Friday, November 29, 2019

Robert E. Lee Essays (4154 words) - Fitzhugh Family Of Virginia

Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee They say you had to see him to believe that a man so fine could exist. He was handsome. He was clever. He was brave. He was gentle. He was generous and charming, noble and modest, admired and beloved. He had never failed at anything in his upright soldier's life. He was born a winner, this Robert E. Lee. Except for once. In the greatest contest of his life, in a war between the South and the North, Robert E. Lee lost (Redmond). Through his life, Robert E. Lee would prove to be always noble, always a gentleman, and always capable of overcoming the challenge lying before him. Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807 (Compton's). He was born into one of Virginia's most respected families. The Lee family had moved to America during the mid 1600's. Some genealogist can trace the Lee's roots back to William the Conqueror. Two members of the Lee family had signed the Declaration of Independence, Richard Lee and Francis Lightfoot. Charles Lee had served as attorney General under the Washington administration while Richard Bland Lee, had become one of Virginia's leading Federalists. Needless to say, the Lees were an American Political dynasty (Nash 242). Lee's father was General Henry Light-Horse Harry Lee. He had been a heroic cavalry leader in the American Revolution. He married his cousin Matilda. They had four children, but Matilda died in 1790. On her death bed she added insult to injury upon Henry Lee by leaving her estate to her children. She feared Henry would squander the family fortune. He was well known for poor investments and schemes that had depleted his own family's fortune (Connelly 5). Henry Lee solved his financial problems by marrying Robert's mother Anne Carter, daughter of one of Virginia's wealthiest men (Nash 242). Henry Lee eventually spent his family into debt. Their stately mansion, Stratford Hall, was turned over to Robert's half brother. Anne Lee moved with her children to a simple brick house in Alexandria. Light Horse Harry was seldom around. Finally, in 1813 he moved to the West Indies. His self-exile became permanent, and he was never seen again by his family (Thomas). Young Robert had other family problems. His mother became very ill. At the age of twelve he had to shoulder the load of not only being the family's provider, but also his mother's nurse. When time came for Robert to attend college, it was obvious his mother could not support him financially. She was already supporting his older brother at Harvard and three other children in school. In 1824 he accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy. During his time at West Point Lee distinguished himself as a soldier and a student. Lee graduated with honors in 1829 (Nash 245). His graduation was dampened by a call to the bedside of his ailing mother. When he arrived home he found his fifty-four year old mother close to death. A death caused by struggles and illnesses of her difficult life. Robert was always close to his mother. He again attended to her needs until her death. On July 10, 1829, Anne Lee died with Robert, her closest son, at her side. Forty years later Robert would stand in the same room and say, It seems but yesterday that his beloved mother died (Connelly 6). While awaiting his first assignment, Lee frequently visited Arlington, the estate of George Washington Parke Custis. Custis was the grandson of Martha Washington and the adopted son of George Washington. After Martha's death Custis left Mount Vernon and used his inheritance to build Arlington in 1778. Arlington was set on a hill over looking the Potomac river and Washington D.C. (NPS Arlington House). Custis had only one daughter, Mary Anna Randolph. Mary had been pampered and petted throughout her life. Lee's Courtship with Mary soon turned serious, before long they were thinking of marriage. However, before Robert could propose he was assigned to Cockspur Island, Georgia. Robert returned to Arlington in 1830. He and Mary decided to get married. The two were married on June 30, 1831(Nash 248). Shortly there after the Lees went to Fort Monroe. Mary was never happy here. She soon went back to Arlington. Mary hated army life. She would, for the most part, stay at Arlington throughout the rest of Robert's time in the United States Army. The fact that he was separated from his family, and that he was slow to move up in rank, left Lee feeling quite depressed a great

Monday, November 25, 2019

How to Make a Fruit Battery

How to Make a Fruit Battery If you have a piece of fruit, a couple of nails, and some wire, then you can generate enough electricity to turn on a light bulb. Making a fruit battery is fun, safe, and easy. What You Need To make the battery you will need: Citrus fruit (e.g., lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)Copper nail, screw, or wire (about 2 in. or 5 cm long)Zinc nail or screw or galvanized nail (about 2 in. or 5 cm long)Small holiday light with 2 in. or 5 cm leads (enough wire to connect it to the nails) Make a Fruit Battery Heres how to make the battery: Set the fruit on a table and gently roll it around to soften it up. You want the juice to be flowing inside the fruit without breaking its skin. Alternatively, you can squeeze the fruit with your hands.Insert the zinc and copper nails into the fruit so that they are about 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart. Dont let them touch each other. Avoid puncturing through the end of the fruit.Remove enough insulation from the leads of the light (about 1 in. or 2.5 cm) so that you can wrap one lead around the zinc nail and the other lead around the copper nail. You can use electrical tape or alligator clips to keep the wire from falling off the nails.When you connect the second nail, the light will turn on. How a Lemon Battery Works Here are  the science and chemical reactions regarding a lemon battery (you can try making batteries from other fruits and from vegetables): The copper and zinc metals act as positive and negative battery terminals (cathodes and anodes).The zinc metal reacts with the acidic lemon juice (mostly from citric acid) to produce zinc ions (Zn2) and electrons (2 e-). The zinc ions go  into solution in the lemon juice while the electrons remain on the metal.The wires of the small light bulb are electrical conductors. When they are used to connect the copper and zinc, the electrons that have built upon the zinc flow into the wire. The flow of electrons is current or electricity. Its what powers small electronics or lights a light bulb.Eventually, the electrons make it to the copper. If the electrons didnt go any farther, theyd eventually build up so that there wouldnt be a potential difference between the zinc and the copper. If this happened, the flow of electricity would stop. However, that wont happen because the copper is in contact with the lemon.The electrons accumulating on the copper terminal react with hydrogen ions (H) floating free in the acidic juice to form hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen atoms bond to each other to form hydrogen gas. More Science Here are additional opportunities for research: Citrus fruits are acidic, which helps their juices to conduct electricity. What other fruits and vegetables might you try that would work as batteries?If you have a multimeter, you can measure the current produced by the battery. Compare the effectiveness of different types of fruit. See what happens as you change the distance between the nails.Do acidic fruits always work better? Measure the pH (acidity) of the fruit juice and compare that with the current through the wires or brightness of the light bulb.Compare the electricity generated by fruit with that of juices. Liquids you can test include orange juice, lemonade, and pickle brine.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Piracy in Somali - Is it Politically or Economically Motivated Essay

Piracy in Somali - Is it Politically or Economically Motivated - Essay Example However the persistent attacks by pirate ships off the horn of Africa represent a realistic picture of the status of piracy in contemporary times, which is far removed from the romantic portrayal of the issue in the Hollywood blockbuster. Contrary to the depiction of piracy by the popular media, piracy in Somalia is real and an ever-increasing danger faced by the sea-farers. Somalia has gained global attention for repeatedly featuring as one of the top three global hotspots for maritime piracy. According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) report on trends in global piracy, about 439 pirate attacks were reported in the year 2011 of which 275 attacks were reported to have taken place off the coast of Somalia (ICC, 2012). The Gulf of Aden and and the northern, southern, and eastern coasts of Somalia are one of the heavily trafficked coasts in the world. It is on account of this reason that the waters in and around Somalia are vulnerable to such attacks, and categorized as piracy prone. The constant acts of piracy in Somalia have resulted in a rapid economic and political decline of the nation and have attracted severe criticism worldwide. The country was labeled as the World’s most dangerous country by the Forbes Magazine (O'Malley, 2009). Figure 1: Source: Onuoha, 2009: 35 Despite the implementation of stringent measures to counter maritime piracy in Somalia, the number of incidences reporting attacks and hijacking by the Somalian pirates refuse to die down. Piracy has been one of the most dreaded acts of hostility faced by sea-farers and it cannot be hoped to be countered by mere naval means. Measures such as disbanding the criminal structure of the booming "industry", achieving political stability and strengthening the nation's economy must be looked into, in order to prevent such acts of terrorism and bring the phenomenon of piracy to a complete halt. 2. Piracy in Somalia: Brief background The term maritime piracy is defined by Piracy Repo rting Center of the International Maritime Bureau of ICC as "an act of boarding any vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act" (Wu and Zou, 2009: 139). The Geneva Convention on the Law of the Sea 1958 defines piracy as any illegal and/or hostile acts leading to the detention, harm or injury to the crew or passengers on board; as well as intentional destruction, capture and seizing of property on the ship. It also includes acts which are committed beyond the jurisdiction of a particular state1. The issue of maritime piracy has been in existence historically and no strategy has achieved complete success in eradicating this evil. The policy initiatives taken at national as well as international level have so far been merely able to partially suppress the phenomenon. However despite such measures incidences of hijacking, random pirate attacks, and armed hostility continue to be reported. The is sue of piracy in Somalia is of a more serious nature, due to its weak economic structure and long-term political instability. These two factors combined have caused the elevation of piracy from mere erratic sea attacks to the status of an organized crime. Today, maritime piracy is internationally recognized as an issue of serious concern and active steps have been taken to ensure that such activities are curbed instantly. Piracy off the Somali coast did not begin with a group of bandits looking for money or

Monday, November 18, 2019

Variations on the Modern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Variations on the Modern - Essay Example The aim of this study is to discuss different versions of modern architecture movements in Italy and Scandinavia in order to show how modern architecture responded to the political and cultural subtexts. Modern architecture was flourished later in both Italy and Scandinavia than Germany, Holland, France and Russia. William J. Curtis notes that Modernism's influence was slight in Scandinavia in the 1920s1 and it formed relatively late in Italy2. Furthermore, both Scandinavia and Italy brought their own interpretation to the â€Å"international style†. However, their similarities end here; since their political, cultural and also ecological conditions were extremely different. While modern architecture emerged in Fascist Italy ruled by a dictator, democratic welfare states prevailed in Scandinavia at that time; hence, there was a stark difference between the political climates of Italy and Scandinavia. Their cultures also differed; whereas nationalistic tendencies and nostalgia for the Roman heritage were predominant in Italy, communal values were strong in Scandinavia. In line with their differences, they both developed a different variation of Modernism. While Italian Modernism highlighted nationalism and magnanimous Roman heritage; Scandinavia adopted a modernism with a human face stressing organic and natural life. As a matter of fact, in Italy, modernism grew in two directions: Noveconto and Italian Rationalism. The Classical Novecento movement, represented by Giovanni Muzio, paved the way for the development of Italian Rationalism represented by â€Å"gruppo 7†3. Sebastian Larco, Guido, Frette, Carlo Enrico Raba, Adalberto, Luigi Figini, Gino Pollini and Guiseppe Terragni formed Gruppo 7 in 19264. Throughout the 1930's, both Novecento and Italian Rationalism coexisted as alternative variations of modernism. Although Novecento, originated in Milan, used modern technology of concrete construction, it was highly committed to the traditional Itali an house. Gio Ponti, the famous architect and editor of the magazine of the Italian house Domus, described Italian house as setting for Italian life as follows: â€Å"the place that we have chosen for enjoying our life†5. Ponti's description highlights the stark difference between Novecento and Le Corbusier's â€Å"international style†, since Le Corbusier defined the house as â€Å"a machine for living in†. While Ponti's approach stressed the organic and humanist aspect of the house, Le Corbusier's definition was more mechanistic. Furthermore the Novecento houses were more decorative and furnished in Italian taste, while â€Å"the international style† was against any ornaments. Indeed, modern Milan houses incorporated common features of traditional Italian chimneys and sundials6. Although Italian Rationalism could be regarded as more radical than Novecento and closer to the spirit of machine civilization, it was still â€Å"fully contextual as well, rela ting to historical Italian culture†7. Besides Italian culture, Italian Rationalism was also intertwined with Fascist nationalism. It was not just Italian Rationalists were ardent fascists, but their work also reflected the Fascist ideology; although The Italian Fascist Party's relation to Italian Rationalism was ambivalent. Giuseppe Terragni's Casa del Fascio could

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Identification of Epitope in EAV N Protein

Identification of Epitope in EAV N Protein Identification of a novel conserved B cell epitope in the N protein of EAV (Bucyrus strain) Running title: Identification of epitope in EAV N protein. Highlights: One EAV N-specific mAb 1C11 was developed. A minimal linear peptide epitope within the N protein was identified. The identified epitope was conserved among different regional EAV strains. The mAb and identified epitope may be useful diagnostic tools for EAV infection. Abstract Objective: To identify the minimal epitope of N protein of the equine arteritis virus (EAV). Methods: The full-length sequence of EAV N gene was cloned by RT-PCR and ligated into pET32a vector for expression. The recombinant pET-N protein was expressed in E. coli and purified by Ni affinity chromatography. The purified N protein was used to immunize mice for preparing monoclonal antibody (mAb). The reactivity of mAb was evaluated by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The peptides were identified using the prepared mAb by indirect ELISA and Western blot. The homology analysis was performed using DNAMAN software. Results: Recombinant EAV N protein was successfully expressed in the procaryon expression system. An EAV N-reactive mAb was selected and designated as 1C11. Indirect ELISA results showed that overlapping domain of MBP-N10 and MBP-N11 was recognized by the mAb 1C11. Further, the indirect ELISA and Western blot showed that 101QRKVAP106 was the minimal linear epitope of the EAV N protein. The homology analysis showed that the identified epitope is conserved among all EAV isolated strains, with the exception of the ARVAC which is a modified live virus vaccine strain. Conclusion: One EAV N-specific mAb was developed and a minimal linear peptide epitope within the N protein was identified. The EAV N-specific mAb and the defined linear peptide epitope of EAV N protein may be useful for the development of specific diagnostic tools and design of vaccine. Keywords: Epitope; N protein; Equine arteritis virus; Monoclonal antibody Introduction Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the etiologic agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA) which is a respiratory and reproductive disease of horses [1-3]. EAV was à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst isolated from horses in Ohio in 1953. It is the prototype virus of the family Arteriviridae (genus Arterivirus, order Nidovirales) [4, 5]. EAV infection of horses has been reported in many countries including New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa [6-10]. EAV is a positive-sense, enveloped and single-stranded RNA molecule with a length of 12.7kb [11]. It contains two large open reading frames (ORFs, 1a and 1b) and seven smaller ORFs (2a, 2b, and 3 to 7). ORFs 1a and 1b encode two replicase polyproteins (pp1a and pp1ab), whereas the ORFs 2a, 2b, 5, 6, and 7 encode the known EAV structural proteins E, GS, GL, M, and N, respectively [12]. Moreover, ORFs 3 and 4 encode glycosylated membrane-associated proteins whose functional role is still under debate [13, 14]. EAV N can be used as an alternative protein candidate of diagnostic antigens and accounts for 35-40% of the total virion protein [15]. B cell epitopes involved in the immune response against EAV [16]. In the present study, we aimed to identify the precise B cell epitope using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against EAV N protein. Our result will provide important information for developing serological diagnosis of EAV infection and understanding the antigenic structure of EAV N protein and vaccine design. Materials and methods Ethics statement Care and use of laboratory animals and all animal experiments were in accordance with animal ethics guidelines established by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee in China. All animal studies were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SYXK (H) 2006-032). Cell lines and virus SP2/0 myeloma and Rabbit kidney 13 (RK-13) cells were cultured and maintained in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) in a humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere at 37 °C. All culture media were supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (GIBCO, Invitrogen) and antibiotics (0.1mg/ml streptomycin and 100 IU/ml penicillin).The Bucyrus strain of EAV (GenBank accession No. NC-002532.2, a highly cell culture-adapted strain provided by the key laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Animal Viral Diseases in Yunnan province, China) was propagated in RK-13 cells and stored at -80à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. Expression and characterization of recombinant EAV N protein The full-length sequence of EAV N gene was cloned by RT-PCR using the following primers: 5†²-CCCGGATCCATGGCGTCAAGACGATC-3†² (upstream) and 5†²-TTTGTCGACTTACGGCCCTGCTGGAGGCGCAAC-3†² (downstream). The primers contained BamH I and Sal I restriction sites (italicized). The purified and digested PCR product was ligated into an expression vector pET32a (Novagen, Germany). The pET-N recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3) and 1mM isopropyl-ÃŽ ²-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG, Invitrogen, USA) was used for inducing expression of N protein. The recombinant proteins were obtained from the bacterial lysates. The insoluble inclusion bodies were washed and solubilized with phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4). Then, the recombinant N protein fused with 6 His-tags was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and purified by Ni affinity chromatography according to manufacturer’s instruction (Invitrogen). Preparation and characterization of mAbs against N protein EAV N-reactive mAb was generated as previously described [17]. Briefly, 6-week-old female BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified recombinant N protein (100ÃŽ ¼g per mouse) mixed with an equal volume of Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA, Sigma, USA). Two booster injections containing the same amount of purified N protein in an equal volume of Freund’s incomplete adjuvant (FICA) were given at 2-week intervals. The purified N protein without adjuvant was injected intraperitoneally as the final immunization. After three days of the final injection, the mice were euthanized and their splenocytes were fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells using polyethylene glycol (PEG4000, Sigma). The hybridoma cells were seeded into 96-well plates and selected in hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine (HAT) selection medium (DMEM containing 20% fetal bovine serum, 100g/ml streptomycin, 100IU/ml penicillin, 100mM hypoxanthine, 16mM thymidine, and 400 mM aminopterin). After 5 days, the medium was re moved and replaced with hypoxanthine-thymidine (HT)-DMEM medium (DMEM containing 20% fetal bovine serum, 100g/ml streptomycin, 100IU/ml penicillin, 100mM hypoxanthine, and 16mM thymidine). After selection in HAT and HT medium, hybridoma supernatants were screened for evaluating reactivity and specificity of mAb by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The class and subclass of the mAb was determined using a SBA ClonotypingTM System/HRP (Southern Biotechnology Associates, Inc., Birmingham, AL35260, USA). Polypeptide design and expression Eleven overlapping peptides spanning the N protein were designed (Table 1,). For each peptide, a pair of oligonucleotide strands was synthesized. Each pair of oligonucleotide strands was annealed and cloned into the BamHà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚   and Sal I sites of pMALâ„ ¢-C4x vector and expressed as MBP-N fusion proteins. These MBP-fused proteins were named consecutively MBP-N1 to MBP-N11. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into E.coli Rosetta (DE3) (Novagen). Each MBP-fused polypeptide was induced by IPTG and screened by indirect ELISA. Briefly, MBP tags and purified N protein were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Ninety-six-well microtiter plates were coated with expressed MBP-N fusion proteins at 4à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ overnight and blocked with 5% skim milk for 1 h at 37à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. After washing three times by PBST (PBS plus 0.5% Tween-20), 100 ÃŽ ¼l of mAb was added to wells and incubated at 37à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for 1 h. Then, the plates were washed three ti mes by PBST and incubated with diluted horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (Abcam, UK) at 37à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for 1 h. The color was developed and the reaction was stopped with 2M H2SO4. The absorbance at 450 nm was measured. All assays repeated three times and the average of the three values was calculated. Identification of the epitopes The MBP-N-fusion proteins were identified by indirect ELISA and Western blot using the mAb. Indirect ELISA was performed as mentioned above. For Western blot, the purified MBP-N recombinant proteins were electrophoresed on SDS-PAGE, and then transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane. Nonspecific antibody binding sites on the membrane were blocked with 5% skim milk in PBS overnight at 4à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The membrane was washed and incubated with mAbs for 1h at 37à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The membrane was incubated with HRP-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG secondary antibody after five times washing with PBST. Following another five times washing, the color was developed using 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and terminated by rinsing the membrane with deionized water. Homology analysis To evaluate the conservation of the identified linear epitope among EAV from different geographic areas, the identified epitope and the corresponding regions of other regional EAV virus strains were aligned using DNAMAN software (Lynnon BioSoft Inc., USA). Results Production of recombinant EAV N protein and mAb As shown in Fig.1a, Recombinant EAV N protein was successfully expressed in the procaryon expression system. A clear single target band with expected molecular weight was displayed. Accordingly, the recombinant EAV N protein was suitable as an antigen for immunization and hybridoma screening. Purified proteins were utilized to immunize BALB/c mice. After cell fusion and selection, an EAV N-reactive mAb generated from one hybridoma cell line was selected for its strong reactivity against N protein. This mAb was designated as 1C11. As shown in Fig.1b, c, mAb 1C11 reacted with recombinant N protein and total protein of EAV (Fig.1b, c). The reactivity of mAb was also assessed using RK-13 cells by IFA (Fig.1d). The mAb only reacted with EAV infected cells and not reacted with uninfected control RK-13 cells. Identification of EAV N epitope To localize linear antigenic epitopes within the N protein, 11 16-amino acid long MBP fused peptides (MBP-N1 MBP-N11) were expressed and probed by mAb 1C11 by indirect ELISA. The results showed that MBP-N10 (91TVSWVPTKQIQRKVAP106) and MBP-N11 (95VPTKQIQRKVAPPAGP110) epitopes were recognized by the mAb 1C11 (OD450 > 1) (Fig. 2a). All the left fragments (MBP-N1-9) failed to react with the mAb. Because adjacent epitopes have 12 overlaps, we deduced that the linear epitope located in the overlapping domain of MBP-N10 and MBP-N11 (95VPTKQIQRKVAP106). To identify the minimal linear peptide epitope within this overlapping domain, a series of truncated polypeptides were expressed as MBP-fusion proteins. Ultimately, the indirect ELISA and Western blot showed that 101QRKVAP106 was the minimal linear epitope for the reactivity of the EAV N protein recognized by mAb 1C11 (Fig. 2c, d). Homology analysis Sequence alignment was performed to evaluate the conservation of the identified epitope among different regional EAV viruses (Fig. 3). The identified epitope is conserved among all EAV isolated strains, with the exception of the ARVAC which is a modified live virus vaccine strain. Discussion Mapping location of viral protein epitopes and defining the degree of their conservation may play an important role for understanding of the antigenic structure, virus-antibody interactions. It may be very useful for vaccine design and clinical applications. In this study, the B cell epitopes of EAV N protein were identified using a mAb. Epitope mapping using mAbs has become a powerful tool to study protein structure and provides new tools to diagnose diseases and design vaccines [18]. Here, we defined one peptide epitope of EAV N protein in by using an EAV N-specific mAb. To our knowledge, epitope on the N protein of EAV has been published, but no previous studies about 101QRKVAP106 have been reported. Starick et al. [19] produced a mAb against the N protein to detect EAV. Weiland et al. [20] used the same method to produce a mAb against the N protein of EAV and to distinguish different virus isolates from semen and tissue samples after passaging through RK-13, Vero and fetal equine kidney cells. However, the minimal epitope of these mAb was not defined precisely. Similar to the work of Starick et al. and Weiland et al. [19, 20], a mAb named 1C11 against EAV N protein was prepared by using recombinant N protein expressed in E. coli and used for identifying B-cell epitopes on EAV N protein. mAb 1C11 reacted well with EAV by WB and IFA, thus this antibody may be a useful detection tool in EAV diagnosis. mAbs are useful and effective for mapping antigenic epitopes of viral proteins. In this study, for epitope mapping, 11 overlapping peptides from EAV N protein were expressed with MBP tags and identified by ELISA to screen linear epitopes. The ELISA results showed that the epitope located in the sharing region of MBP-N10 (91TVSWVPTKQIQRKVAP106) and MBP-N11 (95VPTKQIQRKVAPPAGP110). Then this region (95VPTKQIQRKVAP106) was expressed, and 7 peptides with deletions were obtained to identify the precise epitope. According to the results of ELISA and Western blot, 101QRKVAP106 was considered as the minimal linear epitope of EAV protein. This result is different from the previous studies [15, 21] which stated that the precise epitope of N protein located in amino acids 1-69. This may be due to the difference of the specificity and reactivity of the mAbs. Sometimes, a mAb can react with different locations of a viral protein. Sequence alignment showed that the identified epitope is very conservative among distinct regional EAV strains, but with a mutation of one amino acids on the ARVAC N protein epitope. This result suggests a slight regional difference emerged in this epitope. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish anti-Bucyrus EAV antibody from anti- ARVAC EAV antibody by using the epitope as antigen. This will be helpful in distinguishing the distinct regional EAV infection. This finding indicates that the N epitope of EAV identified in our study have a potential use in serological monitoring and differential diagnosis. In conclusion, one EAV N-specific mAb was developed and a minimal linear peptide epitope within the N protein was defined. The EAV N-specific mAb and the defined linear peptide epitope of EAV N protein may be useful for the development of specific diagnostic tools and design of vaccine.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Lost Characters in Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises :: Hemingway Sun Also Rises Essays

The Lost Characters in The Sun Also Rises In the novel The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, the lost generation is discussed. After the WWI, many were affected in different ways. This post-war generation is described by discrimination, lack of religion, escapism and inability to act. The First character that is introduced into the novel is Cohn. He, as an outsider, is Jewish. Throughout the novel he is looked down upon in one way or another, but already he is separated from the rest which is shown when he is being described: "He had a hard, Jewish, stubborn streak" (p 18). This quote already shows that he is Jewish, and therefore different from the rest. Also, the fact that his streak is `hard [and] ...stubborn" shows that he is hard to deal with or be around. Even thought he is discriminated against, he is one of the very few that inform these people of the `lost generation' exactly how worthless they are when he says to Jake "You know what's the trouble with you? You're an expatriate. One of the worst type... Nobody that ever left their own country ever wrote anything worth printing. Not even in the newspapers" (p 120) and "Hello, you bums" (p50). He literally rubs into Jake's face what kind of a waste he has become once he left his country. It is r ather surprising that the one who is much disliked and discriminated against sees the worthless characteristics of the others. The significance of the word `bums' used must be noticed since a bum is an idle worthless person by definition. This very well describes the `lost generation.' Nevertheless, racism isn't the only separation that the people make. Even the concierge, who one would think would not be too proud, "[takes] great pride in telling me which of my guests were well brought up, which were of good family, who were sportsmen, a French word pronounced with the accent on the men. The only trouble was that people who did not fall into any of those three categories were very liable to be told there was no one home, chez Barnes" (p 60). This shows how important wealth and back ground is, but the ones who are part of the `lost generation' are not included into any of those simply because their background is forgotten, and they are all worthless people.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Marketing Plan- Pepsi in Pakistan

Contents acknowledgement3 executive summary4 challenge5 new product category5 product line extension5 incremental improvement5 introduction to the company5 sigtuation analysis7 company analysis7 mission statement7 vision statement7 market share8 customer analysis8 customers:8 consumer decision process:9 competitors10 collaborators11 climate:12 economic effect analysis12 political effect analysis13 technological factors:14 social and cultural analysis14 swot analysis of pepsi15 strengths15 weaknesses15 opportunities16 threats16 market segmentation16 behavioral base16 congnitive base17 selected market strategy17 product17 branding:17 logo18 pepsi slogan18 product line19 packaging19 price20 prices of different bottles21 discounts21 placement/distribution channel22 indirect distribution22 direct distribution22 promotions22 conclusion23 suggestions23 bibliography24 references24 evidences24 visiting cards24 acknowledgement ? We owe our gratitude to Allah Almighty whose shower of blessings and kindness has been on us throughout the working on these pages. It is His help that we finally able to compile this document. Related article: co.uk/gardenia-marketing-plan/">Gardenia Target MarketWe are indebted to our respected teacher Miss Fiaza Rehman who’s indispensable and intricate comments on various aspects conjoined with motivation made us come forth holding such as project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ? Purpose of this project is to study the strategies which Pepsi is doing in Pakistani market for its product Pepsi cola. Pepsi International is a world renowned brand. It is a very well organized multinational company, which operates almost all over the world. In Pakistan It also has proved itself to be the No. 1 soft drink.Now days Pepsi is recognized as Pakistanis National drink Pepsi's greatest rival is Coca Cola. Coca Cola has an international recognized brand. Coke’s basic strength is its brand name. But Pepsi with its aggressive marketing planning and quick diversification in creating and promoting new ideas and product packaging, is successfully maintaining is No. 1 position in Pakistan. Pepsi is operating in Pakistan, through its 12 bottlers all over Pakistan. These bottlers are Pepsi's strength. Pepsi has given franchise to these bottlers.Bottlers, produce, distribute and help in promoting the brand. Pepsi also launched its fast food chain KFC i. e. â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken. † We also did analysis of the soft drink industry in Pakistan and worldwide. The soft drinks set to become world's leading beverage sector. Global consumption of soft drinks is rising by 5% a year. CHALLENGE Pepsi is doing new product development on frequent interval of times. The purpose of which is to refresh the brand. By new products and innovative ideas consumers can easily be attracted.In following ways Pepsi is doing new product development. New product category Pepsi which is mainly a company of soft drinks after establishing a brand in Pakistan Pepsi came into several new product category. Lays, kurkuray and aqua fina, fast food restaurants are the examples of new product category. Product line extension Mountain dew is the most recent addition in the product line of soft drinks which is very popular especially among the youngsters. However Pepsi launch its several variants with a minor difference on frequent interval of time.There have been many Pepsi variants produced over the years since 1903, including Diet Pepsi, Crystal Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Samba, Pepsi Blue, Pepsi Gold, Pepsi Holiday Spice, Pepsi Jazz, Pepsi X (available in Finland and Brazil), Pepsi Next (available in Japan and South Korea), Pepsi Raw, Pepsi Retro in Mexico, Pepsi One, Pepsi Ice Cucumber and Pepsi White in Japan. * Line Filling Pepsi claims that they are doing mass marketing but there was an unfilled gap in the consumers. The diabetic patient can’t use the regular Pepsi because f the sugar. So Pepsi had introduced diet Pepsi to fill the gap in their drinks as of then onwards even diabetic people became their consumers. Incremental Improvement Pepsi jumb o is an example of incremental improvement made by Pepsi. It was 2. 25 liter bottle introduced few years ago in Pakistan. The purpose of this packing is to offer the Pepsi to a family for one or two time meals. Price of this pack is also kept low so that is can be affordable easily by the consumers. INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY Pepsi International is a world renowned brand.It is a very well organized multinational company, which operates almost all over the world. They produce, one of best carbonated drinks in the world. Pepsi is a symbol of hygiene, quality and service, all over the world. Pepsi is producing Cola for more than 100 years and it has dominated the world market for a long time. Its head office is in New York. HISTORY OF PEPSI COLA It was first introduced as â€Å"Brad's Drink† in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his pharmacy where the drink was sold.It was later named Pepsi Cola, possibly due to the digestive enzyme pepsin and kol a nuts used in the recipe. Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was delicious and would aid in digestion and boost energy. In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi-Cola from his drugstore to a rented warehouse. That year, Bradham sold 7,968 gallons of syrup. The next year, Pepsi was sold in six-ounce bottles, and sales increased to 19,848 gallons. In 1909, automobile race pioneer Barney Oldfield was the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi-Cola, describing it as â€Å"A bully drink†¦ efreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race†. The advertising theme â€Å"Delicious and Healthful† was then used over the next two decades. In 1926, Pepsi received its first logo redesign since the original design of 1905. In the year 1929, the logo was changed again. In 1931, at the depth of the Great Depression, the Pepsi-Cola Company entered bankruptcy – in large part due to financial losses incurred by speculating on wildly fluctuating sugar prices as a r esult of World War I. Assets were sold and Roy C. Megargel bought the Pepsi trademark. Eight years later, the company went bankrupt again.Pepsi's assets were then purchased by Charles Guth, the President of Loft Inc. Loft was a candy manufacturer with retail stores that contained soda fountains. He sought to replace Coca-Cola at his stores' fountains after Coke refused to give him a discount on syrup. Guth then had Loft's chemists reformulate the Pepsi-Cola syrup formula. During the Great Depression, Pepsi gained popularity following the introduction in 1936 of a 12-ounce bottle. Initially priced at 10 cents, sales were slow, but when the price was slashed to five cents, sales increased substantially.With a radio advertising campaign featuring the jingle â€Å"Pepsi-Cola hits the spot / Twelve full ounces, that's a lot / Twice as much for a nickel, too / Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you,† arranged in such a way that the jingle never ends. Pepsi encouraged price-watching consum ers to switch, obliquely referring to the Coca-Cola standard of six ounces per bottle for the price of five cents (a nickel), instead of the 12 ounces Pepsi sold at the same price. Coming at a time of economic crisis, the campaign succeeded in boosting Pepsi's status. In 1937 500,000,000 bottles of Pepsi were consumed.From 1936 to 1938, Pepsi-Cola's profits doubled. Pepsi's success under Guth came while the Loft Candy business was faltering. Since he had initially used Loft's finances and facilities to establish the new Pepsi success, the near-bankrupt Loft Company sued Guth for possession of the Pepsi-Cola company. A long legal battle, Guth v. Loft, then ensued, with the case reaching the Delaware Supreme Court and ultimately ending in a loss for Guth. PEPSI COLA PAKISTAN The market in Pakistan is surely dominated by Pepsi. It has proven itself to be the No. 1 soft drink in Pakistan. Now days Pepsi is recognized as Pakistanis National drink.In 1971, first plant of Pepsi was constru cted in Multan, and from there after Pepsi is going higher and higher. Pepsi is the choice soft drink of every one. It is consumed by all age groups because of its distinctive taste. Compared with other Cola in the market, it is a bit sweeter and it contributes greatly to its liking by all. Consumer’s survey results explain the same outcome and Pepsi has been declared as the most wanted soft drink of Pakistan. SITUATION ANALYSIS COMPANY ANALYSIS MISSION STATEMENT â€Å"To be the world's premier consumer Products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages.We seek to produce healthy financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity. † VISION STATEMENT â€Å"To be the world's best beverage company†. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that their every customer is contented and happy with their products. † â€Å"To increase the value of their shareholder’s investment through sales growth, cost control and wise investment of resources. † MARKET SHAREWhen Pepsi was introduced in Pakistan, it faced fierce competition with 7up, lemon and lime drinks, which was established during 1968, in Multan. Pepsi introduced its lemon and lime, â€Å"Teem† to compete with 7up. It successfully, after some years, took over 7up, and this enhanced Pepsi's profits and market share. In Pakistan, Pepsi with 7up enjoys 70% of the market share where as the coke just has 20% markets share. Pepsi is operating in Pakistan, through its 12 bottlers all over Pakistan. These bottlers are Pepsi's strength. Pepsi has given franchise to these bottlers. Bottlers, produce, distribute and help in promoting the brand.Pepsi also launched its fast food chain KFC i. e. â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken. † CUSTOMER AN ALYSIS CUSTOMERS: There are three types of customers 1. Consumer 2. Business 3. Government Pepsi main focus is the consumers which are the end users. Pepsi has to make its marketing strategies keeping in view the consumer buying behavior. To forecast the behavior of the consumer is a business problem. Physical aspect of the consumer can be satisfied but it is difficult to satisfy the consumer psychologically. Consumer buying behavior is affected by certain factors like Cultural factors, Social factors, Personal factors and Psychological factors.So the producer should keep these factors in Mind while promoting their product so that they can acquire the customer and increase their market share. There are different consumers in a society whose behavior is not the same. Every consumer has a different perception of different products. Some consumers are impressed by one quality of the product which may be in the view of other consumer not that impressive. So to deal with different consum ers in a society one should know about the consumer buying behavior process which may help in making a true picture of their product in the mind of the consumers.About 75 million cases a year for Pepsi alone; the total beverage market is about 120 million cases of which 65% per cent are Pepsi products; about 20 to 22 per cent are Coca-Cola products and Zum Zum cola and Mecca Cola, Amrit Cola and Muslim Cola†¦ there are so many colas; there is RC and Double Cola which are franchised products. Altogether they have around 5 per cent of the market. Due to the Afghan and Iraq wars, they did get a little footing especially in the frontier and Islamabad area but still they are not hugely popular * ? Total annual sale of soft drink in Pakistan 120 million cases * ?Pepsi annual sales in Pakistan 75 million * ? Market share of Pepsi 65% * ? Consumption growth 1. 7 % per year CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS: Consumer decision process or consumer buying behavior is explained in some steps which are discussed below: * Need Identification The consumer is thirsty and he wants to quench his thirst. * Information Search He will search as to what will satisfy his thirst the most. * Evaluation of Alternatives He will now evaluate from the wide range of beverages available to him that which one of them is suitable to him in terms of quality, taste and is pocket friendly. Selection After evaluating the product he will select a product. * Purchase The consumer will buy the selected product. * Post-Purchase Experience: It is the experience that the consumer gets after using the product. He will use the product again if he feels that his satisfaction after use is more or equal to the price of the product. After looking at above mentioned example, we can get an understanding that a product should be so desirable that whenever a person identifies his need, he selects our product among various substitute products and he feel satisfies so that he retains the use of that product.COMPETITOR S Company who directly target your customers. The marketing concept states that to be successful, a company must provide greater customer value and satisfaction than its competitors do. Pepsi has a tough competition with Coca Cola while it faces a little competition with the local producers like RC Cola, Shandi Cola etc. The local producers hardly affect the sales of Pepsi in the market. There are different types of competitor in the market. Some of them in which our product lies are discussed below: ? Close Competitor Pepsi and Coke are close competitors.It means that both have direct competition in the market, their products are close substitutes for one another. Both the products can influence the market share of one another through effective strategies made to cope up with their competitors. * Distant competitors Pepsi cola and Nestle juice are distant competitors of one another. It means that their products satisfy the same want but they are in indirect competition with one ano ther. * Strong Vs Weak: Coca Cola and Pepsi are strong competitors. In Pakistan Pepsi is the market leader and Coca Cola is its competitor.The Pepsi makes defense strategies so that it can maintain its position in the market. While Coca Cola is a challenger and it makes attack strategies so that it can become the market leader. Pepsi and Shandi Cola are weak competitors. Pepsi is the market leader and Shandi Cola is the follower. Pepsi is not in direct competition with the Shandi Cola. It means that Shandi Cola has little effect on the sales of Pepsi. COLLABORATORS Pepsi Cola International has given franchises all over Pakistan. These companies have installed their plants in different parts of Pakistan with these specified areas and names e. g.City| Name of Franchise| Karachi| Pakistan Bottlers| Lahore| Riaz Bottlers| Faisalabad| Punjab Beverage | Multan| Shamim ; company| Pepsi Cola provides consumers place utility which is, where ever and whenever you want it, you get it! Pepsiâ⠂¬â„¢s channel of distribution is very aggressive according to the consumers, manufacturers and distributors. Pepsi has 12 different units in different areas of Pakistan, which make the Pepsi easily available all over the country. The cities in which the Pepsi units are: * Lahore * Sukkur * Karachi * Multan * Dera Ghazi Khan * Islamabad * Faisalabad * Quetta * Hyderabad * Sahiwal * HattarPepsi is an international brand so it also has other units in other countries of the world like America, Europe, Afghanistan, Middle East and Central Asia. The big advantage for Pepsi in Pakistan is that it distributes the product through bottlers. So bottlers’ effort also contributes in the promotion of Pepsi. CLIMATE: ECONOMIC EFFECT ANALYSIS * Income and Income per Capita If the income level or per capita income of the people increases, it will have a positive effect on the consumption of Pepsi. * Inflation If the country faces inflationary trend in the market, the price of the Pepsi will ultimately increase which will lower its demand. Consumption Behavior Pakistan is a consumption oriented society. Due to demonstration effect the people are more inclined towards consumption than saving. So the people of Pakistan spent heavily on food items. Hence Pepsi has a good market share in the present circumstances. * Income Distribution It means how much is in the hands of rich and poor class. In Pakistan 10% rich people posses 93% of wealth and 90% people posses 7% of wealth. If there is balanced distribution of income in the country, the consumption of the people will increase hence increasing the sales of beverages as well. * Payment ModAs the use of plastic money is increasing the consumption pattern of the people are increasing. Although it will have a low affect on the consumption of Pepsi. * Employment Opportunities As employment opportunities increase the living standard of the people increase and the people consume more. * Aggregate Demand In case of Pepsi, aggregat e demand of the product increases in the season of summer as the hot weather makes the consumers want to drink more. * Aggregate Supply In summer season to cope up with the increasing demand they have to increase the aggregate supply of their product. * Economic PoliciesSome of the economic policies which can affect the market of Pepsi are discussed below: * Fiscal Policy It is the policy of taxes. If heavy tax is levied on Pepsi then its price will rise having negative effect on its consumption. * Monetary Policy Monetary policy is made to restrict or increase the supply of money in the market. If policies are made to restrict the flow of money in the market, inflation can be controlled hence increasing the real income of the people which will ultimately affect the consumption of Pepsi. * Price Policy If price of Pepsi is increased its demand will decrease and vice versa. Income Policy If income of the people will increase their purchasing power will increase and hence increasing t he market share of Pepsi. POLITICAL EFFECT ANALYSIS * Political Stability: Whenever the government is considered to be stable, the business will flourish. If there is political stability in the country the policies and strategies made by Pepsi can be consistent to be implemented. Foreign companies are also keen to invest in those countries which are politically stable where they have no fear of decline in their market share or shut down due to sudden change of government. Mixed Economy In mixed economy government and private sector both plays their role in developing the economy of the country. Investment by foreign companies like Pepsi is more likely to flourish in mixed economy.? * Laws Formulation Government has given copy rights to Pepsi so that another company cannot sell their product by the name of Pepsi. The countries where laws are formulated, the strategies and activities of the company are different. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: * Research and DevelopmentThrough research and de velopment quality of the product can be improved or better techniques or machinery can be developed which can increase the production. When technology is advance the supply of the product increase hence the company experiences growth in their business. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS * Psychographic It is a combination of demographic and psychological factors. Psychological attributes mean how you perceive things. The company will focus on the behavior of consumers and make different changes in their product quantity or quality and in promoting their product so that they can attract the customers.Keeping in view that the behavior of different consumers is not alike they have to make their marketing strategies in accordance with their requirements so that they are convinced to buy the product. * Religious Religious factors can influence the market sales of Pepsi as it happened in 2003 when the U. S-led attack on Iraq, wide sections of society in Pakistan have banned American multination als Coke and Pepsi * Social Status Pepsi is a well renowned brand. People who are brand conscious will not drink beverages of lesser known brands such as Amrat cola.They will try to show their status by drinking Pepsi which is known to all as a quality drink. * Media It is a very important factor for marketing. Media these days is a very effective way of inspiring people to buy a specific product. A good promotion can boast up sales to a great extent. SWOT ANALYSIS OF PEPSI SWOT Analysis, which is based on thorough review of the business (corporation, product category competition, customers and products), identities and evaluates the internal strengths and weakness of the companies well as its external threats and opportunities.The marketing mix is driven by the results of the SWOT analysis. STRENGTHS * Demand of Pepsi is more than its competitors. * Company has a very established name and a good reputation. * Pepsi has large market share than its competitors. * As the target custom ers of Pepsi is young generation, so Pepsi has more brand loyal customers. * Most of the customers are satisfied with the price of the Pepsi. * Pepsi is an international company and it has a very strong position internationally. * The environment of factory is very good and attractive. * Pepsi spends a lot of budget on its advertising. Pepsi has a very vast distribution channel and it is easily available everywhere. * Employees are also motivated. * Pepsi offers many discount schemes for customers time to time. * Pepsi Cola is sponsoring sports, musical concerts, walks. * The location of the Pepsi plant is utilized that all major markets of Lahore are within the reach of the Pepsi plant within 30-45 minutes. WEAKNESSES * Pepsi does not offer any sort of incentive or discount to its retailers. * Pepsi target only young customers in their promotions. * Crown of the disposable bottle is not good. * Demand of disposal bottle is declining. Pepsi tin pack is not available in far off rural areas. * Pepsi is not considering many potential outlets like hotels, college canteens etc. OPPORTUNITIES * Company may start entering rural areas also. * The company may also diversify its business in some other potential business. * Increased interest of people in musical groups, cultural shows and sports has provided an opportunity for Pepsi to increase its sales through them. THREATS * The main competitor of the company is the Coca Cola. * At the international level, Pepsi has a very strong competition with Coke.Coke has started its advertisements more effectively to increase their demand and it is a very strong threat for Pepsi. * Cola drinks are not good for the health so the awareness level of the people is increasing which is a big threat to the company. MARKET SEGMENTATION It means that you divide the target market in to different groups. Market consists of buyers and buyers differ in one or more ways. They may differ in wants, resources, locations and buying practices. Th rough market segmentation companies divide large, heterogeneous markets into smaller segments that can be reached more efficiently and effectively with products nd services that match their unique needs. Segmentation is done on basis of the previously mentioned external factors and the following: BEHAVIORAL BASE It is how people perceive a specific product, in short psychological analysis of a product. Pepsi all over the world is recognized as a quality drink and therefore people drink it without any hesitation whenever they are thirsty or otherwise. So marketers of Pepsi have made it a drink for all people and for diabetic people they introduced diet Pepsi. CONGNITIVE BASE It pushes and pulls the consumer.If the outlook of Pepsi bottle is desirable and it attracts the consumer, he will buy it even if he isn’t thirsty. SELECTED MARKET STRATEGY PRODUCT The soft drinks market in Pakistan enjoys dynamic growth in both volume and value terms. Carbonated drinks have become part of the culture in Pakistan and multinational companies have maintained standards over the years to provide the nation with high-quality drinks. Rural areas of Pakistan have driven sales of carbonated drinks to new heights as more than 60 percent of the population resides in rural areas and young consumers are more attracted to advertising.Pepsi is the most popular and leader brand in the Pakistani market and is consumed by children and adults alike. Pepsi is a responsible corporate brand of Pakistan and have contributed a lot to the economy. In marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need. Until unless the product of the company is not strong in the market it cannot survive in the longer run. Pepsi has a product line comprised up of carbohydrate drinks, Lays and many other products in Pakistan.Pepsi’s product line satisfies consumer needs because Pepsi produces different types of soft drinks for different consumers. The most popular product of Pepsi is Pepsi Cola. Due to its good taste Pepsi is a well-known product. Thus Pepsi Cola satisfies the consumer’s needs efficiently by launching a desired product. BRANDING: Consumer view a brand name as an important part of the product and branding can add value to the product. A name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of these intended to identify the goods and services of one eller or group of seller and to differentiate them from their competitors. LOGO Logo is what establishes a brand name in the consumer mind. It is the brands identify, signature, image and more often it is a logo that makes of breaks a product logo plays a very effective role to improve the product or brand. Pepsi kept on changing its logo from time to time along with the trade marks. Evolution of Pepsi logo ? PEPSI SLOGAN 1909-1939:  Ã‚  Ã‚   | Delicious and Healthful | 1939-1950: | Twice As Much For A Nickel Too | 1950-1963: | The Light Refreshment | 1953-1961: | Be Sociable | 961-1963: | Now It's Pepsi For Those Who Think Young | 1963-1967: | Come Alive! You're In The Pepsi Generation | 1967-1969: | Taste That Beats The Others Cold | 1969-1973: | You've Got A Lot To Live, Pepsi's Got A Lot To Give | 1973-1975: | Join The Pepsi People Feelin' Free | 1975-1978: | Have A Pepsi Day | 1978-1981: | Catch That Pepsi Spirit | 1981-1982: | Pepsi's Got Your Taste For Life! | 1983-1983: | Pepsi Now! | 1984-now : | Pepsi, The Choice Of A New Generation | 2000 : The choice of a new generation. 2003 : Zinda Dilon Ki Pehchan. 006 : Generation next. PRODUCT LINE SODA| WATER| CHIPS| JUICES| Pepsi cola| Aquafina| Lays | Tropicana | Teem | | Kurkure | | Mirinda | | | | 7up| | | | Dew | | | | Pepsi twist| | | | PACKAGING â€Å"Packaging is a part of product planning in which a firm researchers, designs, and produces its packaging. † The physical container may be a cardboard, metal, plastic or wooden box; a cellophane, wax paper, or cloth wrapper; a glass, aluminum, or plastic jar or can; a paper bag; styro foam; some other material; or a combination of these products frequently have more than one physical container.But packaging depends upon the product nature as well as structure means either it is liquid, semi liquid or solid. In case of Pepsi Cola, they take the packaging designs by considering what is better for company and what is better or convenient for the transportation. For protecting the syrup, Pepsi Cola uses the glass as well as plastic bottles of different quantity. The variants that are offered by Pepsi in terms of size and quantity, 1. 175 ml Mini Bottle(not available now) 2. 250 ml Regular Bottle 3. 300 ml Tin 4. 1000 ml Regular Liter Bottle 5. 1500 ml Disposable BottlePRICE The amounts of money charged for a product or service, or sum of the values that consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or services. As price gives us the profit so this P is very important for business price of produ ct should be that which gives maximum benefit to the company and which gives maximum satisfaction to the customer. Following factors Pepsi kept in mind while determining the pricing strategy. * Price should be set according to the product demand of public. * Price should be that which gives the company maximum revenue. Price should not be too low or too high than the price competitor is charging from their customers otherwise nobody will buy your product. * Price must be keeping the view of your target market. The price of Pepsi Cola, despite being market leader is the same as that of its competitor Coca cola. Sometimes, Pepsi places its customers into some psychological pricing strategies by reducing a high priced bottle and consumers think that they save a lot of money from this. PRICES OF DIFFERENT BOTTLES Regular bottle e= rupees 12 Non Returnable/disposable= rupees 17 Liter Bottle=rupees 30 . 5 Liter Bottle= rupees 60 2. 25 Liter Bottle= rupees 70 DISCOUNTS Pepsi Cola offers va rious discounts to those retailers who have the maximum sales of Pepsi products on daily, monthly and on seasonal basis. Some of the main discounts given to the retailers are as follows: Quality Discount Following are discounts offered by Pepsi. 1/10 Discount I. e. one case of Pepsi is free on buying 10 cases of Pepsi at one time. 2/20 Discount I. e. two cases of Pepsi are free on buying 20 cases of Pepsi at one time. Seasonal Discount Following are discounts offered by Pepsi.Pepsi also offers seasonal discounts schemes by reducing price in Ramadan and on Eid. Pepsi also offers trade in allowance for retailers. PLACEMENT/DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL The Pepsi uses the following two channels for the distribution of their products. INDIRECT DISTRIBUTION Indirect distribution involves agency holders e. g. Riaz Bottlers Pvt. Ltd. Lahore franchise has divided its region i. e. Lahore and Kasur districts in two categories. Local Zone These are 62 agencies distributing Pepsi Products (250ml Sd) onl y around Lahore in their respective allocated sub zones. Out Station Zone 7 dealers have been appointed by the bottlers for far distant places and in out skirts of Lahore and Kasur the dealers involved in direct distribution are only authorized to sell 250 ml (STD) bottle of Pepsi, Team and Marinda. DIRECT DISTRIBUTION The factory vehicles operate on 45 direct routes in Lahore selling non-returnable bottles Litter, Pet and Can. PROMOTIONS In Pakistan Pepsi is the most liked soft drink especially by young generation so the Pepsi cola company has devised such marketing strategy which attracted them. For this reason they started monitoring the habits of the generation.What they saw was that the students were crazy about cricket and usually liked to idealize them so in order to increase their sales the Pepsi cola company paid high amounts of money to the cricketers to act as their spokes men. Some of the most famous cricketers in the modern era have acted as spoke persons also film star s have been acting as spoke persons. The Pepsi cola company has after doing research also has introduced different size of bottles offered at lower prices so that everyone can afford them. Also Pepsi Company has introduced other soft drinks including mountain dew, seven up and marinda.Pepsi company has introduced other flavors such as Pepsi twist, Pepsi max diet Pepsi. Pepsi Cola Company has also become official sponsors of Pakistan cricket and has sponsored a number of series. Also Pepsi has donated a lot to the earth quake victims and has launched a number of prize schemes to attract new customers As a result of this marketing strategy Pepsi has become the largest seller of soft drinks in Pakistan and is slowly forming a monopoly in drinks market. Although many soft drinks like Pepsi have been introduced such as Amrit Cola, Quibla Cola offered at lower prices but none of these drinks have been able replace it.Frequency of the Pepsi ads varies from time to time. When the season is on Pepsi do heavy advertisement especially in ramzan days or eid occasions but this advertisement not remain consist. We can hardly see the ads of Pepsi now as there is winter season. CONCLUSION Pepsi is a well renowned company and it has maintained its position well by understanding the client psychology, by ensuring quality, by introducing ingenuity in products, by enlarging its product base, by keeping economic factors in view and by intense and jazzy advertisements.Whenever and where ever there is a spotlight event, Pepsi must figure in, like the one day international cricket matches between India and Pakistan many other such occasions. The key word for success in the Marketing World is to â€Å"remain in the spotlight† and that is what Pepsi is doing. SUGGESTIONS The marketing world is full of surprises. Who could imagine that Coca Cola would be overtaken by Pepsi? If Coke could be overrun by Pepsi, it would be no wonder that Pepsi might be overtaken by some other bevera ge. The need then is to combine quality with ingenuity.Along with that, the reputation of the company has to be kept robust. Today we live in a fast moving world where novelty and newness count a lot. One cannot rest on one’s laurels. Fresh efforts, newness of approach must remain the cardinal principles of a well orchestrated marketing strategy and the campaign must be relentless. A continuous bombardment in advertisement would convince the clients that Pepsi is a part of their lives. In order to live with style, Pepsi ought to be an essential ingredient of one’s life.The Pepsi is at its maturity stage and the sales of company are not growing very rapidly. Company is doing a lot of promotional activities to let the product remain in the market. It holds a large share of the market and whenever the sales state declining, the company can improve it by different promotional activities. Marketers of Pepsi can try to improve sales by improving one or more marketing mix ele ments. They can cut prices to attract new users and competitor’s customers. They can also launch a better advertising campaign or use aggressive sales promotion to improve the sales.Thus, Pepsi is at its maturity stage. BIBLIOGRAPHY The following are the reference material where the information is collected. i) Company websitewww. pepsico. com ii) Project Outline REFERENCES The person from whom the information is collected. i) NameTousif-ur-Rahman Khan ii) Designation/PositionBusiness Unit Manager iii) Cell No. 0302-8465226 iv) Email Addresstousif. [email protected] com. pk EVIDENCES VISITING CARDS The visiting cards of the persons relevant to marketing department are attached herewith.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Chinese Women Essays - Chinese Women, Marriage, Housewife

Chinese Women Essays - Chinese Women, Marriage, Housewife Chinese Women Women Situation in China Yuan Jiang CCF 9659 (Wednesday, December 4, 1996) The current China men and women debate was strayed off from the issue of women's condition in China. Few articles give a comprehensive picture on the condition. First, Chinese tradition, like others, believes that the right place for women is home. Contacts with the west at the turn of this century did bring changes to the treatment of women, e.g. feet bonding and education. But the destiny of women was still home. The communist revolution brought Soviet ideas and practices to China. The idea is that men and women are equal. (Most communist ideas are good). Everything men can do, women can too. But there is another idea from the Soviet guiding the practice men and women are good at different things. Women are caring and detail oriented as they show at home. The practice is that housewives were encouraged to join the work force in late 50's and have stayed there. Girls are encouraged to be doctors, nurses, biologists, textile workers and are discouraged to take up physics and engineering by their parents. The shirts, shoes and toys you buy in discount stores are more likely to be made by China women rather by men. You will not be surprised to see women doctors everywhere in China or see women biologists saturating American graduate schools, but you don't see a male nurse or secretary. The result has been a mixed jar for women. Women can get career satisfaction in some professions but are not expected to do well in others. Women brings home part, usually less than half, of the family income and make more family decisions. However, having all housewives in the work force drove down everyone's salary, and every family relies on the second income from the wife. On the other hand, the wife is still expected to cook, to clean and to take care of the child, the elderly and husband. Wives end up having two jobs, one inside and the other outside of home. Further, they are denied the choice to stay home to take care children. Comparing to the west, more Chinese women are in the work force. They contribute more to the society economically, but the status and appreciation they enjoy are far less than the proportion they contribute. China lacks the women's revolution that swept the west especially the radical idea that women can live without men. I do not mean that women should or could live without men. I mean Chinese women should get out of the shadow of men, rediscover themselves and reshape the society which has been shaped by men. No surprise, many Chinese women have found that they can live without Chinese men and rediscovered themselves. [emailprotected] [Previous Article] [Next Article]

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Application for Dartmouth College MBA †Example Essay

Application for Dartmouth College MBA – Example Essay Free Online Research Papers Application for Dartmouth College MBA Example Essay 1.Discuss your career progression to date.Elaborating on your short-and long-term goals,how do you see your career progressing after receiving a Tuck MBA? In 20xx, I might be in the middle of wrestle with my brain in terms of purchasing conditions such as local buyer, price, and market in the xxx-trading firm. I might have to decide how the change in the market will happen and also how the decision-making procedure should vary. My short-term goal is to conduct the business as a trading manager who can analyze current situation of market, grasp the tendency of future, and make accurate decision as well as to maintain and develop the flow of efficient business with all the partners in East Asia including Korea. My long-term goal is to establish a professional trading company, introducing new selling technique based on a cutting-edge mechanism such as Internet Web Site. After graduation in 19xx, I was granted job offers from big 4 enterprises including xxx Group. Nevertheless, I entered the xxx, one of the leading companies in Korea in the field of international marketing. I was stationed at the export department in charge of xxx. During that time, the trading companies in Korea were in the middle of making research on availability of the so-called positioning technique. That is, it was related to the prediction of the market tendency of the cargo to sell and purchase in timely manner. Despite the mandatory period of time for about 3-4 years to become a person in charge of one item in the trade department, I have visited xxx, xxx in Japan in order to check the data after I had worked for three months. Thats because I was highly recognized for my outstanding ability to conduct the business for standardized price variable and controls over the exchange rate fluctuation in order to reach the rational conclusion in an objective manner when I made a decision on the international oil price fluctuation and announced the research on the case of position deal such as xxx and xxx, which are the materials of xxx. After all, it became to be a source of research in the company. Based on my outstanding job performance, I wa s officially appointed as a person in charge of exporting the xxx, xxx whose annual turnover came up to x million dollars on the average. As a result, we were placed at the top in terms of sales in Korea because the sales in xxx sector revealed the increase of xxx% in 19xx compared to that of last year. In addition, the net profit has been increased around xxx %, compared to that of last year after I took in charge of this sector. Therefore, I became the main source of jealousy from my seniors and fellow workers. In addition, on May in 19xx, we were awarded about x million dollars worth of Tender under my supervision, which xxx Authority under xxx Government started in the process as World bank loan was made, beating 17 companies such as xxx,xxx and Japanese companies. Therefore, I was selected as the employer of the year in the trade department by achieving net profit of about xxx $ by delivering pre-positioned cargo from domestic industries. Since the January of 19xx, I have been in charge of collecting and analyzing the data on the Asian xxx market for the most part for x years, moving into the department of international marketing, which was newly built in xxx. During that time, I was able to enhance the capability related to the decision- making procedure through data analysis and the establishment of follow-up measures. Meanwhile, I helped the executives, who were stuck on the concept of traditional decision-making procedures, face the changes in business environment more positively by serving up continuous analysis on the business policy of advanced companies such as xxx, xxx, which were world leading companies. Due to high recognition of my vigorous efforts, I was able to develop the negotiation skill and the global way of thinking by participating in the xxx Seminar held in xxx in April 19xx. In addition, I learned the role of a team member and a coordinator in the sense that we can create synergy effect that migh t go far beyond the ability of each member based on the teamwork. I strongly believe these experiences will be great basis for me to participate in the international trading company in the short term as well as manage one of the international trading firms in the long term. 2.What qualities will the 21st century demand of its business leaders?To what extent have you demonstrated these qualities through personal and professional interactions?How do you envision your Tuck experience preparing you to become such a leader? On December 7th in 19xx, I had serious conflicts with a general manager in our department as hard as I should consider the resignation as a last option when our xxx heading for the xxx with x million dollars worth of xxx was caught on the rock. Through this experience, I realized the important fact that the role of leader is basically the coordination of the group rather than the implementation for the purpose of obedience. In this case, I also experienced the fact that leadership is derived from the fairest judgment by collecting and analyzing information after the accurate evaluation of the situation. At that time, I had conflicts with my general manager in terms of the benefit in the future and the cost at the present. The net profit in a xxx trading was about xxx$ worth, whereas it required xxx$ worth of expense to pay for the repair in place of missing ship owner after declaring general average. In the situation in which there was more possibility for ship owner to declare bankr uptcy, I powerfully insisted on managing all business in the burden of our company because I judged that there was grand anxiety to lose long-term customers if we spent more time. General manager, however, avoided making a decision which could serve as major damage in his career. Therefore he was wasting lots of time by ignoring my opinion although I was in charge of the matter. As a consequence, we were able to deliver the xxx to the buyer in xxx after refilling the vessel under the instruction of the boss who recognized the seriousness of situation through the interview with me around 5 months later. Since then, however, Buyer in got our firm to disqualify in the same bid in 19xx, which produced serious conflicts as to who was to blame inside the firm. No matter what is big or small problem, we are always in the situation where to find out the solution, and meet a great turning point in life by what decision we make. I found the important lesson from this case in the sense that the decision was not performed by the same fixed standard in every situation. In addition, it required accurate judgment of situation, the rational assessment of ones own capability, and the bold determination for the purpose of more desirable decision-making procedure. It is clear that only those who possess the well-balanced capability both in academic and practical context along with accurate prospect for the future are likely to survive in the sharp whirlpool of future economy. Along with the necessity of lifelong education, the rapid change in the environmental factors in worldwide economy, as you might see in the IMF economic crisis in Korea at the end of 1997, expedites my desire for the pursuit of MBA program. Based on this decision, I chose Tuck School for the following reasons: First, the primary reason why I apply for Tuck Business School is the small-scale classrooms and small group interactions. I will be able to learn the process of reaching the conclusion with reference to the specific topic based on the close interpersonal relationship with classmates and faculty at your school. I am sure that it will serve as the basis for practical business in the future. My fellow students and I will be able to learn the importance of cooperation in supportive environment that the Tuck School will provide. Moreover, diverse ethnicity of my classmates will extend the perimeter of my perspective on the global society. Secondly, Tuck School will enable me to achieve a series of processes such as strategic pursuing, negotiation, finalizing business deals with the limited data in an efficient manner. In this context, I believe it will be great basis for the establishment and management of a trading company, which is my long-term aspiration. Besides, I am confident that case-base approach, team field project, and computer simulations that Tuck School provides will serve up highly efficient standards in terms of the solution to the problem in actual business practice. Third, the program of Tuck School will serve as a decisive role in the leadership development in terms of the role not only as a field manager in the short term, but also a leader in the establishment of a trading firm in the long term. I strongly believe that it is quite clearly based on every single achievement of graduates of the Tuck School in each company. I would like to share the idea with the classmates in terms of the limited data analysis, success and failure in the process of rational prospect for the future, prompt decision and the leadership in every single program at Tuck School. 3.What are your interests outside your job or school? There is a saying sound in body, sound in mind, which means both body and mind are equally important. We, however, tend to keep our distance from the handicapped, or make light of them, since most of us judge a person by his appearance. I didnt belong to the category of exception, either. But a little incident during my military service came to alter my point of view. In September 19xx, I had an opportunity to serve for 4 days in a rehabilitation center for the disabled called xxx, located in xxx, run by xxx. On the first day, all I did was to help in a construction site under construction and harvest vegetables in a farm field. On the second day, I cleaned bathrooms and living rooms where the disabled were staying and helped feed them. I felt very awkward, in particular, in feeding the handicapped suffering from cerebral paralysis or apoplexy because I have never met such people before. Sincerely speaking, I spent the whole day as if I had only to complete the mandatory service rather than serve from the bottom of my heart.At that night, however, the lecture left a deep impact on my life. xxx said that out of the people he had met, the disabled were the most good-natured people but they wouldnt easily open their mind, for we treat them in an exclusive manner. I did not realize that I had not shared enough what I had with others until I heard him saying that a bitter ordeal suddenly strikes everyone of us, only the time being different. Since then, I have volunteered to support xxx with certain amount of money on a monthly basis and organized xxx society at xxx, helping people in a financial difficulty every other week. I have learned from this lesson that since we live in a community, it is impossible not to associate with others and we should share what we have. The primary reason I will pursue my goal in MBA might be to accomplish a better performance. Furthermore , I am confident that it would be a good motive to make a better society by sharing what I have learned in MBA program. Research Papers on Application for Dartmouth College MBA EssayDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Monday, November 4, 2019

Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc Case Study

Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc - Case Study Example NEXT Plc is retail chain in Clothing specialising in Men's wear, ladies wear, Sports wear, Leisure wear, Children wear. Underwear Swimwear Footwear watches etc. NEXT products are highly trendy which sells at moderate prices. Clothing is targeted on stylish women and men in the age range 20 to 40. Home shopping and financial services are also provided. NEXT operates through 300 high street shops covering the UK and Ireland and also foreign markets. (http://www. next.co.uk) The clothing market of UK is declining at present. Clothing is generally manufactured by low tech machines with cheap labour spread in third world countries. The industry is facing competition from high-tech machines that can stitch better quality products at faster speed and at lesser cost. Retail shops thrive in the market to sell these clothing. The market trend today is of opening retail chain stores and capturing the market with own favourite brands such as Next, Marks & Spenser, Gap, and Arcadia. These retail chain stores grow big and can afford costly high-tech machines but small retailers can not afford quick change to new technology. Highly exclusive designer boutiques cater to rich segment with exclusive designs. But consumer goods markets mainly thrive on middle class segment and therefore every big retailer concentrates to that market. . Other activities of NEXT include telecommunications software services and property management. Analysis of NEXT plc and its environment ... Environmental Opportunities NEXT Retail accounted for the biggest 69% of revenue in 2000. More than 96% of sales came from the UK market. NEXT is ranked number one in the market in high street category and in providing mail order facility to youth group in 20-40 age. It is very difficult for the competitors to enter into the segment and grab the market share. Environmental Threat : In spite of its well-entrenched position in the market there are some big brands like TESCO which is trying hard to snatch the market share by offering clothes stitched fro the low labour cost areas at dumping prices. Lewis 501 denim product at pound 20 is a burning example. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers in clothing industry are many and this is true for NEXT also. Supplier can be indispensable only when he holds monopolistic status. In case of NEXT's suppliers they don't enjoy such position and can't pull the company for increasing rates or other terms unless it is negotiated and accepted. Bargaining powers of Buyers: Buyers or customers have lots of power to discard a product in the shelf. In the modern world of marketing it is the value creation through brands, promotion, prices tags, product positioning, label, quality and store's image that retain clients. Generally clients don't bargain prices from a good outlet and believe to pay the tag prices accepting the quality of goods therein. NEXT has good image to project and should not expect consumers' reprisal unless the brand loses its value. Threat of new entrants to the industry Small brands are not capable to enter into the clothing chain market to compete with NEXT because of the capital- intensive nature of the modern clothing industry. Big labels do have strength of money, knowledge, expertise and marketing power to challenge NEXT. Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tesco, Marks & Spenser or some other brands from US can enter the market comfortable by opening

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Financial Analysis of Capilano Honey Limited Case Study

Financial Analysis of Capilano Honey Limited - Case Study Example The main competitor of Capilano Honey Limited is Bega Cheese Limited, which is engaged in producing both natural and processed cheese products. Bega Cheese Limited deals in dairy products, kids snacking and nutritional powders. The components which are necessary to assess the competitive strengths of a company are revenue, EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization), profit before and after tax, net assets and earnings per share. The revenue of Capilano Honey Limited for the year 2014 was $86,003 only (Capilano, 2014), whereas Bega Cheese Limited provides revenue of $1,069,392 in 2014. The increased revenue of the competitor indicates that Bega Cheese Limited is efficiently managing its business operation and because of that, they are able to generate more revenue than Capilano Honey Limited. The EBITDA of Capilano Honey Limited was $9,054 and that of Bega Cheese Limited was $122,506 in 2014 (Bega Cheese, 2014). EBITDA provides an idea of core profitability position of an organization. As EBITDA of CZZ is less than Bega Cheese Limited, it reflects that the operating profitability of the company is not as good as its competitor (Kaplan & Atkinson, 2015). Therefore, CZZ needs to improve its operating profitability position to maintain its position in the market. Comparing the profit before tax (PBT) and profit after tax (PAT) of both the companies, it has been analyzed that the PBT of CZZ was $6,490 and that of Bega Cheese Limited was $93,580 in 2014 (Bega Cheese, 2014).