The Dynamics of the Dengue Fever Virus and the Creation of its Vaccine

The Dynamics of the Dengue Fever Virus and the Creation of its Vaccine Abstract: I investigated Dengue Fever and the dynamics of creating a drug or vaccine to cure it. After acquiring a basic knowledge of the virus I dove into various topics including variants on the virus such as Dengue Shock Syndrome and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. Then I looked into the molecular structure of the disease’s proteins and how their shape relates to how it can be treated by drugs. Professor Tantillo’s lectures about drug design, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Toxicity) connected the concepts of protein molecular structure and effective ways to treat diseases. After researching the basic history behind Dengue Fever, I came to the conclusion that Dengue Fever is an extremely prominent disease that has no cure and will be very difficult to cure in the future due to our lack of knowledge about it. A nine-year-old boy in Campos dos Goytacazes, and urban region of Rio de Janeiro, was admitted into a hospital displaying a fever in excess of 103 degrees. He was treated for his symptoms but there was no official diagnosis [6]. A day later he was discharged from the hospital, yet returned two days later with a worsening condition and elevated levels of his previous symptoms. On the fifth day he was diagnosed with Dengue Fever Shock Syndrome (a derivative of Dengue Fever). Eventually his condition spiraled into anemia, heart murmurs, and gastritis. Dengue Fever (DF) is a known â€Å"Flavivirus† [2], which falls into the same family of viruses such as Yellow fever, Hepatitis C, West Nile Virus and about fifty other viruses [4]. DF is found in such places as Central/Sou... ...222-2225 25 July 2008 [5] Schlesinger, R. W. Dengue Viruses. Wien: Springer-Verlag, 1977. [6] SOUZA, Luiz Josà © de, CARNEIRO, Helder Gonà §alves, SOUTO FILHO, Joà £o Tadeu Damian et al. Hepatitis in Dengue Shock Syndrome. Braz J Infect Dis [online]. 2002, vol. 6, no. 6 [citado 2008-07-29], pp. 322-327. Disponà ­vel em: 86702002000600010&lng=pt&nrm=iso>. ISSN 1413-8670. doi: 10.1590/S1413- 86702002000600010 [7] Tantillo. (Lectures 23 July 2008 and 25 July 2008) [8] Whitehead, Steven S., Joseph E. Blaney, Anna P. Durbin, and Brian R. Murphy. "Prospects for a Dengue Virus Vaccine." Nature Reviews 5 (2007): 518-28. 25 July 2008 [9] Xinhua. "Thailand to test Mahidol-developed dengue vaccine prototype." People's Daily Online 05 Sept. 2005.

Psychology of Homophobia/Sexual Prejudice Essay -- Homophobia Sex Prej

Psychology of Homophobia/Sexual Prejudice Society began to rethink homosexuality in the 1960’s when heterosexual psychologist George Weinberg coined the term â€Å"homophobia.† Weinberg used the term to label heterosexuals’ fear of being in contact of homosexuals as well as the self-loathing of homosexuals, meaning that homosexuals hated themselves for being gay. As of the new millennium, there has been a new special term that has been born to define the fear, hate and disgust that people show towards anyone’s sexual orientation called â€Å"sexual prejudice.† Like other types of prejudice, there are three main principals that surround sexual prejudice: it is an attitude, it is directed at social groups and its members, and it is negative as involving hostility or dislike. As time goes by there has been differing perspectives on sexual prejudice (homophobia).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an interview with Karen Franklin, a forensic psychologist and former criminal investigator, which was conducted by PBS’s program â€Å"FRONTLINE,† reveals her interest and perspective on anti-gay hate crimes that relate to homophobia. Franklin has interviewed multiple perpetrators of anti-gay hate crimes and with San Francisco Bay Area College students that has lead to the production of important data of the nature and extent to the negative reactions to gays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Karen Franklin was asked, â€Å"What makes a person become a gay basher?† she answered, â€Å"there is no simple answer to that question.† Franklin explains that for a person to commit any violent act one must have had something influence them to be violent and the fact that a gay person is being targeted is another motivation. She explains that there are several motivations for these acts. The first motivation is â€Å"peer dynamics,† in which a person tries to prove masculinity, or to prove heterosexuality, or just not to back down and let one’s peers down. The next most common motivation she found was what she called â€Å"anti-gay ideology† in which their reasons for their anti-gay feelings are based on morals or religion. Another common motivation was that a person might be thrill-seeking and trying to have a good time at someone else’s expense. Franklin states that, in general, â€Å"people are trying to endors e a cultural message that gay people are second class citizens and are not worthy of respect. Franklin feels that this sexual prejudice is a c... ...use whether we know it or not, we all contribute in even the smallest ways to this problem. For instance, when we go up to our male youth and ask them if they like any girls in their class or when we ask a female if she has a boyfriend, we are contributing to the problem in a subliminal and subconscious manner. We are sending a subliminal message to society; we are trying to tell them who they are supposed to be. It is quite ironic to find that men hate gay men, although, at the same time they love and desire gay women and it is acceptable. Sexual prejudice is very complex, confusing, wrong, misunderstood, and very harmful to society. References 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internalized Homophobia http://www.lgcsc.org/internalized.html 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychological Perspective – Henry Adams http://www.rtis.com/reg/bcs/pol/touchstone/november96/muehlen.htm 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mind of A Gay Basher – Karen Franklin http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/interviews/franklin.html 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bigots and Buggers – Peter Tatcheell http://www.petertatchell.net/homophobia/bigots%20are%20buggers.htm 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Psychological Association – Henry Adams http://www.apa.org/releases/homophob.html

Travelling: Culture and Travel

Why do people insist in taking their holidays in the same locations year after year? This is always something that puzzled me as surely the whole reason behind travelling is to experience different cultures and their unique lifestyles? Sure, you may have had a great time on your holiday to (insert destination! ) when you first visited five years ago but, does it surely the adrenalin fuelled excitement has started to wane with each passing year when you have visited? Of course you probably still haven't even done half of what is possible at your holiday hotspot but that still doesn't gauge the interest quite like going somewhere unique. Take for example your everyday life. If you have ever moved to a new location it can be an exciting time for some. There are endless possibilities of new things to see, people to meet and, daily excursion. But, over time this excitement erodes although you probably haven't done as much as you really could! There are so many things to learn from visiting new places that it would be a shame to go to the same location. You can see the pyramids of Gaza, the Taj Mahal, or the Great Barrier Reef. Sure, going to Disneyland is probably a great thrill but you're not going to learn about Arabic culture there! Travel is a valuable tool in educating oneself on other cultures and lifestyles. And, what's more, it will sure make the gifts you bring back for people more exciting. Those who like to lie on the beach all day and sunbathe would probably like to do just that. But for those of us interested in learning about other cultures, there's no excuse for not travelling elsewhere! Travel broadens the mind' Travel does broaden the mind. However it is what ‘travel' means to the individual. Is it is the consequence of travel where the true expansion is achieved. Travel opens a doorway for the individual to seek the experiences and be open to the absorption of those experiences. Allowing to take from those to build on and develop. These journeys could be far afield or a walk to the corner shop- Muslims praying to the West or the tired eyes of the lady passed in the street Each experience opening a spectrum of further questions. It is the travellers personal reflection, interpretation and conclusion that ‘broadens the mind'. Travel presents experiences of other lifestyles, cultures, values and convictions. Expansion is gained by personal deliberation reflected in their own lives. Travel teaches diversity. The value of that cannot fail but to broaden the mind. ravelling enables many people to broaden their minds in certain respects. When you travel you gain new ideas and experience new things. However you do not have to travel miles to expand your horizons, and there are many disadvantages associated with travelling. Travelling makes it possible to experience new cultures; for example, observing different religions and customs, even if it just means traipsing round an Indian mosque, or visiting an Egyptian temple. While travelling, you an learn new languages, which may increase your confidence. If you learn a few basic phrases, you are given the chance to interact with the native people. Also you are more likely to experience the friendliness of the locals because language barriers are broken. This may lead to prejudice ideas being destroyed. A new language gives a different outlook on life. Travel also teaches you independence, because it allows you to escape the familiar surroundings of home and stay in a strange or alien place. Just arranging travel and accommodation can give you new responsibilities. Often when people travel they leave everyday commodities behind and have to learn to cope without them. Improvising or making do without them teaches patience and determination, and when you return home you become more grateful for the things you left behind. Not only does travelling allow you to see new cultures, it also often allows you to learn the roots of your own cultures. Travelling enables you to become aware of differences in lifestyle – whether they are regional or national – and to learn how different people interact and generally what they base their ideas on. Travelling lets people explore their own customs and way of life, and appreciate their countries’ history and traditions. Travelling introduces new ideas that can change your opinions on different topics and help you to become more open minded about things you would normally disapprove of. Such as exploring different political situations in countries you visit. By experiencing life in different social systems or under different governments, you can see how successful they are and form intelligent opinions. Travelling an also make you more aware of other traditions and help you understand different views and perceptions that foreign people have. Our neighbours in France, a mere twenty-two miles from our shores live diverse lives from our selves, socially, politically and legally. By visiting new places you are introduced to new etiquette, which you may be expected to abide by. This provokes awareness in many people on the correct rules of behaviour in society and broadens the m ind. The opportunities of travel are expanding. Package holidays are becoming more popular. And travelling to new countries is being made more accessible, and cheaper. In the future there will be orbital hotels in space offering ‘out of this world’ holidays. Ordinary holidaymakers will be able to travel to space and back. How could travelling to a different planet not broaden the mind? Space travel could put a new perspective on life and change the way you think and the way you live your live. However, travelling has many disadvantages and it is possible to take the view that it does not broaden the mind. Travelling can be very expensive and you may have to be inconvenienced by having to get visas or a passport. Why would you want to go to all this bother when you are able to experience new cultures through media, such as television programmes, newspaper articles or the Internet? There are numerous travel programmes on the television and radio, and it is much easier and cheaper to see new places by this method. Also England is very international and there are many foreign people living and studying here. So you do not have to go abroad in order to learn new languages or see different traditions. An example of this is ‘China Town’ in London. Here in this bustling town are many Cantonese and Mandarin speaking people. There are a variety of restaurants offering a taste of the eastern culture. There are also many dangers associated with foreign cultures. There are the hazards of diseases and you may have to go to the trouble of getting injections and taking malaria tablets. You are relatively safe in England as there is no risk of wars or terrorist attacks. Some people could feel going abroad daunting because of the different laws and punishments for crimes. Also some might argue that there is no point in going abroad, as everywhere is becoming the same and homogenised. An example of this is the fact that in many countries there are ‘McDonalds’ restaurants situated everywhere. Moreover many countries’ cultures are modified to suit English tastes. So in fact you are not really experiencing the true way of life in that country. Also when you go travelling you often don’t meet people of new nationalities. As Laurence Sterne expressed it ‘ As an English man does not travel to see English men, I retired to my room’. Guests staying in many resorts are urged to remain in the safety of the complex of the hotel, and urged not to venture out, because of disturbing sights of poverty or fear of the unaltered world outside the hotel. Many tourists are reluctant to venture forth and so seldom see the real country, and its people, which they are visiting. However I feel that it is much easier to broaden the mind by travelling than watching travel programmes. It is also much more enjoyable.

Blaine Kitchenware

rP os t 4040 OCTOBER 8, 2009 TIMOTHY LUEHRMAN JOEL HEILPRIN op yo Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure On April 27, 2007, Victor Dubinski, CEO of Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. (BKI), sat in his office reflecting on a meeting he had had with an investment banker earlier in the week. The banker, whom Dubinski had known for years, asked for the meeting after a group of private equity investors made discreet inquiries about a possible acquisition of Blaine. Although Blaine was a public company, a majority of its shares were controlled by family members descended from the firm’s founders together with various family trusts.Family interests were strongly represented on the board of directors as well. Dubinski knew the family had no current interest in selling—on the contrary, Blaine was interested in acquiring other companies in the kitchen appliances space—so this overture, like a few others before it, would be politely rebuffed. No tC Nevertheless, Dubinski was st ruck by the banker’s assertion that a private equity buyer could â€Å"unlock† value inherent in Blaine’s strong operations and balance sheet. Using cash on Blaine’s balance sheet and new borrowings, a rivate equity firm could purchase all of Blaine’s outstanding shares at a price higher than $16. 25 per share, its current stock price. It would then repay the debt over time using the company’s future earnings. When the banker pointed out that BKI itself could do the same thing—borrow money to buy back its own shares—Dubinski had asked, â€Å"But why would we do that? † The banker’s response was blunt: â€Å"Because you’re over-liquid and under-levered. Your shareholders are paying a price for that. † In the days since the meeting, Dubinski’s thoughts kept returning to a share repurchase.How many shares could be bought? At what price? Would it sap Blaine’s financial strength? Or prevent it from making future acquisitions? Blaine Kitchenware’s Business Do Blaine Kitchenware was a mid-sized producer of branded small appliances primarily used in residential kitchens. Originally founded as The Blaine Electrical Apparatus Company in 1927, it produced then-novel electric home appliances, such as irons, vacuum cleaners, waffle irons, and cream separators, which were touted as modern, clean, and easier to use than counterparts fueled by oil, coal, gas, or by hand.By 2006, the company’s products consisted of a wide range of small kitchen appliances used for food and beverage preparation and for cooking, including several branded lines of deep fryers, griddles, waffle irons, toasters, small ovens, blenders, mixers, pressure cookers, steamers, slow cookers, shredders and slicers, and coffee makers. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor Timothy A. Luehrman and Illinois Instit ute of Technology Adjunct Finance Professor Joel L.Heilprin prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2009 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. bsp. harvard. edu. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. rP os t 4040 | Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure Blaine had just under 10% of the $2. 3 billion U. S. market for small kitchen appliances.For the period 2003–2006 the industry posted modest annual unit sales growth of 2% despite positive market conditions including a strong housing market, growth in affluent householders, and product innovations. Competition from inexpensive imports and aggressive pricing by mass merchandisers limited industry dollar volume growth to just 3. 5% annually over that same period. Historically, the industry had been fragmented, but it had recently experienced some consolidation that many participants expected to continue. In recent years, Blaine had been expanding into foreign markets.Nevertheless in 2006, 65% of its revenue was generated from shipments to U. S. wholesalers and retailers, with the balance coming from sales to Canada, Europe, and Central and South America. The company shipped approximately 14 mill ion units a year. op yo There were three major segments in the small kitchen appliance industry: food preparation appliances, cooking appliances, and beverage-making appliances. Blaine produced product for all three, but the majority of its revenues came from cooking appliances and food preparation appliances.Its market share of beverage-making appliances was only 2%. Most of BKI’s appliances retailed at medium price points, at or just below products offered by the best-known national brands. BKI’s market research consistently showed that the Blaine brand was well-known and well-regarded by consumers. It was associated somewhat with â€Å"nostalgia† and the creation of â€Å"familiar, wholesome dishes. † tC Recently, Blaine had introduced some goods with â€Å"smart† technology features and sleeker styling, targeting higher-end consumers and intended to compete at higher price points.This strategy was in response to increased competition from Asian imports and private label product. The majority of BKI’s products were distributed via a network of wholesalers, which supplied mass merchandisers and department stores, but its upper-tier products were sold directly to specialty retailers and catalogue companies. Regardless of the distribution channel, BKI offered consumers standard warranty terms of 90 days to one year, depending on the appliance. No Blaine’s monthly sales reached a seasonal peak during October and November as retailers increased stock in anticipation of the holiday season.A smaller peak occurred in May and June, coinciding with Mother’s Day, a summer surge in weddings, and the seasonal peak in home purchases. Historically, sales of Blaine appliances had been cyclical as well, tending to track overall macroeconomic activity. This also was the case for the industry as a whole; in particular, changes in appliance sales were correlated with changes in housing sales and in home renovation and hou sehold formation. BKI owned and operated a small factory in Minnesota that produced cast iron parts with specialty coatings for certain of its cookware offerings.Otherwise, however, Blaine, like most companies in the appliance industry, outsourced its production. In 2006 BKI had suppliers and contract manufacturers in China, Vietnam, Canada, and Mexico. Do Victor Dubinski was a great-grandson of one of the founders. An engineer by training, Dubinski served in the U. S. Navy after graduating from college in 1970. After his discharge, he worked for a large aerospace and defense contractor until joining the family business in 1981 as head of operations. He was elected to the board of directors in 1988 and became Blaine’s CEO in 1992, succeeding his uncle.Under Dubinski’s leadership, Blaine operated much as it always had, with three notable exceptions. First, the company completed an IPO in 1994. This provided a measure of liquidity for certain of the founders’ desc endants who, collectively, owned 62% of the outstanding shares 2 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. rP os t Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure | 4040 ollowing the IPO. Second, beginning in the 1990s, Blaine gradually moved its production abroad. The company began by taking advantage of NAFTA, engaging suppliers and performing some manufacturing in Mexico. By 2003, BKI also had established relationships with several Asian manufacturers, and the large majority of its production took place outside the United States. Finally, BKI had undertaken a strategy focused on rounding out and complementing its product offerings by acquiring small independent manufacturers or the kitchen appliance product lines of large diversified manufacturers.The company carefully followed changes in customer purchasing behavior and market trends. Victor Dubinski and the board were eager to continue what they believed had been a fruitful strategy. The company was particularly keen to increase its presence in the beverage appliance segment, which demonstrated the strongest growth and where BKI was weakest. Thus far, all acquisitions had been for cash or BKI stock. op yo Financial Performance During the year ended December 31, 2006, Blaine earned net income of $53. 6 million on revenue of $342 million.Exhibits 1 and 2 present the company’s recent financial statements. Approximately 85% of Blaine’s revenue and 80% of its operating income came from the sale of mid-tier products, with the line of higher-end goods accounting for the remainder. The company’s 2006 EBITDA margin of nearly 22% was among the strongest within the peer group shown in Exhibit 3. Despite its recent shift toward higher-end product lines, Blaine’s operating margins had decreased s lightly over the last three years. Margins declined due to integration costs and inventory write-downs associated with recent acquisitions.Now that integration activities were completed, BKI executives expected the firm to achieve operating margins at least as high as its historical margins. tC The U. S. industry as a whole faced considerable pressure from imports and private label products, as well as a shift in consumer purchasing preferences favoring larger, â€Å"big box† retailers. In response, some of Blaine’s more aggressive rivals were cutting prices to maintain sales growth. Blaine had not followed suit and its organic revenue growth had suffered in recent years, as some of its core products lost market share.Growth in Blaine’s top line was attributable almost exclusively to acquisitions. No Despite the company’s profitability, returns to shareholders had been somewhat below average. Blaine’s return on equity (ROE), shown below, was signif icantly below that of its publicly traded peers. 1 Moreover, its earnings per share had fallen significantly since 2004, partly due to dilutive acquisitions. Companies 2006 ROE Do Home & Hearth Design AutoTech Appliances XQL Corp. Bunkerhill Incorporated EasyLiving Systems Mean 11. 3% 43. 1% 19. 5% 41. 7% 13. 9% 25. 9%Median 19. 5% Blaine 11. 0% 1 ROE is computed here as net income divided by end-of-period book equity. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 3 rP os t 4040 | Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure During 2004–2006, compounded annual returns for BKI shareholders, including dividends and stock price appreciation, were approximately 11% per year.This was higher than the S&P 500, which returned approximately 10% per year. However, it was well below the 16% an nual compounded return earned by shareholders of Blaine’s peer group during the same period. Financial Policies op yo Blaine’s financial posture was conservative and very much in keeping with BKI’s long-standing practice and, indeed, with its management style generally. Only twice in its history had the company borrowed beyond seasonal working capital needs. The first time was during World War II, when it borrowed from the U. S. government to retool several factories for war production.The second time was during the first oil shock of the 1970s. On both occasions the debt was repaid as quickly as possible. At the end of 2006, Blaine’s balance sheet was the strongest in the industry. Not only was it debtfree, but the company also held $231 million in cash and securities at the end of 2006, down from $286 million two years earlier. Given such substantial liquidity, Blaine had terminated in 2002 a revolving credit agreement designed to provide standby credit for seasonal needs; the CFO argued that the fees were a waste of money and Dubinski agreed.In recent years the company’s largest uses of cash had been common dividends and cash consideration paid in various acquisitions. Dividends per share had risen only modestly during 2004–2006; however, as the company issued new shares in connection with some of its acquisitions, the number of shares outstanding climbed, and the payout ratio rose significantly, to more than 50% in 2006. tC 2004 $ 53,112 $ 18,589 41,309 $ 1. 29 $ 0. 45 35. 0% 2005 $ 52,435 $ 22,871 48,970 $ 1. 07 $ 0. 47 43. 6% 2006 $ 53,630 $ 28,345 59,052 $ 0. 91 $ 0. 48 52. 9% No Net income Dividends Average shares outstanding Earnings per shareDividend per share Payout ratio Do The next largest use of funds was capital expenditures, which were modest due to Blaine’s extensive outsourcing of its manufacturing. Average capital expenditures during the past three years were just over $10 million per year. Wh ile they were expected to remain modest, future expenditures would be driven in part by the extent and nature of Blaine’s future acquisitions. In recent years, after-tax cash generated from operations had been more than four times average capital expenditures and rising, as shown in the table below. 4 2004 EBITDA Less: Taxes After-Tax Operating Cash Flow 2005 69,370 24,989 44,380 $ 68,895 24,303 44,592 2006 $ 73,860 23,821 50,039 AVG. 46,337 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Reassessing Financial Policies in 2007 rP os t Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure | 4040 In 2007 Blaine planned to continue its policy of holding prices firm in the face of competitive pressures. Consequently, its managers were expecting top line growth of only 3% for fiscal year 2007.Howev er, this growth rate assumed no acquisitions would be made in 2007, unlike the previous two years. While the board remained receptive to opportunities, Dubinski and his team had no target in mind as yet at the end of April. op yo As he reflected on the possibility of repurchasing stock, Dubinski understood that he could consider such a move only in conjunction with all of BKI’s financial policies: its liquidity, capital structure, dividend policy, ownership structure, and acquisition plans. In addition, he wondered about timing. Blaine’s stock price was not far off its all-time high, yet its performance clearly lagged that of its peers.A summary of contemporaneous financial market information is provided in Exhibit 4. Dubinski had begun to suspect that family members on the board would welcome some of the possible effects of a large share repurchase. Assuming that family members held on to their shares, their percentage ownership of Blaine would rise, reversing a downw ard trend dating from BKI’s IPO. It also would give the board more flexibility in setting future dividends per share. Both Dubinski and the board knew that the recent trend in BKI’s payout ratio was unsustainable and that this concerned some family members.Do No tC On the other hand, a large repurchase might be unpopular if it forced Blaine to give up its war chest and/or discontinue its acquisition activity. Perhaps even more unsettling, it would cause Blaine to borrow money. The company would be paying significant interest expense for only the third time in its history. As Dubinski turned his chair to face the window, he glanced at the framed photo behind his desk of his great grandfather, Marcus Blaine, demonstrating the company’s first cream separator—its best-selling product during Blaine’s first decade.A real Blaine Electrical Cream Separator sat in a glass case in the corner; the last one had been manufactured in 1949. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOO L | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 5 Exhibit 1 rP os t 4040 | Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. , Income Statements, years ended December 31, ($ in Thousands) Operating Results 2004 2005 2006 $291,940 204,265 Net Income Dividends 63,946 9,914 68,895 73,860 60,682 16,057 63,946 3,506 78,101 24,989 76,738 24,303 77,451 23,821 52,435 $ 22,871 53,630 $ 28,345 5. 5% 11. 1% op yo Earnings Before Tax Less: Taxes 60,682 8,213 53,112 $ 18,589 EBIT Plus: Other Income (expense) 92,458 28,512 62,383 15,719 EBITDA 87,731 27,049 69,370 Operating Income Plus: Depreciation & Amortization $342,251 249,794 62,383 6,987 Gross Profit Less: Selling, General & Administrative $307,964 220,234 87,676 25,293 Revenue Less: Cost of Goods Sold Margins Revenue Growth 3. 2% Gross Margin 30. 0% 28. 5% 27. 0% 21. 4% 19. 7% 18. 7% 23. 8% 22. 4% 21. 6% 32. 0% 31. 7% 30. 8% Net Income Margin 18. 2% 17. 0% 15. 7% Dividend payout ratio 5. 0% 43. 6% 52. 9% EBIT Margin EBITDA Margin Blaine's future tax rate was expected to rise to the statutory rate of 40%. Do No a. tC Effective Tax Ratea 6 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Exhibit 2 rP os t Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure | 4040 Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. Balance Sheets, December 31, ($ in Thousands) Assets 2004 Cash & Cash Equivalents 2005 2006 $ 67,391 Goodwill Other Assets Total Assets p yo Property, Plant & Equipment 48,780 49,728 54,874 3,871 5,157 376,351 Total Current Assets 43,235 2,586 Other Current Assets 164,309 47,262 Inventory $ 66,557 196,763 40,709 Accounts Receivable $ 70,853 218,403 Marketable Sec urities 364,449 339,678 99,402 138,546 174,321 8,134 20,439 38,281 13,331 27,394 39,973 $497,217 $550,829 $592,253 $ 26,106 $ 28,589 $ 31,936 22,605 24,921 27,761 14,225 17,196 16,884 62,935 70,705 76,581 1,794 3,151 4,814 15,111 18,434 22,495 79,840 92,290 103,890 Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity Accounts Payable Accrued Liabilities Taxes Payable Total Current Liabilities Other liabilitiesDeferred Taxes tC Total Liabilities Shareholders' Equity Total Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity 458,538 488,363 $550,829 $592,253 Many items in BKI’s historical balance sheets (e. g. , Property, Plant & Equipment) have been affected by the firm’s acquisitions. Do No Note: 417,377 $497,217 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 7 This document is authorized for use only by Atul Si ngh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 45. 18% 31. 12% Net Debt/Equity Net Debt/Enterprise Value b. Net debt is total long-term and short-term debt less excess cash. a. Net working capital excludes cash and securities. 1. 91x 10. 56x 9. 46x 1. 63x 1. 03 776,427 $1,127,226 $ 350,798 372,293 475,377 LTM Trading Multiples MVIC/Revenue MVIC/EBIT MVIC/EBITDA Market/Book equity Equity beta Market capitalization Enterprise value (MVIC) Net debtb Total debt Book equity $ 21,495 54,316 900,803 $ 976,613 31. 74% 24. 10% 1. 02x 7. 35x 6. 03x 4. 26x 1. 24 17. 97% 15. 23% 1. 5x 8. 65x 7. 84x 2. 51x 0. 96 5,290,145 $6,240,947 $ 950,802 972,227 2,109,400 $ 21,425 353,691 3,322,837 $3,697,952 $4,313,300 721,297 796,497 $ 412,307 XQL Corp. -15. 47% -18. 31% 1. 87x 18. 05x 15. 15x 4. 41x 0. 67 418,749 $ 353,949 $ (64,800) 177,302 94,919 $ 242,102 21,220 68,788 $ 332,110 $ 188,955 19,613 23,356 $ 13,173 EasyLiving Systems 4040 -8- -24. 06% -31. 68% 2. 13x 11. 40x 9. 87x 1. 96x 0. 56 959,596 $ 728,730 $(230,866) 488,363 $ 230,866 32,231 174,321 $ 592,253 $ 342,251 63,946 73,860 $ 53,630 Blaine Kitchenware rP os t 6. 01% 5. 67% 1. 14x 7. 42x 6. 88x 4. 93x 0. 92 3,962,780 $4,200,836 $ 238,056 391,736 04,400 $ 153,680 334,804 815,304 $1,303,788 $3,671,100 566,099 610,399 $ 335,073 Bunkerhill, Inc. op yo 13,978,375 $18,415,689 $4,437,314 4,973,413 3,283,000 $ 536,099 1,247,520 7,463,564 $9,247,183 $18,080,000 2,505,200 3,055,200 $1,416,012 AutoTech Appliances tC No $ 589,747 106,763 119,190 $ 53,698 Home & Hearth Design Selected Operating and Financial Data for Public Kitchenware Producers, 12 months ended December 31, 2006, ($ in Thousands) Cash & securities Net working capitala Net fixed assets Total assets Revenue EBIT EBITDA Net income Exhibit 3 Do Exhibit 4 rP os t Blaine Kitchenware, Inc. : Capital Structure | 4040Contemporaneous Capital Market Data (April 21, 2007 ) Yields on U. S. Treasury Securities Maturity 30 days 60 days 90 days 1 year 5 years 10 years 20 years 30 years op yo 4. 55% 4. 73% 4. 91% 4. 90% 4. 91% 5. 02% 5. 26% 5. 10% Default spread 0. 86% 1. 02% 1. 33% 1. 70% 2. 86% 3. 92% Do No tC Seasoned corporate bond yields Moody's Aaa 5. 88% Aa 6. 04% A 6. 35% Baa 6. 72% Ba 7. 88% B 8. 94% HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Atul Singh at JRE Group of Institutions until June 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 9

The Invention of the Cell Phone

Have you ever imagined the world without cell phones!? How do you think it has affected the world today? The cell phone allows people to communicate with other people anywhere in the world with anyone they want at anytime. How you use the cell phone is what makes it a positive or negative impact on you, society, and the environment. A man named Martin Cooper invented it; he invented it because he wanted people to be able to carry their phones where ever they wanted. He invented it on April 3rd, 1973 in a Motorola Factory. A cell phone is that it is actually a radio, an extremely sophisticated radio, but a radio nonetheless. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and wireless communication can trace its roots to the invention of the radio by Nikolai Tesla in the 1880s. It was only natural that these two great technologies would eventually be combined. The first cell phone weighed 2. 5 pounds, had a talk time of 35 minutes, took 10 hours to charge and had no display. Technology takes up a big factor of the cell phone, because without technology there would be no cell phone. Cell phones today have a big impact on the environment. Some negative impacts are that they are constantly being thrown into landfill which causes pollution. Also the mercury, arsenic and lead in the phones can poison the environment and impact humans also. Cell phones can have a big impact on society today because individuals have become overly reliant on cell phones to help with everyday memory functions. Also very high levels of technology have been placed in cell phone which has caused them to be quite expensive. Some positive impacts are that people a can easily communicate with other people faster than like a letter, or a telegram. Also the average cell phone last about 8-12 months and people with replace cell phone after cell phone. Those cell phones that are constantly replaced end up in landfills. SO u can see how society connects to the environment. With all of the information I have provided you with you could infer what life would be like without cell phones, it could be better without the pollution, but bad without the easiness of communicating with anyone and anywhere.

Explanation of Sensation, Perception, and Attention Essay

The recommendations for the authority sensations, perceptive, and attention to learning would be like if a person would sit down to study, the person would not be bother by the distracting environmental stimuli. Why? Because some people and certain other people cannot lie in the difference of ability to focus and control each other attention toward their own perceptive processes derived from sensations. A report says that (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) acknowledges that the human sensory systems, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, touch, proprioceptive, vestibular, and kinesthetic all specialized cells that respond to environmental stimuli called sensory. A short term for olfactory is small. The term for gustatory is taste. An example for touch is pain. Proprioceptive is sensory information about body’s position and movement. Vestibular is sensory information on position of body in space by sensing gravity and movement. Kinesthetic is a sensory information about movement and position of limbs and other parts of the body relative to one another. All the words are transformed is called sensory receptors. It’s used to transform the energy from environmental stimuli into a neural impulse that can be understood by the brain, a process referred to as transduction (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Auditory Sensory System’s Threshold As I read the report it explained that the sensory system’s is so quick that one is unaware of its environmental stimuli are encoding for intensity and quality by the authority sensory system in the brain. So the sensory system is evident by the amplitude (loudness) and frequency (pitch) of a sound wave’s cyde. It is explained that the expansion and contraction of air that flows through the ear canal where â€Å"transduction occurs by way of hair cells is attached to the basilar membrane that responds to vibrations in the fluid- filled cochlea.† Auditory  Sensory System is a process that can triggers the action potentials in the auditory nerve. It is then transmitted to the brain (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, p.152). The difference between the two types of people can be found among individuals sensitivity to the least amount of stimulation needed for one person to notice the stimulus, or one’s absolute threshold (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Perception Perception is the active process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensations such as color, light, hot, and so forth. It is said that perceiving is much more that merely opening ones eyes and ears to see and hear what is there. Perception takes a continuous array of sensations in through the senses and organizes it into meaningful units. Perception is then interprets the organized information (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). The mind has several organizational patterns available when forming into sensations into perceptions. A good example could be a form perception organizes sensations into shapes and patterns that have meaning to the observer. Why considering the pattern, it helps one to understand why keeping the study and learning environment of team members as free of auditory and visual distraction as possible is necessary for excellence in performance of team assignments. The nature vs. nurture debate continues to be debated in nearly every domain of psychology. Psychologists continue to look at the question of how much our current perceptions rely on base on our experiences. A German philosopher name Immanuel Kant, believed that humans innately experience the world using the categories of time, space, and causality. Kant, felt like people automatically equate why something has happen to their prior learning and that the mind creates perception. The report said, perception involves both bottom-up processing, which begins with sensory data that feed â€Å"up† to the brain, and top-down processing. It begins with the observer’s expectations and knowledge. According to the text, context plays a big role in perceptual interpretation by stating how readily one understands the meaning of what is perceived depends on his or her experience with the matter of understanding it. A team member’s immediate context affects their perceptual interpretation but also the member’s enduring beliefs and expectations will affect perception of information organization of data, and assignment  performance. Perception and memory produces thought that forms mental representation and when one remember, he or she tries to bring that representation to mind. Thinking was images and words that then are classified into what the representations are and do thereby placing people and objects into categories that are used to try to solve a problem or answer a question (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Attention When one is trying to focus attention on students on studies or a job at hand it is important to use sensor processing efficiently. Attention requires turning down the volume on redundant information because the nervous system tunes out continuous information (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). An example is when students sit down into a study, its best to keep background noise to a minimum volume. Another example is the radio or television is playing while trying to study creates continuous noise that will hinder the mind’s ability to focus unless the sound are below the person’s threshold. Its like when you arranging for a quiet and uninterrupted place to study will provide the best environment for clear thinking and attention. Conclusion The individuals differences of students in learning teams, knowing, and understanding others environments and backgrounds helps students work together more effectively. The report also explains that the differences in sensations and perceptions affect how each team member learns, behaves, and works. If you know the mental struggles, one of the team members enabled to team members to understand when the team members chooses to leave class. To understand the behavior of individuals, it comes from knowledge and appreciation of the particular sensory and perceptual experiences of others. To understand psychological disturbances, its helpful to understand the limitations and complexities of the sensory systems and the role perception plays in either distorting or correcting those systems. So teams continues to work together, understanding the stimulus threshold of each member as well as how dividing attention facilities of impedes to the learning process will guide members to know how best to divide responsibilities to achieve maximum results. Aground rule could be to make sure one is in a quiet environment with telephone, television, and  radio distractions eliminated will help each team members attention is undivided when working on team assignments. Noise and distractions are kept below individuals threshold levels; the environment becomes conductive to learning and completing assignments. Information is process in a clear manner and attention is focused and direct. Without distractions, our sensory perceptions can access short and long-term memory for information needed. References Kowalski R and Westen D.(2009). Psychology ( 5th ed) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley www.mindofreality.wordpress.com

My Mistrees Eyes are Nothing like the Sun Essay

My Mistrees Eyes are Nothing like the Sun - Essay Example tead of using negative words to express how much he loved his mistress despite her imperfections and short-comings, Shakespeare chose to use positive words in expressing how he truly feels and see his mistress. Rather than making use of typical words of praise using sweet words such as skin as fair as a pearl, hair like strands of gold, or see roses in her cheeks when describing his mistress, he chose to be honest when describing the physical attributes of his mistress. The only difference in this particular sonnet is that Shakespeare decided to make use of satirizing technique as he contrasted the beauty of his loved one to the beauty of nature. For example: The 1st line of the sonnet tells us that â€Å"My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun†. In line with this, Shakespeare compared his mistress’ eyes with the sun but after reading between the lines, it is clear that Shakespeare is telling us that his mistress’ eyes are totally different from the sun. In general, sun is known for its natural beauty when the sun shines as it glows. Even though the shape of his mistress’ eyes is as round as the sun, he is simply telling us that the glow of happiness is not present in his mistress’ eyes. Shakespeare also noted in the 2nd line of the sonnet that â€Å"Coral is far more red than her lip’s red† It means that the color of corals is more red than his mistress lips. In normal circumstances, a truly in-love poet would tell us otherwise. Looking at 7th and 8th line of the sonnet, Shakespeare said that â€Å"in some perfumes there is more delight; than the breath with which my mistress reeks†. He also described her mistress as one that has dark-colored breasts, coarse hair, pale skin, and harsh voice. (See lines 3 to 6 and 9 to 10) Almost all the lines mentioned in the sonnet suggest that her mistress is not perfect physically yet he managed to accept her as who she is and enter into a relationship with her even though he is already married. Even though