Week9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week9 - Assignment Example In Communist Russia, with the new policy of Dictator Stalin to abolish religion in state, people faced a similar scenario when all of their religious landmarks and praying centres were destroyed. Similarly, in terms of political aspects, there are divisions found in societies because of a difference of opinion and support over a matter of support of political party and even on formats of governance. Social aspects such as the difference of interactions and sharing of opinions also cause cornering of families and selected people among societies (Rees, 2004). Economic statures also have had impact on social gatherings of societies, as a rift is created among individuals of societies who belong to a separate economic standard. Lastly, cultural aspects also create hostile situations, as people of different backgrounds interact with only each other and are subject to racial stereotypes, which cause aggressive behaviour at an individual level. With these aspects, societies are subject to hostile rifts that result in dangerous outcomes at times, which must be controlled by government policy

Genetic Causes of Choroideremia (CHM)

Genetic Causes of Choroideremia (CHM) Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare genetic impairment of the CHM gene, located on the X sex chromosome, that affects vision, as the retina, a crucial part of the eye involved in sight, loses functionality. This condition affects 1 out of 50,000 to 100,000 and is 4% of all causes of blindness in humans (GHR, 2017). Choroideremia is a sex-linked recessive trait, which means that females who do not express the trait are called carriers because only one of their X-chromosomes has the recessive trait, which is masked by the dominant trait of not having the condition. For males, it only takes the mothers affected X-chromosome to become affected by CHM for life (GHR, 2017). With the assistance from adeno-associated virus gene therapy, conditions like Choroideremia can be treated and cured. The CHM gene on the X-chromosome is responsible for producing the Rab escort protein-1 (REP-1), however if the CHM gene is mutated or absent, the lack of REP-1 CHM is supposed to produce causes cell death in the retina, causing Choroideremia (Mura, 2007). Escort proteins are the cells traffic facilitator, regulating intracellular proteins, organelles, and matter. Rab proteins are characterized by their geranylgeranyl functional group, a fundamental structure involved in prenylation, which is important in binding proteins (Preising, 2005). REP-1 allows for other essential proteins to enter cells, allowing for cellular processes to occur. Choroideremia occurs when the CHM gene fails to produce the REP-1. If there happens to be a lack of REP-1, the body has a backup, REP-2, that can perform nearly all of the same processes as REP-1, except there is little to no REP-2 present in the retina, which is why Choroideremia exists. With the absence of REP-1, the cells lack the facilitator requi red for them to do their work, resulting with premature cell death, or dystrophy (NCBI, 2016). Choroideremia can be treated, and possibly cured, with the use of adeno-associated viruses (AAV) because of its ability to target locations on chromosomes. The adeno-associated virus was discovered in the 1960s as a contaminant of adenovirus (Weitzman and Linden, 2011), and was seen as a useless virus because it required the assistance of another virus in order to replicate (Gonà §alves, 2005). However, the adeno-associated virus is admired for its useful abilities. The adeno-associated virus is admired for its simple structure, consisting of single-stranded DNA with genomes that are controlled by hairpin shaped telomere structures (Cotmore and Tattersall, 2014). Another characteristic of the AAV is the precise targeting of Chromosome 19; in fact, the AAV is known as one of the only viruses with such capacity to specifically act upon on one chromosome nearly 96% of the time (Daya and Berns, 2008). A crucial aspect about the adeno-associated virus is that it lacks pathogenicity, whic h means it does not cause disease in its host nor does it cause cell death. It is the lack of pathogenicity that has allowed medical professionals to pursue new treatments for genetically caused diseases. Because AAVs can act on a specific location on a chromosome without killing the host cell, treating sex-linked traits has become a reality. A clinical study used stem cells from patients with CHM and experimented the virus abilities with an in vitro model using CHO cells, which transferred the hCHM, human CHM DNA, into mice eyeballs to view the precision of genetic transfer. The results revealed that the CHO cells had elevated levels of the REP-1 protein levels, indicating that the introduction of AAV was able to specifically target the X-chromosome and alter the CHM gene. For the hCHM, it responded well to the application of AAV, as REP-1 proteins increased with regular dosage of AAV and compared to control cells, there was a 50-fold amount of REP-1 protein levels with the treated hCHM cells, indicating that AAV is a very promising option for gene therapy (Vasireddy, 2013). A 2014 clinical trial decided to directly administer an AAV encoding REP-1 to six mature males with Choroidere mia (all with little ability to see), waiting for six months after the trial to evaluate the effects of raw AAV administration. The results reveal all of the test subjects gained eyesight from the treatment, as their lines of vision increased as well as increased levels of retinal sensitivity (MacLaren, 2014). With a single mutation in a genetic sequence, life-changing conditions, like Choroideremia, leave people impaired for the remainder of their lives. However, with the assistance of adeno-associated viruses, researchers are able to treat and cure such conditions permanently. Citations/References: Matthew D. Weitzman and R. Michael Linden (2011). Adeno-Associated Virus Biology. Retrieved December 30, 2016, from http://www.hixonparvo.info/Matt%20AAV%20book%20chaptor.pdf Manuel Gonà §alves (2005). Adeno-associated virus: from defective virus to effective vector. Retrieved December 30, 2016, from https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-422X-2-43 Susan F. Cotmore and Peter Tattersall (2014). Parvoviruses: Small does not mean simple. Retrieved January 6, 2017, from http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-virology-031413-085444 Choroideremia Genetics Home Reference (GHR). (2017, January 10). Retrieved January 11, 2017, from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/choroideremia#genes CHM CHM, Rab escort protein 1 [Homo sapiens (human)] Gene NCBI. (2016, December 21). Retrieved January 11, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1121 Vasireddy V, Mills JA, Gaddameedi R, Basner-Tschakarjan E, Kohnke M, Black AD, et al. (2013) AAV-Mediated Gene Therapy for Choroideremia: Preclinical Studies in Personalized Models. PLoS ONE 8(5): e61396. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061396. Retrieved January 11, 2017, from http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0061396 Preising, M., and C. Ayuso. Rab Escort Protein 1 (REP1) in Intracellular Traffic: A Functional and Pathophysiological Overview. Retrieved Retrieved January 11, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15370541 Mura M, Sereda C, Jablonski MM, MacDonald IM, Iannaccone A. Clinical and functional findings in choroideremia due to complete deletion of the CHM gene. Retrieved Retrieved January 11, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=17698759 MacLaren RE, Groppe M, Barnard AR, Cottriall CL, Tolmachova T, Seymour L, Clark KR, During MJ, Cremers FP, Black GC, Lotery AJ, Downes SM, Webster AR, Seabra MC. Retinal gene therapy in patients with choroideremia: initial findings from a phase 1/2 clinical trial.Retrieved January 11, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=24439297

Use of Steroids in Baseball Essay -- Sports Argumentative Persuasive E

Use of Steroids in Baseball Since Major League Baseball all-star Ken Caminiti openly admitted to Sports Illustrated to have used steroids during his career, steroid use as a muscle and performance enhancer has been uncovered and become a big issue Major League Baseball is wrestling with. The â€Å"ongoing and delicate subject, baseball’s dirty, little secret that is no secret anymore,† is a huge and growing problem (Curry B20). Now that light has been shed on the issue, critics are beginning to realize the magnitude of this problem and do not like it. Steroids are a cheating virus that is spreading quickly. Users cheat other players, themselves, the fans, and the game itself. Action must be taken to rid Major League Baseball of this virus before it takes over the game. Steroids are illegal in the US, and banned from baseball, however in the past they have not been suspected to be such a big problem. Therefore, Major League Baseball has failed to properly address it with preventative measures. In the 2001, the Major League Players Association’s contract with Major League Baseball protected players on the 40 man roster against testing. As for the minor leagues, testing only occured in-season, and was restricted to some players. Many players use in the off season and know how long the drugs will remain in their bodies (anywhere from 2 weeks to 18 months). If tested positive, they receive a warning about the hazards of the drug and are not punished at all. Five to ten percent of minor leaguers tested positive, and which fails to account for users not tested, those who used out-of-season, and those who found measures around the test. In the majors, some suspect that 50% of players use steroids and some, such as Jose Canseco, as hig... ...2002: D3 Steroids.com. 2003. Anabolics.com, Inc.5 Mar. 2003. Verducci, Tom. â€Å"Totally Juiced.† Sports Illustrated.com 3 June 2002. 5 Mar. 2003. Yesalis, Charles E; Cowart, Virginia S. The Steroids Game US 1998 Associated Press articles on www.CBSnews.com National Pastime Altered By Drugs CLEARWATER, Fla., March 31, 2003 Jason Giambi Subpoenaed SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20, 2003 Barry Bonds In Subpoena Lineup SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2003 Designer Steroid Doping Scandal SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23, 2003 Steroid Scandal's Impact Spreads SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 25, 2003 Athletes Testify In Doping Probe WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2003 Baseball To Test For Steroids NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2003 Bonds At Bat In Steroid Probe SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 5, 2003

Mattel Responds to Ethical Challenges Essay

Mattel, Inc. is a global leader in designing and manufacturing toys and family products. Well-known for brands such as Barbie, Fisher-Price, Disney, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Tyco, Cabbage Patch Kids, and board games, the company boasts nearly $5.9 billion in annual revenue. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices across the world, Mattel markets its products in over 150 nations. It all started in a California garage workshop when Ruth and Elliot Handler and Matt Matson founded Mattel in 1945. The company started out making picture frames, but the founders soon recognized the profitability of the toy industry and switched their emphasis to toys. Mattel became a publicly owned company in 1960, with sales exceeding $100 million by 1965. Over the next forty years, Mattel went on to become the world’s largest toy company in terms of revenue. In spite of its overall success, Mattel has had its share of losses over its history. During the mid to late 1990s, Mattel lost millions to declining sales and bad business acquisitions. In January 1997, Jill Barad took over as Mattel’s CEO. Barad’s management-style was characterized as strict and her tenure at the helm proved challenging for many employees. While Barad had been successful in building the Barbie brand to $2 billion by the end of the 20th century, growth slowed in the early 21st. Declining sales at outlets such as Toys ‘R’ Us marked the start of some difficulties for the retailer, responsibilities for which Barad accepted and resigned in 2000. Robert Eckert replaced Barad as CEO. Aiming to turn things around, Eckert sold unprofitable units and cut hundreds of jobs. In 2000, under Eckert, Mattel was granted the highly sought-after licensing agreement for products related to the Harry Potter series of books and movies. The company continued to flourish and build its reputation, even earning the Corporate Responsibility Award from UNICEF in 2003. Mattel released its first Annual Corporate Responsibility Report the following year. In 2011 Mattel was recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work For† for the fourth consecutive year. MATTEL’S CORE PRODUCTS BARBIE AND AMERICAN GIRL Among its many lines of popular toy products, Mattel is famous for owning top girls’ brands. In 1959, Mattel introduced a product that would change its future forever: the Barbie doll. One of the founders, Ruth Handler, had noticed how her daughter loved playing with paper cutout dolls. She decided to create a doll based on an adult rather than on a baby. Barbie took off to become one of Mattel’s critical product lines and the number one girls’ brand in the world. Since her introduction, Mattel has sold more than 1 billion Barbie dolls in over 150 countries. The Barbie line today This material was developed by Debbie Thorne, John Fraedrich, O.C. Ferrell, and Jennifer Jackson, with the editorial assistance of Jennifer Sawayda under the direction of O.C. Ferrell and Linda Ferrell. It is provided for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the University of New Mexico and is intended for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of administrative, ethical, or legal decisions by management. Users of this material are prohibited from claiming this material as their own, emailing it to others, or placing it on the Internet. Please call O.C. Ferrell at 505-277-3468 for more information. (2011) Includes dolls, accessories, Barbie software, and a broad assortment of licensed products such as books, apparel, food, home furnishings, home electronics, and movies. To supplement the Barbie line, in 1998 Mattel acquired a popular younger type of doll. Mattel announced it would pay $700 million to Pleasant Co. for its high-end American Girl collection. American Girl dolls are sold with books about their lives, which take place during important periods of US history. The American Girls brand includes several book series, accessories, clothing for dolls and girls, and a magazine that ranks in the top ten American children’s magazines. HOT WHEELS Hot Wheels roared into the toy world in 1968. More than thirty years later, the brand is hotter than ever and includes high-end collectibles, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and Formula One models for adults, high-performance cars, track sets, and play sets for children of all ages. The brand is connected with racing circuits worldwide. More than 15 million boys aged five to 15 are avid collectors, each owning forty-one cars on average. Two Hot Wheels cars are sold every second of every day. The brand began with cars designed to run on a track and has evolved into a â€Å"lifestyle† brand with licensed Hot Wheels shirts, caps, lunch boxes, backpacks, and more. Together, Hot Wheels and Barbie generate 45 percent of Mattel’s revenue and 65 percent of its profits. CABBAGE PATCH KIDS Since the introduction of mass-produced Cabbage Patch Kids in 1982, more than 90 million dolls have been sold worldwide. In 1994, Mattel took over selling these beloved dolls after purchasing production rights from Hasbro. In 1996, Mattel created a new line of Cabbage Patch doll, called Snacktime Kids, which was expected to meet with immense success. The Snacktime Kids had moving mouths that enabled children to â€Å"feed† them plastic snacks. However, the product backfired. The toy had no on/off switch and reports of children  getting their fingers or hair caught in the dolls’ mouths surfaced during the 1996 holiday season. Mattel voluntarily pulled the dolls from store shelves by January 1997, and offered consumers a cash refund of $40 on returned dolls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission applauded Mattel’s handling of the Snacktime Kids situation. Mattel effectively managed a situation that could easily have created bad publicity or a crisis situati on. Mattel stopped producing Cabbage Patch Kids in 2000. MATTEL’S COMMITMENT TO ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Mattel’s core products and business environment create many ethical issues. Because the company’s products are designed primarily for children, it must be sensitive to social concerns about children’s rights. It must also be aware that the international environment often complicates business transactions. Different legal systems and cultural expectations about business can create ethical conflicts. Finally, the use of technology may present ethical dilemmas, especially regarding consumer privacy. Mattel has recognized these potential issues and taken steps to strengthen its commitment to business ethics. The company also purports to take a stand on social responsibility, encouraging its employees and consumers to do the same. PRIVACY AND MARKETING TECHNOLOGY One issue Mattel has tried to address repeatedly is that of privacy and online technology. Advances in technology have created special marketing issues for Mattel. The company recognizes that, because it markets to children, it must communicate with parents regarding its corporate marketing strategy. Mattel has taken steps to inform both children and adults about its philosophy regarding Internet-based marketing tools, such as the Hot Wheels website. This website contains a lengthy online privacy policy, part of which is excerpted below: Mattel, Inc. and its family of companies (â€Å"Mattel†) are committed to  protecting your online privacy when visiting a website operated by us. We do not collect and keep any personal information online from you unless you volunteer it and you are 13 or older. We also do not collect and keep personal information online from children under the age of 13 without consent of a parent or legal guardian, except in limited circumstances authorized by law and described in this policy. By assuring parents that their children’s privacy will be respected, Mattel demonstrates that it takes its responsibility of marketing to children seriously. EXPECTATIONS OF MATTEL’S BUSINESS PARTNERS Mattel, Inc. is also making a serious commitment to business ethics in its dealings with other industries. In late 1997, the company completed its first full ethics audit of each of its manufacturing sites as well as the facilities of its primary contractors. The audit revealed that the company was not using any child labor or forced labor, a problem plaguing other overseas manufacturers. However, several contractors were found to be in violation of Mattel’s safety and human rights standards and were asked to change their operations or risk losing Mattel’s business. The company now conducts an independent monitoring council audit in manufacturing facilities every three years. In an effort to continue its strong record on human rights and related ethical standards, Mattel instituted a code of conduct entitled Global Manufacturing Principles in 1997. One of these principles requires all Mattel-owned and contracted manufacturing facilities to favor business partners committed to ethical standards comparable with those of Mattel. Other principles relate to safety, wages, and adherence to local laws. Mattel’s audits and subsequent code of conduct were designed as preventative, not punitive measures. The company is dedicated to creating and encouraging responsible business practices throughout the world. 1 Mattel, Inc., Online Privacy Policy, http://www.hotwheels.com/privacy-policy (accessed August 23, 2011). Mattel also claims to be committed to its workforce. As one company consultant noted, â€Å"Mattel is committed to improving the skill level of workers†¦ [so that they] will experience increased opportunities and productivity.† This statement reflects Mattel’s concern for relationships between and with employees and business partners. The company’s code is a signal to potential partners, customers, and other stakeholders that Mattel has made a commitment to fostering and upholding ethical values. LEGAL AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES Mattel prefers to partner with businesses similarly committed to high ethical standards. At a minimum, partners must comply with the local and national laws of the countries in which they operate. In addition, all partners must respect the intellectual property of the company, and support Mattel in the protection of assets such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights. They are also responsible for product safety and quality, protecting the environment, customs, evaluation and monitoring, and compliance. Mattel’s business partners must have high standards for product safety and quality, adhering to practices that meet Mattel’s safety and quality standards. In recent years, however, safety standards have been seriously violated, which will be discussed in more detail later. Also, because of the global nature of Mattel’s business and its history of leadership in this area, the company insists that business partners strictly adhere to local and international customs laws. Partners must also comply with all import and export regulations. To assist in compliance with standards, Mattel insists that all manufacturing facilities provide the following: 1 Full access for on-site inspections by Mattel or parties designated by Mattel 2 Full access to those records that will enable Mattel to determine compliance with its principles 3 An annual statement of compliance with Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles, signed by an officer of the manufacturer or manufacturing facility2 With the creation of the Mattel Independent Monitoring Council (MIMCO), Mattel became the first global consumer products company to apply such a system to facilities and core contractors worldwide. The company seeks to maintain an independent monitoring system that provides checks and balances to help ensure that standards are met. If certain aspects of Mattel’s manufacturing Principles are not being met, Mattel will try to work with them to help them fix their problems. New partners will not be hired unless they meet Mattel’s standards. If corrective action is advised but not taken, Mattel will terminate its relationship with the partner in question. Overall, Mattel is committed to both business success and ethical standards, and it recognizes that it is part of a continuous improvement process. 2 â€Å"Mattel’s Commitment to Ethics,† eBusiness Ethics, http://www.e-businessethics.com/mattel9.htm (accessed August 23, 2011). MATTEL CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION Mattel takes its social responsibilities very seriously. Through the Mattel Children’s Foundation, established in 1978, the company promotes philanthropy and community involvement among its employees and makes charitable investments to better the lives of children in need. Funding priorities have included building a new Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sustaining the Mattel Family Learning Program, and promoting giving among Mattel employees. In November 1998, Mattel donated a multiyear, $25 million gift to the UCLA Children’s Hospital. The gift was meant to support the existing hospital and provide for a new state-of-the-art facility. In honor of Mattel’s donation, the hospital was renamed Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. The Mattel Family Learning Program utilizes computer learning labs as a way to advance children’s basic skills. Now numbering more than eighty throughout the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, and Mexico, the labs offer software and technology designed to help children with special needs or limited English proficiency. Mattel employees are also encouraged to participate in a wide range of volunteer activities as part of â€Å"Mattel Volunteers: Happy to Help.† Employees serving on boards of local nonprofit organizations or helping with ongoing nonprofit programs are eligible to apply for volunteer grants supporting their organizations. Mattel employees contributing to higher education or to nonprofit organizations serving children in need are eligible to have their personal donations matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 annually. INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING PRINCIPLES As a U.S.-based multinational company owning and operating facilities and contracting worldwide, Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles reflect not only its need to conduct manufacturing responsibly, but to respect the cultural, ethical, and philosophical differences of the countries in which it operates. These Principles set uniform standards across Mattel manufacturers and attempt to benefit both employees and consumers. Mattel’s Principles cover issues such as wages, work hours, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association, and working conditions. Workers must be paid at least minimum wage or a wage that meets  local industry standards (whichever is greater). No one under the age of 16 or the local age limit (whichever is higher) may be allowed to work for Mattel facilities. Mattel refuses to work with facilities that use forced or prison labor, or to use these types of labor itself. Additionally, Mattel does not tolerate discrimination. The company states that an individual should be hired and employed based on his or her ability—not on individual characteristics or beliefs. Mattel recognizes all employees’ rights to choose to associate with organizations or associations without interference. Regarding working conditions, all Mattel facilities and its business partners must provide safe working environments for their employees. ISSUES WITH OVERSEAS MANUFACTURING Despite Mattel’s best efforts, not all overseas manufacturers have faithfully adhered to its high standards. Mattel has come under scrutiny over its sale of unsafe products. In September 2007, Mattel announced recalls of toys containing lead paint. The problem surfaced when a European retailer discovered lead paint on a toy. An estimated 10 million individual toys produced in China were affected. Mattel quickly stopped production at Lee Der, the company officially producing the recalled toys, after it was discovered that Lee Der had purchased lead-tainted paint to be used on the toys. Mattel blamed the fiasco on the manufacturers’ desire to save money in the face of increasing prices. â€Å"In the last three or five years, you’ve seen labor prices more than double, raw material prices double or triple,† CEO Eckert said in an interview, â€Å"and I think that there’s a lot of pressure on guys that are working at the margin to try to save money. The situation began when Early Light Industrial Co., a subcontractor for Mattel owned by Hong Kong toy tycoon Choi Chee Ming, subcontracted the painting of parts of CARS toys to another China-based vendor. The vendor, named Hong Li Da, decided to source paint from a non-authorized third-party supplier—a violation of Mattel’s requirement to use paint supplied directly by Early Light. The products were found to contain â€Å"impermissible levels of lead.† On August 2, 2007, it was announced that another of Early Light’s subcontractors, Lee Der Industrial Co., used the same lead paint found on Cars products. China immediately suspended the company’s export license. Afterward, Mattel pinpointed three paint suppliers working for Lee Der—Dongxin, Zhongxin, and Mingdai. This paint was used by Lee Der to produce Mattel’s line of Fisher-Price products. It is said that Lee Der purchased the paint from Mingdai due to an intimate friendship between the two company’s owners. On August 11, 2007, Zhang Shuhong, operator of Lee Der, hung himself after paying his 5,000 staff members. Later that month, Mattel was forced to recall several more toys because of powerful magnets in the toys that could come loose and pose a choking hazard for young children. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other inside the child’s stomach, causing potentially fatal complications. Over 21 million Mattel toys were recalled in all, and parents filed several lawsuits claiming that these Mattel products harmed their children. At first, Mattel blamed Chinese subcontractors for the huge toys recalls, but the company later accepted a portion of the blame for its troubles, while maintaining that Chinese manufacturers were largely at fault. The Chinese view the situation quite differently. As reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the spokesman for China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine said, â€Å"Mattel should improve its product design and supervision over product quality. Chinese original equipment manufacturers were doing the job just as importers requested, and the toys conformed to the U.S. regulations and standards at the time of the production.† Mattel also faced criticism from many of its consumers, who believed Mattel was denying culpability by placing much of the blame on China. Mattel was later awarded the 2007 â€Å"Bad Product† Award by Consumers International. How did this crisis occur under the watch of a company praised for its ethics and high safety standards? Although Mattel had investigated its contractors, it did not audit the entire supply chain, including subcontractors. These  oversights left room for these violations to occur. Mattel has also moved to enforce a rule that subcontractors cannot hire suppliers two or three tiers down. In a statement, Mattel says it has spent more than 50,000 hours investigating its vendors and testing its toys. Mattel also announced a three-point plan. This plan aims to tighten Mattel’s control of production, discover and prevent the unauthorized use of subcontractors, and test the products itself rather than depending on contractors. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S REACTION Chinese officials eventually did admit the government’s failure to properly protect the public. The Chinese government promised to tighten supervision of exported products, but effective supervision is challenging in such a large country that is so burdened with corruption. In January 2008, the Chinese government launched a four-month-long nationwide product quality campaign, offering intensive training courses to domestic toy manufacturers to help them brush up on their knowledge of international product standards and safety awareness. As a result of the crackdown, the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced that it had revoked the licenses of more than 600 Chinese toy makers. As of 2008, the State Administration for Commerce and Industry (SACI) released a report claiming that 87.5 percent of China’s newly manufactured toys met quality requirements. While this represents an improvement, the temptation to cut corners remains strong in a country that uses price, not quality, as its main competitive advantage. Where there is demand, there will be people trying to turn a quick profit. MATTEL VERSUS FORMER EMPLOYEE AND MGA In 2004, Mattel became embroiled in a bitter intellectual property rights battle with former employee Carter Bryant and MGA Entertainment Inc. over rights to MGA’s popular Bratz dolls. Carter Bryant, an on-again/off-again Mattel employee, designed the Bratz dolls and pitched them to MGA. A few months after the pitch, Bryant left  Mattel to work at MGA, which began producing Bratz in 2001. In 2002, Mattel launched an investigation into whether Bryant had designed the Bratz dolls while employed with Mattel. After two years of investigation, Mattel sued Bryant. A year later MGA fired off a suit of its own, claiming that Mattel was creating Barbies with looks similar to those of Bratz in an effort to eliminate the competition. Mattel answered by expanding its own suit to include MGA and its CEO, Isaac Larian. For decades, Barbie has reigned supreme on the doll market. However, Bratz dolls have given Barbie a run for her money. In 2005, four years after the brand’s debut, Bratz sales were at $2 billion. At the same time, Barbie was suffering from declining sales. In 2008 Barbie’s gross sales fell by 6 percent. Many analysts believe that Barbie has reached the maturity stage of its product life cycle. Four years after the initial suit was filed, Bryant settled with Mattel under an undisclosed set of terms. In July 2008, a jury deemed MGA and its CEO liable for what it termed â€Å"intentional interference† regarding Bryant’s contract with Mattel. In August 2008, Mattel received damages in the range of $100 million. Although Mattel first requested damages of $1.8 billion, the company is pleased with the principle behind the victory. In December 2008, Mattel appeared to win another victory when a California judge banned MGA from issuing or selling any more Bratz dolls. However, the tide soon turned on Mattel’s victory. In July 2010, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the ruling. Eventually, the case came down to whether Mattel owned Bryant’s ideas under the contract he had with the comapny. In April 2011, a California federal jury rejected Mattel’s claims to ownership. In another blow to Mattel, the jury also ruled that the company had stolen trade secrets from MGA. According to the allegations, Mattel employees used fake business cards to get into MGA showrooms during toy fairs. Mattel was ordered to pay $85 million in liabilities, plus an additional $225 million in damages and legal fees. MGA CEO Isaac Larian has  also announced that he will file an antitrust case against Mattel. Mattel continues to claim that Bryant violated his contract when he was working for the company . MATTEL LOOKS TOWARD THE FUTURE Like all major companies, Mattel has weathered its share of storms. The company has faced a series of difficult and potentially crippling challenges, including the recent verdict against the company in the Bratz lawsuit. During the wave of toy recalls, some analysts suggested that the company’s reputation was battered beyond repair. Mattel, however, has refused to go quietly. Although the company admits to poorly handling recent affairs, it is attempting to rectify its mistakes and to prevent future mistakes as well. With the economic future of the United States uncertain, Mattel may be in for slow growth for some time to come. Mattel is hard at work restoring goodwill and faith in its brands, even as it continues to be plagued with residual distrust over the lead paint scandal and its alleged theft of trade secrets. Reputations are hard won and easily lost, but Mattel appears to be steadfast in its commitment to restoring its reputation. QUESTIONS 1. Do manufacturers of products for children have special obligations to consumers and society? If so, what are these responsibilities? 2. How effective has Mattel been at encouraging ethical and legal conduct by its manufacturers? What changes and additions would you make to the company’s Global Manufacturing Principles? 3. To what extent is Mattel responsible for issues related to its production of toys in China? How might Mattel have avoided these issues? 9 Sources: Lisa Bannon and Carlta Vitzhum, â€Å"One-Toy-Fits-All: How Industry Learned to Love the Global Kid,† Wall Street Journal, Apr. 30, 2003, http://online.wsj.com. Adam Bryant, â€Å"Mattel CEO Jill Barad and a Toyshop That Doesn’t Forget to Play,† New York Times, Oct. 11, 1998. Bill Duryea, â€Å"Barbie-holics: They’re Devoted to the Doll,† St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 7, 1998. Rachel Engers, â€Å"Mattel Board Members Buy $30 Million in Stock: Insider Focus,† Bloomberg.com, Dec. 22, 2000. 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Na’im Akbar is acclaimed as one of the leading writers today

He has produced some of the best works of his time. His readers have long appreciated him for his classical interpretation of human morality and several critical thematic concerns of race and society but yet in a most humorous, easy and light hearted representation.Some of his most praised and entertaining works involve the analytical issue of the disgrace of racism and the hideousness of being a slave. Akbar's book, Breaking the chains of psychological slavery, tells his desire to revolutionize social, political traditions.Akbar persuades the reader through a prejudiced vision of his existence, inducing in the reader compassion distress and negative depiction of the white. The writer in his storyline takes the reader on a ride to the past, into a darker and crueler world of his time that disliked, loathed and exploited the men and women with darker skins. He talks about the curse of slavery and its impact on the society, a society that was built around the disgraces of racism and th at only recognized the master and the slave, not the life within.The depiction of the brutalities and the inhumanity of the custom of slavery, in the very first chapter, â€Å"The Psychological Legacy of Slavery†, is remarkable in its own way, criticized as a work more important and brilliant in content compared to the several other works by slave writers.This is mainly because he incorporates several dimensions of the cult of slavery in his narrative, specially throwing light upon the impacts of slavery on the slaves and more importantly on the lifeless bodies who owned them.â€Å"The implication of this is that the mind’s possibilities are limited by its concept of its potential.† † (Akbar 1996) .The slaves were not allowed to own any property. Hence they were grieved and heart broken with their abandonment.Their birth was rather a calamity and they cursed themselves for having been born as slaves. They felt that the master’s house was one of the most hostile places. I agree with the author here as I feel that it was from them that they too learned to be vile and vindictive. Thus the slaves transformed themselves into jealous people with conflagration. However, their innocence and ignorance made them suffer from prejudice.The foremost procedure the author uses in the second chapter is sympathy. He writes about mental slavery and an unknown faith. â€Å"When young Black boys learn that there are no limits to our possibilities on the basketball courts, we create the athletic genius of Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson and in their genius, they recreate the game of basketball.When our young people know that there are no limits to their potential in the world of manufacturing, communication, physics, chemistry or the science of the human mind, then those same young Black minds who create dances on the dance floor or compose music on their bodies with the ‘hand jive’ will recreate these fields of human endeavor with t he same incomparability.† (Akbar 1996)I got an emotion of distress and wanted providential things to happen to the slaves. Unfairness is exposed all the way through the chapter. This new tactic, intoxicated with the velvety diplomacies of pity, care and tolerance, made things even worse for the slaves. In this chapter, Akbar also speaks of the disgraces of racism and the immoralities of slavery with a most light hearted and moderate appeal.This is a major part of the irony that clearly comes to light when observed carefully. â€Å"†You must first be a king of your own personal kingdom. If you can't lead that kingdom on your own two feet, you can't lead a bigger kingdom†(Akbar 1996) Very ironically and rightly, he criticizes the aspects of morality in terms of slavery, racism and other such critical social concerns. I read the author’s depiction of an unknown faith in a slave’s life, as an allegorical representation of the plight of blacks in the Unit ed States even in the post-slavery time.He tactfully   exposes the duplicity of freedom, enfranchisement and equality, demonstrating how racism distorted the oppressors as much as it did those who were oppressed, yet in a most humorous and easy flow. This brilliant use of irony again reveals itself when in a world of moral confusion, in which seemingly good and civilized   white people express no concern what so ever about the injustice and illegitimacies of cruelty towards a black.A marvelous creation of Akbar, the masterpiece best reveals his ironical blending of wit with reality. His personal and conversational style makes the reader involved in his tone and mood. He takes the reader into confidence through his easy and delightful pace.The analytical issue of the disgrace of racism and the hideousness of slavery is beautifully depicted. Akbar’s contention to transform the view of the society is substantiated when he desires to bring out his ideas about racial religious inquisition and emotional perplexity, in the third chapter of the book.I perceive that although Akbar wrote the book several years after the end of the emancipation proclamation and the civil war, America still struggled to emerge out cleanly out of the disgraces of racism and the aftermaths of slavery.When the book was written, although seemingly flowing in a positive direction, race relations were beginning to withstand new strains, trapped now in a cleverer and more civilized white society. These new forces were more social and personal than official. This new form of racism in the south was less institutionalized and monolithic but at the same time was more difficult to resolve or combat.The white society although outlawed slavery and racism, most certainly due to growing ethical, moral and international pressures, was beginning to learn to adopt a more hypocritical, self-defensive reason to hate the newly freed blacks, to keep them away. I feel the author employs a predisposed analysis to manipulate the mind and heart of the reader.The greater the power, the more dangerous is the abuse. The truth in the statement is well proved in the book. Akbar makes his political report in this twentieth-century book that could be relished as an exhilarating but heart grieving story about a black boy. He, very well comments upon the abuse of political power and how the poor and down trodden blacks fall prey to the diplomacy of the whites.The title is a symbol for the evil contained in human souls.   The author reigns high in the field of characterization. His works transact chiefly with the divergence of the intellect and impulse. All of his key works present humans as inherently belligerent and corrupt. It can best be described as a document that predicts the behavior of human mind under the influence of circumstances around him.Hence I do feel that the author takes the reader to a journey back to those years, when the world was a difficult place to life for those whose skins were black. And in doing so, he maintains a supreme calmness in his pace that is garnished with humor and adventure.In today’s highly materialistic society, there is just no place for modesty. Hence the writer in his storyline takes the reader on a ride to the past, into a darker and crueler world of his time that disliked, loathed and exploited the men and women with darker skins. I am mesmerized by the reality that the author brings to light. This not only gestures at the authority, status and power of dictatorship but also accuses the present society where crafty people exploit the innocence of the docile and submissive ones.Bibliography:Akbar Na'im, Breaking the chains of psychological slavery , June 1996, Mind Productions & Associates ,isbn 0935257055