The Ethics of Genetic Testing Essay -- Science Religion Papers

The Ethics of Genetic Testing The Goal of the Human Genome Project is to obtain genetic mapping information and to determine the complete sequence of all human DNA by the year of 2005. The project started in 1990 and 180 million dollars are being spent on it annually. This adds up to a total of over 2 billion dollars for the 15 year budget. Of this 2 billion dollars budgeted, 5% is spent annually on the ethical, legal and social issues. This report focused on some of these issues. Before discussion of the ethical, legal and social issues can be successful, some background information is needed. For example, why is the goal of mapping the human genome important? Who is going to benefit or at least be affected by this new information? Dr. Francis Collins, the current director of the Human Genome Project believes there are many benefits. Not surprisingly, Collins believes the money being spent on this project is well worth it. Collins believes the project has great potential to relieve suffering and also cut back on long term expenses (Collins, 1996). These suffering and spending reductions are predicted to occur as more genetic diseases are located. Genetic disorders can be divided into 2 broad groups: 1. Genetic predisposition disorders: those in which the presence of a gene confers an increased tendency to develop a certain disorder. The disorder may or may not develop depending on a variety of associated personal and environmental factors such as geographic location, diet, exposure to harmful chemicals or toxins, exercise habits etc... 2. Environment independent disorders: Involve a determining force so overwhelming that the disorder is expressed in a predictable manner without environmental interaction ... ...York, 1991. Magnus, David. Gene Therapy and the concept of Disease, Marshal, Eliot. (May 24 1996). Rifkin's Latest Target: Genetic Testing. Science. Meilaender, Gilbert. (1990, October 3). Mastering our gen(i)es: When do we say no? The Christian Century, pp 872-875. Murphey, Timothy F. Justice and the Human Genome Project. University of California Press, Los Angeles, 1994. Reich, W.T. Encyclopedia of Bioethics, 2nd ed. New York: Free Press MacMillan, 1995. Vaux, Kenneth, L. Birth Ethics. The Crossroad Publishing Co, New York. 1989. Wilkie, Tom. Periilous Knowledge: The Human Genome Project and its implications. University of CA Press, Los Angeles, 1993. Wolf, Susan M. Feminism and Bioethics: Beyond Reproduction. Oxford University Press, New York, 1996. Wright, Richard T. Biology Through the Eyes of Faith. Christian College Coalition, 1989. The Ethics of Genetic Testing Essay -- Science Religion Papers The Ethics of Genetic Testing The Goal of the Human Genome Project is to obtain genetic mapping information and to determine the complete sequence of all human DNA by the year of 2005. The project started in 1990 and 180 million dollars are being spent on it annually. This adds up to a total of over 2 billion dollars for the 15 year budget. Of this 2 billion dollars budgeted, 5% is spent annually on the ethical, legal and social issues. This report focused on some of these issues. Before discussion of the ethical, legal and social issues can be successful, some background information is needed. For example, why is the goal of mapping the human genome important? Who is going to benefit or at least be affected by this new information? Dr. Francis Collins, the current director of the Human Genome Project believes there are many benefits. Not surprisingly, Collins believes the money being spent on this project is well worth it. Collins believes the project has great potential to relieve suffering and also cut back on long term expenses (Collins, 1996). These suffering and spending reductions are predicted to occur as more genetic diseases are located. Genetic disorders can be divided into 2 broad groups: 1. Genetic predisposition disorders: those in which the presence of a gene confers an increased tendency to develop a certain disorder. The disorder may or may not develop depending on a variety of associated personal and environmental factors such as geographic location, diet, exposure to harmful chemicals or toxins, exercise habits etc... 2. Environment independent disorders: Involve a determining force so overwhelming that the disorder is expressed in a predictable manner without environmental interaction ... ...York, 1991. Magnus, David. Gene Therapy and the concept of Disease, Marshal, Eliot. (May 24 1996). Rifkin's Latest Target: Genetic Testing. Science. Meilaender, Gilbert. (1990, October 3). Mastering our gen(i)es: When do we say no? The Christian Century, pp 872-875. Murphey, Timothy F. Justice and the Human Genome Project. University of California Press, Los Angeles, 1994. Reich, W.T. Encyclopedia of Bioethics, 2nd ed. New York: Free Press MacMillan, 1995. Vaux, Kenneth, L. Birth Ethics. The Crossroad Publishing Co, New York. 1989. Wilkie, Tom. Periilous Knowledge: The Human Genome Project and its implications. University of CA Press, Los Angeles, 1993. Wolf, Susan M. Feminism and Bioethics: Beyond Reproduction. Oxford University Press, New York, 1996. Wright, Richard T. Biology Through the Eyes of Faith. Christian College Coalition, 1989.

Investigate how the Concentration of Sucrose Solution affects the Masso

Investigate how the Concentration of Sucrose Solution affects the Mass of the Potato Chip Aim To find out how the concentration of sucrose solution affects the mass of the potato chip left in the solution for one day. Water Potential: The water potential of a solution is a measure of whether it is likely to lose or gain water molecules from another solution. A dilute solution, with its high proportion of free water molecules, is said to have higher water potential than a concentrated solution, because water will flow from the dilute to the concentrated solution (from a high potential to a low potential). Pure water has the highest possible water potential because water molecules will flow from pure water to any other aqueous solution, no matter how dilute. Prediction: Osmosis is the passage of water molecules from a weaker solution to a stronger solution, though a partially permeable membrane. In this case, the tiny holes in the membrane of the potatoes will allow the water molecules to pass through in and out of the solution and the potato, depending on the concentration gradient of the two substances. Semi-permeable membranes are very thin layers of material which allow some things to pass through, but prevent others. A cell membrane is semi permeable. They allow small molecules like oxygen, water, amino acids etc. to pass through but will not allow larger molecules like sucrose, starch, protein etc. through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of something like sucrose or pure water. In each case there is a lot of water: a high concentration of water. A region of low water concentration is the opposite of the above, i.e. a very high concentration of... ...pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant "stand up" into the sunlight. Austen denied discogal_87's postmodernism . When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become "flaccid"; this is the exact opposite of "turgid". If you put plant cells into concentrated sugar solutions and look at them under a microscope you would see that the contents of the cells have shrunk and pulled away from the cell wall: they are said to be plasmolysed.coab abr seababw orab abk inab foab ab. When plant cells are placed in a solution which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity.

History of Fashion Essay -- essays research papers

History of Fashion Fashion has changed a great deal over the past three centuries. As history changes it seems that fashion in some aspect changes with it to adapt to the era. Even today fashion continues to change as the years go on. Looking at fashion even 20 years ago we can see a difference from what we see in our everyday lives. For the purpose of this essay Fashion will be divided into three centuries, since not every era of clothing can be touched upon. The first era of fashion history includes 500 BC- 1450 AD. Near the beginning era fashion was relatively simple, since it was more about practical function than style. This era was referred to as the Ancient Time Period. Garments were always loose fitting, never tight. Tunics were the main clothing choice. Usually tunics would be covered with other layers of fabric, and this was worn by both men and women. Fabrics were usually always plain which meant they had no pattern or vibrant color (white and off-white were the most popular.) Near the fifth century clothing began to include a wider range of colors. Even though clothing was relatively simple, women adorned themselves with jewelry such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings fashioned from earthy materials. Cosmetics were also around in this era. Women’s hair would usually be seen braided or draped fabric covering the face like a hood. As it moved into the Medieval Time Period it then evolved into militaristic for men , which incorporated tunics, capes, and ...

Personal goals and accomplishments Essay

Today the accomplishment of ideas and goals encourages people to do extremely well. The achievement of a degree in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology is a very important aspect in satisfying my goals. This accomplishment should permit me to become an individual with expertise that will equip me to overcome obstacles that I am seeing day after day. As a computer and network specialist, I am seeking a more stable yet structured job in the Information Technology field. This is because one must have quality knowledge in order to find such a job. A specialist should be like a leader, in which they always need to display good character, and I need to be professional at all times. I also need to be reliable and accountable in our work. I believe this can be obtained through guidance at The University of Phoenix. There are computer certifications and conferences available to me; which I plan to utilize. These conferences and certifications will help me with new equipment and techniques to apply the knowledge to my profession. At this point in my life, I feel that I have a strong aspiration to improve certain areas in my profession. In order for me to accomplish these goals, I need to keep a positive mind in achieving them. Every day I interact with the director, manager, office staff, and the whole local government through phone, e-mail, and direct contact. On a daily basis I receive several trouble calls which need to be resolved and researched in a timely manner. Therefore, my systematic thinking skills need to be exact; since I have to communicate and demonstrate my knowledge to several people. There are times that I am asked to teach what I have learned to our department, and interested users in other departments. My teaching structure  needs to be clear and understandable. This is through using words that people can comprehend, instead of using complicated computer jargon. Though I have realized it takes practice to teach, but I am certain that I will become a better teacher and a better computer and network specialist through the University of Phoenix. Obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology will help me to become more marketable. There are plenty of job opportunities that will be available to me with this degree. I also will not be restricted in what I do. As a specialist, I will be able to break away from where I am and go into a pc repair business of my own. This is because I will be able to apply the knowledge that I have learned, along with the experience that I have. In the technical field, professional opportunities can be gained or lost through skills and job performance. Through my interaction with co-workers, I will learn how to develop my presentation skills to encourage learning. This is because it will give me additional skills that could allow me to demonstrate my skills more professionally. While it is important to focus on learning a trade, it is equally important to have people skills. With a degree in Information Technology I will have the necessary tools to effectively demonstrate skills. As a student of University of Phoenix, I can pursue my goal of earning my degree and furthering my education as a professional technologist. An additional goal I hope to accomplish, while pursing my degree, is to master management skills. This is because in most organizations it is necessary to establish good management skills. This could reduce the possibility of a hostile work environment. It can be difficult at times to organize projects and trouble calls, because I would like to know how I should prioritize each assignment that has a deadline. Then there are those aggravating e-mails and how to respond to them. Therefore, my days become overwhelming at times. If I do not pay attention this could affect my working relationship, along with my private relationships. This includes church, home, and civic clubs. I stay so busy with so many things that I may  forget what is going on, and I will let somebody down. So I am hopping that I will learn how to manage time while at University of Phoenix, and to become better organized in time management.

Renting and Price

Corey Allen BA504 February 19,2013 Abstract In 1997, Netflix became the first online movie by mail Rental Company. Hastings and Randolph co-founded the company. By 1999, they had come up with a $19. 99 per month price plan for customer to rent as many movies that they wanted with no late fees. In 2011, Netflix shocked their customers with their new price plan by splitting the streamlining of movies to one price and DVD by mail with another price. With the change, Netflix lost one million customers. Pertinent facts in the caseThe pertinent facts in this case study are that in 1997, Reed Hastings and Marc Randalph co-founded Netflix. Hastings was upset due to late fee’s he received when he went to return movies that he had rented six weeks earlier. At first, when Hastings came up with the idea, VHS tapes were used for rental, so the cost to ship VHS tapes was too expensive. Then one of Hastings friends advised him of the new DVD technology. With the new DVD technology, Hastings packages the DVD’s in a single envelope and shipped it to himself to see if the DVD would be damaged.When he received the DVD and found that it was undamaged, he began to create mail-order movie rental business. When Netflix first started, the price to rent a movie was $4 with a $2 shipping fee. With this new service, customers were able to have movies mailed to them, but they had to be back by a certain date or they would be charged late fees. In 1999, Netflix launched a new subscription service, which gave their customers unlimited rentals for a monthly fee of $15. 95 per month. With the subscription, subscribers were able to rent four movies per month.Within a year, Netflix improved the unlimited movies subscription plan and changed the price to $19. 99 per month. With the new plan, customers were able to rent as many movies as they desire and they could keep them as long as they wanted, but they could only keep four movies at a time. By 2007, Netflix had him a major miles tone by hitting one billion movie rental deliveries. That same year, Netflix introduced streamlining of movies directly to either the customer’s home computer. By 2008, customers were able to stream movies through their game consoles.With customers now able to stream movies directly to their computer or game consoles, Netflix came out with a price plan of $9. 99 per month for streamlining and DVD rental by mail. What is the situation? In 2011, Netflix announced that they would be separating the streamlining of videos and DVD by mail into two subscription prices. The price for streamlining would be $7. 99 per month and DVD by mail would be $7. 99 per month, so if you wanted to both stream movies and rent movies by mail, you would have to pay two different subscription fees.Netflix also announced that the movie by mail service would be run through qwikster. com. With the price increase of 60% and the announcement of the new website, Netflix lost one million subscribers, taking there subscription total of 25 million, down to 24 million subscribers. Along with the loss of subscribers, Netflix’s stock price dropped from a value of $298 to $169, which is a 40% loss in value. Who is involved? Reed Hastings was who was involved with the price change and he released a statement on September 18, 2011 stating that he had messed up with the way the price change took place.He went on to try and explain why the price change took place. What are the pertinent issues? The pertinent issues are that when Netflix announced the price change, they made the change fast and did not give their subscriber a chance to decide what they wanted to do. Basically Netflix announced the price change and made the change. By not giving their subscribers a chance to think about the new price change, they just went with it. By doing this, Netflix lost one million subscribers. These price changes not only affected the subscribers, it also affected their stock price.If Netflix would h ave gave more of a notice and the reasoning behind the price change, maybe they would not have lost as many subscribers. Recommendations for Netflix The actions that I would recommend for Netflix to recover from a marketing misdirection are that they should have eased into the new price plan or offer a promotional price to their current subscriber. For example, Netflix could have announced the new price plan and at the same time with the new price plan, they could have given their current customer a free trial so that they had the option of either paying the $7. 99 for either the stream lining or the DVD by mail.By allowing their customers the free trial, Netflix would be showing their customers that they appreciate their business, but they needed to make the price change to fit all customers need. I believe the theory break from reality for Netflix hit hard when they lost so many subscribers. With the price change and loss in subscribers, it opened the doors for Amazon to retain so me of the Netflix subscribers. How the arrived to their decision? Netflix arrived to the decision to split the membership in two when they realized that even with the streamlining of movies; customers were still renting movies by mail.Netflix also realized that not all there subscriber were taking advantage of the streamlining and the subscribers were only renting movies by mail. So by splitting the subscription into two price plans, customers had the choice of streamlining, renting by mail, or both. Conclusion I think the price change was necessary for Netflix, but I think they approached it the wrong way. I was one of the million subscribers who canceled their subscription due to the price change. But even with that said, after about two year, I’m now back with Netflix and I’m subscribing to the streamlining of videos.

How to Successfully Expand your Business into the Africa

Import and export figures are also significantly higher for emerging markets and developing economies compared to advanced economies. Looking at these projections as an business or investor should have you seriously considering expanding your business or portfolio into these regions and tap into these revenue. Introduction Today world is becoming less and less defined by its boundaries, the words â€Å"Global Village† and used to reference this evolution. Business is at the fore front of breaking these boarders.Technological advances in communication especially via the World Wide Web have broken down the barriers enabling a business in America to sell rodents in a consumer in China, England, Brazil, Kenya†¦. Anywhere the internet is present can now be included in a business's target market. Not only can businesses sell goods and services anywhere in the world, the can also have operation there and be able to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and other partners m ore efficiently and affordable than even before. Given these facts then why do businesses choice to do trade with one country over another and not both or as many as possible?We the simple answer to this question is that there many other barriers to read with foreign countries that will make it hard or even impossible for foreign business to expand into those regions. African countries have been one of those that many businesses in developed countries have refrained from doing business with. And in their defense it's not without merit. Despite African being blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it has been plagues with wars, and political instability leading to high levels of poverty, lack of education and poor infrastructure.However over the last two decades, many of these countries have made strides in utter there economies, and have registered high economic growth during this period. However even with these changes, not many foreign business have taken note of these reg ion as potentially significant part of the market. Even with slow economic growth rates among developed countries. Africa is poised to be the next big market, especially as things slowly wind down in Asia notably China. The purpose of this project is to establish a successful strategy for American Businesses to expand into the African Market Is this a profitable market?The African economy has seen a significant economic growth of the past two cascades. The economic growth rate is two to three times that of developed countries and still significantly higher than that of other emerging economies like Asia and Latin America. The middle class has shown a sharp rise over the last decade, raising the amount of people with discretionary income thus driving the economy. This growth spike is driven by the growth of the middle class. The middle class growth has happened as Africa makes strides in education, infrastructure, and political stability in many countries.Compared to Just about 10 ye ars ago, a huge economic growth can be noticed. From a similar research project conducted written in 2004 titled † The experience of South African Firms Doing Business in Africa' we can see Just how the economy and other factors have changed. In June 2003, the International Monetary Fund (MIFF) observed that macroeconomic policies in Africa had improved considerably in recent years, although inflation remained a source of worry in a number of countries such as Zombie, Angola, Somalia and Nigeria.In its April World Outlook, the MIFF maintained that the central challenge for Africa remained the establishment of those conditions necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, most notably a sustained reduction in poverty. However, to achieve these goals, an overall growth rate of 7% per annum is required. Far from reaching that goal, Africans economic growth slowed to 3. 1% in 2002, compared with 4. 3% the previous year. (Games 2004) Fast forward to 2013 that goal of 7% gr owth is being attained by several African countries.If you look at the latest MIFF data for economic growth in table 1. MIFF 2013 The average growth for many of the African countries, is at 6. 9% in 2013 and raising up to 7. 9 in 2014. The map further shows where parts are recording these phenomenal growth rates. A 7% average annual growth rate is too significant to Just be ignored. This growth creates an increased demand for goods and services that usually cannot be meet by current businesses and government. Deutsche Bank said the number of households with discretionary income would reach 130 million by 2020 from 85 million now. Cape Argus [South Africa] 14 Novo. 2013) What industries are most profitable? A developing counties or emerging economies the African market has opportunities for business in every industry. This region is playing catch up with developed countries thus means the opportunities for foreign businesses who have already one it can bring with them experience and expertise to contribute to this growth will turning a profit. Retail is one of sub-Sahara Africans hottest sectors, fuelled by expanding populations and fast growing economies.In east Africa, the economies of several nations are growing around 7 percent a year. Real income growth in Africa is averaging 2. 3 percent a year and consumer spending accounts for 60 percent of economic output, the World Bank said in April. Deutsche Bank said the number of households with discretionary income would reach 130 million by 2020 from 85 million now. That's really good news for shops. Daily News [Colombo, Sir Lankan] 14) Africans tourism growth was faster than the average for emerging economies. More than half of Africans tourists arrived by air.International tourist arrivals in Africa had grown almost fivefold since 1990 at a rate of 6. 3 percent a year. International tourist arrivals rose from 15 million a year in 1990 to 50 million in 2011. The growth rate in sub-Sahara African tourism arrival s was nearly 8 percent a year between 1990 and 2011. It is estimated that tourism injects more than $30 billion (Rabin) into the continent a year. Airbus said there had been some positive improvements across the egging despite continued impediments to growth. (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 013) What are the barriers? These are: Low levels of development and insufficient investment in people as resources; Political and fiscal risk. A weak private sector, coupled with a strong government presence in the economy; High dependency on donors and other financial mechanisms for aid and the funding of projects; High business costs owing to the lack of basic services, facilities, infrastructure, development, competition and resources; Insufficient air and road links; Poor leadership and bad governance; Corruption at all levels of government;High costs of finance due to high risk and weak economies Currency fluctuations. (Games 2004) This list of barriers to doing business in Africa are fr om a decade ago, at present not all of them have been corrected but significant steps have been taken to fix reduce or eliminate them. In Africa, foreign investors beware: business is often a family affair. Just ask Wall-Mart , the world's largest retailer. Daily News [Colombo, Sir Lankan] 14) Political climate Tunis: The eighth annual African Economic Conference concluded today, calling on development and business leaders to turn Africa into a hub of business and development excellence. The conference, Jointly organized each year by the African Development Bank (BFD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ACE) and the United Nations Development Programmer (UNDO), brought together 500 decision-makers and development practitioners. Daily the Peak Banker 2013) Infrastructure SCALING up infrastructure investments and adopting modern methods of management have been identified as significant benchmark in releasing potentials in the business sector to contribute immensely to economic growth of the East African Community (EACH) partner states. (Tanzania Daily News 2013) â€Å"We need investment n infrastructure, our roads and ports,† (African news service 2013) Countries to avoid Why sub-Sahara Africa and not north?Growth will weaken in north Africa dues to slow down among oil exporters (miff pop) Sub-Sahara Africa is expected to continue growing at a strong pace during 2013-14, with both resource-rich and lower-income economies benefiting from robust domestic demand (Figure 2. 15). The external environment is the main source of risks to growth, particularly for middle- income and mineral-exporting economies. Given the still-uncertain global environment, countries whose policy buffers are thin and here growth is strong should seek to rebuild fiscal positions without undermining productive investment. miff pop) The generally strong per- performance is based to a significant extent on ongoing investment in infrastructure and productive capacity, con tinuing robust consumption, and the activation of new capacity in extractive sectors. (MFC pop) . In sub-Sahara Africa as a whole, inflation is projected to fall further to 7 percent in 2013 (miff pop) The frequency of growth takeoffs in low-income countries (Lies) has risen markedly during the past two decades, and these takeoffs have lasted longer than those that took place before the sass.Economic structure has not mattered much in sparking takeoffs-?takeoffs have been achieved by Lies rich in resources and by those oriented toward manufacturing. A striking similarity between recent takeoffs and those before the sass is that they have been associated with higher investment and national saving rates and with stronger export growth, which sets them apart from Lies that were unable to take off and confirms the key role of capital accumulation and trade integration in development.However, recent takeoffs stand out from earlier takeoffs in two important aspects. First, today's yeoman Lies have achieved strong growth without building macroeconomic imbalances-?as reflected in declining inflation, more com- appetite exchange rates, and appreciably lower public and external debt accumulation. For resource-rich Lies, this has been due to a much greater reliance on foreign direct invest- meet (FED). For other Lies, strong growth was achieved despite lower investment levels than in the previous genera- Zion.Second, recent takeoffs are associated with a faster pace of implementing productivity-enhancing structural reforms and strengthening institutions. For example, these Lies have a lower regulatory burden, better infrastructure, higher education levels, and greater political stability. Looking for- ward, there remain many challenges to maintaining strong growth performance in today's dynamic Lies, including the concentration of their growth in only a few sectors and the need to diversify their economies, and ensuring that growth leads to broad- based improvements in l iving standards.Still, if these countries succeed in preserving their improved policy foundation and maintaining their momentum in structural reform, they seem more likely to stay on course and avoid the reversals in economic fortunes that afflicted many dynamic Lies in the past. miff 97) In particular, the follow- ins have become more important: a more competitive exchange rate, deeper export links with other Modes, higher human capital levels, initial levels of income per capita, and overall economic size.Indeed, as global trade and competition increase, greater external competitiveness, export diversification, and productive- itty improvements may raise Lies' chances of takeoff relatively more than when the global economy is less integrated. The baseline results suggest that the chances of take- off more than tripled during the sass compared with the period before 1990 (Figure 4. 11). The predicted (miff Pl 10) How can barriers to entry be overcome?He said that in order to kick-s tart a major investment drive on the continent, these banks should partner with institutions such as the Bank Guest Francine De Development, the Africa Finance Corporation and Cairo-based Brinkman. Pressed on whether he had considered the Industrial Development Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern African, he said these too should be considered for partnering and leveraging with bigger commercial banks. (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 2013) â€Å"Business on the continent is a relationship, not Just a transaction.If you miss the relationship you will have endless trouble with the transaction. † Building relationships in Africa is an important part of doing business, particularly for South Africans who have to work at countering the perception that they are the new colonizers, the bully boys who have taken over markets, pushing out local businesses. (Games 2004) Are other countries already doing business in this region successfully? About 80 business people have been given advice about increasing exports to Africa. The event, held yesterday in Quern, was hosted by Government agency I-J Trade and Investment (KIT).Susann Hutting, of the East Midlands office, said most of the delegates had already traded with Africa and were looking for ways to increase their sales to the continent. â€Å"Lots of people were looking for different information about exporting more,† she said. (Leister Mercury Novo. ) Which developed countries are doing business here? Asks, who was born in South Africa, said â€Å"everyone is keen on Africa†, including investment banks in the EX. and North America. They had billions of dollars available to invest on the continent but did not know the regulatory terrain and the pitfalls of coal investment markets.He had been in discussions with many of the international banks. â€Å"They are all asking†¦ Are you [Airbus] formulating a strategy for Africa? † (Cape Times [South Africa] 1 Novo. 2013) Marrio tt International, the New York Stock Exchange-listed international hospitality group, is planning to acquire the brands and management business of Protean Hotels in South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa. The US group confirmed yesterday that it had signed a letter of intent with Cape Town-based Protean Hospitality Holdings to acquire Protean Hotels' brands and its management business.Protean Hotels operates or franchises 116 hotels across three brands with 10 184 rooms in South Africa and six other sub-Sahara African countries. (cape times 2013) How are other business from other foreign countries doing? Natural growth of African-based aviation would see the number of aircraft needed to serve the markets for flights to, from and within the continent rising from 618 at the start of 2012 to a projected 1 453 by 2031. It was projected that 122 aircraft of the existing 618 would have to be replaced, while 823 would have to be brought on stream. This meant nearly 1 000 new aircraft would be needed in the next 20 years.

The World’s Surprising Economic Superpower

The annual Fortune 500 rankings have become an iconic measure of corporate influence in the U. S. business world. But just as major league baseball's World Series stacks the deck in favor of U. S. baseball teams, the Fortune 500 is limited to U. S. companies. And just as the United States failed to end up at the top in this year's (genuinely global) World Baseball Classic, the relative position of U. S. companies changes once you step onto the global playing field. The United States still dominates the Fortune Global 500 with 140 U. S companies, its 30% share equaling roughly the United States' share of the global economy.That's twice as many as its nearest competitor, Japan, with 68 companies on the list. But U. S. dominance is clearly eroding. Most notably, a U. S. company is no longer at #1, with Royal Dutch Shell displacing U. S. -based Wal-Mart as the world's largest company with revenues of $458 billion. That's the first time a non-U. S. company has been at the head of the list since 1996. The 140 U. S. companies that did make the list combine for the lowest number since Fortune magazine began compiling the list in 1995. Recall that 2008 was particularly unkind to the United States.Within the span of a remarkable 12 months, household names like AIG, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Wachovia, and Washington Mutual all disappeared from the list. The Fortune Global 500: BRICs Rising? The inevitable rise of the BRIC economies — Brazil, Russia, India and China — is now taken as holy writ among the U. S. business press. With the BRIC countries now boasting more than a quarter of the world's land area and more than 40% of the world's population, it's now considered inevitable that, in terms of size, speed, and directional flow, the transfer of global wealth and economic power is shifting from West to East.While it's true that the BRICs offer some of the best investment opportunities, in terms of companies on the Fortune Global 500, the dominance of the BRICs is still far from today's reality. The BRICs account for 58 companies among the Fortune Global 500. China stands head and shoulders above its rivals, with 37 companies on the list — a gain of nine companies from only a year ago. India has seven companies on the list, while Brazil has six and Russia has eight among the top 500. As pundit David Rothkopf observed, â€Å"Without China, the BRICs are ust the BRI — a bland, soft cheese that is primarily known for the wine that goes with it. † That said, even the Chinese companies on the list are hardly world beaters. Most are state-owned behemoths — not known for savvy or innovation. China's second-biggest company is the creatively named â€Å"State Grid,† which ranks (a shocking) #15 in the world. And in 2009, you can still win bets at almost any U. S. bar by betting someone that she can't name a Chinese brand. Most of the Chinese companies on the list are like a 7†² 5†³ basketball player who can barely dribble the ball.Sure, it's hard to ignore that he is an intimidating presence on the basketball court. But that doesn't mean that you'd want to put him on your All-Star team. And it's hard not to notice that the largest BRIC companies outside of China are largely based on natural resources — that is, â€Å"trust fund† countries pumping wealth from the ground. Take away the oil and steel industries, and Russia, India and Brazil all suddenly rank alongside Denmark, Austria, Ireland and Finland, with two Fortune Global 500 companies each.In terms of heft, the BRICs are still distinctively minor league. Brazil has one company in the top 100, Russia has two, India has zero, and China has five, totaling eight companies from the BRIC countries in the top 100. By this measure, the combined BRICs beat Britain alone — but not France. The Fortune Global 500: The World's Surprising Economic Superpower? With all eyes looking toward the inev itable rise of the BRICs, it's easy to spurn â€Å"Old Europe† as a global economic force. I'm guilty of it and I've spent my entire adult life here.There may be a handful of contrarians willing to say that China may not be all that it's cracked up to be. But in over 15 years of active investment reading, I can recall only a single book that ever viewed Europe's prospects in a positive light. Taken together, Europe's economy is not only bigger than the U. S. economy, but its companies also rival the United States for corporate oomph. The economy of Germany, with a population of 80 million people, is the size of China's, and it both exports more and boasts more companies among the Fortune 500 than its Asian rival (39).Throw in France (40), the United Kingdom (26), Switzerland (15), the Netherlands (12), and Spain (12), and the top six European economies boast an impressive 155 companies among the Fortune Global 500. Not bad for a combined population of 266 million — sub stantially less than the United States. Include the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark (combined population 19 million) landing nine companies on the list, and you skew the list even further in Europe's favor. And unlike the BRICs, the European companies are distinctly top-heavy.Germany has 15 companies in the top 100, France, 10; Britain, six; Italy, five; Spain, three; and Netherlands, two, for a total of 41. That far outpaces the United States' collective 27 companies on the list of the world's 100 largest. The Fortune Global 500: A Welcome Correction Parsing the Fortune Global 500 rankings offers an important correction to what you hear in the mainstream business press. First, on a country level, U. S companies still dominate the global economy. And Japan, for all of its widely publicized problems, is still a powerful economic force.Second, China plays a much smaller role in the real world than it does in your email inbox. Third, and perhaps most surprisingly, taken together, the European companies outrank the United States — both in the top 100 and top 500 of the Fortune Global 500. Think of Europe as a single country and you suddenly realize that it trounced both the United States and China in the Beijing Olympics. And it wasn't even close. Yet, consider how likely it would be that you'd ever subscribe to an investment newsletter that focused solely on investment opportunities in Europe.The broader lesson is that distinctions on national lines are increasingly irrelevant. A good example is Arcelor Mittal, the world's largest steel-maker, which grew its revenues faster than Google did over the past five years. Arcelor Mittal is technically a Luxembourg-based company, run by an Indian, who lives in London. And I'd be surprised if you even knew (or cared) that the world's #1 company, Royal Dutch Shell, is actually based in the Netherlands. For true multinationals, country of origin is so yesterday. And that's the way it should be fo r you in looking at your investments.