EPI7005 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

EPI7005 - Essay Example Several methods have been used in the correction of geometric distortions in MRI diffusion weighted normally resulting from static magnetic field inhomogeneities. Such inhomogeneties may be as a result of some imperfection within the magnet or magnetic susceptibility spatial variation of the object that is being imaged (Christ, 2000, p. 78). The spatial variation is normally referred to as susceptibility artifacts. EPI applied in most of protocols used in diffusion weighted acquisition uses a homogenous static field. Such afield does not normally hold for MRI head. The distortion that comes out of this is significant enough to even exceed ten millimeters. Such artifacts come in the way of accurate diffusion images alignment with structural MRI and are considered obstacles to the head MRI joint analysis of structure and connectivity. Some of the methods used for correction of magnetic susceptibility distortions include the use of a filed map. However, such methods of applying field ma ps are not reliable and accurate hence do not result in reliable EPI alignment with structural images that correspond to it. The T2-weighted structural image approach that relies on EPI baseline image and still gives account of the susceptibility artifacts is the recommended approach (Edelman and Schmitt, 1994, p. 610) Question 1A Several parameters have to be reduced in order to optimize EPI image and they include: A. Reducing the time of echo train length: The longer the length of the echo train, the more time is required by the spin to gather phase error and also the greater the distortion witnessed. One of the ways of minimizing the total time of train length is by minimizing the echo spacing. The less the time taken by the frequency gradient in sampling the signal, the less the distortion that will be witnessed as shown in figure 1. The period for sampling is normally during the flat readout gradient portion unless there is ramp sampling. In FSE, the less the ESP or the echo sp acing, the less the blurring of the image. In EPI, minimizing the echo spacing also results in a reduction in the blurring as well as a reduction in geometric distortion. Figure 1. The sampling time and the read encoding gradient during normal gradient performance (McMahon, 2012) As the segmentation degree increases, the echo number acquired per rf excitation decreases. This in turn minimizes the geometric distortion as the phase error time of accumulation is reduced. Figure 2 below demonstrates a reduction in effective inter-echo spacing (McMahon, 2012). Gradients are from two varying excitations, interleaved and offset with respect to each other. Figure 3 shows geometric distortion reduction as the shot number increases. In areas with low inherent homogeneity like the sinuses, the geometric distortion can appear with a larger shots number. As the shots number increases beyond a given point, the distortion reduction becomes unnoticeable. Figure 5; demonstration of the reduction of geometric distortion as the number of shots is increased (McMahon, 2012) B. Reducing echo spacing; methods used to shorten echo spacing include: Ramp sampling Increasing the receiver bandwidth through achieving a stronger gradient Resolution reduction hence a reduction in the echoes train number Phase encoding collection in multiple sessions (segmented or multiple shot EPI) By using increased amplitudes or

The CSI Effect Essay Example for Free

The CSI Effect Essay Many T. V shows come on and influence the public that the things that take place on these shows are real. There is Law in Order SVU, 24, Bones and our favorite CSI that make people think that countless cases are open and close do to outrageous finding of DA traces. The CSI Effect is a theory that criminals are getting smarter. These shows give out numerous tactics on how many cases are cracked and suspects are arrested. The CSI Effect also results in various hang juries and miss trials due to lack of evidence. The jury is starting to need more evidence, because the influence they have from watching these television shows. I have seen a show on television called CSI Miami. On this particular show, there was a murder-taking place with no clue at all, on who committed the crime. They had recovered some DA, but there were no past data to make a match on a suspect. The detectives had someone in question on who it might be but no evidence to hold him to the crime. Out of nowhere, one of the detectives on the case was talking to the man in question and somehow saw up his nose a dot of blood no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. He then grabbed a q-tip and told the man to stand steal while he dug up his nose to retrieve the DA. The DA sample was too small to test, so they sent it out to the FBI who has a glucose blood enhancer to stretch the DA enough to run the match. Of course, the DA was a match. The show then goes off and another bad person offs the street. This story is what is changing the minds of criminals and way of thinking. Criminals are starting to clean their tracks. Detectives are closing in on criminal and finding that they are cleaning the whole crime scene. Once entering a house the place is washed down in bleach to cover all traces of DA. Some rapist are wearing condoms and making their victims take baths to clean off all traces of the criminal’s DA. Criminals are also taking extra measures to wear gloves and masks so they cannot be seen or leave any fingerprints. They are taking more precaution on having an alibi stating they were never around when the crime took place. The theory is that criminals are watching these shows and learning on how to maintain a criminal life style without being locked up. These shows are making the police jobs much harder to apprehend suspects. Another default with this CSI Effect is that it is making the courts harder the sentence criminals. Juries are starting to want more evidence from prosecutors and DA matches to prove the defendant’s guilt. There was a case with two detectives shot and killed in an undercover gun deal. On the evening of March 10, 2003, two New York Police Department detectives, James V.  Nemorin and Rodney J. Andrews, were shot and killed in an unmarked police car while attempting an undercover purchase of a Tec-9 assault pistol on Staten Island. The case was significant not just because two officers had died but because the man who was eventually charged with the murders, Ronell Wilson, faced the possibility of becoming the first person in more than fifty years to be executed for a crime in New York State. The government’s theory was that Wilson, who was with an accomplice in the back seat of the car, shot the detectives during a robbery attempt. Among the evidence retrieved from the crime scene were hundreds of hairs and fibres, and prosecutors enlisted Lisa Faber, a criminalist and the supervisor of the N. Y. P. D. crime lab’s hair-and-fibre unit, to testify at Wilson’s trial, last winter. Under questioning in Brooklyn federal court, Faber said that she had compared samples of fabric from the detectives’ car with fibres found on gloves, jeans, and a baseball cap that Wilson had allegedly been wearing on the night of the crime. The prosecutor asked Faber to describe the methods and equipment she had used to make her analysis. Then she asked Faber what she had found. â€Å"My conclusion is that all of those questioned fibres could have originated from the interior of the Nissan Maxima, from the seats, and/or the backrests,† Faber said. She added that in her field â€Å"the strongest association you can say is that ‘it could have come from’ † the source in question. Faber’s testimony was careful and responsible—and not very significant. She could not say how common the automobile fabric that she had examined is, or how many models and brands use it. Nor could she say how likely it was that the fabric from the car would show up on Wilson’s clothes. Faber used no statistics, because there was no way to establish with any precision the probability that the fibres came from the detectives’ car. DNA tests had proved that blood from one of the detectives was on Wilson’s clothes, and based on this fact, as well as on testimony from his accomplice and from Faber, Wilson was convicted and sentenced to death. â€Å"Given how much evidence they had in the case, I wasn’t crucial,† Faber told me. The prosecutors liked the idea of fibre evidence in addition to everything else. Maybe they thought the jury would like it because it was more ‘CSI’-esque. †(thecsieffect) The fibres could have come from a different car and was not enough proof to prove the case, but due to the television show like CSI and others. The jury thought of the evidence as an open and shut case. Later on there was a sur vey taking asking were the decision that the jury gave influence by CSI and most of the jury said yes. This was a case were the prosecutors took a gamble and won. Most cases do not end like this. Most case there is not enough evidence to back up the case. The CSI Effect is only a theory, which means there are not enough facts to back up this case but enough intelligence for some facts to stand. For every sentence that is handed out because of evidence pointing in the direction of guilty, another case is a not guilty verdict due to lack of evidence. Some may say that television hit show CSI is the cause, but some may say that it is not the case. I say, with great detective work and as much evidence that one can gather, this CSI theory would not even be up for debate.

Sexual Deviances Essay examples -- Papers

Sexual Deviances Sexual disorders are categorized into three general groups. The groups are sexual dysfunctions, sexual deviations, and homosexuality. These are not necessary abnormal, but what is considered out of the norm by either the mental health establishment, or society, or both. The first group, sexual dysfunctions, have increased significantly over the last decade. Which, in turn, has increased the progress in the study and treatment of sexual dysfunctions. One important aspect that came out of William masters and Virginia Johnson’s research is classifying the various forms of dysfunctions. Closely related is Kaplan’s system which groups sexual dysfunctions according to the phase in the sexual response cycle in which they occur. There are three phases in the sexual response cycle. The first one, called the desire phase, involves sexual fantasies and interest in sexual activity. Failure to feel this in either a man or woman is called hypoactive sexual desire. The second phase is called the excitement phase. In this phase, the sexual fantasy, or encounter is usually followed by physiological changes. The absence or weakness of these responses is called erectile dysfunction (or impotence) in men, and general sexual dysfunction in women. The third phase is called the orgasm phase. This is the phase of sexual response. If the man is unable to exert control, and ejaculates very quickly, this is called premature ejaculation. If, on the other hand, ejaculation is greatly delayed, or does not happen at all, this is called retarded ejaculation. A delay or absence of orgasm in women is called orgastic dysfunction. There are two more types of sexual dysfunction that do not fit comp... ... called ego-dystonic homosexuality, and it does not include people who are suffering from adjustment problems because the society they live in do not accept their sexuality. While the human sexual impulse is capable of gratification through a wide range of outlets, Western society tends to regard heterosexual coitus as the only normal outlet. In the years to come this might differ slightly, due to the rapidly changing ideas of the modern world. Opening the doors of thought will lead minds into knew ways of thinking, which in turn shows the youth of tomorrow not to be ashamed of who they are. Bibliography: Acocella, Joan Ross. Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspectives. New York: Random House. 1972. Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Santa Barbara City College: West Publishing Company. 1977.

Literature Reveiw About Ethics and Organic Food Essay

Since the last ten years, the fastest growing sector in the food industry has been the organic food. Organic food are certified by labels that ensure that they are produced without pesticides and antibiotics and that they preserve the environment with the use of renewable resources (Organic Produce Export Committee, 2002, cited Lea and Worsley, 2005). In France, the AB label ensures that at least 95% of the production is organic and compels the producers to state clearly the origin and the method of production (CSA Agence Bio, 2006). In France in 2006, 43% of the population has consumed organic product at least once a month which corresponds to an increase of 6% since 2003. The growth rate of organic consumption is about 10 percent per year since 1999. (CSA Agence Bio,2006). Abroad, the same phenomena occurs, and organic, even if it represented no more than 3% of total food consumption in Europe (Soil Association 2000, cited in Aarset et al. 2004) appears to be real trend that will growth over time. This mainstream has been strengthening by the BSE scandal and the controversy about the genetically modified food effects. Regarding this postulate, researchers and marketers began to study the organic consumer in the late 90’s. It is very important for food providers to understand why the consumers purchase this new kind of food. In our study, we chose to focus on the determination of consumers’ profiles as well as their motives to act. Most of the studies we discuss emphasized on the determination of consumers profiles in term of socio-demographic factors related to their attitudes or motivation. But we can wonder if those factors are sufficient in order to give a global understanding of the organics buyers. The research problem is here to define which factors influence the organic food consumption, and to understand their inter-relationship in a global context of food consumption. In a first part, we will try to understand the impact on culture on consumption and then the need to look at each country particularly. Then we will discuss the main factors that influence the consumers that is to say: attitudes, values and motivations (combined with socio-demographic factors). Eventually, we will present and analyse the research we decided to base our study on in order to develop the constructs and the propositions of the conceptual framework. 1Market development and cultural factors. 1. 1Culture influences the food choice. The most primary factor that gives a direction to an individual is certainly is culture or region of origin. Solomon (1991, chap 15) defines it as â€Å"a society’s personality†. It’s the sharing among a population of traditions, norms, beliefs and attitudes in one country or in one specific region. Culture is the first socio-demographic factor that would affect the decision to purchase. Socio-demographic factors (Mac Carthy and Perreault, 1990, p79-81) are the dimensions that affect the consumer act of purchase in a specific consumption context. The typical ways to segment and define consumers are presented in the exhibit 1: the socio-demographic factors. Regarding this postulate, we can assume that the behaviour will be different from a country to another. For instance, Aarset et. Al (2004) highlighted that from a country to another, organic products are not seen to be the same even if they are. Thus, they compared the meaning of â€Å"organic† and the perception of labelling system in France, Germany, Norway and UK. The study highlights the fact that these notions are unclear and clouded for the consumer and that different countries perceived them in different ways. The two tables below resume the cross-national comparison: Table 1: The definition of â€Å"organic† in the five countries (Aarset et. al, 2004): France GermanyNorwaySpainUK ?Natural ?Limited Human intervention? High welfare ?Natural ?Environmentally kind? Characterised by confusion and ambivalence ? Natural? Ecological and natural ?Non-use of pesticides ?Not environmentally damaging? freedom from artificial inputs ? limiting environment damage Table 2: The perception of the labelling system: (Aarset et. al, 2004) France GermanyNorwaySpainUK ?Easily duped ?Legislative system required at the EU level ?Aware of â€Å"Bio† label ?Trust the AB system? Spectical consumers ?Unfamiliar with labels ?Limited knowledge of regulations? Sceptical labelling as gimmick ? Limited knowledge of regulations? Labels should reflect quality ? Ignorant about current labels? Limited knowledge of regulations ?Trust government certifications? Should be free from government inputs ? Sceptical ?Unfamiliar ?Limited knowledge of regulations More specially, Beharrel and Mac Fie (1991, cited in Squires et. al, 2001) showed that the motivations and the attitudes towards organic food were country specific. People are influenced by their society and by their way of life inside. Furthermore, longitudinal studies (Douglas and Wildavsky, 1982 and Davies et al. 1995, cited in Squires et. al, 2001) show that behaviour evolves over time. In this way in the first study Irish consumers ranked environmental concerns at the top and four years later, the same concern was equally cited by consumers with health concern (Squires et al. 2001). 1. 2The level of development of the country market influences organic food choice 1. 2. 1A cross- national study of Danish and New-Zealand organic consumers. A cross-national study made by Squires et. al (2001) compares the behaviour of Danish and New-Zealand organic consumer regarding the level of organic food market development. Denmark is considered to be a mature market where organic food products are well implemented and New-Zealand is seen as a novice one. Lampkin (1992, cited in Squires et al. 2001) established that in a mature market, environment is the most important motive to consume organic products. The range, the prices and the availability will also have an impact on sales. The study about Danes and New Zealanders confirms these findings. Thus, New-Zealanders who are health focused, tend to be more heavy consumers of organic food, while for Danes the same motivation appear to be not significant. Environmentally friendly and green consumers are more likely to be heavy consumers of organic food products in Denmark. Finally, the research paper highlights that the macro-environment has an impact. For instance, Danish health and care system is well developed so we can assume that they don’t seek at first to protect their bodies but that they are more focus on environmental concern as Denmark is one of the most â€Å"green country†. Squires et al. (2001) advocates that study should take into account the macro-environment of countries studies as well as the market development concerning the organic food market. The stage of development of the industry in the life-cycle is also a predictor of moderators of organic consumption. These factors should be considered when hypotheses and propositions are made about one specific country and its organic food consumption trends. 1. 2. 2The moderators of consumption depend on the market development Tarkiainen and Sundqvist (2005) investigated the two major barriers of organic food consumption: the price and the availability of products (Tregear et al, 1994; Magnusson et al. 2001, cited in Tarkiainen and Sundqvist, 2005). The price is a barrier when the product has no special added value for the buyer (Roddy et al. 1996, cited in Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). Generally, the willingness to pay differs from the range of products, for instance 52% of German accept to pay more for fresh products and 34% for animal products like meat ( Meier-Ploeger and Woodward, 1999, cited in Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). A priori, these moderators would have an impact everywhere and would have an influence in the country studied, Finland (Tarkiainen and Sundqvist, 2005). Actually, the hypotheses that the price and availability of products were both rejected by the study. Indeed, the range of products analysed (breads) were not price premium compared to conventional bread. Furthermore, it appears that there is no availability issue and no short supply in Finland as the market is well implemented in this country. If we look at the same factors in Spain, (Sanjuan et al. 2003), it showed that in Spain, the price has a strong impact on the consumption of organic food. Thus, the willingness to pay was below the actual difference between organic and conventional products. It also stated that the willingness to pay was different among different range of products, for example, Spanish are more ready to buy at a price premium if they are considering fresh products. In the same way, a Greek survey (Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002) about purchasing motives and organic food illustrated that the availability of products was the main barriers as the choice and the number of retailers are very limited. As Conclusion, we can state that culture as well as market development are important factors when considering the consumption of organic food. As far as the situation is different country by country, it is interesting to study behaviours in specific situation. Culture and market development are not the only determinants that will influence the behaviour regarding organic products. Socio-demographic factors will also influence the decision making process of organic consumer. These factors can be combined with values, attitudes and/or motivations in order to design different consumer profiles. We the next parts, we will discuss the impact of these determinants in the organic food consumption. 2The attitudes that influence consumer 2. 1Attitudes and the Theory of Planned Behaviour 2. 1. 1Attitudes Attitudes are different from values because they concern objects like a behaviour, a person, an idea or a thing. Attitudes are the expression of the thinking in a precise situation. Attitudes are judged through our values. (Antonides and Raajj, 1998, p. 138). The attitude is central to the model of â€Å"values-attitudes-behaviour† where â€Å"the influence should theoreotically flow from abstract values to mid-range attitudes to specific behaviour† (Homer and Kahle, 1988; cited in Soyoen and Eastlick, 1998). As we will see next, attitudes are central in the context of ethical choices. 2. 1. 2The Theory of Planned Behaviour and consumers ethics 2. 1. 2. 1The presentation of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The theory of reasoned action (TRA), developed Ajzen and Fishbein in 1980, is a value-attitude-behavior’s framework where the objective is to understand which factors would influence the consumer in an ethical context. The model is based on the fact that behaviour is a direct function of Intention where intention is built in function of attitude and subjective norm. Intention to purchase are considering to be good determinant of the behaviour (Honkanen et al. 2006). Furthermore it concerns a rational decision making process where an individual has control. The attitude is made by the sum of individuals’ beliefs and the evaluation of those beliefs. In the same way, the subjective norm is the sum of two elements: -â€Å"individuals beliefs that important to other think they should or not should perform the behaviour question† -â€Å"The motivation to comply with other†. In 1985, Adjzen added a new variable, the perceived behavioural control. This theory is widespread supported by researchers (Ajzen, 1991), but it is stated that additional predictors could be included in the model if there are significant to forecast consumer behaviour. Figure 2 : The theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) 2. 1. 2. 2The relationship between TPB and food choice behaviour. In 1994, Thompson et. al (1998)analyzed the food behaviour with the TPB model in the context of growing consumption of olive oil in United Kingdom. The constructs of perceived behaviour control was removed because Spark et al. (1995, cited in Thompson et. al, 1994) stated that the olive oil usage was not â€Å"significantly impeded†. In this case of olive oil, the model was significant and confirmed that TPB is well adapted to food consumption (Saegert and Young,1983 ; Towler and Shepherd, 1992 : cited in Thompson et. al, 1994). Additionally, the study showed that attitudes is a powerful predictor and explain the major part of the behaviour. It emphasizes that olive consumption is mainly due to the willingness to improve the taste of salad. Furthermore, the subjective norms play a minor role in the model, and reveals to be not significant. This fact is due the low involvement of consumers in the act of eating or drinking. The consumption of organic food is more involved act as it reflects the life-style and the values of an individual. In the next study, we will see that subjective norm plays a key role when it’s integrated in the model as antecedents of attitudes. 2. 2The TPB in the context of organic food consumption 2. 2. 1The importance of subjective norms as antecedents of values. The research conducted by Tarkiainen and Sundqvist (2005) looks at the subjective norms and attitudes that influence the organic food consumption in Finland. As we emphasized previously, the perceived control behaviour as â€Å"price† and availability were found not significant. The most important finding of this study is the integration in the model of subjective norms as an antecedent of attitudes. As we said before, the subjective norms were often viewed as non significant because of the low-involvement in the food and drink consumption. However, Chang (1998), Sherphed and O’Keefe (1984), Shimp and Kavas (1984) and Vallerland et al. (1992) (cited in Tarkiainen and Sundqvist 2005) demonstrated that subjective norms were significant when the decision is related to an ethical context and when there are placed as antecedents of attitudes. The result of the study illustrated the importance of the behaviour in relation with others thinking. Furthermore, the specific attitude took into account in the study that is to say the health consciousness, is not sufficient in order to explain attitudes. The authors advise that further studies should look at several motives/beliefs to explain attitudes as environment concern. The next study we will discuss considers more variables in the model of TPB. 2. 2. 2The multivariate modelling approach of ethical consumer choice. Using the theory of planned behaviour, Shaw and Shiu (2003) explored the important factors that occur in the context of organic food shopping. They proposed a study based on self-interest factors. In this way, they added two constructs in the primary theory: the self-identity and ethical obligation. Ethical obligation refers to ethical beliefs that would represent a person’s beliefs of what is good or bad. Self-identity can be defined as â€Å"the pertinent part of an individual’s self that relates to a particular behaviour† (Shaw and Shiu, 2002). As Shaw and Shiu stated in 2000, these construct have an impact on the consumer behaviour in an ethical context and have been neglected before. Figure 3: Modified theory of Planned behaviour (Shaw and Shiu, 2003) This model was validated through a structural equation modelling in order to predict the behaviour of organic consumer. The study explains 52% percent of the actions of them. The theory of planned behaviour gives the opportunity to have more insight that a classical socio-demographic analysis which usually defines the consumer profile (Shaw and Shiu, 2003). However some factors remain unexplained (48%) and authors proposed to look at values that would influence the behaviour in order to understand which ones are underlying the self-identity and ethical obligation. In another hand, the study emphasized that information and emotions are very important in the ethical decision making (Shaw and Clark, 1999, cited in Shaw and Shiu, 2003). In the next step, we will focus on the values that influence the consumer decision process in the context of organic food shopping. 3The relationship between Values and organic consumption 3. 1Presentation and meaning of values The concept of values is defined as what is behind attitudes and behaviour of an individual in the context of organisation, institutions and society (M. Rockeach, 1973). Personal values are known to explain consumers’ behaviour in very broad situations (Rockeach, 1973). Personal values are defined by Schwartz and Bilsky (1987, cited in Steenhaut, 2006) as â€Å"concept or beliefs about desirable end states or behaviours that transcend specific situations, guide selection or evaluation of behaviour and events, and are ordered by relative importance†. Milton Rockeach (1973) developed a wide range of values which are divided into two categories: the instrumental and the terminal one. The 36 kinds of different values are presented in the exhibit 2: Instrumental and terminal values defined by M. Rockeach (1973, chap 3). Based on the work of M. Rockeach, Schwartz (1992, cited in Schwartz 2001) developed ten groups of values within a circular structure where the set of values is linked to each other. These ten groups of values are (Schwartz, 2001): -Self-direction -Stimulation -Achievement -Hedonism -Security -Benevolence -Universalism. -Conformity -Power -Tradition For the detailed meaning of each value, please refer to the exhibit 3: Definitions of type of values and items that represent and measure them (Schwartz, 2001). According to Schwartz (2001), values can be antagonist or congruent to each other. The circular pattern above shows the relationship between the ten groups. If two values are near, they tend to be congruent and if they are at the opposite, they are in conflict. Two axes resume the scheme: â€Å"Self-enhancement versus self transcendence opposes power and achievement to universalism and benevolence values. Openness to change to versus conservatism opposes the self-direction and stimulation values to security and conformity. † (Schwartz, 2001) Figure 4: The relationship among 10 motivational types of values. 3. 2Exploring the organic food consumption towards the Schwartz Value Survey In the aftermath of the result of the Theory of Planned Behaviour applied to organic food consumers, authors (Shaw et al. , 2005) investigated the pertinence of personal values in the same context. They used the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) explained above. The result of the study can be summarizes in the following table: Table 3: Values that are important in an ethical point of view (from Shaw et al. 2005) Groups of ValuesSpecific items related to an ethical issues AchievementInfluential: people are drive by ethical obligation and want to influence others. SecurityHealthy: people want to eat and drink something that would protect or at least not harm themselves BenevolenceHelpful: want to have information for staff Honest: relationship based on trust UniversalismEquality and social justice: protection and welfare of all people Protecting the environment: preserving the nature. In addition to the SVS, authors defined three values that were important for choosing organic food: the capitalism as a negative one, consumer power and the animal welfare as positive one. In conclusion, values are not all meaningful and were inappropriate to study the ethical consumer. The most important finding is that the universalism values are the most relevant one in this specific context. A second study investigates the personal values combined with the Hunt-Vitell scheme as we will see now. 3. 3Relationship between personal values, ethical ideology and ethical beliefs. The Hunt-Vitell theory examines the judgment and the evaluation of an ethical problem of an individual. In this review of consumer ethics, Vitell (2003) emphasized that two major factors influence the evaluation of consumers: the idealism and the relativism. After a presentation about the model that will be used, we will discuss the purpose of the research paper. 3. 3. 1Hunt-Vitell theory of ethics Hunt and Vitell (1986) developed a model that’s studying the decision making process of an individual when (s)he is facing an ethical issue. When a person is in front an issue, (s)he has alternatives that he can chose. These â€Å"perceived alternatives† are evaluated thanks to two ways of analysis: the deontological and the teleological point of view. The deontological evaluation concentrates on the evaluation of the behaviour itself and compares the evaluation of alternatives in term of wrongness or rightness. This is directly related to personal norms and beliefs that a person develops. The teleological evaluation focuses on the consequences of the alternatives, and wants to state if it’s good or bad to take one decision. It contains four major constructs: -â€Å"the perceived consequences of each alternatives for various stakeholders, -The probability that each consequence will occur to each stakeholder, -The desirability or lack of desirability of each consequence, -The importance of each stakeholder group† (Hunt and Vitell, 1986, p. 9). These predictors sum up together, build the ethical judgment of an individual which is turned into intention to behave and into behaviour. Finally, we also have a predictor called â€Å"Situational Constraints† which is related to the macro-environment that could impact the behaviour (eg.opportunity). The concept established that four areas will impacted the perceived ethical issue, alternatives and consequences: -The cultural environment -The personal characteristics -The industry environment -The organizational environment. As we can see Hunt and Vitell theory is a global concept that occurs in businesses related situation, however if we remove the constructs related to a professional situation, this model is valid to study the consumer behaviour (Scott J. Vitell, 2003). Figure 1: the Hunt and Vitell theory without professional situational predictors (Hunt and Vitell, 1986). 3. 3. 2Findings about the relationship between personal values, ethical beliefs and ethical ideology The purpose of the research done by Steenhaut and Kenhove (2006) was to examine the influence and the impact of individual personal values priorities in the ethical judgment. To do so, they used the Hunt-Vitell theory combined with the Schwartz Value Survey (Schwartz, 1994, cited in Steenhaut and Kenhove, 2006). To measure the ethical beliefs, they use the Consumer Ethics Scale developed and validated by Vitell and Muncy (1992, cited in Vitell 2003). This scale looked at the reactions of consumers in front of ethical questionable actions (e. g. the reaction facing a passive benefit at the expense of others). The study found that idealism was determinant: more a consumer is attached to tradition, security and conformity; the more likely he is to act ethically. Furthermore, more a consumer is attached to universalism and benevolence (self-transcendent), the more is likely to act ethically. ? Two major types of values are important in an ethical context. The universalism and benevolence (self-transcendent) are the most important values in the context of organic food shopping. These findings can’t explain a lot of the behaviour (no more than 10% in Shaw et al. 2006), so we propose that more specific values related to food choices and ethical behaviour have to be studied. ?These findings give the opportunity to marketer to stress their communication actions on values that care for organic consumers. However, personal values are only an indirect linked to the consumer behaviour, and it is noticed in the both studies (Shaw et al. 2006 and Steenhaut and Kenhove, 2006) illustrated that personal values are not enough to predict ethical decision making process especially in the context of organic shopping. Even if self-transcendent values need to be studied in the case of organic food consumption, it’s just a set of explanation. These values are to general and are shared by people in a culture (Honkanen et al. 2006) so it appears that different ways to investigate the relationship between values and organic food consumption should be discussed. In the next part, we will investigate countrywide surveys that have explored the organic consumers. They take into account more variables like socio-demographic factors, beliefs and motives regarding organic consumption. 4Analyzing the organic consumers through their motivation and their socio-demographic factors 4. 1What are the main motivations towards organic consumption? 4. 1. 1The health motives Most of the researches done on organic consumers’ state that the most important factor that influences the decision to purchase is the health (Fagerli and Wandel 1999, Rozin et al. 1999, cited in Magnusson et al. 2003). Even if there are no clear evidence that organic food consumption is healthier than the conventional one, this factor is generally ranked at the top. 4. 1. 2The environmentally friendly consumers/ Concern for the environment is the other one most important motive to purchase organic products. In this case, people want to act in order to protect the environment, the nature and more generally the â€Å"eco-system†. These consumers also care about the pollution, the usage of non renewable resources and species preservations. (McEachern and McClean,2002). The animal welfare is also a motivation for environmentally friendly consumers. 4. 1. 3The food safety One of the reasons for seeking food safety (Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002) is related to recent food scandal like the BSE crisis in UK and all over Europe. People are looking for better quality and safety in order to protect themselves and that include organic products. Furthermore, the genetically modified food appears to be risky for a range of consumers , they would have positive thinking about organics compared to negative thoughts about GM (Rimal et al. 2005). 4. 1. 4The taste of the product Consumers often see organic products as more tasty compared to the conventional one because they are made in smaller quantities and wider varieties (Davis et al. 1995, cited in Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). Taste’s rating is high in country like UK and Germany (Meier-Ploeger and Woodward, 1999 cited in Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). It seems that it is one of the top five factors of motivation for buying. Nevertheless it appears that there is no scientific evidence of the higher taste of organics and it seems that the beliefs of the consumers are divergent from the reality (Hutchins and Greenhalg, 1997, cited in Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002) 4. 1. 5The confidence on food industry The study of Squires et al. (2001) showed that less an individual is confident in the conventional food industry, the more likely he is to purchase organic food. That seems logical as if a consumer is scared about conventional food, we will seek for other alternatives including organics. As we stated that there are differences between consumer profiles and habits according to the country of origin and it would be interesting to emphasize these divergences. In the next part, consumers are studied according to their purchase behaviour (intensity) thanks to the combination of motivations with socio-demographics factors. In this way, we will discuss the behaviour on several countries and try to analyse if these factors are suuficient to well understand organic consumers. 4. 2The consumers’ profiles by countries 4. 2. 1. 1? in France According to the barometer made by CSA Agence Bio in 2006, 4 out 10 people consume organic products at least once a month and that 7% consume it every week. The motives of French consumers have evolved over time and are: -The protection of the environment -The health concern -The food safety -The taste and the quality. Furthermore, the availability of the products is seen as a moderator for 19% of the population. The willingness to pay more is well accepted as consumers think that is normal to pay more for higher quality standard products like organics. The products that are the more consumed are fresh, diary, and meat items. In this study, we don’t have any information about the socio-demographic profiles about consumers as well as their values. 4. 2. 1. 2? in Australia The research of Lea and Worsley (2005) scrutinize the relationship between personal values, beliefs and socio-demographics factors in order to understand the organic consumers in Australia. They use a 12 items scale about beliefs and organic food, a 14 items scale about the self-transcendence personal values adapted from Schwartz Value Survey and a 13 items scale (age, sex, income and education) to perform their questionnaire. The results are summarized in the following table: ValuesBeliefs and MotivesModeratorsDemo. Profile The values are positively related to organic purchases. They explain only 8% of the variance in the study-Health -Taste -environmentThe expense and the availability are the major moderators as expected. 50% mistrust the organic labelling systemMore women compare to men a likely to purchase. The other factors were not significant. The profile which is more likely to purchase is a female who strongly care about nature and equality. The study suggest that not only socio-demographic and personal values factors influence the decision to purchase and that future research should look the perceived consequences of the act of buying and other concrete attribute like taste or colour. 4. 2. 1. 3? in New-Zealand The purpose of the study developed by Squires et al. (2001) was to investigate the cross-influences of the health, environmentally concerns, and the confidence in conventional food in the consumption in New-Zealand and in Denmark. The findings about the New-Zealanders are shown in the following table: Beliefs and MotivesGeneral ProfileDemo. Profile -Health -Environment -Less trust in conventional in food ind. ? + towards organics. Personal eco-identity profile: worried person about the mankind and about environmental disaster would buy more. More female, older people and more rural and suburbs consumers consume organic products. 4. 2. 1. 4? in Denmark According to the same study (Squires et al. 2001), Danes’ profile of organic consumers are: Beliefs and MotivesGeneral ProfileDemo. Profile -Environment -Health -Mistrust in conventional in food ind. ? + towards organics. Green Self-perception profile: care about the environment and its protection at first. More female, older people and live in cities. The authors advise for further research to look at more motivation factors in order to give more insights about the organic consumers. 4. 2. 1. 5? in Sweden The research made in Sweden by Magnusson et al. (2003) deals only with the two main factors that influence the organic decision to purchase, the human health and the environment and their consequences on the consumer. They design a study based on four organic types of product with two different scales: -Questions about the frequency, attitudes, availability and beliefs about organic products. -Questions about the 17 possible consequences of buying organic food in general. They find out that the consequences of the act of buying are strongly related to environment and health well-being. The Swedish are motivated by health concern in the intention and frequency to purchase and young female tend to be the most likely to consume organic product. They also state that the environmental concern is an altruistic motive and that the health concern is more an egoistic motive (I want the well-being for my relatives and me at first). Swedish who have a strong green behaviour regarding recycling for instance, have more self-centred motives for buying organic food. It can be explain by the fact that recycling or green behaviour require less involvement are easier to do everyday.? This study emphasizes the need to analyse the organic consumer in a wider way with the inclusion of his/her behaviour regarding other â€Å"green† or â€Å"ethic† activities. With the inclusion of these variables, research would have the capacity to state if other green behaviours are related or have an impact on the consumption of organics. 4. 2. 1. 6? in Greece The Greek market is a novice one regarding the consumption of organic products, and Fotopoulos and Krystallis (2002) want give information about consumers in the country and investigate ways to cluster different consumers according to their behavio.

Tina Harben Essay

Outcome 1 know how to recognise signs of abuse. 1: 1 Define the following types of abuse. †¢ Physical abuse Physical abuse involving contact planned to cause bodily harm, feelings of intimidation, other physical suffering or injury †¢ Sexual abuse Sexual abuse is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another †¢ Emotional/psychological abuse Emotional/psychological abuse may involve threats or actions to cause mental or physical harm; humiliation; violation †¢ Financial abuse Financial abuse is the illegal or unauthorised use of a person’s money, property, pension book or other valuables. †¢ Institutional abuse Institutional abuse involves failure of an organisation to provide appropriate and professional individual services to vulnerable people. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behavior that amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, stereotyping and rigid systems. †¢ Self neglect Self-neglect is a behavioral condition in which an individual neglects to  attend to their basic needs, such as personal hygiene, feeding, clothing, or medical conditions they might have. †¢ Neglect by others Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which the wrongdoer is responsible to provide care, for someone, who is unable to care for oneself, but fails to provide adequate care to meet their needs. Neglect may include failing to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, medical care or other needs. 1: 2 Identify the signs/or symptoms associated with each type of abuse. Signs and symptoms may include:   Physical abuse—- broken bones, bruises, pressure marks, abrasions, and burns Sexual abuse—–Bruises around the breasts or genital area, as well as unexplained bleeding around the genital area and pregnancy Emotional abuse—- changes in behavior, withdrawal from normal activities, and unusual depression. Financial abuse—– No money, food, clothes, large withdrawals of money from the bank†¦

California Government Structure Essays

California Government Structure Essays California Government Structure Essay California Government Structure Essay Structure of California’s Government Headed by the governor of the state, the state govt. of CA replicates the Federal govt. It has three branches that perform their assigned tasks and keep within the limits set by the constitution. These branches are: Legislature Executive Judiciary While this division has been created to give structure to the government and ensure its smooth and effective functioning, there is, more importantly, the need to keep the power of the branches in check and to make them accountable to each other. There is a system of ‘checks and balances’ that comes into play with this segregation of duties and separation of power. This system’s inception has been attributed to Montesquieu. (Wikipedia. org) Governor The governor is the head of the state and commander of the state’s militia, and he is the supreme executive power (ca. gov). He addresses the legislature with the state address at the beginning of the session, informing the body of the situation, the needs, and the recommendations for legislative action. He can require, by proclamation, a â€Å"special session† of the legislature to act on subjects specially specified by him. He also presents the legislature with the proposed budget and can refuse to sign a bill that can only become a law with his approval. Here again he is limited in his ‘veto’ power because he can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. (Capitol museum. gov) Legislature CA has a ‘bicarmel’ legislature, i. e. it has two separate legislative chambers, the Senate (40 members) and the Assembly (80 members). While the senators stand guard to the ‘liberty of the commonwealth’, the assembly members are bound to passing just laws that ‘represent and protect all the citizens of CA’. Both senators and assembly members do most of their work in committees (policy, rules, joint, special, and fiscal), and Legislators analyze, consult, debate, and hear testimony from both private and public interests on every bill. †Bicarmelism† is intended to reduce the ‘relative’ power of the legislature by having â€Å"different modes of election and different principles of action† (an argument instituted against the Seventeenth Amendment) Executive Responsible for administering and enforcing the law in the state, this branch is headed by the governor and comprises of many state departments that are headed by elected, appointed, and hired officials. Passing of a Bill To truly understand the process undergone and the roles played by the legislature and the executive to make a bill a law, let us examine the recent BILL NUMBER: AB 38 introduced on December 4, 2006, which was signed by the governor on 9/27/2008 and would become effective legislation on January 1, 2009. ( leginfo. a. gov) The actions of the senate and the assembly, hearings, debates, amendments, voting are evident in the timeline of the bill in the legislature: Signed by the Governor (executive head) of CA on September 27, 2008 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 21, 2008 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 29, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 11, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 4, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 17, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 6, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 14, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 1, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 8, 2007 These dates and stages are a clear indication of the fact that the actual legislation is shaped and polished in the legislature, and that the executive body has little to contribute to its becoming a law. Veto power is certainly a resort, but it gives limited maneuverability to the governor. This is an example of cooperation of the two branches. â€Å"Assembly Bill 38 merges the Governors Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Office of Homeland Security (OHS) into a single, streamlined cabinet-level agency and legislation that enhances emergency assistance to disaster victims. † ( oes. ca. gov/) Gubernatorial Power California’s laws limit this power to a large extent with regard to the legislature. A study conducted by Dr. Thad Beyle (Politics in American States – Comparative Analysis) examines gubernatorial power in various areas of function in the 50 states and has compiled the data of those states for certain terms. The governor of CA has maintained a strong position in some areas while vacillating in some, or displaying a considerable decline in others. Using a scale of 1-5 in which 5 is the strongest, statistics maybe examined to see changes / typical / trends in CA 2000 to 2007 Governor’s Budget Power: 3 Governor’s Veto Power: 5 Governor’s Institutional Power: 3. 2 (3. 4 in 2000) The Governor Rating in the year 2000 placed CA’s governor at an overall rating of 3. 4 and a rank of 29 among the nation. What is interesting to note is the rating given to ‘Power of the Legislature to Change Governor’s Budget’ which was 1 on a 1 5 scale in a study conducted by Dr. Thad Beyle. This shows the CA governor as wielding a certain amount of influence in the legislature’s passing of his proposed budget, Of course, the constitution mandates that the budget be balanced and, if not, then the previous year’s budget remain effective. This already puts limitations and expectations in the budget’s formulation. Executive Order Another form of legislation is an executive order. Executive orders as issued by state governors are not laws, but do have the same binding nature. An example of specific power that is vested in the governor and that may not be overridden unless it is in conflict with the Article of the constitution is an Executive order that he can issue in case of an urgent need, Sometimes these orders may become laws. In the face of the economic crisis, drought situations, and emergencies, the governor of CA has issued several orders. ttp://www. californiaprogressreport. com/2008/07/schwarzenegger_81. html December 20, 2008 Controller John Chiang today issued the following statement in response to Governor Schwarzenegger’s executive order to implement furloughs and layoffs: â€Å"This is one of many painful results stemming from the inability of the Governor and Legislature to agree on respon sible solutions†¦. † (Giving a clear view of difference of opinion between the executive and the legislature. ) The order was implemented and the offices are closed on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month. aliforniaprogressreport. com/2008/12/democrats_respo. html March 12, 2009 The California Universal Health Care Act is nearly identical to legislation (SB 840) that was introduced in 2007 by former Senator Sheila Kuehl. The California Legislature passed SB 840 in 2008, but it was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (This legislation would be along the lines of the Obama administration’s plans for healthcare. It will be interesting to watch the outcome since the earlier veto held good. ) californiaprogressreport. com/2009/03/new_bill_by_mar. html July 31, 2008 ttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Executive_order_(United_States) In an executive order that is part of the 2009-10 proposed budget, Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to cut down the salaries of 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage in the face of the economic crisis. Here we see an excellent example of executive-legislative balance of power. To quote the governor’s response to criticism from the workers, Californians, and elected Democrats,† I have to make sure that we pay our bills and that we have the money. So, there is an executive order that I will be signing on Thursday. The governor also spurned the disapproval of the State Controller Democratic John Chiang for this order, and in reaction to the statement of Democratic State Controller John Chiang regarding the absence of the Governor’s legal authority to make this order and to have the State Controller’s Office comply with it, the Governor said, â€Å"Look, the Controller has his opinion of what he wants to do. He is a constitutional officer and he runs his office his way. I think the law is very clear that he has to follow through and do exactly what our executive order says. We hope that we all work together. †} californiaprogressreport. com/2008/07/schwarzenegger_81. html At this point the Democratic State Controller has used the last effective resort. To seek support from the citizens. John Garamendi, California’s Democratic Lieutenant Governor wrote a letter statement asking the Governor to see it from the perspective of the workers: â€Å"I write to you today regarding the proposed executive order to reduce the minimum wage of 200,000 of Californias state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6. 5 an hour. â€Å"As you contemplate signing this executive order, please ask yourself how would you feed and care for your family on $262 per week ($1,048 per month)? How would your hardworking staff fare on these minimal earnings? Could you and your family do it for one week? â€Å"It is our duty, as elected officials of this great State, to find solutions to the many challenging problems that face California, such as the state budget. Th ose solutions should always look to improve the quality of life for all Californians, not impede it. The question arises, is this partisan decision? Are the parties pitting against each other? The answer lies in the statement issued by the Republicans in response to this position of the Governor: â€Å"Republicans understand the urgency of getting the budget done as soon as possible, which is our main focus right now. We are working very hard to avoid drastic measures like the one that is being proposed. Republicans are committed to crafting a responsible budget plan that reforms our broken system while protecting taxpayers. In this case there is a â€Å"multiple disconnect†. The executive order overrides the need for legislators to play a role, the executive body is at loggerheads at even the highest level, and the majority party does not necessarily support the governor’s decision. Based on the statistics from the past years (Dr. Thad Beyle), the governor’s b udget has almost always received a 5 on the 1-5 scale. Since this order is part of the budget, it will be interesting to note the 2009-10 Budget’s passage. Critical Viewpoint In reality, no democratic system can exist with an absolute separation of powers of the complete absence of the same. It is, therefore, a ‘principle’ that these separate bodies are established on, but their true working involves a common ground and liaison. Arguably, there is no real distinction between the two branches. An analogy has been drawn to compare the working relationship of these to that of an architect, a contractor, and an owner. Professor Karl Manheim and Allan Ides claim that â€Å"the separation among the branches is not and never was intended to be airtight†. Loyola Law School) The veto power is their proof in favor of this argument as it is evidence of â€Å"the executive exercising legislative power†. One might also consider the CA governor’s power to proclaim a â€Å"special session† for action on specific subjects as another form of executive ‘control’ over the legislature. In summation, the legislature has th e power and the executive branch the responsibility to ‘preserve, protect, and defend’ the laws and constitution of the United States. Being vassals of the same master they finally do overlap in their service.

Blackberry Research Essay Example

Blackberry Research Essay Example Blackberry Research Essay Blackberry Research Essay The population and samples for the research are identified, describing the type of respondents who will be selected and how he or she will be accessed. The data collection process is presented, in addition to a depiction of the survey format and basic content to be assembled. The distribution of the survey is identified as well as the collection process. Each aforementioned item will contribute to the compilation of a survey to obtain data for insight regarding the decline in revenue, providing data for potential redirection in Berrys strategic planning. Revised Research Questions Based on feedback and updates from previous week, the research questions will need to be geared towards customer usage and decision making when in the market cooking for new phone. Research questions will then further identify the issues RIM is facing and is challenged within its own market/industry. It will further highlight the current situation and provide an overview to the future sales usage implications. Consumer trends of swapping from Blackberry to other smart phones? Based on above research question, RIM product team would be able to compare Blackberry users and tablets. The team will further be able to drill down into why customers would rather use or choose other smartness vs.. Blackberry. Is the ajar player the features of the blackberry or user friendly devices? Furthermore, based on 2nd set of revised research question, product marketing team will be able to analyze the units sold in and around a marketing promotion and advertisement. Wicked an aggressive marketing promotion, lure the new or old customers back to Blackberry? Population Sample Identifier The population would be the general population of smart phone users. The sample will be chosen by randomly calling phone lines and finding out if the users owned or planned to own a semaphore now or within the next 12 months? Additional data would be collected by randomly sampling people at local shopping malls Ana department stores sun as Walter, Best Buy, etc. We wool a De Interested in finding out what it would take for users to choose Blackberry smartness over rival products. We could ask questions in a survey format about whether incorporating certain features and matching rival products on price would make them more likely to switch to Blackberry phones. Examples of questions to include in the survey: (1) if the Blackberry ZOO semaphore offered a wider array of APS than it errantly offers, on a scale of 1-10, how much more likely would you be to choose a Blackberry semaphore over rival products, 1 being highly unlikely, 10 being most likely? 2) If the Blackberry ZOO offered a wider array of features than rival phones but sold at the same price point, how much more likely would you be to choose a Blackberry over rival phones, with 1 being highly unlikely, and 10 being most likely? (3) If the Blackberry ZOO matched major competitors on features and APS but sold at a lower price point, how much more likely would you be to choose a Blackberry smartened over rival products, with 1 being highly unlikely, and 10 being most likely? 4) If the Blackberry ZOO had a wider screen display than it currently has, how much more likely would you be to choose a Blackberry over rival smartness, with 1 being highly unlikely, and 10 being most likely? (Miller, 2013). Data Collection Process Survey Format, Collection Distribution Our survey attempts would be to investigate how customers feel about smartness when it comes to a Blackberry phone or tablet. Well try to uncover whether customers like or dislike various semaphore features, and what triggers heir preferences of choosing smartness. Well compare our customers based on the following demographics to identify different biases. Gender Male or Female Age (1 5 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 and above) Employment status We believe that employed individuals with an age group of 35 and beyond would more likely prefer Blackberry smartness or tablets because the features that are provided in those devices are suitable for people who prefer simplistic business communications. On the other hand, people of the younger age groups seek more entertaining features such as camera, or other APS. We feel that comparing these groups are important because they differ significantly in the amount of importance they potentially place on smartness due to the difference of its features, and for these reasons, theyll indicate the fall of revenue for Blackberry phones and tablets. Our questionnaire will consist of fifteen questions; twelve being opinions on cell phones features, applications and other potentially influencing factors, and three on personal demographics. To understand what affects customers preferences, we felt hat there were several important factors that would influence their choice of smartness and tablets, which would include camera features, music and video APS, GAPS, social networking APS, and device durability. Well distribute our questionnaires for the customers who are buying smartness and tablets. Well use paper based and online formats of questionnaires so that we can also receive feedback from the customers who will purchase smartness or tallest online. I nee survey wall De attachà © Walt purchasing contract for smartness so that customers can answer with the least inconvenience of time. In addition, this would also minimize biases relevant with our demographics. The paper-based surveys will be detached from the purchasing contract immediately upon submission, and will be stored in a box and mailed out to us on our own expense. The online surveys will follow the similar procedure. Only the online survey page will be stored to our team e-mail server. The duration of the survey distribution will be six months. Conclusion References Miller, M. (2013). Retrieved 08 23, 2013, from http:// www. Extent. Com/top-lo-hottest- smartness- of -summer-2013-70000190481.