Causes Of Huntington S Disease Health And Social Care Essay

Huntington ‘s disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant upset ; it affects the nervous system including the encephalon. The symptoms become noticeable in in-between age with gradual loss of motor map and coordination. Degeneration of nervous system is progressive and personality alterations occur. It is the most common familial cause which causes nonvoluntary motions called chorea. This disease is caused by a autosomal dominant mutant in either of an person ‘s two transcripts cistron called Huntingtin. This cistron usually provides the familial information for the a protein called Huntingtin and the mutant in this cistron codes different signifier of proteins which causes harm in specific encephalon country. Any kid of an affected parent has a 50 % opportunity to acquire this disease. In rare state of affairs both of the parents are affected or either parent has two affected transcripts the hazard is greatly increased. Huntington disease is caused by genetically programmed devolution of nerve cells in specific countries of the encephalon. Specifically it affects the nerve cell of basal ganglia ; with in the basal ganglia it affects the striate body, peculiarly those in caudate karyons and globus pallidus which causes uncontrolled motions, loss of rational modules and emotional perturbation. It besides affects the outer surface of the encephalon which controls idea, perceptual experiences and memory. Huntington cistron codifications Huntingtin protein. Part of this cistron is repeated subdivision called trinucleotide which varies in length between individuals and between coevalss. When the repeated subdivision reaches a threshold causes the mutant in the cistron and it can besides do mutant in the protein forms mutant Huntingtin protein. Huntington cistron is located at the short arm of the chromosome 4 at 4p16.3. The cistron contains three bases-cytosine-adenine-guanine ( CAG ) . The mutation of the cistron is associated with the presence of excess CAG trinucleotide repetition near the 5 ‘ terminal. Normal single have 11 to 24 repetitions, but those affected by HD carry 42 to 86 CAG repetitions. Differing map of this protein causes the pathological alterations and symptoms in the patients with this disease. HD is inherited harmonizing to the length of the perennial subdivision of the cistron and its badness can be influenced by the sex of the affected parent. â€Å" [ Each parent has two transcripts of every chromosome but gives merely one transcript to each kid. Each kid of an HD parent has a 50-50 opportunity of inheriting the HD cistron. If a kid does non inherit the HD cistron, he or she will non develop the disease and can non go through it to subsequent coevalss. A individual who inherits the HD cistron, and survives long plenty, will sooner or later develop the disease. In some households, all the kids may inherit the HD cistron ; in others, none do. Whether one kid inherits the cistron has no bearing on whether others will or will non portion the same destiny. A little figure of instances of HD areA sporadic, that is, they occur even though there is no household historyA of the upset. These instances are thought to be caused by a new familial mutation-an change in the cistron that occurs duringA spermA development and that brings the figure of CAG repetitions into the scope that causes disease. ] † ( 2 )Categorization of trinucleotide repetition and ensuing disease position depends on the figure of CAG repetitionsRepeat CountCategorizationDisease Status& lt ; 28 Normal Unaffected 28 – 35 Intermediates Unaffected 36 – 40 Reduced penetrance +/- Affected & gt ; 40 Full penetrance Affected SIGNS & A ; SYMPTOMS Symptoms of HD can get down at any age from babyhood, but it is seen between the ages of 35 and 44 old ages. In the early stages the patient shows personality alterations and alterations in knowledge or physical accomplishments. The physical symptoms are the first to be noticed. The most characteristic symptoms are arrhythmic, uncontrolled authorship motions called chorea. They may exhibit as uncomplete gesture, restlessness, and deficiency of coordination or decelerate oculus motions. These symptoms become more obvious by at least three old ages. The major symptoms like composing gesture, rigidness and unnatural positions appears as the upset progresses. A † [ These are marks that the system in the encephalon that is responsible for motion is affected.A PsychomotorA maps become progressively impaired, such that any action that requires muscle control is affected. Common effects are physical instability, unnatural facial look, and troubles masticating, A swallowingA and speaking.A Eating troubles normally cause weight loss and may take to malnutrition.A Sleep disturbancesA are besides associated symptoms.A Juvenile HD differs from these symptoms in that it by and large progresses faster and chorea is exhibited briefly, if at all, with rigidness being the dominant symptom. SeizuresA are besides a common symptom of this signifier of HD. Cognitive abilities are impaired progressively.A Particularly affected areA executive functionsA which include planning, cognitive flexibleness, A abstract thought, regulation acquisition, originating appropriate actions and suppressing inappropriate actions.A As the disease progresses, A memoryA shortages tend to look. Reported damages range fromA short-run memoryA shortages toA long-run memoryA troubles, including shortages inA episodicA ( memory of one ‘s life ) , A proceduralA ( memory of the organic structure of how to execute an activity ) andA working memory. Cognitive jobs tend to decline over clip, finally taking toA dementedness. This form of shortages has been called a subcortical dementedness syndrome to separate it from the typical effects of cortical dementedness e.g.A Alzheimer ‘s disease. ReportedA neuropsychiatricA manifestations areA anxiousness, A depression, a decreased show of emotions ( blunted affect ) , A egoism, A aggression, andA compulsive behaviour, the latter of which can do or worsenA dependences, includingA alcohol addiction, gaming, andA hypersexuality.A Troubles in acknowledging other people ‘s negative looks have besides been observed. PrevalenceA of these symptoms is besides extremely variable between surveies, with estimated rates for lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disordersA between 33 % and 76 % .A For many sick persons and their households these symptoms are among the most distressful facets of the disease, frequently impacting day-to-day operation and representing ground forA institutionalization.A Suicidal ideas and self-destruction efforts are more common than in the general population. Mutant Huntingtin is expressed throughout the organic structure and associated with abnormalcies in peripheral tissues that are straight caused by such look outside the encephalon. These abnormalcies includeA musculus wasting, A cardiac failure, A impaired glucose tolerance, A weight loss, A osteoporosisA andA testicular wasting. ] † ( 1 ) Diagnosis â€Å" [ AA neurologistA will interview the person intensively to obtain theA medical historyA and regulation outA other conditions. A tool used by doctors to name HD is to take the household history, sometimes called aA lineage or family tree. It is highly of import for household members to be blunt and true with a physician who is taking a household history. The physician will besides inquire about recent rational or emotional jobs, which may be indicants of HD, and will prove the individual ‘s hearing, oculus motions, strength, coordination, nonvoluntary motions ( chorea ) , A esthesis, physiological reactions, balance, motion, and mental position, and will likely order a figure ofA laboratoryA trials every bit good. Peoples with HD normally have damages in the manner the oculus follows or holes on a traveling mark. Abnormalities of oculus motions vary from individual to individual and differ, depending on theA stageA and continuance of the unwellness. ] † ( 2 ) We can besides utilize familial trial for the conformation of HD. Take blood sample of the patient, the trial analysis the Deoxyribonucleic acid for the HD mutant by numbering the figure of perennial CAG in the Huntington cistron. â€Å" [ Persons who do non hold HD normally have 28 or fewer CAG repetitions. Persons with HD normally have 40 or more repetitions. A little per centum of persons, nevertheless, have a figure of repetitions that fall within a marginal part ( see table below ) . ] † ( 2 ) No. of CAG repetitions Result & lt ; 28 Normal scope ; person will non develop HD 28 – 34 Individual will non develop HD ; but following coevals is at hazard 35 – 39 Some but non all ; persons at this scope will develop HD ; following coevals is besides at hazard & gt ; 40 Individual will develop HD Otherwise we can make CT scan and MRI which gives first-class images of the encephalon constructions. The patients with HD show shrinking in the some parts of the encephalon, peculiarly in caudate karyon and putamen and the expansion of fluid filled pits called ventricles. Sometimes a individual can hold early symptoms of HD and still hold normal CT scan. When there is household history and record of clinical symptoms, nevertheless, Ct can be an of import diagnostic tool. Another trial for encephalon imagination is positron emanation imaging ( PET ) which is of import in HD research attempts but non frequently needed for diagnosing.â€Å" [ Coronal FSPGR through the encephalon at the degree of the caudate karyon showing marked decreased volume in maintaining with the patient ‘s known diagnosing ofA Huntington Disease. ] † ( 1 )Treatment We can utilize antipsychotic drugs like Haldol or clonazepam, which may assist to forestall choreic motions and may besides assist to command hallucinations, psychotic beliefs, and violent effusions. But we can non give antipsychotic drugs for musculus contraction associated with HD known as dystonia, and it can decline the status doing rigidness and stiffness. These drugs should be given in the lowest possible doses because it may do terrible side effects including sedation. Fluoxetine, Zoloft, Pamelor can utilize for depression. We can utilize tranquillizers to command anxiousness and Li to battle pathological exhilaration and terrible temper swings. Most of the drugs that we are utilizing treat the symptoms of HD have side effects such as restlessness, weariness or hyperexitability. Some times its really hard to state if a peculiar symptoms such as apathy or incontinency is a mark of the disease or reaction to the medicine CASE STUDYA 40 twelvemonth old adult male complaining of rapid arrhythmic nonvoluntary motion affecting the upper limbs and lower limbs seen by his doctor. The status started about 6 months ago and acquiring increasingly worse. He said that he was highly disquieted about his wellness because his male parent had developed similar symptoms 20 old ages ago and had died in a mental establishment. His married woman told the doctor that he besides suffered from utmost depression and that she had noticed that he had periods of crossness and unprompted behaviour. The doctor made the diagnosing of Huntington ‘s chorea.From the above treatment about the subject Huntington ‘s disease we understood that it ‘s a neurodegenerative familial upset. Peoples born with faulty cistron but the symptoms wo n't demo till the in-between age. Early symptoms of Huntington ‘s disease may include uncontrolled motions, awkwardness or balance job. Subsequently on patient will develop other symptoms like he will lose the ability to walk, get down or speak and some behavioural jobs and some clip he wo n't be able to acknowledge his household members. In this instance the patient is 40 twelvemonth old and he is kicking about nonvoluntary motions and behavioural jobs. And his male parent besides had the same thing. From this all information we can govern out that it ‘s Huntington ‘s disease. REFERANCE â€Å" www.wikkipedia.com † â€Å" www.medicinenet.com †

Iron Crowned Chapter 21

For a few moments, we were frozen in time. It was Jasmine who finally got things moving again. â€Å"Oh,† she said. â€Å"Wow.† Kiyo's grip on the form tightened, and for a second, I feared he'd crumple or rip it. Instead, he let it fall to the floor and strode toward me as swiftly and fiercely as his predatory alter ego. I felt Jasmine shift – not away, but closer to me. â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked, in a low, deadly voice. â€Å"About which part?† I snapped. â€Å"That I'm pregnant? Or that it's yours?† â€Å"Both.† I felt my eyes narrow as I continued feeling angry and defensive. â€Å"Yes. Both.† Silence fell. Then: â€Å"When are you getting rid of it?† he asked. â€Å"Christ. You get right to the point.† â€Å"You know the point!† he exclaimed. â€Å"You know what it's always been! You're sure? You're really sure you're pregnant?† I'd had the same questions for Dr. Moore and found myself repeating her answer. â€Å"Yes. The tests are very accurate. Besides, why else do you think they'd schedule me for that?† I pointed to the referral lying on the floor. He might work with animals, but he'd still know what a CVS was. Jasmine, however, did not. She slipped away, gave him a wide berth, and retrieved the paper. â€Å"What's a †¦ chorionic †¦ vil-vil – â€Å" â€Å"It's a test to detect defects,† I said. I gave Kiyo a pointed look. â€Å"And gender.† â€Å"It's a waste of time,† he argued. He swallowed and attempted a kinder, more reasonable course with me. â€Å"Eugenie, you know the danger. You can't waste another day. If anyone finds out – if anyone in the Otherworld – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know! Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I somehow missed the constant rape attempts – and actual rape – based on that prophecy? Damn it, I know better than you what it means! But I can't – I can't get an abortion until I know what it is. If it's a girl or a boy.† â€Å"And then what?† he asked. â€Å"You'll keep it if it's a girl? You always said you weren't sure you wanted to have kids.† â€Å"I'm still not,† I admitted, my voice trembling. A baby – world conqueror or not – had never been on my agenda. â€Å"But I have to know.† His expression darkened, the coaxing gone. â€Å"It's better if you don't. It's better to keep it all anonymous, better not to think of it as a person. Stay ignorant. Just have the abortion and be done.† Jasmine hadn't moved from her spot, her eyes going back and forth as she watched my verbal volley with Kiyo. â€Å"Geez,† she said. â€Å"You don't seem too upset about killing your own kid.† I had been thinking the same thing. His cold detachment shocked me. He flinched and gritted his teeth. â€Å"I never said I'm not upset.† â€Å"But you're not just upset about what this means for the prophecy,† I pointed out. I studied him carefully, realization dawning. â€Å"You don't entirely believe it's yours anyway.† â€Å"Do you blame me?† he asked. â€Å"It's yours,† I said adamantly. The last time I'd been with Dorian, we'd had kinky oral sex. Maybe I hadn't known about antibiotics interacting with birth control pills, but I knew where a guy had to come to make you pregnant. â€Å"I know without a doubt.† This gave Kiyo pause, as though he really were truly pondering the reality of losing his child. â€Å"I told you: I never said I'm not upset about this. But it's got to be dealt with. How could you have let this happen?† â€Å"Oh, nice,† I said. â€Å"It's my fault. If you're so into caution, maybe you shouldn't have fucked me in that grotto.† Jasmine's eyes widened. â€Å"Okay, forget it,† he said tightly. â€Å"And forget your CVS. Just get the abortion while it's still easy. You can't be that far along.† I shot up. â€Å"While it's still easy? Like you know! You're not the one who has to go through it!† â€Å"Why are you fighting me on this?† he exclaimed in disbelief. â€Å"You always said you'd do this. Do you want the prophecy to come true? Do you want to have a son who leads armies here from the Otherworld to conquer and enslave?† â€Å"Of course not! You know that.† â€Å"Then stop wasting time! Look, if you're scared about getting it done †¦ you don't have to do it here.† â€Å"Oh? I can check in at the Otherworld's Planned Parenthood clinic?† â€Å"No,† he said wearily. â€Å"But there are potions. Maiwenn could help. Along with healing, she can work all sorts of other medical magic.† â€Å"I'm sure she can.† I couldn't hide the bitterness in my voice. â€Å"And I'm sure she'd be more than happy to.† â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"Look,† I interrupted. â€Å"Here's how it is. I don't like your attitude. I don't like you dictating this to me like I'm stupid or something. I know the consequences, okay? And you know where I stand on the prophecy. But I just have to know what exactly is in me first. Two days. We just wait two days for the test.† â€Å"And then how long until the results?† he asked. â€Å"More time passes. Every day is dangerous.† â€Å"But what if it's a girl?† This came from Jasmine. Both Kiyo and I turned to her. â€Å"What if Eugenie can have it? You're always going on and on about how awesome Luisa is. Wouldn't you want another one – especially with, like, your actual – sort of – girlfriend?† â€Å"It's not – † Kiyo bit off his words and turned back to me. Those dark eyes studied me, and I felt my anger diffuse as they softened. I felt his love and knew all of this was coming from panic, his fears about the prophecy finally coming true. â€Å"Two days,† he said at last. â€Å"Two days,† I repeated. â€Å"And then I'll do the right thing.† I wasn't exactly sure what the â€Å"right thing† would be if I was having a girl, seeing as motherhood still didn't really jump out at me. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that I had the choice. Then, abruptly and without warning, Kiyo wrapped his arms around me, crushing me to his chest. â€Å"I love you,† he said, voice shaking. It was the first time he'd spoken those words since we'd gotten back together, and they tore something inside of me. â€Å"But I'm just afraid.† â€Å"I am too,† I said, feeling tears spring into my eyes. Fucking hormones. â€Å"Everything'll be okay.† When he released me, I finally really comprehended that Jasmine had witnessed all of this. The dramatic factor had probably trumped anything she could find on TV. Her face was a blank mask now, which made me uneasy. What was she thinking about all this? For so long, she'd wanted to be the one to have the heir. I supposed she should be all for an abortion. Yet †¦ maybe she was so keen on our father's prophecy that she didn't care who had his grandson, so long as she could ride the power with us. â€Å"I need you to stay with Jasmine tomorrow,† I told Kiyo later, when we were lying in bed. â€Å"I wish she hadn't found out about this. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm worried she'll do something with the information. I could have Volusian watch her like he is now †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I usually summoned my minion for night watches. â€Å"†¦ But I'd feel better with you there.† Kiyo drew the covers up around us. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"Where do you think?† He groaned. â€Å"Eugenie, you can't go back there until this mess is settled. If they find out – if anyone finds out – well. All hell will break loose, from those who are for the prophecy and those who are against it.† â€Å"I have to,† I said. â€Å"I realize now that most of my being sick is because †¦ well, you know. But being apart from those lands is affecting me too. I just need to check in.† No more full-fledged meditation sessions, though. I couldn't risk any more telltale signs of my pregnancy from that intense communion. I'd just do the bare minimum required. â€Å"And not just with the lands' magic. I need to keep an eye on the Rowan Land's transition.† I feared his reaction, particularly after his earlier outburst. Instead, he brushed a kiss to my lips. â€Å"Be careful. Be quick.† â€Å"I will.† I pushed my lips back, kissing him harder. I moved my body closer to his, wrapping our legs together. I was terrified of what was happening, terrified of what I might be carrying. But now, with Kiyo on my side, I felt safe. We would get through this together, and I suddenly wanted to connect with him and feel his love around me. He responded instantly to the kiss, one of his hands tipping my head back in order to consume more of my lips. His other hand gripped my upper arm, nails lightly scratching my skin as animal lust began to take over. Then, abruptly, he stopped and pulled away. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. I started to say he didn't have to worry about getting me pregnant, but that joke seemed kind of inappropriate. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I'm just †¦ I'm just tired.† He kissed me again, but this time it was on my cheek. â€Å"It's been a long day. Just not up for it tonight †¦ even though you're as sexy as always.† The lightness in those last words seemed forced, and I was glad he couldn't see my frown in the darkness. I had just been rejected because †¦ because why? Having sex during pregnancy wasn't harmful, I knew that much. Was I repulsive? Was the thought that I was carrying Storm King's heir putting him off? Whatever the reason, I didn't buy that he â€Å"wasn't up for it.† We'd been pressed hip to hip moments ago, and his body had most certainly been up for it. A sexless night was the least of my problems, and although neither of us spoke, I knew he slept as badly as I did. We tossed and turned, our movements as disturbing to each other as our individual worries. We both had bloodshot eyes when we woke. I headed off to the Otherworld as soon as I could after breakfast – well, after what passed as breakfast for me. My appetite was still low. Jasmine wasn't happy when I denied her request to come with me, but Kiyo and Volusian's presence was too daunting for her to put up much of a fight. I felt the Thorn Land's welcoming energy when I crossed over, but thankfully, it revealed nothing about my maternal state. My staff was equally happy to see me, particularly Shaya, who looked like she'd thought I wasn't ever going to return. It wasn't an entirely unwarranted fear. She and I sat alone in one of the parlors while she updated me on the situation. â€Å"Rurik feels the Rowan Land is stable enough to move in a governing body. There's still some unrest, and he'll stay on for a while, but most have accepted your rule. It's the way things go. He's also culled the Rowan military and feels you can trust who's left.† I tried not to grimace at that, wondering what his â€Å"culling† had entailed. â€Å"And Katrice and Cassius?† She shrugged. â€Å"Still imprisoned. Awaiting your verdict.† â€Å"I don't really want to do anything with them,† I admitted. â€Å"I don't know what to do with them.† â€Å"Honestly? With Katrice? You could set her free, and it wouldn't matter. Stripping the land from her stripped most of her magic. Her reason to live. She's harmless. Without hope. But Cassius †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shaya frowned. â€Å"He's dangerous. He can't wrestle the land from you, but he's got enough power to make trouble. Dorian's already written and advised execution.† I scoffed. â€Å"I'm sure he has.† â€Å"Dorian's also provided a list of people he'd like to see installed in the Rowan Land. We settled the resources split, but he feels he deserves a controlling interest in your rule there.† â€Å"A ‘controlling interest?' This isn't a corporation!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Write him and make it very, very clear that his help isn't needed over there. It isn't wanted. He has no right to it. Tell him all of that.† Shaya hesitated, fretfully toying with one of her black braids. â€Å"No matter how diplomatically I word that †¦ well, the antagonism will still come through. It'll anger him.† â€Å"Good,† I retorted. Dorian was a safe target for my churning emotions at the moment, and God knew I needed some sort of outlet. â€Å"Let him be angry or pout or whatever. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to declare war on me.† It was something I'd figured out recently. Dorian had been an advocate of using the Iron Crown to scare other monarchs, but the thing was, now that we weren't together anymore, he had to realize it could be used against him too. I actually hadn't had to give in to his â€Å"spoils of war† demands. That had been a kindness on my part, and he knew it. I didn't have to fear Dorian. I no longer needed him. â€Å"Very well,† Shaya replied. Her tone was obedient, but I knew she dreaded that letter. She'd never lost her devotion to him, and I was forcing her to split her loyalties. â€Å"But we do need someone to manage the Rowan Land †¦ unless you're going to do it personally.† â€Å"No,† I said swiftly, not that I needed to. She'd already known I had no interest in it. â€Å"Do you have someone in mind?† â€Å"Yes†¦. Me.† I wasn't exactly surprised that she'd step up to the task. I was surprised, however, that she didn't look particularly upset about it. Maybe she relished the challenge. â€Å"I'm cool with that,† I said. â€Å"Hell, after what you did around here, I know you can get Rowan into shape. But †¦ who's going to run things here?† â€Å"I was thinking Nia could.† â€Å"Nia?† I asked, startled. â€Å"My hairstylist?† Shaya crooked me a grin. â€Å"What do you think she does when you're not around? She's been helping me and learning†¦. I think she'd do very well. There'd be others to assist her, and, of course, she could always contact me.† It was still an unexpected choice, but Shaya seemed confident. And, I supposed, we'd gotten the Thorn Land into good enough shape that it now functioned pretty smoothly. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let's make it happen. When do you plan on moving?† â€Å"Today,† she said. â€Å"I'll go when you go. My things are packed.† I couldn't help laughing. â€Å"You knew I'd agree. And you knew I'd refuse Dorian.† Shaya put on her primmest look, but her eyes sparkled. â€Å"Yes, Your Majesty.† I walked the Thorn Land before leaving, long enough to reassure the land I was there and boost the morale of the soldiers guarding my keep. Not that they needed it. We were victorious, and they were still celebrating. I'd donned my gold crown for the trip to the Rowan Land, and my men regarded me with adoration, calling out cheers for their brave, all-powerful queen. What would they do if they knew? I wondered. What would they do if they knew I was carrying a potential warlord? Somehow, it wasn't much of a mystery. They would cheer more. They would worship me and revel in the chance to extend our rule. It made me eager to go to the Rowan Land, where I was feared rather than adored. Of course, I didn't know if that was any better. If those people knew I was carrying Storm King's grandchild, it would simply intensify their fear and convince them more than ever that they were under the control of a tyrant queen. Kiyo was right, I realized. No one in the Otherworld could know about my pregnancy. Any reaction it drew would be a powerful one. The sooner I could leave, the better. Borrowed soldiers from the Thorn Land still made up the bulk of the guard at Katrice's former castle, and their expressions mirrored those of their colleagues back home. I played the part, smiling and walking among them confidently, not daring to show the fear and uncertainty I felt. Like the Thorn Land's, the Rowan Land's energy buzzed around me. Only I felt it, of course, but once, when I paused and talked to a guard for several minutes, I saw a small red flower growing where I'd stood. No one noticed, and I hastily headed for the castle, figuring nothing would sprout out of stone walls. Rurik greeted us happily, having already known about Shaya's new position. As we all converged, I saw something flash between them, something that surprised me. Affection. More than friendly affection. It was then that I also noticed a bracelet Shaya wore, made of emeralds and pearls. I'd seen it before. Girard had been working on it when I first met Imanuelle. It was the piece Rurik had commissioned. I tried not to gape as the truth hit me. Shaya and Rurik. They had a relationship going on, some romance, probably one that had been building right before me that I'd been too oblivious to notice. That was why she hadn't minded taking on stewardship of a kingdom conquered through unorthodox means. No one else seemed to notice – or maybe everyone already knew about them – but as I stood there and listened to more debriefings, I felt a pang in my chest. It was like Tim and Lara – and not because both couples were so bizarrely matched. No, the similarities came in that it was so easy for all of them. Just fall in love and go with it. No political machinations and motives. No world-altering prophecies to muck things up. I'd untangled myself from Dorian's scheming – and not without a fair amount of heartache – but things with Kiyo now were irrevocably altered. No matter how my pregnancy panned out, even if it had as happy an ending as it could, I knew things between him and me would never be the same. I would never have an easy relationship. Queasiness welled up in me, and I didn't bother trying to figure out which of the myriad reasons could be causing it. I leaned against the wall as Rurik continued speaking about troop placement. Even though it wasn't part of the land, the wall and castle's foundation touched the land, and I felt that magic warm and comfort me. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Everything would be all right, just as I'd told Kiyo. I'd know my child's gender soon. Then I'd know what to do. My intention had been to stay around longer and make sure Shaya was settled in, but I soon decided I needed to get back. The others looked like they would have liked me to stay a little longer too, but they were also used to my weird – or as they considered them, â€Å"human† – ways. I assured them all that I had the utmost faith in them, reminded Shaya to rebuke Dorian, and then headed back to Tucson as soon as I could. When I arrived home and analyzed how I'd been feeling today, it occurred to me that the transitions from world to world were making me sick. Transitioning wasn't an easy feat in general; some couldn't even do it. I'd grown adept at it, but now, it took its toll, even with the help of a gateway. I understood enough about pregnancy to know these annoying symptoms only lasted for a short time, but that didn't negate their annoyance. I didn't want anything slowing me down. I didn't want to be hampered. My body was turning against me, and Kiyo's urging just to end the pregnancy began to seem like a better and better idea. What did gender matter? I wasn't ready for this. He was relieved to see me back early and wrapped me up in another big embrace. â€Å"Everything's okay?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"Nobody found out?† I shook my head. â€Å"No. And I'm not going back until †¦ until this is settled. I'm also starting to think †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† he prompted. â€Å"That you were right. That gender doesn't matter. The test is so close, though †¦ I'll still do it. But. Well. Like I said, it doesn't matter.† Relief flooded his features. â€Å"I'm glad, Eug. It's the right thing to do.† He hugged me again, and the hug was filled with more intensity. â€Å"You can always cancel the test.† â€Å"No, I'll do it. Especially after the fit I threw with my poor doctor.† â€Å"I wish I could go with you,† he said wistfully. â€Å"But I'm not sure I can. I'm taking a couple of work shifts.† Are you? Or are you running off to Maiwenn? â€Å"It's fine,† I said. â€Å"You wouldn't be able to find out anything that day anyway.† â€Å"But you'll let me know the moment you know?† he asked, staring at me hard. â€Å"The very moment.† Kiyo might not have been able to go with me †¦ but Jasmine did. Ostensibly, I told myself it was because she couldn't be left by herself. Yet, deep inside, when I really looked at my heart, I knew the truth. I didn't want to go through this alone. I knew what the test entailed, and even if we got no answers today, it was still one step closer to what could be a huge event. â€Å"You can do it, you know,† Jasmine told me. I'd let her come into the exam room with me. It was dimly lit for the ultrasound equipment, and the doctor and tech had stepped out so I could change. Undressing in front of Jasmine felt weird, so I kept my back to her as I put on the hospital gown. â€Å"Do what? This test?† â€Å"No. I mean, yeah, whatever, you'll be fine. But I mean, have the baby. Whatever it is. Even a boy. You can fulfill our father's prophecy.† There was a zeal in her voice I hadn't heard in a while – one I'd hoped had gone away. Gowned, I turned around. â€Å"No. That's out of the question. If it's a boy †¦ well, I can't have it. End of story. A girl †¦ I don't know. I'm probably not doing that either.† I couldn't help adding, â€Å"Besides, I thought you wanted to be the heir's mother.† Her face was deadly earnest as she considered my words. â€Å"I did. But maybe I'm not meant to.† The staff returned and situated me on the examining table while Jasmine retreated to a corner. They introduced themselves: Dr. Sartori and Veronica the tech. They explained the procedure to me, though I'd already read up on it several times. The doctor was going to – ack – stick a giant needle in me to collect cells and would use ultrasound to guide him. He made sure I understood the risk of such a test. A small percentage of women miscarried. Dryly, I told him I was willing to accept that. Veronica raised the gown to bare my stomach. As she rubbed gel on it, I stared down wonderingly. Honestly? It looked no different than in the past. I'd always been skinny, and with my lack of appetite, I probably wasn't putting on much weight. If not for my symptoms and Dr. Moore's â€Å"very accurate† test, I never would have guessed what was inside me. And what was inside me? My stomach took on a strange, sinister countenance. Again, I had that feeling of my body's betrayal. It was doing things out of my control. â€Å"Okay,† said Veronica, moving the paddle to my stomach. â€Å"Let's take a look.† Both she and Dr. Sartori watched a black monitor that had my name, birthday, and a few other stats at the bottom of the screen. When the paddle made contact, the screen flared to life, showing the indecipherable gray and white confusion I'd always seen when people had ultrasounds on TV. I could make no sense of it nor see anything resembling a baby, but sound immediately accompanied the images, repetitive swishing noises, kind of like waves. I at least knew what that meant. â€Å"That's the heartbeat, isn't it?† I asked, a strange feeling crawling over me. Heartbeat. Another creature's heart inside of me. Neither practitioner answered right away. Dr. Sartori frowned curiously, and Veronica shifted the paddle around to get more views. â€Å"Huh,† said the doctor. â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. Two immediate possibilities sprang to mind. One was that my gentry blood mixing with Kiyo's kitsune blood had created some sort of monster. The other thought – one that suddenly offered a world of safety – was that there had been a mistake. The test wasn't accurate, and I actually wasn't pregnant. â€Å"Isn't that the heartbeat?† Dr. Sartori's gaze fell on me, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"That's the heartbeats. You have twins.†

Ipod Decision Making Process

Describe and explain the characteristics that affect consumer behaviour and outline the consumer decision-making process as it relates to Apple iPod Introduction ‘Consumer purchases are influenced strongly by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics’ (Kotler, Armstrong, Wong & Saunders). This report will investigate the characteristics that affect consumer behaviour and the consumer decision-process as it relates to the purchase of an Apple iPod.This report will be describing and explaining how consumers go through five different stages to reach a buying decision and outlining the consumer decision-making process when a consumer buys a product. The Apple iPod is a brand of portable media players and was launched on October 2001. There are four different types of players, which can play both music and videos, including the ‘iPod Classic’, ‘iPod Touch’, ‘iPod Nano’ and the ‘iPod Shuflfe’. The Apple â⠂¬Ëœitunes’ software can be used to transfer music to the iPods from computers.Both the Sony Walkman and Samsung YP-P2 are the iPods biggest competitors and have the same touch screen control panel. They both can hold similar amount of music to that of an iPod. ‘Mintel forecasts that the UK audio equipment market will grow by an estimated 8% to reach a value of ?2. 2 billion at current prices over the period 2007-12. In real terms, with massive price deflation for electronics taken into consideration, this equates to 100% rate of growth until 2012. (mintel, accessed at 19th November 2009) ‘Market growth since 2006 for the Apple iPod has been in decline due to the high pricing scheme of the devices although price cuts like those applied to the iPod shuffle on Tuesday and cheaper Internet –capable models down the line should help the company reverse course and maintain a steady rate of growth through 2009, says one Wall Street analyst’, (http://www. ap pleinsider. com/articles/08/02/20/growth_potential_seen_in_steadily_maturing_ipod_market. html 20th February 2008). The Apple iPod is aimed at young adults aged between 12-25, both males and females.The Apple iPod is aimed at people in the middle/high class and for those who have a particular interest or passion in music. The report will also provide a discussion of the type buying behaviour related with Apple iPods and compare the process with a less complex product, such as a bottle of water in this report. Marketing recommendations will then be given for the purchase of an Apple iPod. The Characteristics that Affect Consumer Behaviour It can be seen that cultural, social, personal and psychological are the four characteristics that influence consumer behaviour.This section will describe how some of the characteristics associate with consumer behaviour when purchasing an Apple iPod. For the social characteristic influence, this can be that the person who is buying an iPod can be i nfluenced by friends, family or any other groups the person is part of, a friend of the person may recommend an iPod to be the best portible audio player to purchase, which would then give the consumer more confidence to buy an iPod. Inspirational groups, such as celebrities who could be seen using an iPod, might have also influenced consumer behaviour. This may influence a consumer, due to the status of a celebrity.Personal characteristics such as the age of a person can affect consumer behaviour. In this case a consumer may be in an age group where it is cool and common to have an iPod, so this would be more of a want for the buyer to have the product. An Outline of the Consumer Decision-Making Process Type of Buying decision behaviour This section of the report will discuss the type of buying decision behaviour associated with the Apple iPod. The decision behaviour for the buyer of an iPod would be complex buying behaviour due to the high cost of the product and is mainly purchas e infrequently.It could be said that the consumer has much to learn about the product and may have little knowledge about the product before making a decision to purchase it. For example, an iPod buyer may not know what functions of the product to consider. ‘Many product features carry no real meaning to the great majority of potential purchasers’ (Kotler 2008 page 263, p1). This can relate to the iPod when looking at the memory size and price of the product, a customer may not know the difference between a ‘10GB iPod and a ‘160GB’ iPod. So the buyer will pass though a learning process, first developing attitudes, and then making a thoughtful purchase choice’ (Kotler 2008, page 263, p1). So for marketers of an iPod, they must understand the way a consumer gathers information and the evaluation behaviour of a high involvement product. The advertising and size of the iPod may be used to help make it easier for a consumer to understand what the me mory size is of an iPod. Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour can be associated with the buying of an iPod, due to how expensive the product is and how infrequent it is purchased.For example, consumers buying an iPod could face a high involvement decision because of the high price of an iPod compared to a low involvement product such as a toothbrush and how the product can express the consumer, such as the which style and colour of iPod suit the consumer best. The Consumer may evaluate and do some research into the types iPods, prior to the buying decision to make give them more knowledge of the product. An explanation of each stage of the decision-making model This section of the report will explain each stage of the decision-making model for a buyer of an iPod.Below is the five-stage decision making process, buyers go through when they purchase a product. ‘The buying process starts with need recognition – the buyer recognising a problem or need’ (Kotler 2008, p age 265, p4). The first stage of the decision making model is where the consumer has recognised a problem or a need. Need recognition In relation to the iPod, is where the consumer has recognised that the product is available to buy and may have dissatisfaction with their current portable audio player.The iPod is not necessary a need, such as food or water. It is more of an individual want and the consumer may have more income spare to purchase an iPod. The purchase of an iPod could be mainly because of its appeal. ‘A need can also be triggered by external stimuli. Anna passes a bakery and the smell of reshly baked bread stimulates her hunger; she admires a neighbour’s new car; or she watches a television commercial for a Caribbean holiday’. (Kotler et al 2008, page 266 p1). This statement states that external stimuli can trigger a need.In relation to the iPod, the external stimuli could be an advert on television or someone in the public using an iPod, who seems to be having a fun with the product. The second stage of the decision-making model is the information search stage. This is the stage where a consumer is aroused to search for more information about the product they have been attracted too in the need recognition stage. ‘The consumer may simply have heightened attention or may go into active information search’ (Kotler et al 2008, page 266 p2). Heightened attention simply means the consumer becomes more receptive to information about a product.The consumer may pay more attention to adverts and products used by friends. Active information search is where the consumer gathers information, such as searching reading material or phoning friends to gather information, this usually depends of drive of the consumer to search for information about a product. ‘The amount of searching she does will depend upon the strength of her drive, the amount of information she starts with, the ease of obtaining more information, the v alue she places on additional information and the satisfaction she gets from searching’ (Kotler et al 2008, page 266 p2).This statement explains that the more a consumer wants a product, the more searching for information about the product will occur. In relation to the Apple iPod, a consumer may have been aroused by external stimuli such as an advert on television and then may go through active information search, where the consumer can obtain information from any of the following sources: * Personal sources: Family, friends, neighbours Commercial sources: Advertising, salespeople, the Internet, packaging, displays * Public sources: Mass media, consumer-rating organisations * Experiential sources: Handling, examining, using the product Personal sources can be the most effective for some products, as friends and families recommendations can be more reliable than an advert on television. As more information has been gathered from the above sources, the consumer’s knowle dge of the iPod increases. The consumer may know the different types of iPods available and their features that best suit the consumer.The third stage of the decision-making purchase is the information evaluation or evaluation of alternatives. This is the stage of the decision-making process, where the consumer uses information from the previous stage to evaluate other brands, products and services. The consumer also evaluates the benefits and features of the product they are going to buy. For high-involvement products such as the Apple iPod, the consumer is more likely to carry out a more extensive evaluation. Such as evaluating the advantages and benefits of the product they are interested in purchasing.

Oil and Gas Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Oil and Gas Paper - Essay Example This mode has both advantages and disadvantages, so apt clauses have to be incorporated into the agreement, to avoid any risks. After that, Atlantic Oil has to adopt feasible and effective funding options, and also have to carry out their operations without any negative impact on the environment. Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) – Advantages, disadvantages and Clauses A change to the dominant form of contract has occurred in the oil industry, with the previously followed concession agreement giving way to the production sharing agreement.2 Production sharing agreements (PSA) are a type of contract which is signed between the government, in this case Polenskya’s government, and the oil exploration company or Atlantic Oil, regarding the extraction process and the how the extracted oil and its profits can be shared. That is, as oil and gas deposits are usually owned by the country concerned, it is common for the country to enter into a production sharing agreement with an oil company, so the specific company can do the financial investment for the extraction process, extract the oil or gas, sell it and through it recover their initial investment, and then share the production as well as the profits with the government.3 With this agreement divided into two stages, recovery period and sharing period, the produced oil is also categorized into two categories, Cost Oil and Profit Oil. The Cost oil includes the produced oil or gas, which will be sold by the company themselves to recover their investments, while with the profit oil only the government and the contractor will share the profits.4 This PSA has both advantages and at the same time inherent disadvantages. Advantages One of the main advantages that will be garnered by Atlantic oil if they enter into a production agreement with Polenskya is the high degree of fiscal stability. That is, the tax structure which is in action during the signing of the PSA, as well as the certain tax concessions gi ven to the Atlantic Oil by the government will be ‘future proof’. Thus, any overall tax changes brought on by the government in future will have no impact on the terms of the PSA, and thereby will not negatively impact the finances of Atlantic Oil. Although, certain corporate taxes are exempt from this cover, the bottom line is PSA guarantees Atlantic Oil sizable financial stability, whatever be the changes in the external environment. â€Å"The attraction of the production sharing system is that it provides the investor with a relatively stable regime in a complex and rapidly changing legal and political environment.†5 The other advantage of PSA is, it will be politically and socially more acceptable to Polenskya and in turn to Atlantic Oil as well. In countries like Polenskya, where there will be skepticism and also resistance to foreign companies, due to the mindset among the people that foreign companies will exploit the resources for their own benefits, with out giving anything back to the local population.6 However, with PSA making the government the ‘co-owner’ of the operations, it will assure the people maximally and they will welcome and support Atlantic Oil completely without any apprehension of economic exploitation. Disadvantages At the same time, there are some disadvantages of this type of contract and the key one among them is the possibility of project or extraction

Davidson College as the Recipient of Beall Foundation Article

Davidson College as the Recipient of Beall Foundation - Article Example She is supposed to be the first Dean of Don Beall Engineering.The gift will be used to launch the multi-disciplinary programs like green engineering, biomedical device engineering, and global experiential learning. The funds gifted by Beall will also be used to launch the initiatives for student success, their professional development, and faculty excellence. While appreciating the great task of Beall, Belle Wei stated, â€Å"Donald Beall believes strongly in the value of engineering and science education and its critical role in the innovation and entrepreneurial process leading to a stronger America," She further expressed her gratitude and said, "We are grateful for this gift, which will help us advance our vision to educate new engineers who are technically excellent, broadly educated, and socially responsible, the new kind of engineers who can rise to the challenges of the 21st century." Being an alumnus of San Jose University, Don Beall secured his bachelor degree in metallurgical engineering in 1960 and he acquired the MBA degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1961. While talking about Beall’s overall academic performance, Ralph Parkman, one of Beall’s former professors at SJSU stated, â€Å"He was an outstanding student and a very capable young man," Parkman further said, "I'm was not surprised he went as far as he did." Don Beall retired from Rockwell after spending 30 years there. At that time he had honored many prestigious positions such as Company President, Chairman, and CEO. After a long and prestigious job, he retired from Rockwell in 1988.His leadership made the Rockwell a global leader in aerospace, electronics, and automotive market. Apart from Rockwell Collins, Mr. Beall served as a director on the boards of various companies like Conexant System, Mindspeed Technologies, and CT Realty. SJSU’s College of Engineering was ranked 16th among the national level programs. This was declared in the most recent edition of America’s best Colleges 2008 by US News and World report. Thousands of talented alumni of this college have made a bright future in Silicon Valley and beyond. This college has a strong tie-up with many companies in Silicon Valley which provide an opportunity for scholarships, internship, research project, and placements.

Communicating across genders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communicating across genders - Essay Example However, I feel that even this is unnecessarily divisive. In my experience, Adler's findings that gender difference amounts to just 1% of the variance of speech (186) between any two people is more important. This paper will look at three conversations within and between two groups of people to show that shared experience and goals facilitate communication better than shared gender. It is necessarily difficult to give concrete examples of gender communication being more similar than different, because it is generally easier to disprove than prove something, but two personal conversations in which I took part are good examples of how shared experience facilitates communication better than shared gender – and that, equally, different experiences hinder communication. These two conversations involved separate groups of people, both composed of mixed genders but similar politics and ideology. Both conversations discussed the case of Representative Anthony Weiner, who recently resi gned after revelations that he had been attempting to engage numerous female political admirers in (usually unwanted) sexual conversation. In the first conversation, both men and women condemned Weiner unanimously for the sexual harassment of sending explicit photographs of his anatomy to non-consenting women who had merely expressed their support of his policies. Men and women used the same sentence structures and argumentative styles, appealing to reason and emotion equally: most sentences used personal pronouns (I, you, he), for example. One interjection in the conversation was taken badly by the other members, as it was a joke that was highly inappropriate, which had been made by a woman – not something that Adler would expect (184). In fact, this conversation happened online with most people using gender-neutral pseudonyms, and the only way I could figure out who was of which gender was by specifically asking them. The second conversation happened after someone made the assertion that Weiner was simply guilty of sexual harassment, and his resignation neither inappropriate nor adequate punishment for his crime. The communication style was similar to the previous group's in that most people used 'I' statements and littered their messages with pronouns; however, in this group most people were more skeptical of the idea that Weiner's behaviour was criminal. In one unusual exchange, a woman made the statement that â€Å"Flashing someone virtually is the same as flashing someone in person†, and a man responded â€Å"I think you meant to say that you 'think/feel' they are the same.† In this example, a woman used concrete language (or rather, a male conversational style [185]) to express an opinion and was told by a man that she should revert to female conversational style. The same man then said â€Å"the decisions we make in our lives brand us†, arguing that when considering Weiner's sexual harassment of Ms Ginger Lee, one should bea r her career choice (she is a former porn star) in mind. Clearly his usage of a male conversational style was acceptable. A different woman dismissed Lee's claims by saying â€Å"You know as well as I do that women are just as bad as men, when it comes to manipulation.† Her appeal to an emotional relationship is, Adler argues, typically feminine. It may be interesting to note that the first group do not believe that there is any material difference

Syphilis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Syphilis - Essay Example ents by drafting recommendations on how to suppress the disease, arrange workshops and seminars for educating the locals, and administer public health standards in the state. In the state, the disease rates have been on the rise from the year 2005 to 2009. In 2005, the disease rate was at about 4.3 while in 2009, it was at 6.9 (Ohio Department of Health, 2011). In 2005, Franklin county had the uppermost rate of the infectivity while in Pickaway county the rate was at 22.3 (Ohio Department of Health, 2011). Franklin County, however, has recorded the highest number of case counts over the years with the year 2008 having the highest number. Conversely, Wyandot County did not have any cases of the disease recorded in the five years. This information is particularly important to a community health nurse, as they will strive to address the disease and get better quality health services especially in counties with a high-disease rate. He/she will be proficient to educate the public on syphilis control and avoidance procedures, while performing wellbeing support activities. The nurse should be capable of telling the patient what they are suffering from and shoul d maintain confidentiality on the health of the patient and make sure that the patient has access to proper medication. According to division 3701.47, these analysis must not to be charged, and will be completed at an authorized laboratory. In case the patient wants to comprehend the ailment, the nurse should be clever enough to explain to him/her to make a proper choice on whether they want treatment. The patient though must not reject treatment or whichever form of hospitalization

Proofread the text and onctrol for fluency...style and grammar Essay

Proofread the text and onctrol for fluency...style and grammar - Essay Example Subsequently, realism emerged with its more pessimistic accounts with states functioning in self-centred way by seeking power and security. As the heated debate between the two camps evolved, a critical discipline called ‘behaviouralism’ emerged. Its critics assumed that the political inquiry into social phenomenon was solely conducted on the qualitative and normative grounds. Subsequently, it was indispensable to introduce scientific methods to legitimate politics as a science. From this rehabilitative position, behavioralists realized that to codify their study as scientifically valid, they will have to follow a stringent method and to conduct empirical research. Interdisciplinary contacts and remarks between the competing theories resulted in a revision of liberal accounts. This Neoliberalism accepted the neorealist notion that states are important actors in IR, but still acknowledged the relevance of international organizations. As international cooperation from the bipolar point of view accelerated, the emphasis on the international institutions asserted substantial influence on the IR-agenda of many national states. This made institutionalization a more prominent discipline (extracted from Neoliberalism). 2. Intellectual magnates like Hobbes (Leviathan) and Machiavelli (The Prince), who form the realist backbone of the discipline, wrote influential work about ideal relationships within and between states. The liberal touchstones of IR as a discipline, could be attributed to the work of Kant (Perpetual Peace: 1795) and Rousseau, which offered insight on the way liberalism should be practiced. The intellectual history of IR herein actually started with the seventeenth century treaty of Peace of

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 25

Strategic Management - Essay Example There are various strategic decisions which Tesco has to make relating to factors such as the direction of Tesco in the long run, the scope of its activities, stakeholders’ values and expectations, responding to the ever changing business environment, building on its capability as a business entity, and acquiring a higher market share relative to its competitors. These decisions tend to be complex as they have to be made in an uncertain situation. There are also various levels of strategy for Tesco such as business level strategy, operational strategy, and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the way a business organization conducts itself in a particular market to be successful. Operational level strategy is about various levels of Tesco and their contribution with regard to accomplishment of the strategy. Corporate level strategy deals with the overall scope and purpose of Tesco and how to add value to various business units. The analysis of those factors that are not within the control of a company can be termed as an analysis of macro environmental factors. Macro environment analysis is often done by Tesco to develop a sound knowledge of the issues that are present in the current business scenario. PESTEL framework is considered to be an important tool to conduct macro environment analysis by the Tesco. There are several factors that are considered in PESTEL analysis such as political, social, economic, legal, environmental, and technological aspects of a business environment. The sole purpose of PESTEL analysis is to assist Tesco management in the creation of strategies that will leverage the external factors that are not within the control of the organization to its favour. Political factors of the PESTEL analysis deal with factors such as government stability, trade tariffs, policies of social welfare that are imposed upon companies, tax policies, international business regulation laws, etc.

The Oriole Furniture Inc. (Case Study) Case Study

The Oriole Furniture Inc. ( ) - Case Study Example The sales and production activities of all the three lines are managed by Mr. Mente. Each division’s vice president prepares an annual profit plan, in which the result of estimation for the year has been a profit of $22.7m and the sales volume is $77m. Mr. Menson, the company’s president, has not been satisfied with the submitted profit plan. He wants a profit of $23.9m on a sales volume of $81m. When the actual performance of the division is compared with the budget, Mr. Mente finds that sales remain at 11% below plan and profit is 18% below plan. The challenge before the company is that the division failed to meet the budgeted requirement during the year, and the company may consider action in midyear to ensure it reaches its budget by year-end. What does Mr. Mente need to do? What is he proposing to do about his situation? Mr. Mente should revise the plan to reach up to the new sales budget. He should try to figure out the reason for the difference in actual performa nce with the budgeted performance through a complete analysis of the situation. The reasons he will explain to his top manager for not attaining the expected performance are the tough economic situation and old machineries besides the difficulty in finding good furniture designers. To achieve the company’s profit objectives, Mr. Mente has planned to delay the purchase of some new machinery which costs $500,000 and to forego hiring two new furniture designers. But it is better to replace the old machinery that broke down frequently and led to over time labor, which will decrease the labor efficiency and delayed delivery schedules. This investment, in fact, is an asset for the company and will speed up the production process. He should drop the idea of hiring new furniture designers so that he can save $100,000 in salary expenses. He can give training and counseling to improve the existing workers performance. What are budgets supposed to do and what must Mr. Mente do in the ne xt seven months to (probably) keep his job? Budget is a process of planning the use of resources over a definite period of time. It should motivate individuals to achieve performance levels agreed to and set forth for a better control and coordination of activities, the company may prepare budgets for each and every activity which, in turn, helps in reducing production costs. Mr. Mente has to identify the reason for the variance in actual performance and budgeted performance. Knowing how much is being spent each month will enable him to consider whether further action needs to be taken to spend in future. This process is only worthwhile if the budget is realistic. Analyzing variances against an unrealistic budget is pointless. However, in a well-run organization the comparison between actual costs and budget is used as the means for attaining the set goal. The difference between budget assumptions and actual outcome is the key issue that Mr. Mente faces. He can use variance analysis techniques to solve the issue. Mr. Mente has to start his work from the bottom line. He needs to motivate the personnel and evaluate their performance. The company also needs to invest in better equipment to increase productivity without increasing the cost towards hiring more people. The company also anticipates an increase in price of the raw material up to 6%. So Mr. Mente should ask the factory personnel