Kabbalah Essay Example for Free

Kabbalah Essay Inner Light Kabbalah Research Paper Judaism is the foundation for many other religions, particularly the study of Kabbalah. There are many references to mysticism and mystical experiences in Judaic teachings, including prophetic dreams and visions and interactions with G-d and angels. Ancient Jews were not allowed to even study these teachings until they completed their study of the Torah after the age of forty. And, then, Kabbalah was studied by only a select few who could truly understand its meanings and power. Kabbalah tries to answer the theological questions of heaven and hell, life after death, our reason for existence, G-d and the universe. What sets Judaism and Kabbalah apart is the way the Holy Scriptures are interpreted. Kabbalah followers believe that there are hidden meanings in the Holy Scriptures and once they understand those they will be granted divine status. Known as a form of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah is unique in its beliefs and practices and is like no other organized mainstream religion. Followers of Kabbalah, known as Kabbalists, believe that G-d taught the secrets of the Holy Scriptures to a group of angels. Those angels came down to earth in human form and taught the religion to the Israelites. Writings of the Kabbalah date back to the first centuries B. C. E. While Judaism is based on the Torah, Kabbalah has a completely different interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. The Torah is the laws and teachings of Judaism. It is also known as the Books of Moses or the first five books of the Old Testament, which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Kabbalah scriptures include the Book of Zohar or Book of Splendor. The Zohar is a five-volume mystical commentary on the Torah. The Book of Zohar was presented in the thirteenth century by Moses De Leon who claimed the book contained the mystical writings of the second century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai. Almost all modern academic scholars believe that De Leon wrote the text himself, but Orthodox Kabbalists accept his claim that Bar Yohai wrote them. Kabbalah also studies the teachings in the scripture Sefer Yetzirah, or the Book of Formation, which talks about Creation. Some believe that Abraham, who is known as the father of the Jewish people, wrote Sefer Yetzirah. Kabbalistic study includes a Sephiroth Tree, which organizes the ten basic principals of life. Kabbalah teaches that immortality can be obtained through the understanding of the letters and numbers included in the Holy Scriptures. The hidden meanings in the numbers and letters can only be understood with magical powers. Kabbalists believe that the truth of G-d and the universe can be found in the Sephirot Tree of Life. It organizes and pictures the ten numbers that are the working principals of life. Each of the branches is interconnected and is how G-d interacts with the universe. The ten branches correspond to the qualities of G-d. Kabbalists believe that when the tenth branch is reached, the soul can enter immortality and know G-d. Kabbalists believe that G-d is transcendent and fills every void in both the spiritual universe and the physical universe. The structure of the Sephiroth Tree of Life is important. There are three columns and the roots of the tree are above the branches. The ten Sefirot includes both masculine and feminine qualities. Kabbalah emphasizes the feminine aspects of G-d. The ten branches are: 1 Kether Being/Existence (Will/Selflessness) 2 Chochmah Wisdom (Pure Thought/Connectedness) Binah Intelligence/Understanding (Differentiation/Repentance) 4 Chesed Mercy/Love (Compassion/Healing) 5 Geburah Strength/Severity (Discipline/Boundaries) 6 Tiphareth Beauty (Balance/Harmony) 7 Netzach Firmness (Leadership/Conference) 8 Hod Glory (Dependence/Vulnerability) 9 Yesod Foundation (Union of Male and Female) 10 Malkuth Kingdom Divine (Exile/Physical) There are three different divi sions of Kabbalah Prophetic, Theosophical, and Practical. Prophetic Kabbalah contains detailed instructions for meditative practices, as well as philosophical explanations of what is going on when those practices work. Prophetic Kabbalists believe that language is the core structure of creation and that the meaning of life can be discovered through language. Theosophical Kabbalah explains the nature of G-d, his relationships to man, and how the world was created. In essence, Theosophical Kabbalah aims to explain the structure of this universe that we live in. â€Å"The critical error all of us make, because of how beautifully human nature is designed, is that we suppose that form is separate and real. † Lastly, Practical Kabbalah examines the different experiences that humans go through in their lives. Practical Kabbalists believe in angels and demons, ways to influence the appearance of G-d, fortune telling and understanding ones past lives. The three sections of Kabbalah all have their own specific philosophies yet they are all still linked with the core beliefs of general Kabbalah. Many philosophers and Rabbis have contributed to the growth of Kabbalah throughout time. Abraham Abulafia was one of the first visionary Kabbalah teachers. He was most well known for being a wandering mystic and teacher throughout Spain during the thirteenth century. Moshe Cordovero created the first real school of Kabbalah in Israel in the sixteenth century and laid the groundwork for Kabbalistic thought. During the eighteenth century in Poland, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov founded Hasidism, which is the ultra-orthodox movement based on many of the Kabbalah teachings. Many passages from Kabbalistic sources are still included in traditional Hasidic prayer books. Beginning in the twentieth century, Jews of other denominations besides Hasidism and many non-Jewish followers began to study and practice Kabbalah. However many traditional Jews do not take Kabbalah and its study of mysticism very seriously. One prominent Orthodox scholar said, its nonsense, but its Jewish nonsense, and the study of anything Jewish, even nonsense, is worthwhile. Prayer is an important part of Kabbalah. Kabbalists pray in Hebrew since it is the original language of God. Shabbat is celebrated as the day of rest in the Jewish religion and is a day of quiet, solitude, and reflection. Regardless of one’s belief in the mysticism of the ancient texts, Kabbalah allows a person to feel connected to G-d and the universe in a contemplative and personal way. Kabbalah is truly unique in its beliefs and practices. Works Cited Melton, J. Gordon. The Encyclopedia of American Religions. Wilmington, NC: McGrath Pub. , 1978. Gale Cenage. Web. 12 May 2013. The Kabbalah Centre.   The Kabbalah Centre. N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 May 2013. ;lt;http://www. kabbalah. com/;gt;. Kabbalah.   Kabbalah. N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 May 2013. ;lt;http://www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/Judaism/kabbalah. html;gt;. Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism. Judaism 101. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 May 2013. ;lt;www. jewfaq. org/kabbalah. htm? ;gt;. Kabbalah ;amp; Mysticism in Jewish Thought. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 May 2013. ;lt;http://www. myjewishlearning. com/beliefs/Theology/Kabbalah_and_Mysticism. shtml;gt;. |

C-myc Monocular Antibody (McAb) on Gastric Cancer Cells

C-myc Monocular Antibody (McAb) on Gastric Cancer Cells Introduction Gastric cancer (GC) is estimated to be one of the most common and frequent malignant tumor of the digestive system. The incidence and mortality of GC have ranked the second among all tumor diseases worldwide [1-5]. However, it ranks in first place in China[6]. Complete surgical resection is still the standard for all patients with resectable GC. It remains highly problematic for the regional and less common systemic recurrences[7]. Recent improvement in surgical technique, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy has increased the survival rate of patients with early-stage, but the patients who have advanced GC are difficult to cure. With more and more research of molecular biological mechanisms known by us, molecular targeted therapies including cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis and invasion have become a popular tumor comprehensive therapy[8]. Some of single-targeted spots are mainly Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-1, HER-2), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Human epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI), Human proto-oncogene (c-MET)[9, 10]. However, it needs a huge space to develop the targeted anticancer drugs. An elegant way to accumulate therapeutic agents at the tumor site is their specific antibodies[11]. Oncogenes are well documented to be involved in mediating apoptosis and cell cycle resulting in cancers[12, 13], its activation can play an important role in the progress of cancer. C-myc is an important member of the c-myc family and a master regulator of genes involved in diverse cellular processes in GC[14]. The c-myc is a nuclear transcription factor which centrally regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle and apoptosis, once c-myc is activated in vivo or in vitro, it is easy to make the cells far from the normal growth and promote cell malignant transformation to cancer finally[15-17]. It was reported that the expression of c-myc is an important consideration in the biological characteristic of GC [18-20]. The previous studies also have proved that c-myc has tight relation with Brest cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, hematopoietic cancer [21-24]. Currently few da ta exist on the occurrence of the c-myc McAb targeting against GC. In this study, we assessed the effects of c-mycMcAb on the Balb/e2nu/2nunude mice model of GC and the human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, and tried to investigate the function of c-myc McAbfor targeting against GC. Materials and Methods Preparation of c-myc monocular antibody (McAb) All experiments involving animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University of Medicine. Mice were used in this study from Animal Science Laboratory of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and all effects were made to minimize distress.Thec-myc proteins prepared in E.coliBL21 were used as immunogens.[U1] Before McAb preparation, the c-myc proteins were mixed withequal volume of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Female Balb/c mice aging from 6-8 weeks [U2]were immunized intraperitoneally with 50 ÃŽ ¼g c-myc proteins (1v:1v) in CFA. The immunization was repeated with the same amount of immunogens[U3] in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) at 14d. A final immunization was performed with 100ÃŽ ¼g mixture of c-myc proteinsand IFA at 28 d. Then, the blood was drawn from the caudal vein and serum titers were measured by ELISA at 35 d. A booster injection was given intraperitoneally at the antibody titers of 640,000[U4] tested by ELISA at 35 d. Five days after boost, spleen cells were isolated and mixed[U5] with SP2/0 myeloma cells. When the Hybrid cells grew to 50%, the positive clones were collected by ELISA. The hybridomas processed by Silica gel H was inoculated intraperitoneally into unsexed Balb/c mice. Then, the mice were scarified and the ascetic fluid was collected. The McAb was purified and the concentration was determined by bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA) Protein Assay Reagent Kit. Characteristic Identification of c-myc McAb The subtype of purified McAb was determined by antibody chips according to the manufacturer's instructions (Raybitech Company, USA) and antibody titers were measured by ELISA kit (Cistron Biotechnology, Pine Brook, NJ)[25]. The assay was carried out in 96-well polystyrene plates according to the standard procedures [26]. Briefly, c-myc protein (10ÃŽ ¼g) were loaded onto plate in 0.1 M carbonate buffer (PH 9.6) and reacted with McAb at 37oC for 2 h. After washed, the mixture was monitored with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated rabbit-anti-mouse IgG (diluted 1:100; Sigma) at 37oC for 1 h. Nonspecific antibody binding sites wereblocked with 2% FCS in blocking reagent for 15min.The OD450vaule was read with a 96-well plate reader. The antigenic specificity of McAb was determined by Western blot. Purified c-myc protein was transferred into E.coil DH5ÃŽ ± and Cells were lysed inice-cold radioimmunoprecipitation buffer (RIPA) for 30 min and centrifuged to collect the supermanant[27]. Cell lysates were blent with 3Ãâ€" loading buffer (6 % SDS, 15 % 2-mercaptoethanol, 30 % glycerol, and 0.3 mg/mL bromphenol blue in 188 Tris-HCl, pH 6.8), heated at 90oC for 10 min, and then separated by 16 % SDS-PAGE. Separated proteins in the gels were electrophoreticaly transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane, boiled in phosphate buffered saline for 4 min, and blocked with 5 % nonfat dry milk for 20 min[28]. After several rinses, the membranes were incubated with c-myc McAb overnight at 4 oC. McAb were detected by HRP-conjugated goat-anti-mouse IgG (50 ÃŽ ¼g/mL) at 22 oC for 1 h. The establishment and treatment of nude mice model of GC Four-to-five-weeks old Balb/c nu/nu mice (body weight was 18 ±1.5g) were purchased for the establishment of nude mice model of GC . The human gastric cancer cell line (SGC-7901) was grown in 10% DMEM (Gibco) supplemented with FCS (100 mL/L), penicillin sodium (100 U/mL) and streptomycin sulfate (100 ÃŽ ¼g/mL), and cultured at a 5% CO2 incubator at 37 oC. Exponentially growing SGC-7901 cells were trypsinized resuspended to make a cell suspension of 2Ãâ€"107 cellls/mL. The nude mouse was injected subcutaneously with the suspension (0.2 mL) into the right and left root. Tumor masses were obvious at 10 d. Mice were randomized into 4 groups including low-dose group, middle-dose group, high-dose group and saline group (10 mice/group). Mice of each treatment group were inoculated intraperitoneally with c-myc McAb weekly (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, respectively), and mice of saline groups were injected with normal saline (0.2 mL) instead. Four weeks after injection, the mice were sacrificed and tumors were examined to calculate the tumor inhibition rates (). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) The procedures of SP immunohistochemical kit (SP kit, Maxim Biotech) were as follows: The tissue of tumors was fixed in 10 % phosphate-buffered Formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at a thickness of 4ÃŽ ¼m. Tissue sections were deparaffnized, hydrated and washed in PBS. Antigen retrieval was performed by combining the tissue with 10mM citrate buffer (pH 6.0) in a microwave for 10 min. Nonspecific protein bindings of tissues was blocked with 5 % normal sheep serum (NSS) for 10 min. after rinsing in PBS, sections were incubated with c-myc McAb at 4 oC overnight at a dilution of 1:100. Secondary antibody (Carpinteria, goat anti-mouse biotenylated, 1:50 in PBS) was applied at room temperature for 30min after washed, and then HRP-conjugated streptavidin were added. The slides were visualized by diaminobenzidine (DAB) (Dako, Carpinteria, CA, USA) for 5 min and counterstained with hematoxylin for 2 min, terminated, dehydrated, transparentized, sealed and photographed step by step. Negative controls were prepared by replacing primary antibody with PBS. Western blot analysis C-myc McAb (1 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 2 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 4 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, respectively) were added into SGC-7901cells andcultured for 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, for blank controls, the SGC-7901cells were omitted and HFE-145 cells were used instead. Cells were collected and lysed in ice-cold RIPA,and then following sections were mainlysimilar with the procedures of the Characteristic Identification of c-myc McAb. MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay Cells were seeded into 96-well plates (10, 000 cells/well) and cultured at 37 oC in a 5% CO2 incubator after HGC-7901cells and normal gastric cell line HFE-145 were trypsinized. The culture medium was washed with PBS 3 times, and thenc-myc McAb (1 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 2 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 4 ÃŽ ¼g/mL,) were added respectively, 20 mL (5 mg/mL) At the indicated time points (1 d, 2 d, 3 d, 4 d, 5 d), each well were added with 20 mL MTT cultured at 37 oC for 4 h. Then 150 ÃŽ ¼L DMSO was added again to stop the reaction after the supernate were dropped, The plate was read on multiwall plate reader (Thermo Fisher, Basingstoke, United Kingdom) at 570nm. . A dose-response curve was plotted for the HGC-7901cells and HFE-145 cells. Cell adhesion assay Before cell adhesion and migration assays, SGC-7901 cells and HFE-145 cells were serum starved in bascal culture medium overnight. In brief,6-well tissue culture plates were coated with 10ÃŽ ¼g/mL fibronectin and 10 ÃŽ ¼g/mL poly-L-lysine overnight, the wells were washed with PBS-T and blocked with 5 % BSA in PBS-T[29]. SGC-7901cells and HFE-145 cells were released with trypsin to prepare of single cell suspensions. The cells were applied to 6-well tissue culture plates (50 ÃŽ ¼L/well) and incubated at 37oC for 12 h. When cells were grown to approximately 90 % confluence, the c-myc McAb(1 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 2 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 4 ÃŽ ¼g/mL,) were added respectively. Cells were allowed to attach for 2 h, and the culture medium were discarded. Before released with trypsin, cells were washed twice with PBS and 1mM Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA). The formula of was used to calculate the adhesion rates. Cell migration assay Cell migration assays were performed in transwell bicameral chambers as described[30]. Matrigel (Becton Dickinson Company, Bedford) at a dilution of 1:100 were coated with culture medium without serum at 37oC for 30 min in the apical chamber. Cells were released with trypsin, washed ,and resuspended at a final concentration of 5Ãâ€"105 cell/mL in serum-free bascal culture medium (EBM) containing 0.1 % BSA. The suspension (100 ÃŽ ¼L), which were seeded on the upper chamber, were mixed with c-myc McAb (1 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 2 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 4 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, respectively). The lower chamber was filled with 500ÃŽ ¼L mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NIH3T3) which were cultured with RPMI (10mM Hepes, 0.5% BSA, pH 7.4). Migration chambers were incubated at 37oC in 5% CO2 incubator for 72h. After removing stationary cells from the upper side of the membrane with a cotton-tipped swab, migrated cells were fixed and stained with 1% crystal violet. Cells were counted in three fields at a magnification of Ãâ€" 400. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle assays HGC-7901cells and HFE-145 cells were seeded into 6-well plates containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) with 10% FCS and cultured at 37 oC in a 5% CO2 incubator overnight. Supernatants were discarded, before c-myc McAb (1 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 2 ÃŽ ¼g/mL, 4 ÃŽ ¼g/mL,) were added respectively and attached for 72 h. cells were fixed with pre-cooled ethanol (75%) and stained with Propidium Iodide (PI, Sigma) in the dark at room temperature for 15 min , after centrifuged at 1,000 rpm and rinses in PBS several times. The cell cycle and apoptosis rates were analyzed by FACS (Elite ESP, Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA). Statistical analyses Statistical analysis was performed using Software version SPSS11.0. All data was expressed as mean  ± SD (standard deviation). Comparisons were made by Student's t-test and comparisons of parameters were made using one-way analysis of variance among 4 groups. A value of P

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay Toyota Motor Corporation Profile According to Toyota Global (2015) Toyota is a worldwide Japanese automotive corporation headquartered in Aichi, Japan. Toyota was founded in August 28 1937 by founder Kiichiro Toyoda. Marketing Strategy Fifield (2012) claims there are countless meanings for the term Marketing Strategy. Fifield (2012) accumulates and provides a number of meanings from various authors for the term Marketing Strategy. But the most captivating definition from Fifields (2012) research was from an author named Craven. Fifield (2012, p.xxiv) quotes Cravens definition of a marketing strategy in which he defines it as a process that involves strategically analysing environmental, competitive as well as business factors that affect business units and forecasting future trends in business areas of interest to the company. Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy A marketing strategy currently used by Toyota is a strategy called penetration pricing (See Appendix A). Ferrell and Hartline (2010) reveal that the purpose of the penetration pricing marketing strategy is to maximise sales and to attain widespread market share within the market a company is competing in. Ferrell and Hartline (2010)also bring to light that the penetration pricing marketing strategy has the objective of capturing a large market share rapidly by setting low prices for products that a company sells. Furthermore Ferrell and Hartline (2010) claim that penetration pricing is best executed when consumers are sensitive towards the price of the product. Harrison and John (2013) highlight Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy which states that Toyota sell their cars in the low end of the price spectrum. This strategy caters to the price sensitive consumers. Whats more Wood (2007) exemplifies Toyotas use of the penetration pricing marketing strategy when Toyota introduced their Yaris Subcompact car production to the Europe market. Wood (2007) highlights that Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy for their Yaris car production enabled the corporation to compete with other well-known automotive companies such as Ford, Volkswagen, Renault and Vauxhall. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Another marketing strategy used by Toyota is a marketing strategy called the guerrilla strategy (See Appendix B). Boone and Kurtz (2014) inform that guerrilla marketing involves companies using unconventional techniques to attract consumer attention. Boone and Kurtz (2014) also regard the guerrilla marketing strategy as a fairly new marketing technique, in addition Boone and Kurtz (2014) reveal that the strategy is normally used by companies that do not have financial resources for other well-known or more effective marketing strategies. What is more Boone and Kurtz (2014) bring forward that established companies such as Toyota and Pepsi also employ the guerrilla marketing strategy even though such companies have the financial capacity to implement more effective marketing strategies. Boyles (2008) acknowledges Toyotas incorporation of the guerrilla marketing strategy which outlines that Toyotas main reason for using the guerrilla marketing strategy is to attract the younger crowd i.e. young adults. Boyles (2008) also points out that companies such as Toyota conduct this strategy by placing advertisements on objects that are used everyday e.g. food or drink packaging. What is more Boyles (2008) goes further by revealing that companies such as Toyota use alternative methods for the guerrilla marketing strategy such as placing advertisements in locations where people commute frequently. Social Media Marketing Strategy A further strategy currently used by Toyota is the social media marketing strategy (See Appendix C). Marketing via use of social media is considered a contemporary strategy in the marketing world and is also considered a very effective marketing strategy. Many companies in this day age are now taking advantage of the social media marketing strategy such as Toyota. Zarrella (2009) notifies that social media marketing involves the usage of web technologies. Zarella (2009) also points out that social media web technologies include activities such as blogging, social networks (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) and media sharing sites (such as Flickr and YouTube). Tybout and Calde, (2010) present a detailed example of Toyotas usage of the social media marketing strategy. Tybout and Calde (2010) exemplify Toyotas usage of the social media strategy marketing by unveiling Toyotas affiliation with a company called iCrossing. Tybout and Calde (2010) go further by acknowledging iCrossings role in building awareness of Toyotas IQ city car which was released by Toyota in 2008. Tybout and Calde, (2010) declare that iCrossing is a UK based company who specialise in digital marketing. Additionally Tybout and Calde, (2010) mention that iCrossing helped to promote Toyotas IQ car model via the use of a campaign called the The Hypermiling Campaign. Hypermiler (2015) is an online community that focuses on providing fuel saving advice. iCrossings assistance in promoting the IQ car production helped Toyota to generate positive anticipation amongst the communitys online users. Tybout and Calde, (2010) continue by talking about Toyotas IQ blogging site which was created specifically for the IQ car production. Tybout and Calde, (2010) carry on by disclosing Toyotas increase in traffic on their blogging site which increased by more than 212 percent as a result of their affiliation with iCrossing. Tybout and Calde, (2010) lecture on how the social media marketing strategy has enabled Toyota to reach new audiences through the use of alternative social media marketing techniques such as blog posting, Flickr and Twitter. Tybout and Calde, (2010) conclude by addressing an additional technique used by Toyota in the social media realm which is the integration of their online newsroom with social media outlets such as YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. The result of this marketing technique integration has allowed the web community to access Toyotas images, videos, activities and anything else associated with Toyota. Trade Show Marketing Strategy The last strategy used by Toyota is trade show marketing strategy (See Appendix D). This marketing strategy is used by many well-known automotive companies within the car industry. Trade show marketing involves companies exhibiting their new product(s) or service(s). Sà ¶ilen (2013) describes trade show marketing as person to person, information exchange and selling. Sà ¶ilen (2013) proceeds by stating that trade shows involve the gathering and distribution of information. Toyota uses this particular strategy to exhibit new car productions. An example of Toyotas trade show marketing strategy is their collaboration with a German company called B+s exhibitions. B+s exhibitions (2015) illustrate the partnership between the two companies where they present galleries as well as video footage of Toyotas trade shows. Toyota and b+s exhibitions have worked together since the early 1980s. B+s exhibitions are a company who have been specialising in trade shows for over 40 years where one of their primary focuses is trade show marketing for top automotive companies all around the world. Recommendations to Improve Toyotas Marketing Strategies Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings, Toyota could improve their penetration pricing marketing strategy by initially selling their cars at a low price then slowly increasing their prices once they have established a strong clientele on any new production they release. As mentioned earlier companies use the penetration strategy to attain widespread market share within the market they are competing in. What this means is companies such as Toyota using the penetration pricing strategy are trying to build a strong clientele which Toyota achieved many times over the years with the various car productions they have released. Holden and Burton (2010) address this issue in which they write about the problems that can arise from the penetration pricing strategy. First Holden and Burton (2010) tackle the issue of customers who come to companies such as Toyota based on price where they highlight such customers as being the first to leave once another competitor enters the market. What is more Holden and Burton (2010) state that competing with competitors based on price is the least sustainable competitive advantage strategy to have. Even though Toyota has been one of the worlds leading automotive competitors for many years it is imperative to take such precautions into consideration for the reason that they could sooner or later find themselves in such a situation. The tactic of starting off with low price then slowing increasing the price could help sustain the companys competitive advantage years down the line. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Improvement Toyota could improve their guerrilla marketing strategy by integrating their guerrilla marketing strategy with their social media marketing strategy. Levinson and Gibson (2010) speak about the effectiveness of combining the two marketing strategies. Levinson and Gibson (2010) delve into how guerrilla marketing strategy is able operate alongside the social media marketing strategy by noting the cost aspect of combining the two marketing strategies. They reveal that creating a social media platform requires zero fees. Levinson and Gibson (2010) carry on by discussing that all guerrilla marketers should take advantage of this idea as it gives guerrilla marketers such as Toyota the opportunity to maximise their brand to a wider audience. Social Media Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings Toyota has already constructed a solid social media marketing strategy. However Toyota could improve their social media marketing strategy as a way to study their competitors. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) bring to light how the social media marketing strategy can useful weapon when analysing your competition. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) provide an insight on how the social media strategy is a contemporary tool for monitoring and gathering information about competitors within your market segments. Moreover West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) go further by making a note of the type of information that can be gathered about competitors where information can include competitor brands, strengths, weaknesses and strategic decisions. Additionally West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) present an extra commodity where they state corporations such as Toyota can employ specialist firms to analyse competitors on their behalf. Having access to such information would provide Toyota with ammunition which they can then use to get a better understanding of the market they are competing in. Trade Show Marketing Strategy improvement Toyota could improve their trade show marketing strategy by integrating their trade show and social media strategies together. Executing their social media strategy before and during their trade shows would help Toyota to improve traffic and awareness of their trade shows. Stratten and Kramer (2012) bring to attention that social media is one of the best ways to increase traffic at a trade shows. This can be done is by engaging in social media before and during the event. Stratten and Kramer (2012) offer an example of this tactic by saying that users of the trade show marketing strategy could use a social media outlet such as Twitter for their trade shows by using the hashtag tool. According to Chen et al. (2014) the hashtag tool is a feature on social media that is used to identify messages by topic. Stratten and Kramer (2012) continue by explaining that the use of hashtags enable the hosts of trade shows to see what people are saying about their conferences. This tactic can be carried out days or weeks before the event. Conclusion Research has revealed how instrumental marketing strategies can be to a companys success. Additionally the report has shown how various marketing strategies play different roles to elicit varied results. Research has also illustrated how marketing strategies can be the catalyst to a companys longevity and possess the power to separate successful companies from unsuccessful companies. What is more from research conducted it can be seen that even established companies such as Toyota still have room for improvement as development is a never ending process. Overall the report has helped to discover how Toyota has attained their current status within the automotive market. Toyota is good example of a company that executes effective marketing strategies. The marketing strategies outlined in the report have helped to expose how Toyota has had such a strong force in the automotive market over the years. References Boone, L. and Kurtz, D. (2014). Contemporary Marketing. ArkansasBoyles, D. (2008). The Corporate Assault on Youth. New York: Peter Lang B+s exhibitions (2015). b+s exhibitions GmbH |. [online] Available at:  http://wordpress.bs-exhibitions.de/?lang=en Chen, Y., Balke, W., Xu, J., Xu, W., Jin, P., Lin, X., Tang, T. and Hwang, E. (2014). Web-age information management. Macau: Springer. Ferrell, O. and Hartline, M. (2010). Marketing Strategy. 6th ed. Erin Joyne. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing Strategy. 2nd ed. The Chartered Institute of Marketing Harrison, J. and St. John, C. (2013). Foundations in strategic management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. olden, R. and Burton, M. (2010). Pricing with Confidence. Somerset: Wiley. Hypermiler (2015). Hypermiler.co.uk, Hypermiling News, Techniques Tips. [online] Available at:  http://www.hypermiler.co.uk/ Levinson, J. and Gibson, S. (2010). Guerrilla Marketing for Social Media: 100+ Weapons to Grown Your Online Influence, Attract Customers and Drive Profits. Entrepreneur Press. Solberg SÃÆ' ¸ilen, K. (2013). Exhibit marketing and trade show intelligence. Berlin: Springer. Stratten, S. and Kramer, A. (2012). UnMarketing. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Toyota Global (2015). Toyota Global Site | Overview. [online] Available at:  http://www.toyota-global.com/company/profile/overview/ Tybout, A. and Calder, B. (2010). Kellogg on Marketing. 2nd ed. Illinois. West, D., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E. (2015). Strategic marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wood, M. (2007). Essential guide to marketing planning. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Zarrella, D. (2015). The Social Media Marketing Book. Sebastopol: OReilly Media. Bibliography Conway, A. (2015). Beijing Auto Trade Show Toyota Unveil its new Concept. [online] Auto-Types.com. Available at:  http://www.auto-types.com/autonews/beijing-auto-trade-show-toyota-unveil-its-new-concept-8598.html Global, T. (2015). Toyota Global. [online] YouTube. Available at:  https://www.youtube.com/user/TOYOTAglobal Lum, R. (2012). Toyota: Protect Whats Behind You. [online] Creative Guerrilla Marketing. Available at:  http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/toyota-protect-whats-behind-you/ Seymour, R., Haddon, E. and Brownlee, S. (2012). Hot looks and Cool Connections with New Toyota Aygo Fire and Ice UK Media Site. [online] Media.toyota.co.uk. Available at:  http://media.toyota.co.uk/2012/02/hot-looks-and-cool-connections-with-new-toyota-aygo-fire-and-ice/ Appendix A: Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Example Sourced from Toyota UK Media, 2012 Appendix B: Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Creative Guerrilla Marketing, 2012 Appendix C: Social Media Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from YouTube, 2015 Appendix D: Trade Show Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Auto Types, 2015

Hath Not a Jew Eyes? The Identity of Shylock and Purpose of Anti-Semiti

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice continues to receive criticism because of the many controversial topics integrated within an already debatable plot. One such reproach is whether the play demonstrates factors of anti-Semitism or persists as a criticism of the anti-Sematic tendencies of Christians during Shakespeare’s time. The factor of genre plays an essential role in how the play is interpreted when regarding anti-Semitism, particularly when viewed as either a romantic comedy or a genre that better encompasses the financial, moral, and religious conflict that is so prominent throughout the play. For instance, when analyzed as a comedy, Shylock’s malevolence may not exactly be reviewed as comical, but nevertheless seems peculiar and outrageous at times. From a religious standpoint, however, the vehement interactions between Shylock and Antonio are clearly centered on revenge and appear much more violent than a comedic standpoint may suggest. Furthermore, bec ause the play is â€Å"laced†¦ with cobwebs of fraud, theft, and speculation on all sides, it is less about the pursuit of love than about the pursuit, possession, and power of money† (Russin 115). In short, while some elements of the play may be substantially different in regards to the context of today’s time period versus Shakespeare’s time period since the complexity and rich use of language may be particularly susceptible to various interpretations, there are numerous examples that clearly demonstrate certain actions of Jewish oppression. Specifically, Shakespeare implicitly explores trends of anti-Semitism and establishes an ambiguous identity for Shylock by providing both a symbolic portrayal of the Jewish culture and a distinct dichotomy between Shylock and Antonio. Sh... ...ict imbedded within the text. Works Cited Anti-Semitism and The Merchant of Venice: A Discussion Guide for Educators. New York: Anti-Defamation League, 2006. Print. Coonradt, Nicole. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Grand Deception: The Merchant of Venice- Anti-Semitism as ‘Uncanny Causality’ and the Catholic-Protestant Problem†. Religion and the Arts. 11 (2007): 74-97. Print. Rosenshield, Gary. â€Å"Deconstructing the Christian Merchant: Antonio and the The Merchant of Venice†. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies. 20.2 (2002): 28- 51. Print. Russin, Robin. â€Å"The Triumph of the Golden Fleece: Women, Money, Religion, and Power in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice†. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies. 31.3 (2013): 115-130. Print. Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2010. Print.

Hard Hits in Womens Tennis Industry Causes a Racket Essays -- Explora

Hard Hits in Women's Tennis Industry Causes a Racket From sunrise to sunset, I constantly hit fuzzy balls over the net. At age eight, my plan was to be a professional women's tennis player, so I figured that I needed to start training now. Wanting to be just like Martina Hingis, I loved to watch how she could hit the ball with such pace and accuracy. Some of the best women athletes drive themselves to participate in this grueling sport, and, although tennis was once not the most popular sport, I still wanted to be one of these women. Throughout history, women competing in sports has been debated, and women were once excluded from sports entirely. Luckily, I was not born in this era. Within the last century, women have made complicated advances towards being created equal in sports. Broer discusses how women were once degraded from playing sports since the physical activity was considered unlady-like and masculine, but times are changing. When women tried to participate in athletic competitions, they were labeled as inferiors to the men and were thought to be unfeminine. The reason for this was the difference in upbringing of men and women. Men were taught to show evidence of physical strength and control; while on the other hand, women were expected to develop physical attributes and domestic abilities (201-223). Women broke through these stereotypical thoughts of being homemakers during the second part of feminism. This was precisely when doors began to open, and playing courts were allowing the shift in sports. Women's tennis was gaining national and global attention. The combination of elegance and athleticism in tennis was thought to be perfect for women. Women were only allowed to play in mixed gender tournaments.... ...ky.com. 2002 Aug 1. 2004 March 17. <http://www.twincities.com/mld/kentucky/sports/other_sports/3775992.htm>. Smith, Lisa. Nike is a Goddess: the History of Women in Sports. New York: Atlantic Monthly Pr., 1998: 135-149 "Special Report: Women and Minorities in Tennis". Tennis Industry. 1997 March/April. 14 March 2004. <http://www.tennisindustry.com/mar_apr1997/news.html#Women1>. Tennis Channel Quotes. 10 March 2004. 10 March 2004. <http://www.thetennischannel.tv/quotes.php>. "The Tennis Channel". Lexisnexis. 8 Jan. 2004. 15 March 2004. <https://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/document?_m=bd9aacf99e3b88fe751f9ce1a8f28998&_docnum=1&wchp=dGLbVtzzSkVA&_md5=4194a3fcba6e3f0903bb26231282f86c>. "Two-handed or One-handed Backhand?" United States High School Tennis Association. 17 March 2004. <http://www.ushstca.org/HSTMAG/202twohand.htm>.

Examining Financial Statements - Landrys Restaurants Essay -- Busines

Examining Financial Statements - Landry's Restaurants Financial statement users around the globe use financial statements to evaluate the performance of companies (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006). In order to locate a company’s reported assets, liabilities, expenses and revenues, statement users rely on four types of financial statements. The four financial statements include: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Statement of Retained Earnings, and Statement of Cash Flows (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006, p. 6). Each of these reports provides different information to the financial statement user. The Balance Sheet reports at a point in time: a company’s assets (what it owns), liabilities (what it owes) and stockholder’s equity (what is left over for the owners) (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006, p.7). The Income Statement shows whether a business made a profit (net income) during a specific period of time (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006, p. 10). The Statement of Retained Ear nings illustrates what portions of the company’s earnings was paid to stockholders and retained by the company for future operations (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006, p.12). Finally, the Statement of Cash Flows reports summarizes how a business’ â€Å"operating, investing, and financial activities caused its cash balance to change over a particular range of time† (Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, 2006, p.13). This paper examines the Annual Report of Landry’s Restaurants, Inc. Specifically, this paper demonstrates how certain financial elements can be located in Landry’s financial statements. The key financial components discussed include: (1) net income, (2) total assets, (3) property and equipment a... ...ompany has made a profit over the prior year. Conclusion Financial statements play a significant role in providing insight into Landry’s Restaurants financial condition. Is the liability or cost high and can one see continued improvement in revenues each year are questions answered when analyzing financial statements. An investor can use financial statements in making a decision to invest in a company. By examining the different financial statements, one can identify Landry’s Restaurants has grown over the past five years. Comparing assets, liabilities and owner equity, one is able to determine Landry’s Restaurants is making a profit. Reference Landry's Restaurants (2003, December 31, 2003). Landry's Restaurants Annual Report. , 1. Fundamentals of Financial Accounting (1st ed.) F. Phillips, B. Libby, and P. Libby McGraw Hill, 2006. Boston, MA

Participant roles and purposes Essay

In talking about social situations and participants, Goffman suggests that situations move forward in accomplishing Ð ° goal or purpose because the participants come to Ð ° â€Å"working consensus† about the nature of the situation: â€Å"Together the participants contribute to Ð ° single overall definition of the situation which involves not so much Ð ° real agreement as to what exists but rather Ð ° real agreement as to whose claims concerning what issues will be temporarily honored† (1959: 9-1o). The working consensus of most teacher-student meetings is realized through the expectations and obligations of the role of teacher and student. These roles have mirroring expectations (the actions others can insist we perform) and obligations (the actions we can insist others perform) (Goffman 1967: 126). For example, the obligations of the student role–to read, to take exams, to attend classes–are expectations of the teacher role. The expectations of the student role–to receive information, to be given fair exams, to be graded on the basis of merit–are the obligations of the professor role. Thus these roles become interdependent; the expectations and obligations are complementary and in service to each other. In their interviews, both the Professor and the Student focus on the expectations and obligations of their respective roles as teacher and student, They both articulated the role of the Student as checking on an assignment (getting information) and making sure the Student had Ð ° clear understanding of the Professor’s expectations (giving information). The Professor: â€Å"My view of the meeting was that І was there to answer [the Student’s] questions, not that І was there to tell him anything. І think that’s why І started the meeting by looking expectantly at him. † The Student explained his purpose: â€Å"My purpose was to make sure І understood the assignment correctly and was going in the right direction. The paper was supposed to be handed in during class, and І held it back because І wanted her to check it first. If she approved, then fine, І would hand it in. І knew the ASL would be hard to understand, so І wanted to ask if І should go ahead with the ASL story or follow the English interpretation. † When asked if they thought the meeting was successful, that expectations and obligations were met, both responded affirmatively. They explain in their own words. The Professor: â€Å"The meeting was successful. Nobody yelled at anybody. [The Student] came to get information and he got it. The laughter, І think the laughter is my signal that everything is going well. І felt [the Student] knew what he was supposed to do. † The Student: â€Å"She read my story and seemed satisfied with it. І knew she wanted me to improve it and bring it back with thirty copies. Yes, the meeting was successful. † Although the Professor comments on the interactional success, â€Å"nobody yelled at anybody† as well, both speakers are attentive to the primary purpose, and their ensuing obligations, of Ð ° teacher-student meeting. As the next chapter demonstrates, many of the Professor’s and the Student’s motivations for speaking or taking Ð ° turn center on their expectations or obligations of their social roles, their roles define their purpose for meeting and constitute how they will interact and how their meanings are represented in talk. The Interpreter’s role is to interpret. In general, the role of an interpreter is to make possible communication between people who do not speak the same language. The Interpreter defined his role, what he says it always is, as working to have effective communication, â€Å"for people to communicate. † However, when asked if he thought the meeting went well, he offered Ð ° perspective that was not centered on whether or not the participants had effective communication: â€Å"Yes, because І think [the Student’s] goals were achieved, in getting some ideas across and talking about some issues. That he understood where she was coming from and she understood where he was coming from† Although this response is vague and unfortunately not further clarified; there are some indications as to what the Interpreter is referring. When the Interpreter mentions â€Å"[the Student’s] goals were achieved,† it appears that the Interpreter assumes goals other than getting an assignment reviewed. He continues by adding â€Å"getting ideas across† and â€Å"talking about some issues,† but the only â€Å"issue† mentioned previously by the Interpreter is connected to people communicating. The Interpreter never mentioned checking the assignment or the Student getting information on how to analyze the narrative, nor did he mention the Professor’s obligations she might have for meeting with students. Because both primary participants are involved with the study of language and because the study of ASL as Ð ° natural language was still Ð ° relatively new idea, many conversations with linguists who study spoken languages come around to the topic of the differences between Ð ° signed language and Ð ° spoken language. At the time, the status of ASL as Ð ° language in the larger world community was not firmly established, nor was the status of Deaf persons as member’s of Ð ° linguistic and ethnic minority. That these â€Å"issues† particularly affect interpreters can be demonstrated by reading newsletters and journals published at the time in the interpreting field, as well as by attendance at meetings and conferences. These debates and discussions are often referred to with phrases such as â€Å"getting ideas across† and â€Å"talking about issues,† so І can suggest the possibility that the interpreter is referring to these potentially explosive arguments about the acceptance of American Sign Language as Ð ° natural language. Fortunately, this is not an issue with the Professor, as the Interpreter acknowledges: â€Å"She’s obviously educated [about Deaf people] in that she’s familiar with deafness and Deaf people because she explained the outgoing message on the answering machine, things that are very hearing culture and so І think that in some regards she took care of all that. † Although he acknowledges that the Professor is familiar with deafness and Deaf people, it is also his focus on her adaptations to the Student that remain primary in his reflection on the interpreted event. The answering machine was Ð ° few seconds of small talk before the more important discussion of the Student’s narrative and transcript. The Interpreter’s focus on â€Å"getting ideas across† and taking care of cultural differences reflects what is Ð ° central concern of interpreters in their role, the notions of equality and justice. It seems that the Interpreter feels that it is incumbent on him in his role to create an understanding and Ð ° balance between these speakers moreover, the Interpreter never commented on the discussion around the assignment for either participant. To see how far the Interpreter’s thinking was from the thinking of the primary participants, here is what the Professor said about the answering machine talk: â€Å"[І was] trying to be polite and make everyone comfortable, telling him about the answering machine and the knocking at the door and then І realized [there was] no reason to tell him. † The Interpreter has attributed the meaning of the talk to the Professor’s awareness of Deaf people when, in fact, she was focused on the nature of starting to talk and the often necessary small talk that is Ð ° prelude to official business. Because interpreters are primarily concerned with communication, of language and also of cultural nuances, much of an interpreter’s concern is for differences in language and culture. But speakers themselves are typically concerned with the central task of the meeting, carrying out their obligations and responsibilities necessary to accomplish their goals. We will see in the next chapter that an interpreter’s role is more than to â€Å"just translate† or â€Å"just interpret. † What the role is and how to manifest that role to others, while appearing neutral or impartial, is not an easy task. If an interpreter’s role expectations and obligations were as easily defined as the teacher or student role, then there would not be the problems, concerns, and issues that arise around the discussions about an interpreter’s role.