Ph Scale Free Essays

The pH Scale is a scale made to show how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH of something is measured with pH paper which can vary from wide range paper, which covers all ph’s, but is not as accurate at some others. There are pH papers that get very specific that can have a range such as 2 or 3 and get much more precise. We will write a custom essay sample on Ph Scale or any similar topic only for you Order Now The neutral on the scale is 7. Anything that is below 7 is considered acidic and anything above 7 is considered alkaline. Acidic substances contain more H+ than OH-. H+ stands for a positively charged hydrogen ion and OH- stands means a negatively charged hydroxide ion. This means something with the pH level of 4 is more acidic than something with the pH level of 9. When an acidic substance is out into another substance the original substance turns more and more acidic. The acids will begin to break down the proteins. The opposite happens with an Alkaline substance. The Alkaline has a negative charge so when placed into a substance it pushes the substance away and then quickly blends in. The proteins do not get broken down, they all mix together and become paler. The reason why pH is important in biology is because the pH of a cells interior helps regulate the cell’s chemical reactions. The cells in the human body need to regulate the chemical reactions in order to grow and to survive. For example, urine has the pH level of 6, which is slightly acidic, and blood has the pH level of about 7. 4 which is slightly alkaline. When the pH of blood changes it is often caused from a failed kidney function. Humans are not the only thing with pH in them however. All living animals have pH inside of them, however our blood pH’s and theirs can vary greatly. Animals such as crabs and clams have a acidic blood pH. Others like dogs have a blood that has a pH level that is alkaline. Conclusion: After observing the effects of an Alkaline and acidic substance on a neutral substance I am able to conclude that the pH level changes. When an Alkaline substance is added to a neutral substance the pH level rises due to the amounts of OH-. Eventually the pH level did even out. When the alkaline substance is added it also causes the substance to loose color. The Acidic substance has quite the opposite effect. When added to the milk the milks pH level dropped and became acidic. The milk became a grayish color and began to chunk up. Eventually the milks pH level did level off and the milk became more like a liquid again. With this being said when an acidic or alkaline substance is added to something, they not only change the pH level, but also they change the appearance. How to cite Ph Scale, Papers

Electronic Commerce on Business Expansion

Question: Discuss about the Electronic Commerce on Business Expansion. Answer: Introduction: The concept of electronic commerce came up with the advancement of computers and the need for fast transaction in business. It means the ways in which selling and buying of goods and services can take place by using the internet (Shaw et al. 2012). Initially this concept of electronic commerce emerged from a totally different aspect. The need for transferring funds from one account to another and from one bank to another gave the banks the idea of EFT. Nowadays, electronic commerce plays a significant role in business. The term came into existence into the business vocabulary since 1970s. The importance of this method has been portrayed throughout this report. In todays world, it is impossible to run a business at the national level without the use of modern information technology and computers ( Bharadwaj et al. 2013). To analyze the importance and impact of e-commerce in the business world this report has taken up Australias famous e-commerce website named Kogan. Then this report tries to find out the way in which e-commerce has been used in Kogans business model. Then it has been tried to show some strategy that can help in implementing electronic medium in the business properly (Gettler 2013). At last the report tries to find out any way, if possible, that may help the company to expand its business outside the purview of Australia and into the global market. Life-cycle stage and its relationship with Kogans business: The typical business model highlights several stages through which any business passes during its course of operation. The stages are known as life cycle stage (Yakuel 2015). The life cycle stage includes a detailed analysis of the companys growth right from the time of planning, incorporation, the initial stages of growth of the websites the stages of expansion and also the last stage where the company sees a decline in their business either due to other competitors or due to the employees leaving the company (Xue, Niu and Yu 2015). In this report the three important stages of life cycle of website namely the stage of exposure, stages of interaction and the stages of e-commerce has been described thoroughly with respect to the chosen e-commerce site Kogan. Exposure Stage: The way in which any company highlights their business at the initial start up level is known as exposure in their business. Electronic medium has been the fastest and cheapest way through which a company may efficiently brand its products in the market. The cost of advertisement in traditional method is comparatively higher than the cost of electronic advertisement. The cost of publishing an advertisement in a news paper is higher whereas the advertisement reaches out only to those people reading that particular daily (Decker and Erasmo 2016). On other hand if advertisement is done through electronic channels it will reach out to more people as in todays world all the people are regularly engaged in some work over the internet. Our chosen e-commerce website Kogan was first launched in the year 2006 by Ruslan Kogan. The company sells it products directly to the consumers without any intermediaries and is now the leading online store of Australia. At present within a span of only 10 years since its launch the company has been able to cater and deliver for more than 3,000,000 products to their consumers. It has been exposed in the market since its inception and hence the company has already crossed its exposure stage in e-commerce (Wittmann and Reuter 2013). Interaction Stage: The stage in business where the people or consumer gets directly involved in interaction with the company is interaction stage. Under this stage the website is not used for direct trading purpose but for communication purpose. A two-way communication is established in this stage between the consumer and buyer. People can know about the service of the company in details through the companys website (Li and Karahanna 2015). Kogan has succeeded in this stage of business. Through their website people gets well-informed about the various service that the company provides. A glance into their website is enough for people to understand that the company is a retail seller of almost every product that a consumer may need. The home page itself makes people aware of the different deals that are available for them. The page titled as Contact Us gives the consumer a scope to post any queries and have a direct interaction with the company. After this interaction the company tries to expand their business via e-commerce. Stages of E-commerce: E-commerce is the final stage in business where the actual transaction between the buyer and the seller takes place. Under this stage, the consumer reaches out to the seller by using the internet. They place their demands online through the companys website and gets their product delivered at home. On the other hand, there is the stage of E-business where the internet has been used to re-design and integrate the business. The two stages, namely E-Commerce and E-Business are often overlapped and considered to be a single stage in the business market (Mohapatra 2013). Australias renowned e-commerce company Kogan has been successfully trading in the market for nearly 10 years. They have been able to use the internet efficiently in launching their products and highlighting them in their websites. They have divided their home page into several sections out of which the section named Shop by Department helps people to find out their suitable products according to their department like groceries, electronic gadgets, dresses to be named as few. From this section people chose their needed products and it gets delivered at their doorstep. People can pay the company during the delivery time or beforehand by using their cards. In a way the varied method of payment has helped the people to purchase more goods even if they do not have liquid money at home. E-Commerce Strategy and evaluation of Kogans e-commerce: The sole purpose of e-commerce is to trade in goods and services by a company. According to Australian Business data, in the year 2015 the retail sales of Australia exceeded $50 billion. It has been seen that e-commerce in Australia specially the mobile commerce has been growing in leaps and bounds by almost 40% per annum. There are several strategies that a company must take in order to be successfully running their business via online portal. Few such e-commerce strategies have been discussed here and the well-known retail store Kogans e-commerce has been analyzed on that basis. The few steps to e-commerce business plan are: Mission: Through this process the company initially tries to set a goal for its business. It tries to understand the values that the customer may give to the business (Persson, Fridolfsson and Holst 2016). Strategy: The strategy part tries to organize the ways in which the company is going to move in the path of doing the business. Technology: The various technologies that the company plans to use to provide service to the people is seen through this stage. The company can use e-mails, sms, online portals and even mobile apps to reach out to customers of different age groups. Stakeholder: Stakeholders are the partners of the company who helps them to move ahead in the business. They should be identified properly for being successful in business. Engagement: This part of the strategy helps the company to modernize their service according to the need of the customer. Reviews are taken from the customer after they have been served with different goods of their choice (Cavusgil et al. 2014). There are few more steps that any company irrespective of their engagement in e-commerce and in general commerce should prioritize and implement as a part of their business plans. These are: Aims and proper business model, a clear concept of the objectives of the business, a business model to meet the objectives, marketing, management of the business and gathering contents, ease access to different technologies and platforms and maintenance of the business and planning for future improvement. Also there is a need of integrating the market under one-roof so that people do not need to visit other website for consuming some other stuff (Decker and Erasmo 2016). Along with these few other things that falls under the implementing strategies are maintaining a proper inventory and stock of products so that people never face delays in receiving their orders. They should be allowed to pay their bills in different modes so that they never face any hindrance in buying products and also they sho uld be treated properly after the purchase takes place as well. Maintaining a proper return policy and a secured payment gateway is absolutely mandatory for e-commerce. On the basis of the criteria, Kogans business model has been tried to understand. According to Ruslan Kogan, the CEO founder of the company stated that in order to sustain in the market there is only one law and that is to remain ahead of the competitors in the market. The mission of the business is to serve the entire Australian with their products and to expand themselves in the global market (kogan.com/au/contact-us/ 2016). They have successfully used the e-commerce networks to expand their business. Their strategy is to deliver timely service to customers and keep them happy. In doing so they required a proper inventory. Nowadays, they are improving their service by using algorithmic techniques and techniques through which the whole transaction can be made automating. According to Tess Bennett, people are now more reluctant to spend their weekends with family members rather than visiting the stores by themselves. Yet on other hand they expect fast delivery service of their produc ts and Kogan has been successful in this regard (Bennett 2016). Also the company has been maintaining a large stock of inventory and offering people the products at lowest price in the market. This has only been possible as the company caters to customers by directly taking the products from their respective companies and selling it to the customers without any intermediaries acting in between. Hence it can be said that the company has been very clear and thorough in implementing their e-commerce strategy in the market and thereby has been able to become the largest online retail store in Australia (Verbeke 2013). Shift from National E-commerce to International E-commerce: Kogan which was launched in 2006 expanded and became the king in Australian retail market stores. They are now selling their products at global market as well. Along with the Australian continent, they has spread their business in the territory of the U.S and New Zealand. Operating in indigenous market and in foreign market requires a shift in business strategy (Fernie and Sparks 2014). The steps that the company took for expansion and should also take in future whenever they plan to expand their business are as follows: The first and foremost thing that they require is to have a detailed survey of the market where they plan to operate. The demand generated in that market in the last few years can be helpful for understanding and predicting the future demands of that market (Boone and Kurtz 2013). Then the company should also try to find a suitable place where it can open up its inventory. Operating the business without proper inventory within the domestic periphery of the foreign country can lead to delay of services. Hence, keeping a proper stock of inventory can ensure that the company never becomes defaulter in serving at the right time. The next yet one of the most important step that Kogan must take before expanding its business in foreign country is to get a detailed review of all the existing e-commerce in that market that serves the same purpose as Kogan aims to do (kogan.com/au 2016). This helps the company in understanding the hindrance that it may face from its competitors who are already operating and well aware of the existing market. The laws and regulation of the country where the company plans to establish its company should be under the grasp of the company in order to avoid any legal issues. Finally it is important for the company to create an website keeping in mind the cultures of the foreign country so that any comment, picture or products published on the website does not hurt the sentiments of the people of that country. Conclusion: The report can be summed up by recalling few issues that has been found in the Kogans business model. The company has been quite successful in their business in the past decade and the success has been due to proper implementation of the business strategy within the company. As the company has been engaged in online trading the company has always upgraded its website as per customers demand. The company has passed its exposure stage long back and is now well-known in the market. It is now in its interaction and ecommerce stage. It has been developing well with a good established communication with the potential customers and is now trying to capture international market. As per the data it has already been seen that Australia has faced an increase in mobile commerce at an annual rate of more than 40%. Kogan being an Australian company and one of the top online service providers is responsible for a large part of this growth. The company has already put forward its first step in expan ding its business outside the Australian territory. By following few simple steps and changes in their basic business models they are sure to succeed in global market as well. References: Bennett, T. (2016). Kogan.com investing in algorithms, not stores - Internet Retailing. [online] Internet Retailing. Available at: https://internetretailing.com.au/kogan-investing-algorithms-not-stores/ [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O.A., Pavlou, P.A. and Venkatraman, N.V., 2013. Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights.Mis Quarterly,37(2), pp.471-482. Boone, L.E. and Kurtz, D.L., 2013.Contemporary marketing. Cengage learning. Cavusgil, S.T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J.R., Rammal, H.G. and Rose, E.L., 2014.International business. Pearson Australia. Decker, R.A. and D'Erasmo, P.N., 2016. Market exposure and endogenous firm volatility over the business cycle.American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics,8(1), pp.148-198. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan Page Publishers. Gettler, L., 2013. Stop selling and start buying the customer.Management Today, (May 2013), p.18. Li, S.S. and Karahanna, E., 2015. Online recommendation systems in a B2C e-commerce context: A review and future directions.Journal of the Association for Information Systems,16(2), p.72. Mohapatra, S., 2013. E-commerce Strategy. InE-Commerce Strategy(pp. 155-171). Springer US. Persson, S., Fridolfsson, H. and Holst, A., 2016. Strategy within E-commerce: The formation process. Shaw, M., Blanning, R., Strader, T. and Whinston, A. eds., 2012.Handbook on electronic commerce. Springer Science Business Media. Strauss, J., 2016.E-marketing. Routledge. Wittmann, R. and Reuter, M., 2013.Strategic planning: How to deliver maximum value through effective business strategy. Kogan Page Publishers. www.kogan.com. (2016). | Australia's Premier Shopping Destination. [online] Kogan Australia. Available at: https://www.kogan.com/au/ [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016]. Xue, J., Niu, Y. and Yu, W., 2015, July. Research on E-commerce Communication Model and driven strategies. InLogistics, Informatics and Service Sciences (LISS), 2015 International Conference on(pp. 1-5). IEEE. Yakuel, P. (2015). The 5 Lifecycle Stages of an Online Shopper - Multichannel Merchant. [online] Multichannel Merchant. Available at: https://multichannelmerchant.com/marketing/5-lifecycle-stages-online-shopper-27072015/ [Accessed 27 Dec. 2016].

Samsung Advertising its Brand Using Pancakes During the Pancake Day

Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Samsung Advertising its Brand Using Pancakes During the Pancake Day specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Situation Analysis February 17, 2015 was the World Pancake Day, and thus a number of organizations took the day to advertise their brands. However, Samsung carried the day. The campaign aimed at familiarizing its customers with different brands because hostility on any product could be converted into sympathy. The self-doubters would accept the company and its products. Social media has massive following, and thus millions of potential clients would be reached via this advertisement. Objectives The Samsung’s campaign aimed at achieving three main objectives that can be evaluated using the SMART approach. Objective 1: make everyone be involved with your brand in a unique way Make popular celebrities associate with your products together with your Twitter followers. This way , with your potential customers identifying with their popular celebrities, they would also identify with your products. It also unifies everyone involved from stakeholder to customers and the employees, as there is power in unity. Objective 2: Increase sales With every commercial campaign, there is always the need to increase the number of sales, and this assertion was true in this case. The huge number of potential customers that would be reached via this platform means that a certain percentage would end up choosing Samsung as a brand. In turn, this aspect would improve the company’s market share as more customers start purchasing its products. The company has a set period of operating the business campaign of one day and it cannot be decided whether the objectives serve the short-term or the long-term objectives. Objective 3: To reach social media fans and especially Twitter This aspect could have been approached from a total percentage expected, as it will present a more realistic case scenario. Strategy The campaign was more of creating a buzz in the social media that would have everyone talking about and participating in large numbers. Social media has become one of the most powerful marketing tools due to the ever-increasing audience. Currently, the total number of social media users is close to 2 billion people, with Twitter having a market share of 288 million users. Therefore, this strategy would reach many potential clients at minimal marketing budget. The following strategy outlines how it was done: The company was able to make Pancake portraits of popular celebrities on Twitter. The fans were asked to send their pictures, which were then made into pancake forms and later retweeted for everyone to see. Winners were selected after which their pictures were recreated using the pancakes before being posted via Twitter for the world to see. In addition, the company decided to extend the releasing of pictures of some of the most famous peo ple across the world after they had appeared on a certain TV show that day. This aspect captured the attention of the fans as they identified with celebrities, which is good for business. The campaign strategy was a success as it received numerous appraisals from many celebrities and fans for the company’s different products. It captured the theme of the day and made the best out of it. The campaign captured all the Four DRIP elements, viz.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Differentiates – involving the public in the marketing procedures was a success. This approach stands out of the rest because in most cases, some selected individuals are involved in the marketing program. However, in this case, the public was allowed to participate. Reassures – the campaign approach targeted both potential customers and their customers with the aid of Twitter. All parties enjoyed the fun created by the pancake pictures and video portraits. Informs – the company used Twitter to inform the public of its ongoing project and brands. By creating a captivating campaign that attracted and reached millions of people, Samsung stood a good chance of letting the world know of its products. Persuades- it was in a position to tune the pubic into some amicable fun while at the same time marketing products. The most important customers who have the power to buy their products were reached through the fun induced by the pancake portraits, thus improving sales. All customers available on Twitter were able to receive the message. The timing was also on target, as many people tend to be online during holidays and special days to access discounts and other giveaways. Tactics Employed Media – the company was able to use social media, and particularly Twitter, to market its product. This aspect put it ahead of competition and engaged many public c onsumers. This strategy was also cost effective. Electronic – By using Twitter and Television, the company was able to reach the global market in a single day. The campaign was a success and it was made possible by the company engaging all the involved parties. It all started with producing picture portraits, which created fun then the marketing of products came naturally. The use of social media was ideal for the task on top of being cost effective. What could have made the campaign even better? The idea of using Twitter to pass the message was ingenious, but it would have been more success if the company used all social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram among others because not all people are on Twitter. Sometimes, individuals tend to use only one social medium, and thus using all the social mediums to do the campaigns would be successful, as it would have reached more customers. The company should also have run the campaign for a little longer as opposed to o ne-day event. Campaigning on special days makes some customers to start judging the brand’s credibility. Overall, the company did a good job. Many people received the campaign positively. In addition, the campaign became more interesting when it received several endorsements from celebrities. Almost everyone that saw the campaign was satisfied and left a positive feedback that the company can derive satisfaction. Conclusion The campaign was undoubtedly a success and it brought forth unique creativity and innovation that captured the eyes of the public across the world. The public was engaged in a one-day fun that involved posting commentary via Twitter. In addition, the public was amused not only to see their celebrities in the pancake portraits, but also themselves being tweeted. Credited must be given to the Samsung Company for the perfect campaign. The use of social media also ensured that they reached out to a number of youthful customers who are the ideal candidates for their products. The only shortcoming is that the company chose to use Twitter only instead of using all the available social media platforms.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Samsung Advertising its Brand Using Pancakes During the Pancake Day specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Appendix Campaign source: https://www.prexamples.com/2015/02/pancake-portraits-as-samsung-celebrate-pancake-day/ This report on Samsung Advertising its Brand Using Pancakes During the Pancake Day was written and submitted by user Cailyn Cruz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chili Peppers - An American Domestication Story

Chili Peppers - An American Domestication Story Chili pepper (Capsicum spp. L., and sometimes spelled chile or chilli) is a plant which was domesticated in the Americas at least 6,000 years ago. Its spicy goodness spread into cuisines throughout the world only after Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean and took it back with him to Europe. Peppers are widely considered the first spice to have been used by humans, and today there are at least 25 separate species in the family of American chili peppers and over 35 in the world. Domestication Events At least two, and perhaps as many as five separate domestication events are thought to have occurred. The most common type of chili today, and likely the earliest domesticated, is Capsicum annuum (the chili pepper), domesticated in Mexico or northern Central America at least 6,000 years ago from the wild bird pepper (C. annuum v. glabriusculum). Its prominence around the world is likely because it was the one that was introduced into Europe in the 16th century AD. The other forms which may have been independently created are C. chinense (yellow lantern chili, believed to have been domesticated in northern lowland Amazonia), C. pubescens (the tree pepper, in the mid-elevation southern Andes mountains) and C. baccatum (amarillo chili, lowland Bolivia). C. frutescens (piri piri or tabasco chili, from the Caribbean) may be a fifth, although some scholars suggest it is a variety of C. chinense. The Earliest Evidence of Domestication There are older archaeological sites which include domesticated chili pepper seeds, such as Guitarrero Cave in Peru and Ocampo Caves in Mexico, ranging in age from 7,000-9,000 years ago. But their stratigraphic contexts are somewhat unclear, and most scholars prefer to use the more conservative date of 6,000 or 6,100 years ago. A comprehensive examination of the genetic (similarities among the DNA from different types of chilies), paleo-biolinguistic (similar words for chili used in various indigenous languages), ecological (where modern chile plants are found) and archaeological evidence for chile pepper was reported in 2014. Kraft et al. argue that all four lines of evidence suggest that chili pepper was first domesticated in central-east Mexico, near Coxcatln Cave and the Ocampo Caves. Chili Peppers North of Mexico Despite chilis prevalence in southwestern American cuisines, the evidence for early use there is late and very limited. The earliest evidence of chili peppers in the American southwest/northwest Mexico has been identified in Chihuahua state near the site of Casas Grandes, ca AD 1150-1300. A single chili pepper seed was found at Site 315, a medium-sized adobe pueblo ruin in the Rio Casas Grandes Valley about two miles from Casas Grandes. In the same contexta trash pit directly underneath a room floorwas found maize (Zea mays), cultivated beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cotton seeds (Gossypium hirsutum), prickly pear (Opuntia), goosefoot seeds (Chenopodium), uncultivated Amaranth (Amaranthus) and a possible squash (Cucurbita) rind. Radiocarbon dates on the trash pit are 760 /- 55 years before the present, or approximately AD 1160-1305. Cuisine Effects When introduced into Europe by Columbus, the chili launched a mini-revolution in cuisine; and when those chili-loving Spanish returned and moved into the Southwest, they brought the spicy domesticate with them. Chilies, a large part of central American cuisines for thousands of years, became most common north of Mexico in places where the Spanish colonial courts were most powerful. Unlike the other central American domesticated crops of maize, beans, and squash, chili peppers did not become part of southwestern US/northwestern Mexican cuisine until after Spanish contact. Researchers Minnis and Whalen suggest that the spicy chili pepper may not have fit into local culinary preferences until a large influx of colonists from Mexico and (most importantly) a Spanish colonial government affected local appetites. Even then, chilies were not universally adopted by all southwestern people. Identifying Chili Archaeologically Fruits, seeds and pollen of capsicum have been found in deposits at archaeological sites in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico beginning about 6000 years ago; at  Huaca Prieta  in the Andean foothills of Peru by ca. 4000 years ago, at  Ceren, El Salvador by 1400 years ago; and in La Tigra, Venezuela by 1000 years ago. Recently, the study of  starch grains, which do preserve well and are identifiable to species, has allowed scientists to peg the domestication of chili peppers to at least 6,100 years ago, in southwestern Ecuador at the sites of Loma Alta and Loma Real. As reported in  Science  in 2007, the earliest discovery of chili pepper starches is from the surfaces of  milling stones  and in cooking vessels as well as in sediment samples, and in conjunction with microfossil evidence of arrowroot, maize, leren, manioc, squash, beans and palms. Sources Brown CH, Clement CR, Epps P, Luedeling E, and Wichmann S. 2013.  The Paleobiolinguistics of Domesticated Chili Pepper (Capsicum   spp.).  Ethnobiology Letters  4:1-11.Clement C, De Cristo-Araà ºjo M, D’Eeckenbrugge GC, Alves Pereira A, and Picanà §o-Rodrigues D. 2010.  Origin and Domestication of Native Amazonian Crops.  Diversity  2(1):72-106.Duncan NA, Pearsall DM, and Benfer J, Robert A. 2009.  Gourd and squash artifacts yield starch grains of feasting foods from preceramic Peru.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  106(32):13202-13206.Eshbaugh W. 1993. Peppers: History and Exploitation of a Serendipitous New Crop Discovery. pages 132-139. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.),  New Crops  Wiley, New York.Hill TA, Ashrafi H, Reyes-Chin-Wo S, Yao J, Stoffel K, Truco M-J, Kozik A, Michelmore RW, and Van Deynze A. 2013.  Characterization of Capsicum annum Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Based on Parallel Polymorphism Discovery with a 30K Unigene Pepper GeneChip.  PLoS ONE  8(2):e56200. Kraft KH, Luna Ruiz JdJ, and Gepts P. 2013. A new collection of wild populations of Capsicum in Mexico and the southern United States.  Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution  60(1):225-232. doi:10.1007/s10722-012-9827-5Kraft KH, Brown CH, Nabhan GP, Luedeling E, Luna Ruiz JdJ, dEeckenbrugge GC, Hijmans RJ, and Gepts P. 2014.  Multiple lines of evidence for the origin of domesticated chili pepper, Capsicum annuum, in Mexico.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  Early Edition. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1308933111Minnis PE, and Whalen ME. 2010.  The first prehispanic chile (Capsicum) from the U.S. southwest/northwest Mexico and its changing use.  American Antiquity  75(2):245-258.Ortiz R, Delgado de la Flor F, Alvarado G, and Crossa J. 2010. Classifying vegetable genetic resources- A case study with domesticated Capsicum spp.  Scientia Horticulturae  126(2):186-191. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2010.07.007Perry L, Dickau R, Zarrillo S, Holst I, Pearsall DM, Piperno DR, Berman MJ, Cooke RG, Rademaker K, Ranere AJ et al. 2007.  Starch Fossils and the Domestication and Dispersal of Chili Peppers (Capsicum spp. L.) in the Americas.  Science  315:986-988. Pickersgill B. 1969.  The archaeological record of chili peppers (Capsicum spp.)and the sequence of plant domestication in Peru.  American Antiquity  34:54-61.

Treaty of Portsmouth

Treaty of Portsmouth The Treaty of Portsmouth was a peace agreement signed on September 5, 1905, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, United States, which officially ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 – 1905. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in brokering the pact. Fast Facts: Treaty of Portsmouth The Treaty of Portsmouth was a peace agreement between Russia and Japan, brokered by the United States. It put an end to the Russo-Japanese War, fought from February 8, 1904 to September 5, 1905, when the treaty was signed.Negotiations focused on three key issues: access to Manchurian and Korean ports, control of Sakhalin Island, and payment of the financial costs of the war.The Treaty of Portsmouth led to nearly 30 years of peace between Japan and Russia, and earned President Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. The Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War of 1904 – 1905 was fought between the Empire of Russia, a modernized world military power, and the Empire of Japan, a largely agrarian nation just starting to develop its industrial sector. Since the end of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, both Russia and Japan had clashed over their competing imperialistic ambitions in areas of Manchuria and Korea. By 1904, Russia controlled Port Arthur, a strategically important warm water seaport on the southern tip of Manchuria’s Liaodong Peninsula. After Russia helped put down an attempted Japanese coup in adjacent Korea, war between the two nations seemed inevitable. On February 8, 1904, the Japanese attacked the Russian fleet harbored at Port Arthur before sending a declaration of war to Moscow. The surprise nature of the attack helped Japan gain an early victory. Over the next year, Japanese forces won important victories in Korea and the Sea of Japan. However, casualties were high on both sides. In the bloody Battle of Mukden alone, some 60,000 Russian and 41,000 Japanese soldiers were killed. By 1905, the human and financial costs of war led both countries to seek peace. Terms of the Treaty of Portsmouth Japan asked U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to act as the intermediary to negotiating a peace agreement with Russia. Hoping to maintain an equal balance of power and economic opportunity in the region, Roosevelt desired a pact that would allow both Japan and Russia to maintain their influence in East Asia. Though he had publicly supported Japan at the start of the war, Roosevelt feared that America’s interests in the region could suffer if Russia was driven out completely. Russian and Japanese diplomats seated at the negotiating table during the Portsmouth Peace Conference. Buyenlarge / Getty Images Negotiations focused on three key issues: access to Manchurian and Korean ports, control of Sakhalin Island, and payment of the financial costs of the war. Japan’s priorities were: the division of control in Korea and South Manchuria, the sharing of war costs, and control of Sakhalin. Russia demanded continued control of Sakhalin Island, flatly refused to reimburse Japan for its war costs, and sought to maintain its Pacific fleet. Payment of war costs turned out to be the most difficult negotiation point. In fact, the war had so badly depleted Russia’s finances, it would have probably been unable to pay any war costs even if required to do so by the treaty. Delegates agreed to declare an immediate cease-fire. Russia recognized Japan’s claim to Korea and agreed to withdraw its forces from Manchuria. Russia also agreed to return its lease of Port Arthur in southern Manchuria to China and give up its railroad and mining concessions in southern Manchuria to Japan. Russia retained control of the Chinese Eastern Railway in northern Manchuria. When negotiations stalled over control of Sakhalin and payment of war debts, President Roosevelt suggested that Russia â€Å"buy back† the northern half of Sakhalin from Japan. Russia flatly refused to pay money its people might see as an indemnity for territory their soldiers had paid for with their lives. After a lengthy debate, Japan agreed to drop all of its claims for reparations in return for the southern half of Sakhalin Island. Historical Significance The Treaty of Portsmouth led to nearly 30 years of peace between Japan and Russia. Japan emerged as the main power in East Asia, as Russia was forced to drop its imperialistic aspirations in the region. However, the agreement did not sit well with the people of either country. Postcard shows the building at the Portsmouth Navy Yard where the peace talks were held, the Hotel Wentworth, and flags of Japan and Russia, all superimposed on an American flag. Buyenlarge / Getty Images The Japanese people considered themselves the victors and saw the refusal of war reparations as an act of disrespect. Protests and riots broke out in Tokyo when the terms were announced. At the same time, being forced to give up half of Sakhalin Island angered the Russian people. However, neither the average Japanese nor Russian citizen was aware of how badly the war had damaged the economies of their respective countries. During the war and the peace talks, the American people generally felt Japan was fighting a â€Å"just war† against Russian aggression in East Asia. Viewing Japan as being fully committed to the U.S. Open Door policy of preserving the territorial integrity of China, Americans were anxious to support it. However, the negative, sometimes anti-American reaction to the treaty in Japan surprised and angered many Americans. Indeed, the Treaty of Portsmouth marked the last meaningful period of U.S.-Japanese cooperation until the post-World War II reconstruction of Japan in 1945. At the same time, however, relations between Japan and Russia warmed as a result of the treaty. While he never actually attended the peace talks, and the actual extent of his influence on leaders in Tokyo and Moscow remained unclear, President Roosevelt was widely praised for his efforts. In 1906, he became the first of three sitting U.S. presidents to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Sources and Further Reference â€Å"The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905.† U.S. Department of State. Office of the Historian Kowner, Rotem. â€Å"Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War.† The Scarecrow Press, Inc. (2006). â€Å"Text of Treaty; Signed by the Emperor of Japan and Czar of Russia.† The New York Times. October 17, 1905. â€Å"Partial record of Privy Council meeting to ratify the treaty.† National Archives of Japan. Figes, Orlando. â€Å"From Tsar to U.S.S.R.: Russias Chaotic Year of Revolution.† National Geographic.

Evaluation of Reader-Based Writing within a company Essay

Evaluation of Reader-Based Writing within a company - Essay Example higher profit margins through an increase in sales volume. While goods are sold at cost to the customer, there are no apparent losses incurred by these stores. It has a Marketing Business Unit (MBU) located in Virginia to mange all military commissary stores throughout the world.   The MBU spearheads a marketing strategy that is identical to what is adopted by all major food retail chains – â€Å"the customer has many a store to step in while the store has one step to welcome all customers†. Organizational marketing literature is essentially the bye-product of a strategic faith in corporate culture that is unique to each organization. DeCA has adopted a marketing strategy that seeks to drive out competition with a `sledgehammer tactic in which contracted suppliers are straight jacketed into a procurement network that spans the entire globe. Backed by an administrative team of heavyweights in the industry, the writing within the organization for its own internal communication has been the subject of discussion among organizational communication strategists who have been intrigued at the often cyclostyled memorandum being replaced with a more objective content centric approach. As for its external communication strategy, it is determined by the type of competition that civilian retail chains present. There cannot be any doubt about its own mission statement â€Å"Deliver a premier commissary benefit to the armed services community that encourages an exciting shopping experience and satisfies patron demand for quality grocery and household products and delivers exceptional savings while enhancing quality of lifeâ⠂¬ , (DeCA website) because it implies â€Å"customer focused selling†, the self-same approach adopted by big retail chains throughout the world. DeCA has been managed more like a military establishment where the customer is subject to a process of

Why did Byzantine culture favour cult images of supernatural origin Essay

Why did Byzantine culture favour cult images of supernatural origin - Essay Example ons that are taken as indisputable truth, indestructible under influence of any circumstances, so-called postulates – definitions, which are taken into account without a logical explanation. Nowadays, people worship God and his Image on the icons. It is believed that the icon is the conductor of the Holy Spirit to Earth. People usually explain icon`s miracles with their supernatural origin. It was believed their appearance and mistique was sanctioned by heaven1. In Byzantium two main branches of mysticism were distributed as well as in relation with iconography. One of them was represented in a contemplative way, being philosophically speculative and characterized by reflection -the desire to reach the deity by systematic abstract logical thinking activity. For this type of mystics it seemed particularly important to create a classification of the states and actions, to chart the bad thoughts, to dismember the steps, which make one closer to the deity. In the other direction o f mystics, which kept on morality and practice, logical thought was obscured with tactile-specific representation on the subject of the approximation of the human with the God: the mystic is trying to develop himself to a stage when he would be able to see the divine`s light, to hear the God`s voice. However, in fact in both cases, the act of salvation is not so much a result of the actions of the clergy, but as an individual feat, accessible to everyone and the holy image  mosaics decorating the church`s walls were the beginning of the Byzantine visual art. What was it said for? Thanks to miracles associated with icons - "through the interaction of social concepts - such as envy, limited goof and the source of illness"2, people began to treat them with trembling. Vestiges of antiquity - demons, angels and divinities - significantly influenced the perception of the world of further generations3. It should be noted, that before the era of iconoclasm, Byzantium was known â€Å"for its relics,