Introduction To Marketing Mix Marketing Essay

Introduction To Marketing Mix Marketing Essay Marketing Mix is one of the most fundamental concepts in marketing management. For gaining clients and for revenue promotion, every business owner has to concentrate on four primary and three prolonged elements/components. The primary components of selling mix include product, pricing, distributive programs (place) and revenue promotion techniques while the prolonged components are actual proof, individuals and procedure. A fair combination of these marketing components is called Marketing Mix. Product A product is products that meets what a customer needs or wants. It may be a concrete excellent or an intangible assistance. Intangible products are service-based like the travel and leisure industry, the hotel industry and loan agencies. Tangible products are those that have actual existence. If your product is really excellent and benefits your clients, theyll spread the very excellent news. Theyll tell their friends and family. Theyll be very excited to share your brand and name with others causing you to have an excellent windfall of cash and plenty of company. Price Price is the money that must be paid by the customer to obtain products or solutions. The cost of a product must be relevant to the product/service and to the industry. Of all the aspects of the marketing mix, cost is the one, which creates revenue all the others are costs. The cost of products is clearly an important determinant of the value of revenue made. In theory, cost is really determined by the discovery of what clients perceive is the value of the product on sale. Place Physical submission (place) is the delivery of goods at the right time and at the right position to clients. Physical submission of product is possible through programs of submission which are many and varied in character. A marketing manager has to select a channel which is convenient, economical and suitable for the submission of the result. Promotion Promotion is an action to introduce products or solutions on the target audience, to build customer views about manufacturer or solutions offered. Marketing consists of components such as: advertising, advertising, personal selling and revenue promotion. Process Process is a series of actions that are necessary to offer products or solutions with the best solutions to the customer. A procedure can contain about the method or procedure that is put in position to acquire the needed customer product. Service of procedure is quick, easy and friendly giving more value to clients of a product. People People are all the individuals involved in the action of producing products and offer product solutions to clients. Those who produce and industry a product also has an assessment in the eyes of clients. Physical evidence Physical proof is the product a system that is needed to back up the appearance of a product, so display directly the quality of products or solutions provided to clients. From the discussion of the importance of selling mix in a company, it can be concluded that the seven existing factors in the marketing mix are connected, so there should be excellent synchronizations among these components to achieve marketing objectives in terms of volume of revenue and customer service. References: 1. Needham, Dave (1996). Business for Higher Awards. Oxford, England: Heinemann. 2. E. Jerome McCarthy (1975)Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach, fifth edition, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., p.37 3. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Brown, L., and Adam, S. (2006) Marketing, 7th Ed. Pearson Education Australia/Prentice Hall. 4. Kurtz, Dave. (2010). Contemporary Marketing Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. 5. McCarthy, Michael (2002, December 2, updated 2002, December 3 If I would be Joe then I would apply the 7 Ps marketing mix to the corner store in the following way: Product Your product marketing choices will differ based on the type of retail store shop you run and your potential viewers. The factors that impact the understanding of quality include product packaging style, service strategy options, assurance, materials and shades. If you are marketing your shop and products to a high-end audience, for example, you might select an stylish, simple style and cool colors; for a family-friendly shop, you might trim more toward shiny, strong shades and large print styles. Joe did not focus on the products and the needs of the clients. Price Price is an integral aspect of a retail store marketing mix; if your clients cannot afford your products, they are unlikely to regular your shop. Most of the products in your shop should be in a comfortable variety for your potential viewers base; to get this information, you will need to execute an viewers research to get an idea of average income and spending power. To make a feeling of desire and to give an option for a spend, you can also offer some products that are priced just out of your focus on clients normal cost variety. Joe billed more prices for its products which redirected the clients to the next best alternative. Place In retail store, the style of your shop and the way you present your products is an integral aspect of the marketing mix. The show should fit your picture so that clients experience a natural experience. In a high-end store, products are often placed father apart to make a feeling of lack and exclusivity; in a computer shop, show designs are set at hips size to allow examining. Positioning can help bring certain products to interest and enhance products you want to offer more of. Joe did not pay manual intervention to the preparations and show of shop products. The position of shop was also not great position for clients and for vehicle parking of clients. Promotion Promotion is the most identifiable aspect of the marketing mix. It includes all of the marketing actions you do to let your clients know about the products you offer. For a retail store shop, you might enhance in magazines and on the air stations, start a social advertising strategy, use marketing e-mails, hand out leaflets or strategy grand-opening events. Your marketing strategies should be targeted to your consumer platform. Choose guides that they read, programs they pay attention to or watch, and duplicate or graphics that will speak out loud with them. Joes starting was very silent. He did not allow individuals to know what he is going to offer. He did not perform any marketing activity. Physical Layout The structure of your shop shows should be given consideration. The goal is to make an environment in which your product normally originates and shows itself to your clients. But how is this achieved, and how do we make a shop shopper friendly? Joes shop structure was not consumer helpful. Process The procedures in your shop are actions that you execute in your shop for offering client value. Joe did not know about procedures like supply sequence or stock management etc. People Customers are likely to be devoted to companies that serve them well. In your shop cure every individual very well whether he is client, provider, or any individual who visit your shop. Joes treatment with his instructor was excellent but he did not act upon the tips of his instructors. References: McCarthy, J. (1975), Basic Marketing: a managerial approach, Homewood, IL Baker, M. (2000) Marketing Management and Strategy, 3rd edition, Macmillan Business. Chisnall, P.M. (1997) Marketing Research, Fifth Edition, London: McGraw-Hill Blythe, J. (2001) Essentials of Marketing, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Saunders, J. and Wong, V. (1999) Principles of Marketing, 2nd Edition, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Lauterborn, R.(1990), New marketing litany:4Ps passe; 4Cs take over, Advertising Age, Oct. 1:26 Joe could have used the following models to enable him to obtain information prior to opening the store. Observation Joe could observe how customers act. It provides many ideas, but can leave questions un answered. Statement works well in retail markets; sit outside a shop and observe how many individuals walk by, look at the window display etc. Postal surveys Joe could deliver to the address of prospective clients who complete the form and deliver returning in a pre-paid package. Relatively cheap, a mailing study can cover a wide regional place and prevents the prospective for interview panel member prejudice. However, reaction rates (the percentage of individuals delivering returning a completed survey) are often very low and it can take be a while before enough on the internet testimonials are came back. Telephone interviews Not to be puzzled with telesales (which is a technique of selling), the phone interview allow faster reviews than a mailing study. However, prospective clients are often careful of being called and may be hesitant to give anything other than short answers Online surveys It is popular and relatively low cost technique. Internet on the internet testimonials are widely used by little companies as a way of catching the opinions of average person about the item, price etc. Face-to-face surveys Joe could visit different individuals and could perform personal meetings face-to-face. It is a costly, but excellent way to get specific ideas from an individual Focus groups Groups of prospective clients are brought together to talk about their feelings about a item or industry. Concentrate categories are a excellent way of getting information about client preferences and choices. Test marketing This includes promoting a new item in a little area of the industry to be able to evaluate client reaction. For example, a start-up could begin by promoting to a limited community to be able to iron-out item issues.   References: Kotler, P., (1988) Marketing Management: Analysis Planning and Control, Prentice-Hall p. 102. Agnilar, F.. (1967) Scanning The Business Environment, Macmillan, New York, p.47. McQuarrie, Edward F., The Market Research Toolbox : A Concise Guide for Beginners. Assael, H., Reed, P. and Patton, M. (1995) Marketing: Principles and Strategy Harcourt-Brace, Sydney. Joe could have used the following models to learn, respond or take actions against. These are the indicates of decoding information in order to give route to choice. These designs may be automated or may not. Common resources are: Time sequence sales modes Product changing models Straight line programming Flexibility designs (price, earnings, need, provide, etc.) Regression and connection models Research of Difference (ANOVA) models Understanding analysis Reduced cash flow Worksheet what if models These and identical mathematical, mathematical, econometric and financial designs are the systematic subsystem of the MIS. A relatively moderate financial commitment in a pc is enough to allow a business to improve case study of its information. Some of the designs used are stochastic, i.e. those containing a probabilistic factor whereas others are deterministic designs where opportunity performs no part. Product changing designs are stochastic since these show brand options in possibilities whereas linear development is deterministic in that the connections between factors are indicated in actual mathematical conditions. References: 1. Kotler, P., (1988) Marketing Management: Analysis Planning and Control, Prentice-Hall p. 102. 2. Agnilar, F.. (1967) Scanning The Business Environment, Macmillan, New York, p.47. 3. McQuarrie, Edward F., The Market Research Toolbox : A Concise Guide for Beginners. 4. Assael, H., Reed, P. and Patton, M. (1995) Marketing: Principles and Strategy Harcourt-Brace, Sydney. 5. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Brown, L., Chandler, S. A. (1998), Marketing, (4th edn), Prentice Hall, Sydney. The primary market research that I have undertaken prior to opening a retail store like Joes is discussed below. Main promotion analysis is gathered for initially. It is original and gathered for a particular purpose like starting a new business or to fix a particular problem. It is expensive, and difficult, but is more targeted than additional analysis. There are many ways to perform primary analysis. We consider some of them: Interviews Secret shopping Concentrate groups Projective techniques Item tests Diaries Interviews Interviews are performed between a market specialist and a participant. Information is gathered on a study. Some surveys are very firm or structured and use shut questions. Information is easily compared. Mystery Shopping Companies set up mystery purchasing strategies on an companies part. Often used in financial, offering, travel, bars and dining places, and many other client targeted companies, mystery customers will enter, appearing as real clients. They collect data on client support and the client experience. Focus Groups Focus categories are made up from a variety of selected participants based together in the same room. Extremely experienced scientists work with the attention group to collect detailed qualitative reviews. Projective techniques Projective methods are obtained from the field of mindset. They will generate highly very subjective qualitative data. Product tests Product assessments are often completed as part of the test promotion process. Products are shown in a shopping mall of purchasing shopping mall. Potential clients are requested to visit the store and their purchase actions are noticed. Experts will consider how the item is managed, how the packaging is read, how a while the consumer usually spends with the item, and so on. Diaries Diaries are used by a variety of specially enrolled customers. They are requested to complete a journal that details and records their purchasing actions of an occasion period (weeks, months, or years). References: Chisnall, P.M. (1997) Marketing Research, Fifth Edition, London: McGraw-Hill McQuarrie, Edward F., The Market Research Toolbox : A Concise Guide for Beginners. McMartin, J. (1995) Personality Psychology: A student Centered Approach, UK: Sage Publications The secondary market research that I have undertaken prior to opening a retail store like Joes is discussed below. Additional promotion analysis already prevails in one type or another. It is relatively inexpensive, and can be performed quite easily .However, it tends to have been gathered for factors other than for the issue or purpose at side. So it may be untargeted, and challenging to use to create evaluations. There are a variety of such resources available to the expert, and the following record is under no circumstances conclusive: Trade companies National and regional media Market publications National/international government authorities Websites Informal connections Trade internet directories Published organization accounts Business libraries Professional institutions and organizations Omnibus surveys Previously gathered promotion research Census data Public records For an established retail business, research should not just be about surveying your current customers or when conducting standard customer service research. Face-to-face surveys After starting a new retail store business experience to deal with study is a excellent research tool to get proper reviews about a item from a client. Postal surveys Questionnaire types can also be sent the mailing details of prospective clients in pre-paid covers. They can complete and send returning these types to the senders address returning. Focus groups Groups of prospective clients are brought together to talk about their feelings about a item or market. Concentrate categories are a excellent way of getting information about client preferences and choices. References: 1. Kotler, P., (1988) Marketing Management: Analysis Planning and Control, Prentice-Hall p. 102. 2. Agnilar, F.. (1967) Scanning The Business Environment, Macmillan, New York, p.47. 3. McQuarrie, Edward F., The Market Research Toolbox : A Concise Guide for Beginners. 4. Assael, H., Reed, P. and Patton, M. (1995) Marketing: Principles and Strategy Harcourt-Brace, Sydney. 5. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Brown, L., Chandler, S. A. (1998), Marketing, (4th edn), Prentice Hall, Sydney. Marketing Orientation A product can be designed depending on either a promotion focused strategy or a product focused strategy. Marketing Orientated Approach A promotion focused strategy indicates a company responds to what clients want. The choices taken are centered on details about consumers needs and wants, rather than what the company believes is right for the client. Most effective companies take a market-orientated strategy. Product Orientated Approach A product focused strategy indicates the company produces products depending on what it is good at making or doing, rather than what a client wants. This strategy is usually criticised because it often results in failed products particularly in well-established marketplaces. Most marketplaces are going towards a more market-orientated strategy because clients have become more experienced and need more wide range and better top quality. To contend, companies need to be more delicate to their consumers needs otherwise they will reduce revenue to their competitors. Joes approach was also product oriented. He did not consider the needs of customers. That caused the failure of Joes corner store.

Eveline Analysis

Ashley Carey ENC 1102 MW 12:30- 1:45 8/29/12 After reading â€Å"Eveline† by James Joyce I would say I was not overall shocked with the outcome of her not leaving. Throughout the story I could tell that Eveline was unsure of herself and of what she wanted. She couldn’t decide between running away to Buenos Aires with her lover, Frank or staying to make sure her family is looked after. I felt that her age is a significant factor of her choice of staying in Dublin.She didn’t understand herself enough because she didn’t experience life to see how she deals with difficult life changing situations. I felt like her choice shows herself to the audience. She could have chosen to go with Frank and come off to some readers as â€Å"following her heart†, maybe â€Å"selfish†, â€Å"thinking about her future and what she desires in life and in her heart†, â€Å"not caring for her family†.I personally feel like her decision to stay was a mor e â€Å"comfortable† decision for her and she wasn’t taking risks and was thinking about the love for her family and siblings and not wanting them to get hurt in anyway. If her mother hadn’t told her before she died to keep the home together as long as she could, I felt that Eveline would have ran away with Frank not feeling guilty when she left; That she didn’t do the one thing that her mother asked of her before her death.

Moral And Religious Education Help Fight Corruption With A...

In this paper I will be addressing the research question, ‘to what extend does moral and religious education help fight corruption with in a sovereign country.’ In the reading by Augusto Là ³pez Claros, a Director at the World Bank Group, he stated that the corruption can be combatted with religious and moral education and by eliminating opportunities by doing away with rules that can encourage corrupt behavior. In other words, to be successful in fighting corruption within a sovereign country, the country needs to make deep cultural and structural changes. But is there any proof that shows that an increase in moral and religious education and creating a more religious culture will actually fight corruption? Mr. Là ³pez Claros has control over†¦show more content†¦Within this report, we will be mainly identifying political and grand corruption. However, the participant observations are about petty corruption. Masculinity: The masculinity side of culture represents a preference in achievement, heroism, and material rewards as success. This is the opposite of femininity, which represents a preference for cooperation, caring for the weak, and quality of life. Power Distance: The power distance represents how the culture handles inequalities between people. Higher power distance, the more the culture prefers and accepts a hierarchical order. Individualism: The individualism dimension of a culture is where individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families. The opposite is collectivism, where an individual is loyal to a particular in-group. Iceland Background The first case study is about Iceland. Iceland, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index of 2015 conducted by Transparency intentional, is ranked 13th out of 168 countries on corruption perception. Iceland is a proactive country when it comes to fighting corruption. 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The Statement Of Financial Statements - 3386 Words

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Latin American Religions Essay examples - 624 Words

Latin American Religions University of Phoenix November 12, 2012 What are some major attributes of Latin American Catholicism? Identify and describe at least two distinctions and include how they are distinct from Catholicism elsewhere. The Central American War had changed the priorities of the Catholic Church in Latin America. In the 1980’s, the clergy’s had decided to go against the Catholic Church mainly the Vatican despite the various threats, and began to help the poor which were struggling for their equality and their rights. The Catholic activism was in support of the change; however, it did influence guerilla movements in certain parts of Latin America such as Nicaragua, Salvador, Guatemala. This had introduced moral and†¦show more content†¦Once others start to deviate from Catholicism then it begins to start a new religion and moves away from the beliefs of the Catholicism. Only the Vatican may assess and make changes within the Catholic Religions. 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Buddha’s Brain Free Essays

[in the SPOTLIGHT] Richard J. Davidson and Antoine Lutz Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation I n a recent visit to the United States, the Dalai Lama gave a speech at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in Washington, D. C. We will write a custom essay sample on Buddha’s Brain or any similar topic only for you Order Now Over the past several years, he has helped recruit Tibetan Buddhist monks for— and directly encouraged—research on the brain and meditation in the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of WisconsinMadison. The findings from studies in this unusual sample, as well as related research efforts, suggest that over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains. In this article we discuss neuroplasticity, which encompasses such alterations, and the findings from these studies. Further, we comment on the associated signal processing (SP) challenges, the current status, and how SP can contribute to advancing these studies. WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY? The term neuroplasticity is used to describe the brain changes that occur in response to experience. There are many different mechanisms of neuroplasticity, ranging from the growth of new connections to the creation of new neurons. When the framework of neuroplasticity is applied to meditation, we suggest that the mental training of meditation is fundamentally no different than other forms of skill acquisition that can induce plastic changes in the brain [1], [2]. WHAT IS MEDITATION? The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices, ranging from techDigital Object Identifier 10. 109/MSP. 2007. 910429 niques designed to promote relaxation to exercises, performed with a more farreaching goal such as a heightened sense of well-being. It is thus essential to be specific about the type of meditation practice under investigation. In [3], meditation was conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory strategies developed for various ends, including the c ultivation of well-being Buddhist Vipassan? and Mah? mudr? , a a a and are also implicated in many popular secular interventions that draw on Buddhist practices. FINDINGS OF BRAIN CHANGES IN MEDITATION In what follows, we summarize the changes in the brain that occur during each of these styles of meditation practice. Such changes include alterations in patterns of brain function assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), changes in the cortical evoked response to visual stimuli that reflect the impact of meditation on attention, and alterations in amplitude and synchrony of highfrequency oscillations that probably play an important role in connectivity among widespread circuitry in the brain. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP The experiments described below that measure hemodynamic changes with fMRI require a high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner equipped with the appropriate pulse sequences to acquire data rapidly and with the necessary fiber optic stimulus delivery devices so that visual stimuli can be presented to the subject while he or she lays in the bore of the magnet. For the studies that measure brain electrical activity, a high-density recording system with between 64 and 256 electrodes on the scalp surface is used. FA MEDITATION A recent study [4] used fMRI to interrogate the neural correlates of FA (continued on page 172) THE TERM NEUROPLASTICITY IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE BRAIN CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIENCE. and emotional balance. Here we focus on two common styles of meditation, i. e. , focused attention (FA) meditation and open monitoring (OM) meditation. FA meditation entails voluntarily focusing attention on a chosen object in a sustained fashion. OM meditation involves nonreactively monitoring the content of experience from moment to moment, primarily as a means to recognize the nature of emotional and cognitive patterns. OM meditation initially involves the use of FA training to calm the mind and reduce distractions, but as FA advances, the cultivation of the monitoring skill per se becomes the main focus of practice. The aim is to reach a state in which no explicit focus on a specific object is retained; instead, one remains only in the monitoring state, attentive moment by moment to anything that occurs in experience. These two common styles of meditation are often combined, whether in a single session or over the course of a practitioner’s training. These styles are found with some variation in several meditation systems, including the 1053-5888/08/$25. 00 ©2008IEEE IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [176] SEPTEMBER 2007 [in the SPOTLIGHT] y=4 continued from page 176 % T2 Accuracy: Times2 Versus 1 50 40 30 20 10 0 ? 10 Novices Time1 Practitioners PZ P3b to T1 420-440 ms 0 10 1,000 F-Values ms Novices Practitioners r=? 0. 68, p=. 001 Amygdala 0. 2 0. 1 0 ? 0. 1 ? 0. 2 10 20 30 (a) V 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 (d) 40 50 r=? 0. 64 Time2 +5? V ? 5? V ? 200 Blink No-Blink T1 T2 ?5 ? 4 ? 3 ? 2 ? 1 0 1 2 3? V T1-Elicited P3b Amplitude: Time2 Versus 1 (c) (b) F3 Fc5 Cp5 F4 Fc6 Cp6 V2 500 300 100 0 Blocks 50 Resting State 100 Meditative State (e) 150 Time (s) % 100 45 0 Controls % 100 45 * * % 80 Practitioners * * * * * 40 0 Ongoing Initial Baseline Baseline (g) Meditation State * Controls Practitioners * * 0 * 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (f) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [FIG1] Neuroimaging and neurodynamical correlates of FA and OM meditations. (a) Relationship between degree of meditation training (in years) and hemodynamic response in the amygdala (in blue) to distractor sounds during FA meditation in long-term Buddhist practitioners. Individual responses in the right amygdala are plotted (adapted from [4]). (b) The reduction in P3b amplitude (a brain-potential index of resource allocation) to the first of two target stimuli (T1 and T2) presented in a rapid stream of distracter stimuli after three months of intensive Vipassan? meditation [5]. (c) Generally, the greater the reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was a over time, the better able an individual became at accurately identifying T2 (adapted from [5] ). d)–(e) Example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6]. (e) Time course of gamma (25–42 Hz) activity power over the electrodes displayed in (d) during four blocks computed in a 20-s sliding window every 2 s and then averaged over electrodes. (f) Intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion medita tion. g) The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio. meditation in experts and novices. The study compared FA meditation on an external visual point to a rest condition during which participants do not use meditation and are simply instructed to adopt a neutral baseline state. The meditation condition was associated with activation in multiple brain regions implicated in monitoring (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), engaging attention (visual cortex), and attentional orienting (e. g. , the uperior frontal sulcus, the supplementary motor area, and the intraparietal sulcus). Although this meditation-related activation pattern was generally stronger for long-term practitioners compared to IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [172] JANUARY 2008 novices, activity in many brain areas involved in FA meditation showed an inverted u-shaped curve for both classes of subjects. Whereas expert me ditators with an average of 19,000 practice hours showed stronger activation in these areas than the novices, expert meditators with an average of 44,000 practice hours showed less activation. This inverted u-shaped function resembles the learning curve associated with skill acquisition in other domains of expertise, such as language acquisition. The findings support the idea that, after extensive FA meditation training, minimal effort is necessary to sustain attentional focus. Expert meditators also showed less activation than novices in the amygdala during FA meditation in response to emotional sounds. Activation in this affective region correlated negatively with hours of practice in life, as shown in Figure 1(a). This finding may support the idea that advanced levels of concentration are associated with a significant decrease in emotionally reactive behaviors that are incompatible with stability of concentration. Collectively, these findings support the view that attention is a trainable skill that can be enhanced through the mental practice of FA meditation. OM MEDITATION Another study [5] recently examined the idea that OM meditation decreases elaborative stimulus processing in a longitudinal study using scalprecorded brain potentials and performance in an attentional blink task. The consequence of decreased elaborative stimulus processing is that the subject is able to better attend moment-to-moment to the stream of stimuli to which they are exposed and less likely to â€Å"get stuck† on any one stimulus. The attentional blink phenomenon illustrates that the information processing capacity of the brain is limited. More specifically, when two targets T1 and T2, embedded in a rapid stream of events, are presented in close temporal proximity, the second target is often not seen. This deficit is believed to result from competition between the two targets for limited attentional resources, i. e. , when many resources are devoted to T1 processing, too few may be available for subsequent T2 processing. The study in [5] found that three months of intensive training in Vipassan? meditation (a common style of a OM meditation) reduced brain-resource allocation to the first target, as reflected in a smaller T1-elicited P3b, a brainpotential index of resource allocation. This is illustrated in Figure 1(b), which shows the reduction in P3b amplitude. In this figure, the scalp-recorded brain potentials from electrode Pz, time-locked to T1 onset as a function of T2 accuracy [detected (no-blink) vesus not detected (blink)], time (before or after three months), and group (practitioners versus novices) are shown. The scalp map shows electrode sites where this three-way interaction was significant between 420 and 440 ms. The reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was associated with a smaller attentional blink to T2, as shown in Figure 1(c). As participants were not engaged in formal meditation during task performance, these results provide support for the idea that one long-term effect of OM meditation may be reduction in the propensity to â€Å"get stuck† on a target as reflected in less elaborate stimulus processing and the development of efficient mechanisms to engage and then disengage from target stimuli in response to task demands. Previous studies [6] of high-amplitude pattern of gamma synchrony in expert meditators during an emotional version of OM meditation support the idea that the state of OM may be best understood in terms of a succession of dynamic global states. Compared to a group of novices, the adept practitioners self-induced higher amplitude sustained electroencephalography (EEG) gamma-band oscillations and long-distance phase synchrony, in particular over lateral fronto-parietal electrodes, while meditating. Importantly, this pattern of gamma oscillations was also sig- nificantly more pronounced in the baseline state of the long-term practitioners compared with controls, suggesting a transformation in the default mode of the practitioners as shown in Figure 1(g). Although the precise mechanisms are not clear, such synchronizations of oscillatory neural discharges may play a crucial role in the constitution of transient networks that integrate distributed neural processes into highly ordered cognitive and affective functions. An example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6] is shown in Figure 1(d) and (e). The intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion meditation is illustrated in Figure 1(f). The abscissa represents the subject numbers, the ordinate represents the difference in the mean ratio between the initial state and meditative state, and the black and red stars indicate that this increase is greater than two and three times, respectively, the baseline standard deviation. The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio is shown in Figure 1(g). The relative gamma increase during meditation was higher in the postmeditation session. In the initial baseline, the relative gamma was already higher for the practitioners than the controls and correlated with the length of the long-term practitioners’ meditation training through life (adapted from [6]). SP CHALLENGES While SP has a unique opportunity to contribute to this novel effort to chart the manner in which the brain may be transformed through the mental practice of meditation, there are several associated challenges. Among these challenges are the characterization of different signatures of brain function that distinguish among different meditation practices, IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [173] JANUARY 2008 [in the SPOTLIGHT] continued the parsing of variance in brain activity that may be due to changes in peripheral physiology such as respiration, and the simultaneous measurement of electrical and hemodynamic signals to harness the best temporal and spatial resolution possible. IMPACT ON BRAINCOMPUTER INTERFACES One of the interesting implications of the research on meditation and brain function is that meditation might help to reduce â€Å"neural noise† and so enhance signal-to-noise ratios in certain types of tasks. In contexts where brain-computer interfaces are being developed that are based upon electrical recordings of brain function, training in meditation may facilitate more rapid learning. This idea warrants systematic evaluation in the future. FUTURE WORK Ongoing and future work focuses on a few distinct directions. One of the crucial areas requiring attention is the characterization of changes in connectivity among the various brain circuits that are engaged by these practices. The development of new methods to probe different aspects of connectivity (both structural and functional) will be extremely valuable in furthering this line of inquiry. The goal of such work is to better understand how different circuits are integrated during meditation to produce the behavioral and mental changes that are said to occur as a result of such practices, including the promotion of increased well-being. AUTHORS Richard J. Davidson (rjdavids@wisc. edu) is a director and Antoine Lutz (alutz@wisc. edu) is an associate scientist, both with the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison. REFERENCES [1] A. Berger, O. Kofman, U. Livneh, and A. Henik, â€Å"Multidisciplinary perspectives on attention and the development of self-regulation,† Prog. Neurobiol. , vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 256–286, 2007. [2] R. A. Poldrack, â€Å"Neural systems for perceptual skill learning,† Behav. Cognit. Neurosc. Rev. , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 76–83, 2002. [3] A. Lutz, J. P. Dunne, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness: An introduction,† in The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness, P. D. Zelazo and E. Thompson, Eds. Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge Univ. Press, in press. [4] J. A. Brefczynski-Lewis, A. Lutz, H. S. Schaefer, D. B. Levinson, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 104, no. 7, pp. 11483–11488. [5] H. A. Slagter, A. Lutz, L. L. Greischar, A. D. Francis, S. Nieuwenhuis, J. M. Davis, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Mental training affects use of limited brain resources,† PLoS Biol. , vol. 5, no. 6, pp. e13800010008, 2007. [6] A. Lutz, L. Greischar, N. B. Rawlings, M. Ricard, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude synchrony during mental practice,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 101, no. 46, pp. 16369–16373, 2004. [SP] I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ F O R T WAY N E FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) Department of Engineering invites applications and nominations for the position of Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research. Candidates must possess a recognized national reputation for research excellence in the field of wireless communication. Master’s degree required; possession of an earned doctorate in electrical engineering or its equivalent is highly desired. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong history of applied research, industry collaboration, and experience in Department of Defense-funded projects. The initial appointment will be for a period of three years with the option for subsequent renewal based upon performance. IPFW is a regional campus of both Indiana University and Purdue University and is the largest university in northeast Indiana. Serving more than 12,000 students and offering more than 180 degree options, IPFW is a comprehensive university with a strong tradition of service to and collaboration with the region. The Department of Engineering offers B. S. degrees in electrical, computer, civil, and mechanical engineering. The M. S. egree in engineering with concentrations in electrical, mechanical, computer, and systems engineering will be launched during the 2007-2008 school year. The department presently includes 16 full-time faculty members and has approximately 300 undergraduate students. The Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research shall have the following responsibilities: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Establish the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research, emphasizing the practical application of wireless technology for the needs of the regional defense industry. Expand collaboration with industry through sponsored research. Establish a wireless laboratory to support courses in wireless communication. Develop a series of undergraduate courses that would lead to an undergraduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and teach courses for the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) – electrical engineering concentration – that would lead to a graduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and offer credit and non-credit professional development experiences for regional employees. Participate in IEEE 802. X standards development. Coordinate and host conferences on the application of wireless technology with an emphasis on defense applications and emerging commercial wireless technologies. This position offers a unique opportunity to build a Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research and to significantly expand industry-university collaborative research in the fields of wireless networks. IPFW offers a competitive salary and benefits package and an excellent work environment. Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana and is located within several hours of Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Indianapolis. It boasts affordable housing, a low cost of living and a safe environment in which to raise a family. The region is home to seven major defense contractors employing over 1,800 engineers working in the fields of wireless communication, sensor networks, C4, network-centric systems, and defense products. Applicants with extensive industrial rather than university career experience will be given serious consideration and are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates demonstrating extensive contact networks within the business and governmental sectors will be preferred. To apply for this position, please visit our Web site at www. ipfw. obs. Applicants should submit a cover letter addressing wireless communication and DoD knowledge and experience, resume/vita, statement of research and teaching experience, and the names and contact information for at least three references. The committee will begin review of applications immediately and the search will remain open until the position is fi lled. For additional information regarding IPFW and the Department of Engineering please visit the Web sites at: www. engr. ipfw. edu and www. ipfw. edu. ,3): LV DQ (TXDO 2SSRUWXQLW(TXDO $FFHVV$IILUPDWLYH $FWLRQ (PSORHU IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [174] JANUARY 2008 How to cite Buddha’s Brain, Papers

Discovery Essay free essay sample

Discovery is uncovering what is not known. The core text ‘Away’ written by Michael Gow and related text The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabrielle Muccino simply implies that every significant discovery brings change, growth, and strong relationships. The characters that are present in these two texts face conflict, and learn how to overcome their problems through their support of family and friends. Therefore, they are able to evolve as a person and although the texts differ in their contexts, they both illustrate discovery as a product of self-actualisation, and an appreciation for our environment. Away’ and The Pursuit of Happyness gives us an insight into how a character changes and grows as a person once they are faced with an obstacle. In ‘Away’, Coral is a woman who experiences the loss of her son during the Vietnam War. She believes in her mind that he will come back for her. We will write a custom essay sample on Discovery Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the last act, she mentions, â€Å"I’m walking. I’m walking. I’m walking.. † this is repetition and she discovers that her son will never come return to her, and how she will continue to live life without him, showing how acceptance of the inevitable will allow us to be happy. You know what you’re becoming? Snide. A nasty, snide girl. No one likes a snide girl, always arguing. † Gwen is rude, and is not accepting her daughter for who she is, because she would like her to follow her rules. She is seen as dominating, and unknowing. This quote is an exaggerated quote. It is conveyed to the audience as Gwen exaggerating too much about the issues she has with Meg. In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner is a man who struggles to support his family. As a result, his wife leaves him and his son to fend for themselves. â€Å"Hey. Dont ever let somebody tell you You cant do something. Not even me. All right? † This truncated sentence demonstrates that Chris loves his son, and does not want his son to go through the hardships he is faced with. He wants his son to work for his goals and achieve them. At the end of the film, Chris makes a connection with the audience when he says, â€Å"This part of my life this part right here? This is called ‘happiness. ’† after he had gained his stockbroker job. The long shot of his face conveys symbolism and creates an impact on the audience as he realises how far he has come on his journey to the discovery of his job, which ultimately makes him content with his life, revealing how discovery is a product of hard work and diligence. The characters in both texts discover how strong their relationships are with their families. In the phrase, â€Å"You worry too much. † The emotive language is emphasising that Meg’s mother needs to give her comfort instead of condemnation. In Tom’s family, there is his mother and father, Harry and Vic. Tom always bonded with his family, but when he is faced with Leukaemia, he does not know how his parents will react. At the end of the play, Tom recites a speech from King Lear and he mentions, â€Å"Unburden’d crawl toward death. † This is a descriptive quote which conveys that Tom has finite time, and won’t have the happy ending of others. The audience would convey this as having a relation to ‘Away’ because it explores the dilemma that Tom is faced in; how he will not be living for much longer. In The Pursuit of Happyness Chris maintains a strong relationship with his son and his wife. â€Å"You got a dream You gotta protect it. People cant do somethin themselves, they wanna tell you you cant do it. If you want somethin, go get it. Period. † This is a meaningful quote. It is interpreted in a way which tells us that Chris wants his son to aspire to the best level, and he also wants him to learn from his mistakes; that making mistakes is okay. By convincing his son what he needs to accept and achieve, Chris is able to maintain a strong relationship. ‘Away’ and The Pursuit of Happyness both complement each other when discovering strong relationships and the growth of oneself as a person after facing obstacles. The significance of how discovery can bring about change is evident in all the characters. They have different view points towards their life, but are able to discover how they change as a person. This therefore has an effect on how they develop as a character.