Whipped Cream| 15 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 2. 55| ? c| Ice Cubes| 120 g| P 5. 00/1000g| 0. 005| 0. 60| Total Food Cost P 18. 69 +10% Buffer P 1. 87 Total cost P 20. 56 Mark-up 40% P 8. 22 Selling Price P 28. 78 or P 29. 00 Profit P 10. 00 Vanilla Cappuccino (12 oz./360ml). Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product Cost| Unit Cost| Food Cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 120 ml| P 62. 15/ 1000ml| 0. 06| P 7. 20| 3 tsp. | Sugar| 15 g| P 54. 00/1000g| 0. 054| P 0. 81| 2 tsp. | Vanilla Syrup| 10 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 3. 30| 2 tsp. | Coffee, strong| 10 g| P 66. 95/100 g| 0. 67| P 6. 70| 1 tsp. | Cinnamon| 5 g| P 38. 35/30 g| 1. 28| P 6. 40| 2 T| Whipped Cream| 30 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 5. 10| ? c| Ice Cubes| 180 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 90| Total Food Cost P 30. 41 +10% Buffer P 3. 04 Total cost P 33. 45 Mark-up 40% P 13. 38 Selling Price P 46. 83 or P 47. 00 Profit P 16. 00 Mocha Frappuccino (8 oz. /240 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product Cost| Unit cost| Food Cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 60 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 3. 60| 1 tsp. | Coffee, strong| 5 g| P 66. 95/100 g| 0. 67| P 3. 35| 1 T| Whipped Cream| 15 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 2. 55| 1 oz. | Milk Magic Chocolate| 30 ml| P62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 1. 80| 2 tsp. | Sugar| 10 g| P 54. 00/1000 g| 0. 054| P 0. 54| ? c| Ice Cubes| 120 g| P 5. 00/1000 | 0. 005| P 0. 60| Total Food Cost P 12. 44 +10% Buffer P 1. 24 Total cost P 13. 68 Mark-up 40% P 5. 47 Selling Price P 19. 15 or P 20. 00. Profit P 7. 00 Mocha Frappuccino (12 Oz. /360 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product cost| Unit cost| Food cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 120 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 7. 20| 2 tsp. | Coffee, strong| 10 g| P 66. 95/100 g| 0. 67| P 6. 70| 2 T| Whipped Cream| 30 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 5. 10| 2 oz. | Milk Magic Chocolate| 60 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 3. 60| 3 tsp. | Sugar| 15 g| P 54. 00/1000 g| 0. 054| P 0. 81| ? c| Ice Cubes| 180 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 90| Total Food Cost P 24. 31 +10% Buffer P 2. 43 Total cost P 26. 74 Mark-up 40% P 10. 70 Selling Price P 37. 44 or P 38. 00 Profit P 13. 00 Ricoa’s Chocolate drink (8oz. /240 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product cost| Unit cost| Food cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 60 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 3. 60| 60 g| Ricoa’s Cocoa| 60 g| P 52. 85/200 g| 0. 26| P 15. 60| 2 tsp. | Sugar| 10 g| P 54. 00/1000 g| 0. 054| P 0. 54| 1 tsp. | Vanilla Extract| 5 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 1. 65| ? c| Ice Cubes| 120 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 60| 1 T| Whipped Cream| 15 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 2. 55| Total Food Cost P 24. 54 +10% Buffer P 2. 45 Total cost P 26. 99 Mark-up 40% P 10. 80 Selling Price P 37. 79 or P 38. 00. Profit P 13. 00 Ricoa’s Chocolate drink (12 oz. /360 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product cost| Unit cost| Food cost| ? c| Fresh Milk| 120 ml| P 62. 15/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 7. 20| 80 g| Ricoa’s Cocoa| 80 g| P 52. 85/200 g| 0. 26| P 20. 80| 3 tsp. | Sugar| 15 g| P 54. 00/1000 g| 0. 054| P 0. 81| 1 tsp. | Vanilla extract| 5 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 1. 65| ? c| Ice cubes| 180 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 90| 2 T| Whipped Cream| 30 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 5. 10| Total Food Cost P 36. 46 +10% Buffer P 3. 65 Total cost P 40. 11 Mark-up 40% P 16. 04 Selling Price P 56. 15 or P 57. 00 Profit P 20. 00 Cafe Latte (8oz. /240 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product cost| Unit cost| Food cost| 10 ml| Espresso ,brewed| 10 ml| P 60. 00/60 ml| 1| P 10. 00| ? oz. | Condensed Milk| 15 ml| P 30. 75/300 ml| 0. 10| P 1. 50| ? c| Ice cubes| 120 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 60| 1 tsp. | Cinnamon| 5 g| P 38. 35/30 g| 1. 28| P 6. 40| 1 T| Whipped cream| 15 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 2. 55| Total Food Cost P 21. 05 +10% Buffer P 2. 11 Total cost P 23. 16 Mark-up 40% P 9. 26 Selling Price P 32. 42 or P 33. 00 Profit P 11. 00 Cafe Latte (12 oz. /360 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| ProductCost| Unit cost| Food cost| 15 ml| Espresso, brewed| 15 ml| P 60. 00/60 ml| 1| P 15. 00| 20 ml| Condensed milk| 20 ml| P 30. 75/300 ml| 0. 10| P 2. 00| ? c| Ice cubes| 180 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 90| 1 tsp. | Cinnamon| 5 g| P 38. 35/30 g| 1. 28| P 6. 40| 2 T| Whipped Cream| 30 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 5. 10| Total Food Cost P 29. 40 +10% Buffer P 2. 94 Total cost P 32. 34 Mark-up 40% P 12. 94 Selling Price P 45. 28 or P 46. 00 Profit P 16. 00 Caramel Latte Macchiato (8 OZ. /240 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product Cost| Unit Cost| Food Cost| ? c| Steamed Milk| 60 ml| P 61. 80/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 3. 60| 1 tsp. | Vanilla Syrup| 5 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 1. 65| 10 ml| Espresso, brewed| 10 ml| P 60. 00/60 ml| 1| P 10| 2 tsp. | Caramel syrup| 10 ml| P 59. 15/120 ml| 0. 43| P 4. 30| 1 T| Whipped cream| 15 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 2. 55| ? c| Ice cubes| 120 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| 0. 60| Total Food Cost P 26. 30 +10% Buffer P 2. 63 Total cost P 28. 93 Selling Price P 40. 50 or P 41. 00 Profit P 14. 00 Caramel Latte Macchiato (12 oz. / 360 ml) Quantity| Ingredients| Wt. in g/ml| Product Cost| Unit Cost| Food Cost| ? c| Steamed milk| 120 ml| P 61. 80/1000 ml| 0. 06| P 7. 20| 1 tsp. | Vanilla syrup| 5 ml| P 10. 00/30 ml| 0. 33| P 1. 65| 15 ml| Espresso, brewed| 15 ml| P 60. 00/60 ml| 1| P 15. 00| 3 tsp. | Caramel syrup| 15 ml| P 59. 15/120 ml| 0. 43| P 6. 45| 2 T| Whipped cream| 30 ml| P 43. 20/250 ml| 0. 17| P 5. 10| ? c| Ice Cubes| 180 g| P 5. 00/1000 g| 0. 005| P 0. 90| Total food Cost P 36. 30 +10% Buffer P 3. 63 Total cost P 39. 93 Mark-up 40% P 15. 97 Selling Price P 55. 90 or P 56. 00 Profit P 19. 00 Costs for packaging Materials| Product Price| Plastic Cups (8 oz. )| P 47. 50/50 pcs. | Plastic Cup (12 oz. )| P 51. 50/50 pcs. | Straw| P 75. 00/200 pcs. | Tissue| P 40. 00/bundle| TOTAL:| P 214. 00| 4. 11 Equipment, Kitchen Tools Packaging Requirements Equipment Item| Quantity| Unit Cost| Total Cost| Food Kiosk| 1| P 40,000| P 40,000| Blender| 2| P 1,200| P 2,400| Freezer| 1| P 9,847. 00| P 9,847. 00| Coffee Maker| 1| P 2,100| P2,100| | | Total:| P 54, 347. 00| Kitchen Tools Item| Quantity| Unit Cost| Total Cost| Measuring Cup| 2 set| 60| P 112. 00| Measuring Spoon| 2 set| 80| P 160. 00| Plastic Container| 6| | P150. 00| Kitchen Scissors| 1| P 30. 00| P 30. 00| | | Total:| P 452. 00| Packaging Requirement Item| Quantity| Amount| Total| Plastic cup| 50 pcs. | 0. 60| P 30. 00| Plastic straw| 50 pcs. | 0. 18| P 17. 50| Tissue| 1,000 pcs. | 0. 005| P 50. 00| | | Total:| P 97. 50| 4. 12 Man Power Requirements Manpower Requirement Position| No. | Work load| Basic Rate| Stall Manager| 1| Eight hours a day| Share to the capital| Accountant| 1| Twice a month| 1,500. 00/visit*2/month. Php 3,000. 00| Store Personnel| 2| Eight hours a day| 404/day*26days/month. P 10,504. 00| 4. 13 Wastes and Waste disposal Kofilicous will implement proper ways of disposing solid and liquid wastes. Solid wastes include used cups and plastic straws.

The Most Critical Talents a Teacher Must Possess :: Patience Creativity Adaptability Teaching Essays

The Most Critical Talents a Teacher Must Possess A.) In my opinion, the three most critical talents a teacher must possess are patience, creativity, and adaptability. Through the years I have grown to understand the saying, â€Å"Patience is a virtue.† I feel it is a gift to have the patience to work with a large group of children, whose needs and abilities range at different levels. Everyone becomes frustrated during his/her profession, but a teacher must have the ability to hide those frustrations so the happiness of every child will be ensured. Most people associate creativity directly to artists and musicians because of their natural born talent. Not all teachers can draw or sing, however their minds are creative. Teachers are given a curriculum full of skills and concepts that their students must master by years end. Therefore, it is the responsibility of an educator to engage the children in as many exciting and fun learning experiences as their imaginations can foster. Adaptability, the power to change easily to fit different conditions, is a critical talent that a teacher must possess in the classroom. If a lesson is unsuccessful and the students are confused on the skill that is being stressed, a teacher must adapt to the learning situation. By changing his/her approach to the material, students become enabled to better comprehend what is being taught. As a first year teacher, I feel I possess all three of these critical talents. B.) Though my experiences in the classroom are limited to my first year teaching and student teaching, I have always contemplated how I would use technology as a source of learning. My plan is to incorporate the use of technology through learning centers, since they will be a vital part of my classroom. A computer station will provide students exposure to programs that are age appropriate. These programs will focus on areas of mathematics and reading, both of which are crucial to a child’s education. Some programs I have implemented are Reader Rabbit’s Kindergarten, Dr. Seuss Kindergarten, and Math Circus. A listening center adds a real-life dimension to the stories because they make the books come alive for children. During my kindergarten practicum I incorporated a listening area that contained a listening post with headphones, a tape recorder, and sometimes a compact disc player. The area also contained tapes of books and the actual stories to which the students listened.

Young Goodman Brown: Evil is the Nature of Mankind Essay -- Young Goo

Young Goodman Brown: Evil is the Nature of Mankind " 'Lo! there ye stand, my children,' said the figure, in a deep and solemn tone, almost sad, with its despairing awfulness, as if his once angelic nature could yet mourn for our miserable race. 'Depending upon one another's hearts, ye had still hoped, that virtue were not all a dream. Now are undeceived! Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!' " This particular quote has the mark of cynicism that although may not be common in our time for writing, was probably a very common writing style during certain times in the history of American Literature. This of course would depend on the dominating religious culture of the time. Since Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings were created briefly after the times of the Salem Witch Trials, since one of his ancestors was a judge at the trials, it would be apparent to most that the religious overtones were ones of the righteousness and damnation (Norton Anthol ogy, p. 547). Their inherant belief, which was very much portrayed in the story, was in predestination. This meant that they believed that all the chosen ones were selected before birth by God, and no matter what their actions were, they were saved. Everyone else apparently went to hell. They believed that one could tell who a chosen one was by their deeds and action of goodness and kindness. However, one should still try to be as good as they possibly could even if they weren't one of the chosen because God might have mercy on them and save them anyway for being so good. So the concensus during this particular time was that those that were righteous were chosen and that everyone in ... ...d refers to a group of people sharing something in common, but given the context of the story, we can't ignore the biblical connotations of communion. Therefore we are justified in pointing out these various definitions of communion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obviously Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates his skill at combining many meanings and implications about the pervasive evil nature of man in the story Young Goodman Brown. This statement can be argued by observing both his literal and symbolic meanings. "Evil is the nature of mankind." This is the epitome of the story from Satan's taking the persona of a religious leader to the people viewing him as one. The story can be read at many different levels from the shallow reader to the very indepth reader. However, behind every level is the underlying theme that evil is the nature of mankind. Young Goodman Brown: Evil is the Nature of Mankind Essay -- Young Goo Young Goodman Brown: Evil is the Nature of Mankind " 'Lo! there ye stand, my children,' said the figure, in a deep and solemn tone, almost sad, with its despairing awfulness, as if his once angelic nature could yet mourn for our miserable race. 'Depending upon one another's hearts, ye had still hoped, that virtue were not all a dream. Now are undeceived! Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!' " This particular quote has the mark of cynicism that although may not be common in our time for writing, was probably a very common writing style during certain times in the history of American Literature. This of course would depend on the dominating religious culture of the time. Since Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings were created briefly after the times of the Salem Witch Trials, since one of his ancestors was a judge at the trials, it would be apparent to most that the religious overtones were ones of the righteousness and damnation (Norton Anthol ogy, p. 547). Their inherant belief, which was very much portrayed in the story, was in predestination. This meant that they believed that all the chosen ones were selected before birth by God, and no matter what their actions were, they were saved. Everyone else apparently went to hell. They believed that one could tell who a chosen one was by their deeds and action of goodness and kindness. However, one should still try to be as good as they possibly could even if they weren't one of the chosen because God might have mercy on them and save them anyway for being so good. So the concensus during this particular time was that those that were righteous were chosen and that everyone in ... ...d refers to a group of people sharing something in common, but given the context of the story, we can't ignore the biblical connotations of communion. Therefore we are justified in pointing out these various definitions of communion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obviously Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates his skill at combining many meanings and implications about the pervasive evil nature of man in the story Young Goodman Brown. This statement can be argued by observing both his literal and symbolic meanings. "Evil is the nature of mankind." This is the epitome of the story from Satan's taking the persona of a religious leader to the people viewing him as one. The story can be read at many different levels from the shallow reader to the very indepth reader. However, behind every level is the underlying theme that evil is the nature of mankind.

A correct view of women precis

Women must always be pleased by the work of a man in order to strengthen his character and image and be a helping hand to him, but not a second brain. Argument Structure: -Chesterfield constructs his argument using Logos to get his son to share the same point of view as him. -Although he argues that women are meant to keep men company and construct their character, he believes that women can't make Important decisions due to their lack of growth. -They are only children of a larger population without a solid reasoning or good sense.Chesterfield notes that to keep women, you must make them feel they are contributing to a man's declension, but this Is only a mask of flattery because man already has their declension made. -Compliments must be given, varying on the women. Conclusion: Although Chesterfield's views seem very cynical and outdated, I still see the points he made as a significance part In modern treatment of women. Many lobs require making critical decisions go to men. I beli eve that this is because as Chesterfield mentions, women do not have solid reasoning or good sense.I do not Greer with this but do think this was a large view in the past generations for some cultures that has subtly passed down the generations. As for flattering women, from observation, most women do enjoy being complimented. I see this more general though; I would believe everyone likes being complimented, both men and women. Chesterfield mentions that women shape a man's character, and with this I do agree. Well presented women give their husband a better image by far than sloppy and lazy women. Overall I would say Chesterfield's idea are very concentrated, but we do see the diluted form nowadays.

Summary and Background on The Vagina Monologues

Summary and Background on The Vagina Monologues A night of theater can be much more than getting dressed up to watch a Rodgers and Hammerstein revival for the umpteenth time. Theater can be a voice for change. It can be a call to action. Case in point: Eve Enslers The Vagina Monologues. Playwright and performance artist Eve Ensler interviewed over 200 women from a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds. Many of them bared their proverbial souls and responded to questions such as: What would your vagina say if it could talk? And If you could dress your vagina, what would it wear? Origins of the Vagina Monologues In 1996, The Vagina Monologues began as a one-woman show, a series of character-driven pieces, almost like poetry, each revealing a different womans experience with topics such as  sex, love, tenderness, embarrassment, cruelty, pain, and pleasure. As the show increased in popularity, it began to be performed by an ensemble of actresses. Politically active theaters and college campuses began producing the Monologues, all of which helped to launch a global movement known as  V-Day. What Is V-Day? According to the official V-Day website: V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls. Are The  Vagina  Monologues Anti-Male? When college students are asked Raise your hand if you are a feminist, often  only one or two students raise their hands. The female students without their hands raised often explain that they dont hate men. Although many would define feminism as equality for the sexes, or the empowerment of women, it seems, sadly, that many people believe feminism is anti-male. With that in mind, it is easy to see why many assume that The Vagina Monologue is an angry rant of naughty words and feverish male-bashing. But Ensler is clearly raging against violence and oppression, not the male species. For further proof that Enslers work is man-friendly, visit the V-Men Page, a section of the V-Day website in which male writers and activists speak out against misogynist violence. Powerful Moments From The Vagina Monologues Below are descriptions of some of the most powerful scenes from the play. The Flood: This monologue, based upon a conversation with a 72-year old woman, combines humorously erotic dream imagery with the pragmatic, worldly views of a tough, outspoken old gal. Picture your elderly great Aunt talking about down there, and youll get an idea of this monologues potential. (During her HBO special, Ensler has great fun with this character.) My Village Was My Vagina: Absolutely the most haunting of the monologues. This piece is in honor of the thousands of victims from rape camps in Bosnia and Kosovo. The monologue alternates between peaceful, rural memories and images of torture and sexual abuse. Powerful, sad, and all-too-relevant. I Was in the Room: This monologue was based upon Enslers personal experience as she watched the birth of her grandchild. Arguably the most touching and optimistic of the monologues, this scene captures the joy and mystery of labor, in all its glorious (and graphic) detail. The Controversial Monologue Sure, the whole show is controversial. Theres shock value simply in the title. However, one particular monologue involves two accounts of molestation. The first incident occurs when the character is 10. In that account, she is raped by an adult male. Later on in the monologue, the character describes a sexual experience with an adult woman, when  the character/narrator is only 16. (In an earlier version of this monologue, the lesbian encounter took place at the age of 13, but Ensler decided to adjust the age). This monologue upsets many viewers and critics because it presents a double standard. The first case of molestation is accurately nightmarish, whereas the second case is portrayed as a positive experience. On the one hand, Ensler generated her monologues from real-life interviews, so it makes sense to display what she learned from her subject. However, considering the mission statement of V-Day, its hard to fault directors or performers for omitting (or perhaps revising) that particular monologue. Other Eve Ensler Plays Although The Vagina Monologues is her most famous work, Ensler has penned other powerful works for the stage. Here are a few worth checking out: Necessary Targets: A gripping drama about two American women who journey to Europe in order to help Bosnian women share their tragic stories with the world. The Treatment: Her most recent work delves into the moral questions or torture, power, and the politics of modern warfare.

The Current State of Development in Latin America essays

The Current State of Development in Latin America essays In attempting to establish the current state of development in Latin America, historical chronology serves as the foundation necessary for a comprehensively logical position. Latin American development has evolved in distinct phases, which lead to the present day standings of the politics and peoples throughout the region. The culmination of distinct historical attributes: conquest, colonialism, mercantilism, captalism, industrialism, and globalism, serve as the developmental path from the past, to allow an understanding of the current state of development. In overview of this, as perceived by Latin American governments, the four primary areas of concern as reported from 1994, "Summit of the Americas" held by heads of 34 countries, were as follows: (1) preserving and strengthening the community of democracies of the Americas, (2) free trade area of the Americas (FTAA), (3) eradicating poverty and discrimination in the hemisphere, (4) education (Americas Net). Each issue examined by m embers of the summit involves aspects of politics and economics. The desired changes in Latin American society can be shown connected to these two subject areas, as held by authors Skidmore and Smith, "From modernization theory, we take the casual premise that economic transformations induce social changes which, in turn, have political consequences."(Skidmore and Smith, 10) The understanding of the historical background, an awareness of current political goals, and the incorporation of modern political and social theory allow an increasingly accurate depiction of the state of development in Latin America to be constructed. Development, largely defined as bringing to a more advanced or effective state, often stands as the product of the successful management and collaboration of economic, social, and political areas. The current state of development should, therefore, gauge today's level of success in creating a more advanced and effective state. In conside...

Free Essays on The Reason

The myth of a "classless" American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the "have-nots" to become one of the "haves" produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalyst for spawning racial tensions. Minorities see the majority of wealth in the hands of the white population and feel that the wealth is unevenly distributed. Whites hear of government programs for minorities and feel as if they are lazy or just looking for a handout. This occurs and stereotypes are formed. Combine all of this with the United States system of "dual welfare"and the perfect environment for racial strife is created. In our "classless"society of false hope the working class and poor are continually seeking opportunities to excel that just aren't there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambition are key contributors to one's success. This belief lays blame on the un successful themselves, even if they do possess ambition and intelligence. These people are in a never ending cycle of struggle, followed by minimal rewards, which eventually produces a frustration that sometimes leads to desperate measures. Cornell West expands on this with the following statement : ". . . homicidal assaults by young black men on one another are only the most obvious signs of this empty quest for pleasure, property, and power" (Race and Racism p.123). This statement shows the extremes one will go to in his "empty quest" for a better life. This is not only happening 2 to blacks by blacks. It is happening to all races by all races. People hear of events like these and categorize them as a racial crime or a racially motivated crime just because the victims may be of a different race. As West's statement demonstrates the killings occur as a means to an end, the end being a better life. In our ever diversifying melting pot of a country, same race... Free Essays on The Reason Free Essays on The Reason The myth of a "classless" American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the "have-nots" to become one of the "haves" produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalyst for spawning racial tensions. Minorities see the majority of wealth in the hands of the white population and feel that the wealth is unevenly distributed. Whites hear of government programs for minorities and feel as if they are lazy or just looking for a handout. This occurs and stereotypes are formed. Combine all of this with the United States system of "dual welfare"and the perfect environment for racial strife is created. In our "classless"society of false hope the working class and poor are continually seeking opportunities to excel that just aren't there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambition are key contributors to one's success. This belief lays blame on the un successful themselves, even if they do possess ambition and intelligence. These people are in a never ending cycle of struggle, followed by minimal rewards, which eventually produces a frustration that sometimes leads to desperate measures. Cornell West expands on this with the following statement : ". . . homicidal assaults by young black men on one another are only the most obvious signs of this empty quest for pleasure, property, and power" (Race and Racism p.123). This statement shows the extremes one will go to in his "empty quest" for a better life. This is not only happening 2 to blacks by blacks. It is happening to all races by all races. People hear of events like these and categorize them as a racial crime or a racially motivated crime just because the victims may be of a different race. As West's statement demonstrates the killings occur as a means to an end, the end being a better life. In our ever diversifying melting pot of a country, same race...

External influences affecting the firm and its activities Essay

External influences affecting the firm and its activities - Essay Example 5 The article, â€Å"Wal-Mart files legal complaint against growing protests ahead of Black Friday† written by FoxNews.com on November 20, 2012. 6 References 8 Introduction It is factual that no business exists in a vacuum but in an external environment that consist of various factors and other players outside the business. Indeed, there are factors that the business can control. Nevertheless, the presence of external factors which the business cannot control is a fundamental challenge that all businesses face. As such, business manager must consider these factors and establish their influence on the business. The magnitude of external factors’ effect on business progress depends on the type of business and type of influence. We can conveniently classify the external factors into social, legal, economic, political, and technological factors. This paper will draw a comprehensive report on the external influences affecting four different firms and their activities. In doi ng this, the paper will summarize the information in four relevant stories that address external influences on specified firms and their activities.  The companies in this context will include the Starbucks, Cheetham Hill Construction Company, Apple, and Wal-Mart. The article, â€Å"the reality of recession for small businesses? ‘We need help' authored by Julia Kollewe, Nadine Schimroszik and Dan Milmo on 25 October 2012. ... 1). The article notes that although the construction company had recorded fair progress, the company faces serious challenges in generating new business since the recession ended. Indeed, the article reckons that the company now operates under tight margins and the company encounters challenges in paying the employees and the suppliers. In fact, the article notes that the effects of recession on construction manifested the true picture of the economy at the time. Assuredly, most small firms including Cheetham Hill Construction Company now live on a knife edge and they constantly delay payments to suppliers except to the main suppliers (Kollewe, Schimroszik &Milmo 2012, p. 1). More so, the article establishes that the company called for tax breaks to enable the company train a new generation of construction workers. Prior to the recession, the company used to take apprentices every year but now the company cannot afford that subject to the recession. Indeed, since most of the workforc e in construction comes from SMEs, the construction companies are lacking labor supply as the SMEs suffer from the recession (Kollewe, Schimroszik &Milmo 2012, p. 1). Notably, recession has very significant adverse effects on any business. Ideally, the most adverse effect of recession on business is reduced job security as workers prefer recession-proof businesses which have capacity to thrive or survive a recession. Furthermore, small business suffers the greatest loss in a recession subject to their inadequate preparedness, budget constraints, and few resources. Other effects that derive from recession include reduced cash flow, loss of demand, and marketing constraints (Sandilands 2013, p. 1). The article,

Australian Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Company Law - Essay Example Tom and Adam are in a partnership business even though no written agreement has been made. Partnership business can be established through written partnership deed, orally or by estoppels through the actions of the partners1. Rule 6 (3) of the Partnership Act is mainly used by the courts in determining the existence of the partnership relationship. This rule provides that sharing of the profits and losses is enough evidence of existence of a partnership. Joint ownership of property or sharing of the gross returns does not necessary create a partnership association. According to the case of Smith v. Anderson (1880), partnership business must intent to carry on business and not domestic transactions since the repletion or continuity of business transactions will be evidence of a partnership business2. Adam and Tom must be aware that every partner other than in limited partnerships, or incorporated limited partnerships can act as an agent of the business and his actions are binding to t he business.. Partnership business is not regarded as a separate legal entity thus third parties will be contracting with the partners as individual agents of the business. In the case of Mercantile Credit Ltd v. Garrod (1962), the courts held that partners have the capacity to bind the firm and third parties must not have the knowledge that such partner lacks the authority to transact on behalf of the business3. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of Tom and Adam conducting their business as a partnership. The main advantages of a partnership business include the ease of formation. Partnership formation does not require many legal formalities but only business registration and business permits. Partnerships offer certain tax incentives since each partner share of profits is added to his or other sources of income and taxed as personal incomes. Partnership business allows for flexibility since the partners can easily alter the partnership deed that contains the rights an d obligations of each partner, the profit and loss sharing ratios and liability of each partner depending on the nature of the partnership. Partners can access 50% CGT discount since they hold an interest in each business asset as an individual. The partners also share losses, decision making and responsibilities of running the business. However, Tom and Adam must also understand the disadvantages of partnership form of business since partners are jointly and severally liable for the liabilities of the business. Partnership business lacks continuity since dissolution can be occasioned by the death of the partner, or disagreements of the partners, bankruptcy of a partner, and retirement. It is difficult to transfer the ownership of the partnership business and partners have unlimited liability for the debts of the business. Since Tom and Adam have the intention of expanding their Winery business, I would advice them to form a limited company since their liability will be limited and their business will be a separate legal entity that can incur debts, sue or be sued. A limited company will allow them easy access to expansion capital. Tom and Adam will be able to easily transfer their ownership in the company through sale of their shares to third parties. Limited Liability Company will allow Tom and Adam to limit their tax liabilities since the company is taxed on its own entity. However, there are many legal formalities and strict regulations that guide the registration and operations of

No title Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No title - Article Example Apart from the basic client information, using the cards enable an organization to obtain other derivable information about the client geography, which is essential in making the policy decisions. My concentration is Entrepreneurship, and application of Big Data in the field of entrepreneurship is in the analysis of Big Data to aid in decision-making process. Another application of Big Data analysis that would help me in my concentration is building a corporate culture in an organization that I will work for. From the key business processes to major decisions, the organizations have become more data driven and apply insights from the very analytics. In this connection, the organizations do not merely rely on the employee’s subjective feeling about various aspects of operations, but incorporate the data analytics to inform decisions. This helps in develop in the work force, an evidence-based culture. Furthermore, Big Data analysis is instrumental in an organization in terms of the provision of insights into the security, privacy and the administration issues. These aspects of a business organization can be analyzed and responded to using the Big Data. The company-wide big data platforms provide solutions to challenges of the business big data. For instance, past trends of the customer purchases, provided by the Big Data are also useful in discerning the tastes and preferences of the customers in various places and making investment decisions to satisfy such needs. The investment decision pertaining to the products to avail to which section of the global or regional clients would be much effective if the Big Data informs such decisions. Finally, big data analysis in engineering will help me infusion of cognitive intelligence with the generational apps. Innovation, creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit is highly boosted especially in the area of

Example of science being used in my World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Example of science being used in my World - Essay Example st who had won Tour De France seven times at a stretch was disqualified from the victories because he was accused of doping charges by the Anti-doping Agency of the United States. Thus the discoveries in the areas of science and medicine can accentuate the performance of human beings which otherwise could not have been done. However men often forget their limitations and exploit medicine and science in a negative way as in case of doping. Excessive use of these prohibitive drugs can have adverse effects on the health of the sports persons. Kids who want to be strong are also provoked by these drugs and harm themselves http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/health/teenage-boys-worried-about-body-image-take-risks.html?pagewanted=2. The government has to take care of the issue by arresting the production and sale of these drugs. License should be imposed on retailers and online retailing of these drugs should also be controlled. The society as a whole should take responsibility to control this criminal offense and live life in the most natural way

Grammar teaching analysis in rural China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Grammar teaching analysis in rural China - Essay Example n 2002), and China following a history of more traditional teaching based on the grammar-translation method (GTM) started reforms within their middle and high schools and universities in the early 1990s by introducing CLT. The question is whether or not the introduction of CLT into the Chinese education system by the government has been successful in terms of teachers actually using such an approach for the teaching of grammar and whether they have the knowledge and ability to do so appropriately. Prior to the 1970s, the goals of teaching English was to impart correct, error free language; emphasis was placed more on form than on use, thus the Grammar Translation Method was very popular. As the name implies, focus was on the rules and structures of the language, used to translate from the mother tongue to the target language, and the oral/aural skills of listening and speaking were ignored in favour of reading and writing. Except for the period of the Cultural Revolution Chinese governments have been committed to the teaching of foreign languages and although Russian was popular for a while, English has been regarded by the new communist regime as significant to modernization (Ji Fengyuan 2004). The teaching of English has always been teacher, textbook and exam focused and so the GTM has been the ruling approach to the teaching of English, with students taking a passive role in the learning process. In traditional classrooms therefore, language learning is reduced to mastery of the grammar and lexicon, and students attain more knowledge of the language in terms of perfect grammatical structures reproduced in grammatical exercises and exams, than their ability to use it in real life. Led by British linguists such as Halliday and Firth and in reaction to GTM, CLT was advocated as the new method in language teaching, addressing the need to acquire communicative competence with natural exposure not teaching, to all four skill areas of reading, writing, listening

Example of science being used in my World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Example of science being used in my World - Essay Example st who had won Tour De France seven times at a stretch was disqualified from the victories because he was accused of doping charges by the Anti-doping Agency of the United States. Thus the discoveries in the areas of science and medicine can accentuate the performance of human beings which otherwise could not have been done. However men often forget their limitations and exploit medicine and science in a negative way as in case of doping. Excessive use of these prohibitive drugs can have adverse effects on the health of the sports persons. Kids who want to be strong are also provoked by these drugs and harm themselves http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/health/teenage-boys-worried-about-body-image-take-risks.html?pagewanted=2. The government has to take care of the issue by arresting the production and sale of these drugs. License should be imposed on retailers and online retailing of these drugs should also be controlled. The society as a whole should take responsibility to control this criminal offense and live life in the most natural way

Renewabe Energy Sources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renewabe Energy Sources - Research Paper Example Renewable energy sources and the significant opportunities for the energy efficiency exist over a wide geographical area. Deployment of the renewable energy and technological diversification of the energy sources would result in a significant energy security and economic benefits (Johansson, 2007). There are several uncertainties surrounding the future of renewable sources of energy. There are claims that the available sources will be unable meet the demand in the future. In the past, the renewable energy has been terribly expensive to produce and use than fossils fuels. The renewable resources are mainly located in the remote areas, and it is terribly expensive to build the power lines in urban areas where electricity produced is needed. The use of this energy sources is also limited by the fact that they are not always available for use. During the cloudy days, they may be no solar power produced (Tiwari, 2012). When the winds are calm, and there is drought there would be no hydrop ower produced in such a case. The use and production of the renewable sources has grown in the recent years as a result of high prices of gas and natural oil. The use of this energy is expected to continue rising over the next thirty years, although EIA projects will have to continue relying on the non-renewable fuels in order to meet the energy needs. Other sources of energy like the fossils cause an environmental hazard because they contribute in the global warming. The United States is the leading consumer of energy; her energy is expected to rise in the future. Alternative sources will be used; this will ease the burden of importing petroleum products (Fra?ss-Ehrfeld, 2009). Therefore, U.S should be in the front line in developing the energy sources such as the wind and solar power. This will substantially boost the economy, hence reducing global warming and also help their citizen to save money. Unfortunately, oil companies have always been able to influence the department of E nergy to reject proposals on additional sources of energy. It has always been that the decision of the department on the project will depend on the opinions of the oil companies. Few countries have the capabilities of storing the energy for use. This is an exercise which requires funding; this makes it difficult to establish various points where the energy can be stored (Laughton, 2006). Sources like geothermal and water requires funds to implement the project. Lack of knowledge can also be a problem when implementing the project of renewable from of energy. Projects like geothermal and hydropower have to be implemented by electrical engineers, which might be a significant problem while finding one. Solar energy utilizes the infrared radiations to emit energy. This can be used at night and does not require additional resources. Despite requiring, no resources the people implementing must have the required knowledge to implement the project successfully. Energy is a necessary resourc e that is necessary for all industrial societies. Natural sources of energy like fossil fuels pose a risk to the environment. Other sources of energy are not sufficient to meet the demand for energy. These conditions require the United States to find alternative sources of energy. These alternative sources must meet the demands of energy which will reduce the risks of global warming. Th

Tourism Country Analysis-Germany Essay Example for Free

Tourism Country Analysis-Germany Essay Introduction Germany is a country with astounding diversity with one of the richest historical heritage in the world, standing out as one of the tourist attraction features. Germany is the most centrally placed in Europe among all the European countries. It has a history of a disunited nation having distinct states and tribes. For this reason, Germany more that any other European nation bears different names depending on the language used. For example it is called Deutschland within Germany; in French it is called ‘Allemagne’ and ‘Niemcy’ in Polish. (Country profile) On October 3rd 1990, Western Germany was unified with the German Democratic Republic. The leaving standards in the latter could not march those ones of the former; it has been a major challenge to do this because of the inherent industrial enterprise inefficiencies that characterized the German Democratic Republic. Another major factor that has posed challenges include the difficulty in East Germany of resolving property ownership and the lack of infrastructure and the environmental degradation that occurred during the communist rule. (Berghahn V. R. 1987) The extremist violence especially from the political right that is usually witnessed in East Germany is always related to the economic uncertainty in this region. Most times the violence is directed towards foreigners and in particular non-Europeans. (Berghahn V. R. 1987) Politics Germany is considered to be a Federal, Parliamentary, and representative democratic Republic. The ‘Grundgestz’ or the Basic Law is the framework that was laid down in 1949 that guides the German political system up to today. For any amendments to take place in the Grundgestz, a two-thirds majority in Parliament is required. (Country profile) The Chancellor heads the Government and the position is currently held by Angela Merkel and she exercises executive powers that are similar to a Prime Minister’s. Parliament that consists of the Bundestag and Bundesrat (Federal Council) is vested with Federal legislative Powers. Members of the Bundestag are elected directly and members in the Bundesrat represent the governments of the 16 states. These members are appointed by the state cabinet, which possesses the power to remove them any time. (Country profile) The Christian Democratic Party Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany are the dominating parties since 1949. However there’s existence of other smaller parties, which include the Free Democratic Party and the Alliance 90/ The Greens (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union). The President of Germany also doubles up as the Head of State and is normally elected by the Federal Convention (Bundesversammlung), which is the institution made up of members of the Bundestage and some members of the State delegate. The President of the Bundestag is the second highest official and the Bundestag itself elects him/her. His/her responsibilities include the overseeing of the body’s daily sessions. The Chancellor on the other hand doubles up as the head of Government and is the third highest official who is nominated by the Germany President and then is elected by the Bundestag. A constructive motion of no confidence by the Bundestag is what is necessary to remove the Chancellor.( Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union) Economy In Europe, Germany’s National Economy is the largest. It is ranked the third largest in the world by nominal GDP, but ranked fifth in regards to gross domestic product. As per 2006 statistics, the average growth stands at 2.8% per annum. Germany has been renowned world over since the industrial age as one of the best motor innovators and has greatly benefited from the globalized world economy. (Berghahn V. R, 1987) One of its major drivers of its export economy is the trademark â€Å"Made in Germany,† which the world has continuously associated with sturdiness and durability. This has turned out the country to be the world’s top exporter with the export figures as at 2006 standing at $ 1.133 trillion generating a trade surplus of approximately â‚ ¬165 billion. 70% of its total GDP is generated by the service sector with 29.1% contributed by the industrial sector and agriculture falling behind with about 0.9%. (Berghahn V. R, 1987) Germany’s automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods contribute greatly to the export portfolio. In solar and wind turbine technology, Germany leads the world (Global Wind Energy Market ).   Amongst its most popular brands include Siemens, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Nivea among others. Germany uses the common market currency the Euro and the country stands out as a major advocate for the European Union. Society (People and Culture) The majority German population is made up inhabitants of ethnic Germans and over 7 million foreigners. Majority of the foreigners are made up of the so called â€Å"guest workers† who were mostly Turkish workers, who in the 1950s and 60s were invited to fill in for the labor shortages, Germany thus has quite a good number of ethnic Turks. Many political and economic refugees from the world over especially the developing world choose Germany as a prime destination. (Country profile) Germany boasts of having one of the world’s highest levels of education with exquisite technological advancement coupled with an unrivaled economic productivity. University enrolment has steadily risen and has more than tripled since World War II; the trade and technical schools that are sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany support the universities. The majority of the population is made up of the middle class with a per capita income standing at $ 28,700, this is combined with a comprehensive social welfare system that caters for the universal medical care and unemployment care besides other social needs. (Berghahn V. R, 1987) Culturally Germany is usually called â€Å"the land of poets and thinkers† (Wasser J. 2006). Religious and secular currents that have taken place in Europe for a long time have continuously shaped the German culture. One of the most famous German classical music composers is Ludwig Van Beethoven (Wasser J. 2006). Geography The geography of Germany is rich and diverse ranging from the high Alps in the South, the Bavarian plain, and the flowing hills of central Germany to the coast of the North and Baltic Sea. This makes the country’s countryside scenery worth visiting, â€Å"it all looks like a miniature train landscape packed with the nicest of old towns, medieval houses, gothic churches and small villages; its exotic!† (Country profile) Global Position Germany has continued to play a very important role in the formation and the continued strengthening of the European Union and has continued to cultivate a very close relationship with France. One of Germany’s closest allies has been the U.S, whose help was quite invaluable during the 1948 Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany after World War II. Ties with America have gone to other areas like trade where a more balanced trade relationship has continued to flourish. (Country profile) REFERENCES Berghahn, Volker Rolf. (1987) Modern Germany: Society, Economy, and Politics in the 20th Century. 2d ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union: Retrieved on 6th March 2008 from U.S. Library of Congress:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ,   Global Wind Energy Market 2006-2011, Retrieved on 6th   March 2008 from www.windtech-international.com: Wasser, Jeremy. (2006) Spà ¤tzle Westerns Spiegel Online International: Retrieved on 6th March 2008 Country profile: Germany: Retrieved on 6th March 2008 from   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1047864.stm:

Dolutegravir Drug for Virologic Suppression

Dolutegravir Drug for Virologic Suppression Graphical abstract: Dolutigravir, second generation integrase inhibitor: A new hope for HIV patients Geeta Yadav Mesra, Ranchi Abstract: Undeterred efforts have been made and will be made in future to make it possible for HIV-infected individuals to achieve the goals of virologic suppression and one more result of this rigrous exercise is dolutegravir drug. It is the recent integrase inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the treatment-naà ¯ve, treatment-experienced, HIV-infected adults who have previously taken HIV therapy and also for children ages 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms (kg) who are treatment-naà ¯ve or treatment-experienced but have not previously taken other integrase strand transfer inhibitors. This article has reviewed all the aspects of drug including the structural and functional analyses, in vitro activity, pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, MOA, metabolism, excretion, dosing/ adverse effects and resistance profile of dolutegravir. Dolutegravir is a potent and generally well tolerated antiretroviral agent that may play an impor tant role in the treatment of patients harboring resistance to other antiretrovirals.Some new combinations of drug with other antiretrovirals are also in pipeline which may hope to increase the immunologic response of the HIV patients. Key words:Dolutegravir,  antiretroviral,  integrase inhibitor,  HIV Introduction With the use of antiretrovirals with improved potency, tolerability, and resistance profiles, people with HIV are living longer and receiving longer-term care but even after so much advancement in therapy, they are struggling with an unknown fear of death [1, 2]. So, the need for new antiretroviral agents still continues to be substantial even after more than 20 years into the era of antiretroviral therapy, which have better tolerability, higher barriers to resistance, distinct resistance profiles, and fewer drug–drug interactions. These features of desiring drug have been inspiring the scientist all over the world to develop new agents that are not only focused on traditional targets but also on new novel therapeutic targets. The development of drugs targeting on critical steps in the life cycle of HIV-1 are drug classes that include HIV-1 reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (both nucleoside analogues and non-nucleoside inhibitors), HIV-1 protease inhibitors, and HIV-1 entry inh ibitors (fusion inhibitors and CCR5 antagonists). The newest class of drugs in HIV treatment is the integrase inhibitor (INI) class. Retroviral DNA Integration with the host DNA is an essential step in the life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [3], as shown in figure 1. This integration process is facilitated by the viral integrase (IN) enzyme which catalyzes the insertion of the viral DNA into the host genome in a multistep process. The process of HIV-1 integration occurs through 3 essential steps: formation of the preintegration viral DNA complex, 3’ processing and strand transfer [4]. HIV IN recognizes and binds specific sequences in the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of the viral retrotranscribed DNA in the cytoplasm. After DNA binding, IN cleaves GT dinucleotides from the 3’ termini of the linear cDNA in a process called 3’ processing .The processed viral DNA, as part of the preintegration complex, is then translocated into the nucleus, where IN inserts the viral DNA into the host chromosome by a process called strand transfer [4-6]. Figure 1 Schematic representation of HIV integration Abbreviations: LTRs, long-term repeats; PIC, preintegration complex. Integrase inhibitors (INIs) represent a class of drugs for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals, blocking HIV genome transfer and integration into the host cell DNA [7]. In this category, first drug which got FDA approval was raltegravir (RAL) which have been found to be highly effective for the treatment of antiretroviral- naive and antiretroviral-experienced subjects and one more recent drug is elvitegravir (EVG) [8-12]. However, these first-generation INIs share common resistance pathways. During clinical studies of RAL, subjects with virologic failure and reduced RAL susceptibility typically are found to have virus with 1 of 3 signature mutational pathways (ie, N155H, Q148H/K/R, or Y143C/H/R) in the integrase gene [13]. So, continuing RAL treatment in these circumstances may lead to the addition of secondary mutations or pathways and N155H may evolve to Y143 or Q148 pathways [10]. In addition to this, EVG does not appear to have activity agains t RAL-resistant isolates and same case is with RAL [14-16]. Therefore, there is a need for an INI with a high barrier to resistance and activity in subjects with human immunodeficiency virus type. So, recent addition included in this category is Dolutegravir (DTG). This review article aims to covers all the aspects related to the dolutegravir which will help the scientists, academicians and common men to statisfy their knowledge pangs, like in vitro activity, pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, MOA, metabolism, excretion, dosing/ adverse effects and resistance profile of dolutegravir as shown in figure 2, which exemplify methodology and evaluation of dolutegravir with the help of different information sources Dolutegravir (DTG) discovered by a Shionogi and GlaxoSmithKline research collaboration, is a second generation novel HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor having activity against INI resistant viruses. In addition to it, also have favorable pharmacokinetic properties [17, 18]. It is indicated for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 in adults and children aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg. It is available as a small, yellow, 50-mg tablet. Moreover, it can be taken with or without food and at any time of the day. Structural and functional analyses of Dolutegravir (DTG) Dolutegravir (DTG, S/GSK1349572) effectively inhibits HIV-1 IN variants which are resistant to the first-generation INIs. The structural basis for the increased potency of DTG resistant INIs is that it occupies almost the same physical space within the IN active site and make contacts with the ÃŽ ²4-ÃŽ ±2 loop of the catalytic core domain. Dolutegravir molecule has been divided into three main structural parts like tricyclic metal-chelating core, difluorophenyl ring and linker group which play a significant role in its binding to the protein as shown in figure 3. Tricyclic metal-chelating core binds to the intasome active site with the three coplanar oxygen atoms coordinated to Mg2+ cations The extended linker region connecting the metal chelating core and the halobenzyl group of DTG allows it to enter farther deeper into the pocket vacated by the displaced viral DNA base and to make more intimate contacts with viral DNA [19]. Figure 3 Structural and functional analysis of Dolutegravir IN VITRO ACTIVITY Dolutegravir has shown potent in vitro activity against both wild-type HIV and many INI-resistant mutants. It has potential for a higher genetic barrier to resistance. Dolutegravir has shown potent in vitro activity against HIV-1, with mean EC50 values of 0.5 nM (0.21 ng/mL) to 2.1 nM (0.85 ng/mL), IC50 of 2.7 nM and an IC90 of 2.0 nM in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and MT-4 cells. It also shows activity against HIV-2 virus with EC50 of 0.09 nM to 0.61 nM in PBMC assays. Cellular toxicity is also in the micromolar range for a variety of cell types, indicating that the observed antiviral effect of S/GSK1349572 are not due to cytotoxicity. S/GSK1349572 shows potency against all integrase- resistant single mutants with an FC as high as 3.6-fold. In the presence of S/GSK1349572 no virus with high resistance to S/GSK1349572 was observed with 32 nM or higher concentrations of S/GSK1349572 in the culture medium. In vitro experimental studies reported that dolutegravir does not cause toxicity when used in combination, but had a synergistic effect with nevirapine, efavirenz, abacavir, stavudine, lopinavir, amprenavir, and enfuvirtide, as well as an additive effect when only used in combination with maraviroc. Efficacy of dolutegravir is also not affected on exposure to the adefovir and ribavirin [20]. Pharmacokinetics Dolutegravir has a favourable pharmacokinetic profile without requirement of boosters and its terminal half-life is approximately 13–15 h [21, 22]. AUC0–24h and Cmax values are slightly less than the dose in the range of 2–50mg following single and multiple doses. One noteable change is the nonlinearness in Cmax and AUC with the increase in dose, So, a twice-daily 50mg regimen has been evaluated in the phase 3 ARV-experienced clinical trial rather than a once-daily 100mg dose [22-24]. The geometric mean steady-state concentration at the end of the dosing interval (Ctau) for a 50 mg dose was reported to be 1.6 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, which was approximately 25-fold higher than the protein-adjusted IC90 (0.064 ÃŽ ¼g/mL). A monotherapy study of, 10 days of dolutegravir 50mg daily dose in integrase inhibitor naà ¯ve HIV-1-infected adults demonstrated a 2.48 mean log10 reduction in HIV-1 RNA. This reduction was sustained for 4 days after discontinuation of dolutegravir only becoz of plasma concentrations which remained above the protein adjusted IC90. Overall, variability in exposure was minimal: 50 mg dosing to steady-state conditions achieved a geometric mean Cmax of 3.34 mg/ml (16% coefficient of variation), an AUC0–24h of 43.4 mg_h/ml (20% coefficient of variation), a t1/2 of 12.0 h (22% coefficient of variation) and a C24h of 0.83 mg/ml (26% coefficient of variation) [22]. A pediatric granule formulation of dolutegravir is currently in development. Preliminary data investigation reported that granules mixed in purified water have increased exposure compared with the tablet formulation with a geometric least-squares mean ratio (90% CI) for AUC0-inf of 1.57 (1.45–1.69) [23]. Drug–drug interactions Dolutegravir pharmacokinetics has been evaluated in a single-dose crossover study for the effect of food and found that its absorption is modestly increased with food according to fat content [24]. Fat content affects the absorption of dolutegravir as noticed by the increased median Tmax from 2h to 3, 4, and 5h for low-fat, moderate-fat, and high-fat meals, respectively. Whereas dolutegravir AUC increased from 33 to 66% when administered with low-fat (300 kcal, 7% fat), moderate fat (600 kcal, 30% fat) and high fat food (870 kcal, 53% fat), respectively. [22, 24]. But these changes are not expected to affect safety or efficacy, So, dolutegravir can be dosed without regard to food. Dolutegravir causes drug-drug interactions with integrase inhibitors and some other drugs which is shown in Table 2. Table 2. Dolutegravir (DTG) drug interaction with integrase inhibitors and other category drugs S.No Interacting drug class Interacting drug Effect on dolutegravir 1 Antiretrovirals NRTIs Tenofovir No significant effect observed[25] 2 Antiretrovirals NNRTIs Efavirenz DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 57, 39, and 75% [26] Etravirine DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 70.6, 51.6, and 87.9%. [27] ETR/DRV/r administration results in 25, 11.8, and37.1% decreases in DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin ETR/LPV/r administration results in 11, 7, and 28% increases in DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin [27] 3 Antiretrovirals PIs Darunavir/r DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 22, 11, and 38% [28] Atazanavir DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin increased 91, 50, and 180% [29] Lopinavir/r No significant effect observed [28] Fosamprenavir DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 35, 24, and 49% [30] Tipranavir DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 59, 46, and 76% [26] 4 Antituberculosis drugs Rifampin DTG AUC and Cmin increased 33 and 22% with DTG 50mg b.i.d.+ rifampin 600mg q.d. compared with DTG 50mg daily [31] Rifabutin DTG AUC and Cmin decreased 5 and 30%, Cmax increased 15 % [32] 5 Acid-reducing agents- PPIs/H2 RA Omeprazole No significant effect observed [33] Antacids DTG AUC, Cmax, and Cmin decreased 73.6, 72.4, and 74.4% [33] DTG, Dolutegravir; ETR, Etravirine; EVG, Elvitegravir; LPV, Lopinavir; NNRTI, Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; NRTI, Nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitor; PI, Protease Inhibitor; PPI, Proton pump inhibitor; r, Ritonavir; RAL, Raltegravir. Mechanism of Action Dolutegravir inhibits HIV integrase by binding to the integrase active site and blocking the strand transfer step of retroviral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integration which is essential for the HIV replication cycle as demonstrated in Figure 4. In this process, the integrase inhibitor chelate with the two Mg2+ ions in the integrase catalytic active site, unable the integrase enzyme to complete the strand transfer [21]. Inhibition of the integrase strand transfer reaction by DTG has been confirmed in studies with live virus, which demonstrated an accumulation of 2- long terminal repeat (2-LTR) circles in treated cells at DTG concentrations Figure 4. Mechanism of action of DTG Metabolism/Excretion Dolutegravir metabolism occurs through CYP3A4 (UGT1A1 glucuronidation) a major pathway while UGT1A3 and UGT1A9 are only minor pathways, which is catalysed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 enzyme. In vitro studies reported that it is not a cytochrome P450 (CYP) inducer and neither an inhibitor. However, dolutegravir is an OCT2 inhibitor [21, 36]. Dolutegravir is also a substrate of UGT1A3, UGT1A9, BCRP, and P-gp in vitro [37]. It is the predominant circulating compound in plasma and the renal elimination of unchanged drug is extremely low ( Figure 5. Metabolic pathway of dolutegravir Dose/Adverse effects Dolutegravir tablets are usually taken unboosted, orally and without regard to food [39]. Different dose combination studies with other drugs are reported to be performed to find the best combination with high resistance barrier as shown in table1. The most common adverse effects reported to be associated with dolutegravir Phase III SPRING-2 trial were nausea, headache, nasophryngitis, diarrhea and also a slight increase in creatinine level due to inhibition of creatinine secretion; however, dolutegravir had no effect on glomerular filtration rate [47, 48]. Some common drug -related adverse events were also notified during Phase III VIKING-3 trial in treatment-experienced subjects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache [49]. S.No Phase study Patients Dolutegravir vs other drug combinatons 1 Phase III SPRING-2 Study Treatment naà ¯ve Dolutegravir 50 mg once daily versus raltegravir 400 mg twice daily, each in combination with either tenofovir DF/emtricitabine (Truvada) or abacavir/lamivudine (Epzicom) 40 2 Phase III SINGLE Study Treatment naà ¯ve Dolutegravir 50 mg in combination with abacavir/lamivudine (Epzicom) once daily versus tenofovir DF/emtricitabine/ efavirenz (Atripla) once daily41 3 Phase III SAILING Study Treatment experienced, integrase inhibitor-naà ¯ve Dolutegravir 50 mg once daily versus raltegravir 400 mg twice daily, each in combination with background therapy42 4 Phase III VIKING-3 Study Treatment-experienced with previous or current failure on raltegravir or elvitegravir Open-label dolutegravir 50 mg twice daily with current failing background regimen for 7 days, then with an optimized background regimen43 5 Phase III VIKING-4 Study Treatment-experienced with virus resistant to raltegravir and/ or elvitegravir at screening Dolutegravir 50 mg twice daily versus placebo , each in combination with current failing background regimen for 7 days, then with open-label dolutegravir 50 mg twice daily in combination with an optimized background regimen for both arms44 6 Combination under study A fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet (dolutegravir 50 mg abacavir 600 mg/lamivudine 300 mg) and a dolutegravir pediatric granule45,46 Resistance Dolutegravir (DTG) have been found to have a higher genetic barrier to resistance than raltegravir and elvitegravir [50]. Primary integrase resistance mutations associated with dolutegravir have not yet been identified. But viruses containing G140S, E138K, R148H, R263K, and G140S/Q148HRK mutations may show some level of resistance to dolutegravir. [50,39]. Raltegravir-resistant virus carrying a mutation at position Q148 had more reduced susceptibility to dolutegravir than isolates with other raltegravir mutations [51]. In vitro selection studies reported R263K mutation which commonly emerges in integrase in the presence of dolutegravir. R263K confers low-level resistance against dolutegravir and diminishes HIV DNA integration and viral fitness and no secondary mutation H51Y and E138K has been shown to compensate for the defects associated with the R263K primary resistance mutation against dolutegravir. All secondary mutations have a modest effect on resistance against this drug [52, 53]. Future of dolutegravir ViiV Healthcare has requested US regulatory for the approval of a new single-tablet regimen (STR) containing dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine. A European regulatory application has also been submitted, according to the company. This combination, taken as separate pills, worked well in the aforementioned trials. If approved, the new co-formulation will offer the first one-pill, once-daily regimen that does not contain tenofovir/emtricitabine and could be particularly beneficial for people with, or at risk for, kidney disease or osteoporosis. Results from the primary analysis, presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) also reported that 90% of people taking dolutegravir and 83% taking darunavir/ritonavir achieved undetectable viral load in a snapshot analysis, with dolutegravir meeting the criteria for statistical superiority. Based on these findings the researchers concluded that dolutegravir provide a potent and well-tolerated new option for first-line HIV treatment [54]. Conclusion HIV-1 integrase is a unique target for antiretroviral therapy. Dolutegravir, a once-daily HIV strand integrase inhibitor currently approved for HIV-1 infected patients, provides at least equivalent antiviral efficacy and better tolerability compared with approved antiretroviral drugs. Efforts are ongoing for the approval of new single-tablet regimen (STR) containing dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine and also it would minimize the number of pills required for effective and acceptable antiretroviral treatment. Because of its unique mechanism of action, demonstrated virologic activity, resistance profile and tolerability, it is a significant advancement in HIV-1 therapeutics which will help HIV patients in long run.

A Hurricane Strikes - Original Writing Essay -- Papers

A Hurricane Strikes - Original Writing It was an ordinary Sunday morning. The rays of golden sunlight shone on the modest but lively village. The constant murmur of chatting filled the morning air. As children played and laughed, the men relaxed with their noses in their Sunday papers and the old ladies gathered to exchange the latest gossip. The huge trees looked protectively down on the village below and their leaves danced proudly in the breeze. In the distance, all the identical cottages had smoke rising from the chimneys. Outside one of these cottages, a tiny tanned sparrow skipped along the concrete path that led up to the welcoming front door. The cottage was set into the grassy bank and branches full with sycamore leaves stretched out from the woodland and occasionally tapped on the old-fashioned window panes. From a cloudless blue sky, the sunlight beamed down onto the cottage’s thatched roof, under which the swallows had happily secreted a nest for their squawking young. Surrounding the cottage was a crooked fence from which dirty-white paint was peeling. Above all the clattering and chattering of the children, the little old lady could be heard, as she shouted at the youngsters to get off the fence. The morning sun disappears as a monstrous, jet-black blanket of cloud suddenly appears; even the wicked and evil ravens hurry to escape the impending storm. The rain lashes down and the shrieking wind hurls itself against the helpless trees, constantly pounding them and quickly removing the remains of the once proud foliage. Everyone immediately senses disaster; suddenly panic-stricken. Screams, shouts and squeals brea... ...ls the boys off for sitting on her fence. The clouds begin to disperse and a frail beam of sunlight marks the boy’s way as he scrambles out of the hole and steps into the world to find an unimaginable sight of destruction. The blissful and cheerful world that he once knew was now just a heap of bricks, rubble and remains of people’s homes. His mind drifts to happier times, when the village was full of rowdy children and the air was filled with constant chit-chat; when there was an essence of life rather than destruction! The boy looks for the fence expecting to see his brother but, to his shock, the fence is amongst the pile of rubble, along with the rest of the town. There, on top of all the ruins he sees a once adored doll. Her sad and lonely marble eyes gazing straight up into the clear, blue sky. Waiting...