Monday, September 30, 2019

Netflix Project

NETFLIX INC FORMReport) 10-K (Annual Filed 02/01/13 for the Period Ending 12/31/12 Address 100 WINCHESTER CIRCLE . LOS GATOS, CA 95032 408-540-3700 0001065280 NFLX 7841 – Video Tape Rental Broadcasting & Cable TV Services 12/31 Telephone CIK Symbol SIC Code Industry Sector Fiscal Year http://www. edgar-online. com  © Copyright 2013, EDGAR Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distribution and use of this document restricted under EDGAR Online, Inc. Terms of Use. Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D. C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One)ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number: 000-49802 Netflix, Inc. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 77-0467272 (I. R. S. Employer Identification Number) 100 Winchester Circle Los Gatos, California 95032 (Address and zip code of principal executive offices) (408) 540-3700 Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Name of Exchange on which registered Common stock, $0. 001 par value Preferred Share Purchase Rights The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of Class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.Yes No No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the precedi ng 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( §229. 05 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files. Yes No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a no n-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of â€Å"large accelerated filer,† â€Å"accelerated filer† and â€Å"smaller reporting company† in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer (do not check if smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) Yes NoAs of June 30, 2012, the aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sales price for the registrant’s common stock, as reported in the NASDAQ Global Select Market System, was $3,278,134,336. Shares of common stock beneficially owned by each executive officer and director of the Registrant and by each person known by the Registrant to beneficially own 10% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliate s. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purpose.As of January 31, 2013, there were 55,993,477 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0. 001, outstanding. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Parts of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for Registrant’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Table of Contents NETFLIX, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I Item 1. Item 1A. Item 1B. Item 2. Item 3. Item 4. PART II Item 5. Item 6. Item 7. Item 7A. Item 8. Item 9. Item 9A. Item 9B. PART III Item 10. Item 11. Item 12. Item 13. Item 14. PART IV Item 15.Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 39 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance Executive Compensation Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director In dependence Principal Accounting Fees and Services 38 38 38 38 38 Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities Selected Financial Data Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk Financial Statements and Supplementary Data Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure Controls and Procedures Other Information 17 19 20 34 35 35 35 37 Business Risk Factors Unresolved Staff Comments Properties Legal Proceedings Mine Safety Disclosure s 1 5 15 16 16 16 Table of Contents PART I Forward-Looking Statements This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws.These forwardlooking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: our core strategy; the growth of Internet delivery of content; the gro wth in our streaming subscriptions and the decline in our DVD subscriptions; the market opportunity for streaming content; contribution margins; contribution profits (losses); liquidity; free cash flows; revenues; net income; legal costs; operating cash flows; impacts relating to our pricing strategy; our content library and marketing investments, including investments in original programming; significance of future contractual obligations; realization of future deferred tax assets; seasonality; method of content delivery; and international expansion. These forwardlooking statements can be identified by our use of words such as â€Å"expects†, â€Å"will†, â€Å"anticipate†, â€Å"may†, â€Å"could†, â€Å"would†, â€Å"should†, â€Å"intend†, â€Å"continue†, and derivatives thereof.These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ. A detailed di scussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included throughout this filing and particularly in Item 1A: â€Å"Risk Factors† section set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to revise or publicly release any revision to any such forward-looking statement, except as may otherwise be required by law. Item 1. About us Netflix, Inc. â€Å"Netflix†, â€Å"the Company†, â€Å"we†, or â€Å"us†) is the world’s leading Internet television network with more than 33 million members in over 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series. For one low monthly price, our members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nea rly any Internet-connected screen. Additionally, in the United States (â€Å"U. S. â€Å"), our subscribers can receive standard definition DVDs, and their high definition successor, Blu-ray discs (collectively referred to as â€Å"DVD†), delivered quickly to their homes. Our core strategy is to grow our streaming subscription business domestically and internationally.We are continuously improving the customer experience – expanding our streaming content, with a focus on programming an overall mix of content that delights our customers, including exclusive and original content, enhancing our user interface and extending our streaming service to even more Internet-connected devices while staying within the parameters of our consolidated net income (loss) and operating segment contribution profit (loss) targets. Contribution profit (loss) is defined as revenues less cost of revenues and marketing expenses. We are a pioneer in the Internet delivery of TV shows and movie s, launching our streaming service in 2007. Since this launch, we have developed an ecosystem for Internet-connected devices and have licensed increasing amounts of content that enable consumers to enjoy TV shows and movies directly on their TVs, computers and mobile devices.As a result of these efforts, we have experienced growing consumer acceptance of and interest in the delivery of TV shows and movies directly over the Internet. In September 2010, we began international operations by offering our streaming service in Canada. In the past two years, we have continued our international expansion and now also offer our streaming service in Latin America, the United Kingdom (â€Å"U. K. â€Å"), Ireland, and the Nordic countries of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Prior to July 2011, in the U. S. , our streaming and DVD-by-mail operations were combined and subscribers could receive both streaming content and DVDs under a single â€Å"hybrid† plan.In July 2011, we separa ted the combined plans, making it necessary for subscribers who wish to receive both DVDs-by-mail and streaming content to have two separate subscription plans. Business Segments Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company has three operating segments: Domestic streaming, International streaming and Domestic DVD. The Domestic and International streaming segments derive revenues from monthly subscription services consisting solely of streaming content. The Domestic DVD segment derives revenues from monthly subscription services consisting solely of DVD-by-mail. For additional information regarding our segments, see Note 10 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . Domestic Streaming 1 Business Table of ContentsThe Domestic streaming segment provides our more than 27 million members with access to a broad range of exclusive, non-exclusive and original content delivered over the Internet to a host of connected devices – including PCs and Macs, game cons oles such as PlayStations, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, home theater systems, Internet video players such as Apple TV and Roku, digital video recorders, and mobile devices. We have a leading market position in domestic streaming, having grown by more than 5 million subscriptions in 2012 – an increase of 25% from 2011. International Streaming The large numbers of pay television and broadband households outside the U. S. provide our International streaming segment with a large long-term growth opportunity through significantly expanding our base of potential subscribers. From our initial international market launch in Canada in September 2010, our international streaming service has grown to be available in more than 40 countries outside of the U. S. as of December 31, 2012.We believe that international markets will be a significant source of growth and cash flow in the long term, and as a result we are strategically investing internationally today. Our focus in international ma rkets is to provide a compelling service offering to subscribers, which allows us to gain market share in the near term. We view long-term international success as consumer adoption and contribution margins at the levels of our domestic market. Domestic DVD Our Domestic DVD business launched in 1999 with DVD-by-mail subscription plans. As technology has changed and consumer preference has shifted, we have seen subscribers move away from DVD rental and toward streaming their video content. Competition The market for entertainment video is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change.Many consumers maintain simultaneous relationships with multiple entertainment video providers and can easily shift spending from one provider to another. Our principal competitors vary by geographic region and include: †¢ Multichannel video programming distributors (â€Å"MVPDs†) with free TV Everywhere applications such as HBO GO or Showtime Anytime in the U. S. and SkyGo or BBC iPlayer in the U. K. , and other on demand content from cable providers, such as Time Warner and Comcast; direct broadcast satellite providers, such as DIRECTV and Echostar; and telecommunication providers such as AT&T and Verizon â€Å"Over-the-top† Internet movie and TV content providers, such as, Amazon. com's Prime Video, Hulu. om and Hulu Plus, LOVEFiLM, Clarovideo, Viaplay, and Google's YouTube Transactional content providers, such as Apple's iTunes, Amazon's Instant Video, GooglePlay, and Vudu DVD rental outlets and kiosk services, such as Blockbuster and Redbox Entertainment video retailers, such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Amazon. com †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Competitive Strengths Netflix differentiates itself from the competition and has been able to grow its business through the following demonstrated unique competitive strengths: Leading Scale Advantage Builds Compelling Content – Leveraging our substantial scale and significant content budget, Netflix has bu ilt a broad and deep content library.Our licensing teams are expert programmers informed by more than a decade of rich data on viewer preferences and viewing habits which uniquely enables them to license a compelling mix of TV and movie content to efficiently provide Netflix members with compelling content. To further differentiate our content offering from our competitors, we have increasingly licensed exclusive and original content. Outstanding Member Experience Attracts and Retains Subscribers – We provide our members with innovative and effective user interfaces that enhance their Netflix experience and help increase engagement. Netflix leverages its large global scale and billions of hours of subscriber viewing data and algorithms in order to tailor the Netflix recommendations and merchandising to each individual user.We believe that, our user experience, driven by our focus on innovation and technology, help drive subscriber viewing, engagement, retention, and overall c ustomer satisfaction. Relative to the competition, we believe we are further along the experience curve when it comes to improving our user interface and delivering great quality streaming. Brand Clarity and Focus Increases Pace of Innovation for Members – We are focused on making subscription streaming video great. Nearly all of our notable competitors in the space today have many other product lines and services that require management attention and resources. We believe that our focus on streaming video will help us innovate faster and 2 Table of Contents satisfy our consumers better than our competition.We also believe that our focus will provide a level of clarity to our brand that will help consumers more easily discover, understand and appreciate our service offering. Growth Drivers Our core strategy is to grow our streaming subscription business domestically and internationally, and is built upon the following drivers: Investment in Streaming Content – We belie ve that our investments in streaming content lead to more subscriber viewing, delight, and positive consumer word-of-mouth. This, in turn, leads to subscriber acquisition and revenue growth, which allows us to invest in more streaming content, which enables the growth cycle to continue. With more than 33 million global ubscribers and our increasingly exclusive and original programming that differentiates us from competitors, we believe we are well positioned to capitalize upon this virtuous cycle. Continuous Service Improvements – We've found that incremental improvements in our service and quality enhance our member satisfaction and retention. We continue to refine our technology, user interfaces, and delivery infrastructure to improve the customer experience. For example, using our â€Å"adaptive streaming† technology we automatically and constantly optimize the streaming bit-rate to each user's Internet speed. This minimizes loading and buffering times, delivering t he best click-and-watch experience.We have added programs in Super HD and with Dolby Digital Plus 5. 1 surround sound for a high quality, immersive entertainment experience. We believe that improvements such as these will help us build a great streaming service Overall Adoption and Growth of Internet TV – Domestically, cable and satellite pay TV subscriber numbers have stagnated, while DVR penetration has continued to climb. We see this as indicative of consumers desiring more control and freedom in their ability to watch what they want, when they want, where they want, and how they want. We are leading this wave of consumer change and growth of Internet TV by providing broad, click-and-watch video entertainment video.Future of the Consumer Electronic Ecosystem: â€Å"Internet on Every Screen† – We intend to broaden our already expansive partner relationships over time so that even more devices are capable of streaming content from Netflix. By making Netflix acc essible on a broad array of devices, we believe that we enhance the value of our service to subscribers as well as position ourselves for continued growth as Internet and mobile delivery of content becomes more popular. We are pioneering the use of tablets and smartphones as second-screen choosing devices for TV viewing, and are actively engaged with all of our device partners in evaluating how Netflix can enhance and improve the user experience in conjunction with their product innovations.International Market Expansion – The international streaming segment represents a significant long-term growth opportunity as people around the world discover the benefits of Netflix. We plan to continue our international investment strategy of upfront investment in content and marketing to build out scale required for profitability. We believe that scale advantages increase barriers to entry for our competitors. Today, 18% of all of Netflix's global streaming subscribers are outside of th e US. Operations We obtain content from various content providers through streaming content license agreements, DVD direct purchases and DVD revenue sharing agreements.We market our service through various channels, including online advertising, broad-based media, such as television and radio, as well as various strategic partnerships. In connection with marketing the service, we offer free-trial memberships to new members. Rejoining members are an important source of subscriber additions. We utilize the services of third-party cloud computing providers, more specifically, Amazon Web Services, and utilize both our own content delivery network (â€Å"Open Connect†) and third-party content delivery networks, such as Level 3 Communications, to help us efficiently stream content in high volume to our subscribers over the Internet. We also ship and receive DVDs in the U. S. from a nationwide network of shipping centers.Seasonality Our subscriber growth exhibits a seasonal pattern that reflects variations when consumers buy Internet-connected devices and when they tend to increase video watching. Our domestic subscriber growth is generally greatest in our fourth and first quarters (October through March), slowing in our second quarter (April through June) and then accelerating in our third quarter (July through September). We expect each market in our international segment to demonstrate more predictable seasonal patterns as our service offering in each market becomes more established and we have a longer history to assess such patterns. Additionally, the variable expenses associated with shipments of DVDs are highest in the first quarter due to the seasonal nature of DVD usage. 3 Table of ContentsIntellectual Property We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, domain names, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as important to our success. We use a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws and confidential agreements to protect our proprietary intellectual property. Our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights is subject to certain risks and from time to time we encounter disputes over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property. We cannot provide assurance that we will prevail in any intellectual property disputes.Employees As of December 31, 2012, we had 2,045 full-time employees. We also utilize part-time and temporary employees, primarily in our DVD fulfillment operations, to respond to the fluctuating demand for DVD shipments. Our use of temporary employees has decreased significantly due to decreased DVD shipments in 2012, as well as increased automation of our shipment centers. As of December 31, 2012, we had 384 parttime and temporary employees. Our employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good. Other information We were incor porated in Delaware in August 1997 and completed our initial public offering in May 2002.Our principal executive offices are located at 100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, California 95032, and our telephone number is (408) 540-3700. We maintain a Web site at www. netflix. com . The contents of our Web site are not incorporated in, or otherwise to be regarded as part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, â€Å"Netflix,† the â€Å"Company,† â€Å"we,† â€Å"us,† â€Å"our† and the â€Å"registrant† refer to Netflix, Inc. Our investor relations Web site is located at http://ir. netflix. com. We use our investor relations Web site as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.Accordingly, investors should monitor this portion of the Netflix Web site, in addition to following press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls an d webcasts. We also make available, free of charge, on our investor relations Web site under â€Å"SEC Filings,† our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing those reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. 4 Table of Contents Item 1A. Risk Factors If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed.In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Risks Related to Our Business If our efforts to attract and retain subscribers are not successful, our business will be adversely affected. We have experienced significant subscriber growth over the past several years. Our ability to continue to attract subscribers will depend in part on our ability to consistently provide our subscri bers with a valuable and quality experience for selecting and viewing TV shows and movies. Furthermore, the relative service levels, content offerings, pricing and related features of competitors to our service may adversely impact our ability to attract and retain subscribers.Competitors include multichannel video programming distributors (â€Å"MVPDs†) with free TV Everywhere and other on demand content, Internet movie and TV content providers, including both those that provide legal and illegal (or pirated) entertainment video content, DVD rental outlets and kiosk services and entertainment video retail stores. If consumers do not perceive our service offering to be of value, or if we introduce new or adjust existing features or change the mix of content in a manner that is not favorably received by them, we may not be able to attract and retain subscribers. In addition, many of our subscribers are rejoining our service or originate from word-of-mouth advertising from exis ting subscribers.If our efforts to satisfy our existing subscribers are not successful, we may not be able to attract subscribers, and as a result, our ability to maintain and/or grow our business will be adversely affected. Subscribers cancel their subscription to our service for many reasons, including a perception that they do not use the service sufficiently, the need to cut household expenses, availability of content is unsatisfactory, competitive services provide a better value or experience and customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved. We must continually add new subscribers both to replace subscribers who cancel and to grow our business beyond our current subscriber base.If too many of our subscribers cancel our service, or if we are unable to attract new subscribers in numbers sufficient to grow our business, our operating results will be adversely affected. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors in both retaining our existi ng subscribers and attracting new subscribers, our business will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of subscribers cancel our service, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate to replace these subscribers with new subscribers. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business will be adversely affected. The market for entertainment video is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change.New technologies and evolving business models for delivery of entertainment video continue to develop at a fast pace. The growth of Internet-connected devices, including TVs, computers and mobile devices has increased the consumer acceptance of Internet delivery of entertainment video. Through these new and existing distribution channels, consumers are afforded various means for consuming entertainment video. The various economic models underlying these differing means of entertainment video delivery include subscrip tion, transactional, ad-supported and piracy-based models. All of these have the potential to capture meaningful segments of the entertainment video market.Several competitors have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, greater brand recognition and significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to technology, fulfillment, and marketing. New entrants may enter the market with unique service offerings or approaches to providing entertainment video and other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. If we are unable to successfully or profitably compete with current and new competitors, programs and technologies, our business will be adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase or maintain market share, revenues or profitability.The increasingly long-term and fixed cost nature of our content acquisition licenses may limit our operating flexibility and could adversely affect our liquidity and results of operation. In connection with obtaining streaming content, we typically enter into multi-year licenses with studios and other content providers, the payment terms of which are not tied to subscriber usage or the size of our subscriber base (â€Å"fixed cost†) but which may be tied to such factors as titles licensed and/or theatrical exhibition receipt. Such contractual commitments are included in the Contractual Obligations section of Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations .Given the multiple-year duration and largely fixed cost nature of content licenses, if subscriber acquisition and retention do not meet our expectations, our margins may be adversely impacted. Payment terms for streaming licenses, especially programming that initially airs in the applicable territory on our service (â⠂¬Å"original programming†) or that is considered output content, will typically require more up-front cash payments than other licensing agreements. To the extent subscriber and/or revenue growth do not meet our expectations, our liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected as a result of content licensing commitments and accelerated payment requirements of certain licenses.In addition, the long-term and fixed cost nature of our streaming licenses may limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to changes in our 5 Table of Contents business and the market segments in which we operate. As we expand internationally, we must license content in advance of entering into a new geographical market. If we license content that is not favorably received by consumers in the applicable territory, acquisition and retention may be adversely impacted and given the long-term and fixed cost nature of our commitments, we may not be able to adjust our content offering q uickly and our results of operation may be adversely impacted.Changes in consumer viewing habits, including more widespread usage of TV Everywhere or other similar on demand methods of entertainment video consumption could adversely affect our business. The manner in which consumers view entertainment video is changing rapidly. Digital cable, wireless and Internet content providers are continuing to improve technologies, content offerings, user interface, and business models that allow consumers to access on demand entertainment with interactive capabilities including start, stop and rewind. The devices through which entertainment video can be consumed are also changing rapidly. Today, content from MVPDs may be viewed on laptops and content from Internet content providers may be viewed on TVs. Although we provide our own Internet-based delivery of content allowing our subscribers to stream ertain TV shows and movies to their Internet-connected televisions and other devices, if other providers of entertainment video address the changes in consumer viewing habits in a manner that is better able to meet content distributor and consumer needs and expectations, our business could be adversely affected. If we are not able to manage change and growth, our business could be adversely affected. We are currently engaged in an effort to expand our operations internationally, scale our streaming service to effectively and reliably handle anticipated growth in both subscribers and features related to our service, as well as continue to operate our DVD service within the U. S. As we expand internationally, we are managing our business to address varied content offerings, consumer customs and practices, in particular those dealing with e-commerce and Internet video, as well as differing legal and regulatory environments.As we scale our streaming service, we are developing technology and utilizing relatively new third-party Internet-based or â€Å"cloud† computing serv ices. We have also chosen to separate the technology that operates our DVD-by-mail service from that which runs our streaming operations. If we are not able to manage the growing complexity of our business, including maintaining our DVD operations, and improving, refining or revising our systems and operational practices related to our streaming operations, our business may be adversely affected. If the market segment for online subscription-based entertainment video saturates, our business will be adversely affected.The market segment for online subscription-based entertainment video has grown significantly. Much of the increasing growth can be attributed to the ability of our subscribers to stream TV shows and movies on their TVs, computers and mobile devices. As we face more competition in our market segment, our rate of growth relative to overall growth in the segment may decline. Further, a decline in our rate of growth could indicate that the market segment for online subscrip tion-based entertainment video is beginning to saturate. While we believe that this segment will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, if this market segment were to saturate, our business would be adversely affected.If our efforts to build strong brand identity and improve subscriber satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to attract or retain subscribers, and our operating results may be adversely affected. We must continue to build and maintain strong brand identity. We believe that strong brand identity will be important in attracting and retaining subscribers who may have a number of choices from which to obtain entertainment video. To build a strong brand we believe we must continue to offer content and service features that our subscribers value and enjoy. We also believe that these must be coupled with effective consumer communications, such as marketing, customer service and public relations. If our efforts to promote and maintain our brand ar e not successful, our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected.Such a result, coupled with the increasingly long-term and fixed cost nature of our content acquisition licenses, may adversely affect our operating results. From time to time, our subscribers express dissatisfaction with our service, including among other things, our title selection, pricing, delivery speed and service interruptions. Furthermore, third-party devices that enable instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix may not meet consumer expectations. To the extent dissatisfaction with our service is widespread or not adequately addressed, our brand may be adversely impacted and our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected.In 2011, we made a series of announcements regarding our business, including the separation of our DVD-by-mail and streaming plans with a corresponding price change for some of our customers, the rebranding of our DVD-by-mail service , and the subsequent retraction of our plans to rebrand our DVD-by-mail service. Consumers reacted negatively to these announcements, adversely impacting our brand and resulting in higher than expected customer cancellations, which negatively affected our operating results. While we have seen significant improvements to our brand since the events of 2011, we nonetheless believe that it will continue to take time to repair our brand to the levels we enjoyed prior to the events of 2011. 6 Table of Contents With respect to our expansion into international markets, we will also need to establish our brand and to the extent we are not successful, our business in new markets would be adversely impacted.Changes in our subscriber acquisition sources could adversely affect our marketing expenses and subscriber levels may be adversely affected. We utilize a broad mix of marketing programs to promote our service to potential new subscribers. We obtain new subscribers through our online marketi ng efforts, including paid search listings, banner ads, text links and permission-based e-mails, as well as our affiliate program. We also engage our consumer electronics partners to generate new subscribers for our service. In addition, we have engaged in various offline marketing programs, including TV and radio advertising, direct mail and print campaigns, consumer package and mailing insertions.We also acquire a number of subscribers who rejoin our service having previously cancelled their membership. We maintain an active public relations program, including through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, to increase awareness of our service and drive subscriber acquisition. We opportunistically adjust our mix of marketing programs to acquire new subscribers at a reasonable cost with the intention of achieving overall financial goals. If we are unable to maintain or replace our sources of subscribers with similarly effective sources, or if the cost of our existing sourc es increases, our subscriber levels and marketing expenses may be adversely affected.We may not be able to continue to support the marketing of our service by current means if such activities are no longer available to us, become cost prohibitive or are adverse to our business. If companies that currently promote our service decide that we are negatively impacting their business, that they want to compete more directly with our business or enter a similar business or decide to exclusively support our competitors, we may no longer be given access to such marketing channels. In addition, if ad rates increase, we may curtail marketing expenses or otherwise experience an increase in our marketing costs. Laws and regulations impose restrictions on or otherwise prohibit the use of certain acquisition channels, including commercial e-mail and direct mail.We may limit or discontinue use or support of certain marketing sources or activities if we become concerned that subscribers or potentia l subscribers deem such practices intrusive or damaging to our brand. If the available marketing channels are curtailed, our ability to attract new subscribers may be adversely affected. If we become subject to liability for content that we distribute through our service, our results of operations would be adversely affected. As a distributor of content, we face potential liability for negligence, copyright, or trademark infringement or other claims based on the nature and content of materials that we distribute. We also may face potential liability for content used in member reviews. If we become liable, then our business may suffer.Litigation to defend these claims could be costly and the expenses and damages arising from any liability could harm our results of operations. We cannot assure that we are indemnified to cover claims of these types or liability that may be imposed on us, and we may not have insurance coverage for these types of claims. If studios and other content prov iders refuse to license streaming content to us upon acceptable terms, our business could be adversely affected. Our ability to provide our subscribers with content they can watch instantly depends on studios and other content providers licensing us content specifically for Internet delivery. The license periods and the terms and conditions of such licenses vary.If the studios and other content providers change their terms and conditions or are no longer willing or able to license us content, our ability to stream content to our subscribers will be adversely affected. Unlike DVD, streaming content is not subject to the First Sale Doctrine. As such, we are completely dependent on the various content providers to license us content in order to access and stream content. Many of the licenses provide for the studios or other content providers to withdraw content from our service relatively quickly. Because of these provisions as well as other actions we may take, content available throu gh our service can be withdrawn on short notice. In addition, the studios and other content providers have great flexibility in licensing streaming content.They may elect to license content exclusively to a particular provider or otherwise limit the types of services that can deliver streaming content. For example, HBO licenses content from studios like Warner Bros. and the license provides HBO with the exclusive right to such content against other subscription services, including Netflix. As such, Netflix cannot license certain Warner Bros. content for delivery to its subscribers while Warner Bros. may nonetheless license the same content on a transactional basis. Conversely, content providers may license the same content to multiple subscription-based services and may do so on different terms and conditions.As such, Netflix and its competitors may offer consumers many of the same content titles but license these at different rates. As competition increases, we may see the cost for programming increase. As we seek to differentiate our service, we are increasingly focused on securing certain exclusive rights when obtaining content. We are also focused on programming an overall mix of content that delights our members in a cost efficient manner. Within this context, we are selective about the titles we add and renew our service. If we do not maintain a compelling mix of content, our subscriber acquisition and retention may be adversely affected. 7 Table of ContentsIf we are unable to secure and maintain rights to streaming content or if we cannot otherwise obtain such content upon terms that are acceptable to us, including on an exclusive basis in some cases, our ability to stream TV shows and movies to our subscribers will be adversely impacted, and our subscriber acquisition and retention could also be adversely impacted. We rely upon a number of partners to offer instant streaming of content from Netflix to various devices. We currently offer subscribers the ability to receive streaming content through their PCs, Macs and other Internet-connected devices, including Blu-ray players and TVs, digital video players, game consoles and mobile devices.We intend to continue to broaden our capability to instantly stream TV shows and movies to other platforms and partners over time. If we are not successful in maintaining existing and creating new relationships, or if we encounter technological, content licensing or other impediments to our streaming content, our ability to grow our business could be adversely impacted. Our agreements with our consumer electronics partners are typically between one and three years in duration and our business could be adversely affected if, upon expiration, a number of our partners do not continue to provide access to our service or are unwilling to do so on terms acceptable to us, which terms may include the degree of accessibility and prominence of our service.Furthermore, devices are manufactured and sold by entities other than Netflix and while these entities should be responsible for the devices' performance, the connection between these devices and Netflix may nonetheless result in consumer dissatisfaction toward Netflix and such dissatisfaction could result in claims against us or otherwise adversely impact our business. In addition, technology changes to our streaming functionality may require that partners update their devices. If partners do not update or otherwise modify their devices, our service and our subscribers' use and enjoyment could be negatively impacted. If subscriptions to our Domestic DVD segment decline faster than anticipated, our business could be adversely affected The number of subscriptions to our DVD-by-mail offering is declining, and we anticipate that this decline will continue.We believe, however, that the domestic DVD business will continue to generate significant contribution profit for our business. In addition, we believe that DVD will be a valuable co nsumer proposition and studio profit center for the next several years, even as DVD sales decline. The contribution profit generated by our domestic DVD business will help provide capital resources to fund losses arising from our growth internationally. To the extent that the rate of decline in our DVD-by-mail business is greater than we anticipate, our business could be adversely affected. Because we are primarily focused on building a global streaming service, the resources allocated to maintaining DVD operations and the level of management focus on our DVD business are limited.We do not anticipate increasing resources to our DVD operations and the technology used in its operations will not be meaningfully improved. To the extent that we experience service interruptions or other degradations in our DVD-bymail service, subscribers' satisfaction could be negatively impacted and we could experience an increase in DVD-by-mail subscriber cancellations, which could adversely impact our business. If U. S. Copyright law were altered to amend or eliminate the First Sale Doctrine, our business could be adversely affected. Under U. S. Copyright Law, once a DVD is sold into the market, those obtaining the DVD are permitted to re-sell it, rent it or otherwise dispose of it. This is commonly referred to as the First Sale Doctrine.While the vast majority of our DVD content acquisitions are direct from content providers, the First Sale Doctrine provides us with an option to acquire content from other third parties should the content providers refuse to deal with us on acceptable terms. If Congress or the courts were to change or substantially limit this First Sale Doctrine, our ability to obtain DVD content and then rent it could be adversely affected. Increased availability of new releases to other distribution channels prior to, or on parity with, the release on DVD, and/or the delayed availability of such DVDs through our service, could adversely affect our business. Ove r the past several years, we have seen content providers adjust and experiment with the various distribution channels and content release timing.Further, our licensing agreements with several studios require that we do not rent new release DVDs until some period of time after such DVDs are first made available for retail sale. These shifting distribution channels, their associated timing and/or the delayed availability of such DVDs through our service may negatively impact subscribers' perception of value in our service, which could adversely affect our business. Moreover, if we are unable to negotiate favorable terms to acquire DVDs, our contribution profits may be adversely affected. Any significant disruption in our computer systems or those of third-parties that we utilize in our operations could result in a loss or degradation of service and could adversely impact our business.Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our subscribers is dependent upon the reliable performance of our computer systems and those of third-parties that we utilize in our operations. Interruptions in these systems, or with the Internet in general, could make our service unavailable or degraded or otherwise hinder our ability to deliver streaming content or fulfill 8 Table of Contents DVD selections. From time to time, we experience service interruptions and have voluntarily provided affected subscribers with a credit during periods of extended outage. Service interruptions, errors in our software or the unavailability of computer systems used in our operations could diminish the overall attractiveness of our subscription service to existing and potential subscribers.Our servers and those of third parties we use in our operations are vulnerable to computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions and periodically experience directed attacks intended to lead to interruptions and delays in our service and operations as well as loss, misuse or theft of data. Any attempt by hackers to disrupt our service or otherwise access our systems, if successful, could harm our business, be expensive to remedy and damage our reputation. We have implemented certain systems and processes to thwart hackers and to date hackers have not had a material impact on our service or systems however this is no assurance that hackers may not be successful in the future. Our insurance does not cover expenses related to such disruptions or unauthorized access.Efforts to prevent hackers from disrupting our service or otherwise accessing our systems are expensive to implement and may limit the functionality of or otherwise negatively impact our service offering and systems. Any significant disruption to our service or access to our systems could result in a loss of subscribers and adversely affect our business and results of operation. We utilize our own communications and computer hardware systems located either in our facilities or in that of a third -party Web hosting provider. In addition, we utilize third-party Internet-based or â€Å"cloud† computing services in connection with our business operations. We also utilize our own and third-party content delivery networks to help us stream TV shows and movies in high volume to Netflix subscribers over the Internet.Problems faced by us or our third-party Web hosting, â€Å"cloud† computing, or content delivery network providers, including technological or business-related disruptions, could adversely impact the experience of our subscribers. In addition, fires, floods, earthquakes, power losses, telecommunications failures, break-ins and similar events could damage these systems and hardware or cause them to fail completely. As we do not maintain entirely redundant systems, a disrupting event could result in prolonged downtime of our operations and could adversely affect our business. We rely upon Amazon Web Services to operate certain aspects of our service and any disruption of or interference with our use of the Amazon Web Services operation would impact our operations and our business would be adversely impacted.Amazon Web Services (â€Å"AWS†) provides a distributed computing infrastructure platform for business operations, or what is commonly referred to as a â€Å"cloud† computing service. We have architected our software and computer systems so as to utilize data processing, storage capabilities and other services provided by AWS. Currently, we run the vast majority of our computing on AWS. Given this, along with the fact that we cannot easily switch our AWS operations to another cloud provider, any disruption of or interference with our use of AWS would impact our operations and our business would be adversely impacted. While the retail side of Amazon competes with us, we do not believe that Amazon will use the AWS operation in such a manner as to gain competitive advantage against our service.If we experience difficultie s with the operation and implementation of Open Connect, our single-purpose Netflix content delivery network (â€Å"CDN†), our business and results of operation could be adversely impacted In addition to general-purpose commercial CDNs, we have enabled Internet service providers (â€Å"ISPs†) to obtain our streaming content from Open Connect, a single-purpose Netflix content delivery network that we have established. Given our size and growth, we believe it makes economic sense to have our own specialized CDN. We will continue to work with our commercial CDN partners for the next few years, but eventually we expect the vast majority of our streaming bits will be served by Open Connect. Open Connect will provide the Netflix bits at no cost to the locations the ISP desires, or ISPs can choose to get the Netflix bits at common Internet exchanges.To the extent ISPs do not interconnect with Open Connect or if we experience difficulties in operating the Open Connect CDN serv ice, our ability to efficiently and effectively deliver our streaming content to our subscribers could be adversely impacted and our business and results of operation could be adversely affected. Failure to implement Open Connect could require us to engage third-party solutions to deliver our content to ISPs, which could increase our costs and negatively affect our operating results. If we are unable to effectively utilize our recommendation and merchandising technology or develop user interfaces that maintain or increase subscriber engagement with our service, our business may suffer. Our proprietary recommendation and merchandising technology enables us to predict and recommend titles and effectively merchandise our library to our subscribers.We also develop, test and implement various user interfaces across multiple devices, in an effort to maintain and increase subscriber engagement with our service. 9 Table of Contents We are continually refining our recommendation and merchand ising technology as well as our various user interfaces in an effort to improve the predictive accuracy of our TV show and movie recommendations and the usefulness of and engagement with our service by our subscribers. We may experience difficulties in implementing refinements or other, third party recommendation or merchandising technology or interfaces may become more popular with or useful to our subscribers.In addition, we cannot assure that we will be able to continue to make and implement meaningful refinements to our recommendation technology. If our recommendation and merchandising technology does not enable us to predict and recommend titles that our subscribers will enjoy or if we are unable to implement meaningful improvements thereto or otherwise improve our user interfaces, our service may be less useful to our subscribers. Such failures could lead to the following: †¢ †¢ our subscriber satisfaction may decrease, subscribers may perceive our service to be of l ower value and our ability to attract and retain subscribers may be adversely affected; and our ability to effectively merchandise and utilize our library will be adversely affected.We rely heavily on our proprietary technology to stream TV shows and movies and to manage other aspects of our operations, and the failure of this technology to operate effectively could adversely affect our business. We continually enhance or modify the technology used for our operations. We cannot be sure that any enhancements or other modifications we make to our operations will achieve the intended results or otherwise be of value to our subscribers. Future enhancements and modifications to our technology could consume considerable resources. If we are unable to maintain and enhance our technology to manage the streaming of TV shows and movies to our subscribers in a timely and efficient manner and/or the processing of DVDs among our shipping centers, our ability to retain existing subscribers and to add new subscribers may be impaired.In addition, if our technology or that of thirdparties we utilize in our operations fails or otherwise operates improperly, our ability to retain existing subscribers and to add new subscribers may be impaired. Also, any harm to our subscribers' personal computers or other devices caused by software used in our operations could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Changes in U. S. Postal rates or operations could adversely impact our operating results and subscriber satisfaction. We rely exclusively on the U. S. Postal Service to deliver DVDs from our shipping centers and to return DVDs to us from our subscribers.Increases in postage delivery rates could adversely affect our Domestic DVD segment's contribution profit. The U. S. Postal Service increased the rate for first class postage on January 23, 2013 to 46 cents. It is expected that the U. S. Postal Service will raise rates again in subsequent years, which would result in increased shipping costs. If the U. S. Postal Service were to change any policies relative to the requirements of firstclass mail, including changes in size, weight or machinability qualifications of our DVD envelopes, such changes could result in increased shipping costs or higher breakage for our DVDs, and our contribution margin could be adversely affected.For example, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recently instructed the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to remedy discrimination by the Postal Service in the processing of DVDs by mail, or to explain adequately why such discrimination is reasonable. While we do not anticipate any material impact to our operations arising from this case, if the PRC institutes a remedy that results in an increase in postage rates or changes the manner in which our DVD shipments are processed, our contribution margin could be adversely affected. If the U. S. Postal Service were to imple ment other changes to improve its financial position, such as closing mail processing facilities or service reductions, such changes could lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction and our results of operations could be adversely affected.If government regulations relating to the Internet or other areas of our business change, we may need to alter the manner in which we conduct our business, or incur greater operating expenses. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to the Internet or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. In addition, the growth and development of the market for online commerce may lead to more stringent consumer protection laws, which may impose additional burdens on us. If we are required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation, this compliance could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model.The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the Internet, including laws limiting Internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our subscription service and increase our cost of doing business. For example, in late 2010, the Federal Communications Commission adopted so-called net neutrality rules intended, in part, to prevent network operators from discriminating against legal traffic that transverse their networks. The rules are currently subject to legal challenge. To the extent that these rules are interpreted to enable network operators to engage in discriminatory practices or are overturned by legal challenge, our business could be adversely impacted.As we expand internationally, government regulation concerning the Internet, and in particular, network neutrality, may be nascent or nonexistent. Within 10 Table of Contents such a regulatory environment, coupled with potentially significant politi cal and economic power of local network operators, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business. Changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travel across their networks could adversely impact our business. We rely upon the ability of consumers to access our service through the Internet.To the extent that network operators implement usage based pricing, including meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our subscriber acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted. For example, in late 2010, Comcast informed Level 3 Communications that it would require Level 3 to pay for the ability to access Comcast's network. Given that much of the traffic being requested by Comcast customers is Netflix streaming content stored with Level 3, many commentators have looked to this situation as an example of Comcast either discriminating against Netflix traffic or trying to increase Netflix's operating costs.Furthermore, to the extent network operators were to create tiers of Internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from being available through these tiers, our business could be negatively impacted. Most network operators that provide consumers with access to the Internet also provide these consumers with multichannel video programming. As such, companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision have an incentive to use their network infrastructure in a manner adverse to our continued growth and success. For example, Comcast exempted certain of its own Internet video traffic (e. g. , Streampix videos to the Xbox 360) from a bandwidth cap that applies to all unaffiliated Internet video traffic (e. g. , Netflix videos to the Xbox 360).While we believe that consumer demand, regulat ory oversight and competition will help check these incentives, to the extent that network operators are able to provide preferential treatment to their data as opposed to ours or otherwise implement discriminatory network management practices, our business could be negatively impacted. In international markets, especially in Latin America, these same incentives apply however, the consumer demand, regulatory oversight and competition may not be as strong as in our domestic market. Privacy concerns could limit our ability to leverage our subscriber data and our disclosure of subscriber data could adversely impact our business and reputation. In the ordinary course of business and in particular in connection with merchandising our service to our subscribers, we collect and utilize data supplied by our subscribers. We currently face certain legal obligations regarding the manner in which we treat such information.Other businesses have been criticized by privacy groups and governmental bodies for attempts to link personal identities and other information to data collected on the Internet regarding users' browsing and other habits. Increased regulation of data utilization practices, including self-regulation or findings under existing laws, that limit our ability to use collected data, could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, if we were to disclose data about our subscribers in a manner that was objectionable to them, our business reputation could be adversely affected, and we could face potential legal claims that could impact our operating results.As our business evolves and as we expand internationally, we may become subject to additional and/or more stringent legal obligations concerning our treatment of customer information. Failure to comply with these obligations could subject us to liability, and to the extent that we need to alter our business model or practices to adapt to these obligations, we could incur additional expenses. Our reputa tion and relationships with subscribers would be harmed if our subscriber data, particularly billing data, were to be accessed by unauthorized persons. We maintain personal data regarding our subscribers, including names and, in many cases, mailing addresses. With respect to billing data, such as

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Armani Markting Plan Essay

Product:The original Armani Couture product line is the most well respected, developed and successful. Over the next three years this line should release all ties to the other products and become a stand alone business to differentiate itself and reestablish itself as the face of Giorgio Armani retaining its exclusivity and Brand distinction. This is the signature line or Armani and should remain under his management and direction. The other products Emporio, Collezioni, Armani Jean, A/X, Armani Jr. hould all be franchised to retain the Brand image yet capitalize on explosive growth potential. †¢ Promothion:ARMANI:Since  the  brand  was  founded  . almost  all  of  the  actress  have  had  close  contact  with  it  in  some  Large  awards  banquet,  Ã‚  ,such  as  in  the  Academy  Awards,  Cannes  Film  Festival,  you  can  see  the  well-designed  Armani  suit  dress. In  2005,  the  brand’s   new  Privecollection  suit  series,  priced  from  200,000  to  700,000  Yuan. Its  flagship  brand  Qiaozhi  Ou  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Armani  has  been  widely  praised  by  the  successful  people. †¢ Place:The private holdings of Giorgio Armani span over 35 countries. They include 16 Armani casa home furnishing stores. 13 Armani Junior stores offering clothing for early to late teens and the twenty something crowd. 11 Collezioni, 120 Emporio, 94 A/X Retail outlets and 60 Giorgio Armani Boutiques for Couture offerings †¢ Price:Positioning in high-grade, aim at wealthy . Armani as high-end luxury brands, the main target consumption group is the high-income class, successful man, a famous film star, senior white-collar workers, etc. ), the main products are men’s clothing brand.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Should all pupils have the same opportunities or do some merit or Essay

Should all pupils have the same opportunities or do some merit or deserve different opportunities - Essay Example This is in line with the notion that being satisfied fairly leads to satisfaction of the basic need. Aristotle in his Politics (1280a) argues that true justice is treating equals equally and unequal’s unequally with regard to the notable and relevant difference between these groups. What these means essentially is that if there is no exact difference between two persons, the two should be treated similarly. Concerning pupils and opportunities, there are many people who, in line with Aristotle’s statement observe that only the same pupils who harbor the same interests should be given admission in particular schools. On the other hand, other people suggest that schools should be open to all pupils regardless of their interests or abilities. Presently, many governments around the word are forming education policies that are geared towards comprehensive education. However, many more are establishing schools that admit only students with the same interests. In my view, there are two faces in all things and therefore, educators have to consider the specific needs of a child in educator. This paper presents an argument on why pupils deserve different opportunities and why equal pupils should be treated equally while unequal ones are treated unequally. My argument in this discussion are in line with Aristotles statement â€Å"true justice is treating equals equally, and unequals unequally with regard to the notable and relevant difference between them†. This means that giving children the same opportunities will be unjust course since they have different capabilities, interests and objectives. On the other hand, it would be considered justice to give these learners opportunities and chances that suit their interests, objectives, capabilities, and goals. Educators and guardians must understand that maintaining high expectations for the learning of children needs them to understand these children well, and focus upon

Friday, September 27, 2019

DETECTION OF ANTIVIRAL ANTIBODIES IN SERUM USING AN ELISA TECHNIQUE Essay

DETECTION OF ANTIVIRAL ANTIBODIES IN SERUM USING AN ELISA TECHNIQUE - Essay Example These immunoglobulins are of five types and they are different based on size, charge, amino acid composition and carbohydrate content. the class and the type of immunoglobulin molecule is determined by the heavy chain type. There are two light chains and two heavy chains. There are C and N- terminal in the heavy chains. (Crowther 1995). The N-terminals of the IgG constitute the antigen -binding site. Individuals can become resistant to many infectious diseases by active or passive immunization. The beneficial effects of the immunization are mediated by the antibodies and the effect of immunization is mediated by the immunoassays. (Crowther 2001). The measurement of the antigen and antibody by using sensitive assays are the useful indicators of the immune status. When an infectious agent enters the human body, the component is identified as the foreign particle and antibodies are produced against them. These antibodies interact with the antigens and reduce the load. (Edwards 1999). Th e immunoassay method identifies the antigens, antigen - particles present in the blood and provide the results. Each antibody is specific for an antigen. ELISA is basically of two types: competitive and non-competitive ELISA. ELISA involves two site recognition with two different antibodies (i.e.) an indirect estimation. Competitive ELISA is different from the sandwich ELISA and indirect ELISA. In the first step the unlabelled antibody is incubated on the presence of the antigen. This antigen-antibody bounded is added to the antigen- coated well. The plate is washed and the second antibody specific to the primary antibody is added and the second antibody is coupled to the enzyme. When the substrate is added, the signal is emitted by the remaining enzyme. In this ELISA, if the antigen concentration is very high, then the signal will be very weak. This method is mainly used to test the impure and crude samples. This method is very useful for the detection of HIV. For HIV diagnosis, th e patient's sample and the enzyme-labeled antibody (conjugate) is added simultaneously to the solid phase. HIV antibodies, if present in the sample will bind to the conjugate antibody and reduce the signal. Thus if the color reaction is produced, then it indicates that there are no HIV antibodies in the given sample. Applications of ELISA include screening of the donated blood for viral contaminations( HIV types, Hepatitis B and C, HTLV-1 and 2), measuring the hormone levels( pregnancy(HCG), ovulation( LH), thyroid function ( TSH, T3 and T4), anabolic steroids, hormones), detecting infections( HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gondii), detecting allergens in foods and toxins in foods, measuring the concentration of the antibodies and detecting illicit drugs ( cocaine, opiates, marijuana, etc.), measuring auto antibodies in autoimmune diseases and measuring rheumatoid factors . (Sheehan 1997). (Wreghitt and Morgan-Capner 1990). Principle When an antibody is linked to the enzyme and allowed t o react with the immobilized antigen, antigen-antibody reaction occurs. This is identified by the production of colour by the substrate enzyme reaction. The antigen is immobilised in either a microtiter plate or on nitrocellulose membrane. An enzyme labelled antibody is added in excess to the system and these binds to the immobilised antigen. Excess antibody is removed by washing and the substrate specific for the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Growing Importance of India For Investors (ie, India is the next Essay

Growing Importance of India For Investors (ie, India is the next China) - Essay Example The economic reforms introduced in early 1990s have boosted the economy’s growth. Tariff barriers were brought down. Foreign players could enter and thus the private firms had to compete with the best. Exports rose up. Indian firms are rapidly becoming global like Bharti Airtel has entered African market. Unlike China, India’s growth cannot be attributed to just the public sector. There are about 45m entrepreneurs in India. India’s informal sector is also doing well. Indian businesses majorly cater to the need of their domestic consumers and also export various services. Indian firms successfully satisfy the needs of money conscious customers in India who love low priced goods. Tata Filters for example manufactures a water filter that can provide safe drinking water at a meager charge of rupees 30 a month. Indian firms are coming up with new products as well as new business models. HCL technologies improve the IT system of their clients on the condition that they will charge only if their clients gain. Moon B. Shin of LG electronics sees immense opportunity in the Indian market. They are manufacturing low priced goods and goods suited to the liking of Indians. The infrastructure in India is poor. Roads are bad and traffic conditions do not depict a rosy picture either. Power shortage is another problem. McKinsey predicts that Indian growth will be five fold in the next 20 years. India will have to spend $1.2trillion on infrastructure in future. India lacks in skilled workforce. There are only 16 Indian Institute of technology in India. Universities do not impart useful knowledge and companies have to spend a lot for their training. India’s adult literacy rate is 66% compared to 99% of China. Corruption exists everywhere. Instability in the form of Naxalite movement is affecting mining and logging firms. Populism whereby politicians discourage businesses for their own interests is a major obstruction to growth. The government is making

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Summary Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Summary - Article Example Education of staff is one strategy that is solving this problem. It involves tabling the divergence between many cultures, and asking employees to accommodate each other and accept the unlike opinions (Chinitz 97). Having a successful kick-off can also help solve cultural differences. When the employees openly and willingly disclose about their values and behaviors, the other can understand and learn to receive them the way they are. A successful kick-off will also involve of laying down a standard working protocol that should be followed by each member. This acts as a control over individual acts and keeps everyone in line. For instance, there should be an agreed way of harmonizing cultural divide when it comes to decision making process (Chinitz 123). Cultural training can also add to eradicating cultural divide. Learning about dissimilar norms, values and assumptions of other cultures can help understand them better and create a good working environment (Chinitz 259). Off-shore English should also be used as an international language of trade because it can be easily understood by all

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Professionalism vs Commercialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professionalism vs Commercialism - Essay Example Accordingly, the following analysis will seek to define some of the key ways in which commercialism affects professionalism, and the way in which growing levels of commercialism are affecting professions in general. It is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help to bring and more complete understanding with regards to the dynamics that currently shape the world in which we live. With regards to the way in which growing levels of commercialism currently affect professionalism, one does not need to look very hard to see the way in which they growing emphasis upon profits and profitability is defining the business world. As compared to but a few decades past, the level to which business indices are focusing upon overall profitability and the bottom line has greatly reduced the level of professionalism that can be exhibited on the personal level. This is of course due to the fact that greater and greater degrees of freedom with regards to how a given profession is performed are being removed in the face of increasing regulatory oversight and the means by which standardization is pushed above all else. Ultimately, the perennial back-and-forth that is realized between all individuals and seek to display a level of professionalism within their work is called into question with regards to the incessant drive to maximize profitability. Furthermore, due to the fact that more and more firms/entities are operating at the very margins, the overall level that professionalism within a given work spirit is stressed is necessarily reduced. In such a way, the ultimate mantra becomes a maximization of profit. Within such a dynamic, the means by which professionalism can be fostered from within the firm is necessarily reduced. This of course has a compound affect not only on the means by which work is accomplished but also with regards to how the individual worker views the importance of professionalism. Whereas before professionalism was encouraged both fro m the personal standpoint as well is a systemic standpoint, the current dynamic sees a situation in which more and more often the individual alone is the only one seeking to promote professionalism in the place of commercialism. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that many firms and entities do not realize that fostering greater professionalism within their respective employees would necessarily have a compound affect not only of producing a better quality of product/services but would also have the ancillary affect of increasing profitability and serving mankind to a greater degree. However, like so many choices within the business world, the short-term gains are championed over long-term eventualities. In this way, professionalism is cheated out of its do merit as a means of maximizing the short-term benefits that commercialization and profit generation can necessarily entail. As a means of looking forward, it must be understood by the reader that a far better approach would be to realize that although commercialization holds the potential to generate profits, so too does fostering a greater and higher appreciation for professionalism within whatever business entity/firm is in question (Day 166). As with so many of the solid business choices that exists within theory and application, recent history as evidenced the fact that as a means of hoping to generate impressive numbers and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Hank williams Sr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hank williams Sr - Essay Example He befriended music from the very start and the guitar given to him by his mother when he was eight years old, became his lifeline. Williams' childhood friend Rufus Payne (aka Tee Tot) taught him how to play the guitar and sing the blues. Hank Williams' home (now Hank Williams' Boyhood Home & Museum), surroundings and the initial hard family times influenced the style of his songs. Willing to take music as a career, Williams began performing around the Georgiana and Greenville areas of Alabama in his early teens. Forming a local band in Montgomery called the Drifting Cowboys, they became quite popular and the local radio station played their music regularly. Singing songs of the famous artists and his idol, Roy Acuff, the radio station dubbed him the Singing Kid. Lillie became the temporary manager for Williams and collected gate money, contracted and negotiated for gigs. Looking at the face of stardom, Williams contracted with alcoholism and turned intoxicated for his radio shows and eventually got fired due to his "habitual drunkenness". Audrey Mae Sheppard became Williams' manager and short time later in 1943, his wife. Although at the time Williams was a local hero, but he couldn't make it to big names yet. To get further in the limelight, the couple toured Nashville to meet with a songwriter/music publisher Fred Rose who was one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing. Rose instantaneously liked Williams' songs and recorded two sessions for Sterling Records. This resulted in two singles, both hits. Seeing the success and potential in him, MGM Records signed a contract with him in early in 1947 and Rose became the Williams' manager and record producer. His first single with MGM, 'Move It On Over,' was instant hit and rose to the country Top Five charts. Songs released in 1948 like 'Honky Tonkin' and 'I'm a Long Gone Daddy' peaked in the charts too. Another huge success came in early in 1949 with 'Lovesick Blues,' which remained at number one for 16 weeks and crossing over into the pop Top 25. This song was performed at Grand Ole Opry and received a record six encores from the crowds. During this time, Williams and Audrey had their first child, Randall Hank in 1949. Soon afterwards, Williams gathered the guitarist Bob McNett, bassist Hillous Butrum, fiddler Jerry Rivers, and steel guitarist Don Helms to perform the most acclaimed versions of Drifting Cowboys. He and his band were earning handsomely and most of their shoes were sold out. In the early 1950s Williams made at least seven hits and most of them made it to the Top Five Charts. During these years, a different side of Hank Williams came to be known. He started to record some religious and spiritual records under the name of Luke the Drifter. The change of name was due to the fact that he thought that the dick jockeys and jukebox operators would not play his non-traditional songs and there spiritual songs would hurt his reputation as a country musician. Although the name was chosen to hide his identity, he couldn't cloak his voice. The next year Williams came back with more of the hits to please his fans. H e started taking parts in television shows and package tours to market him further. The music was going great with most songs of 1951 entering the top

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Power and Empowerment in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power and Empowerment in Nursing - Essay Example This article discusses the use of poststructuralism to explore power and empowerment in nursing drawing on the three theoretical approaches namely critical social theory, organizational theory, and social psychological theory. I used the disciplinary power of hierarchical observation to reflect upon my experiences so as to better self-manage my routine and behavior in nursing. I used the power of normalizing judgment to improve my academic and career growth profile. I established goals for myself and strived to achieve them, thus getting ahead in my career. I used the examination form of disciplinary power to document my achievements and failures as I studied Nursing. This not only helped me keep a gaze at my performance, but also gauge how far I was from my goals. A type of popular knowledge that can facilitate empowerment in nursing is the inclusion of nurses in decision-making. Nurses need to realize the power of their role in healthcare. Many nurses disqualify their knowledge obsessed with the impression that they are inferior to the doctors. Being the closest to the patient in caregiving, nurses are valuable resources that should be consulted for making important decisions regarding operations and patients’ health in

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Cold War Case Essay Example for Free

Cold War Case Essay The Cold War was a contest between the USA and the Soviet Union. It led to the existence of thousands of nuclear weapons, two universal ideologies in conflict, and two different self-images, the United States championing a world made safe for democracy. Its opponent, the Soviet Union advocated world Communism. The United States prides itself on its heritage of freedom, a refuge for persecuted religious groups, a land of liberty that successfully rebelled against the imperial power of Britain in 1776. Its guiding principles were the protection of the individual’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and the establishment of a constitution that embodied the best political idea of modern times, a system of checks and balances so that the president, Congress or parliament and judiciary or Supreme Court shared power, checking each other’s work to guard against dictatorship. While the United States did not always live up to its ideals, nonetheless, on paper at least, it looked good compared to its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. Led by a murderous dictator, Joseph Stalin (1928 to 1953), the Soviet government was brutal, outlawing all opposition, banned political parties opposed to the Communist Party, murdered millions and set up a vast prison camp system known as the Gulag. In the years 1937-38 alone, Stalin ordered the execution of one million citizens of the Soviet Union. In the fifty years of the Cold War, the United States only executed two of its own citizens, the husband and wife Rosenberg spy team. Even though the Rosenbergs should not have been executed because their crimes were tiny in the context of the Civil War, the difference between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of political mass murder of its own citizens is obvious. Despite this fact, one third of the world went the Communist way and other countries were tempted by the promises of Communism. How could this be? In theory, Communism promised a more equal world and at its greatest extent in the 1970s, Communist governments ruled one third of the world’s people. These were mostly poor countries looking for a quick way to industrialise. These countries looked upon the United States as a champion of the rich and powerful, an exploitative superpower that exported its economic system of capitalism only because it suited its interests to do so. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States strides the world as the sole superpower. The United States maintains its grip on this unipolar world without having to make too much effort. The United States spends only about 5-6% of its economy (its gross national product) on defense. The Soviet Union spent somewhere between 20% and 33% of its economy to try to keep up with the United States during the Cold War. It couldn’t keep up the pace. The position of the United States has declined only slightly in the twentieth century. In 1928, its economy was four times the size of its nearest rival (France) and in 1950 its economy was three times the size of its nearest rival (the Soviet Union). It is not just a question of economic or military power. American films and popular music dominated the mass culture of the world from World War One to the present day. In 1994, the biggest-selling film in Austria, France, Germany, Argentina and Mexico was the The Lion King, an American cartoon. The Flinstones was the best-selling film in Poland and Turkey. Forrest Gump won Finland and Norway. It is important to remember that power is projected and wars can be won not just by military and economic means but also by winning what is now an international culture war. A reluctant empire? The United States expanded its frontier in North America throughout the eighteenth century and after victory over Spain in 1898 became a maritime power whose empire stretched as far west as the Philippines. Ever since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, the United States has pledged itself to prevent the European powers from intervening in the western hemisphere, specifically Latin America. Following its victory over Spain in 1898, the Untied States arrived as a world power. For many Native Americans and African-American slaves, some of the rhetoric of freedom did not ring true. But America’s promise of freedom and opportunity attracted migrants from all over the world. They arrived in New York at the rate of a million a year in the early 1900s. As a result of Europe’s self-destruction in World War One (1914-18), the United States became the dominant economic and political power in the world. It would later describe itself as a reluctant empire, a democratic state whose aim was to spread its ideals over the world but not to control in the way that European empires had done in the past. But what would it do with this power? Britain and France, weakened by the loss of Russia through revolution, were able to overcome Germany only with America’s help. Wilson believed that the values of the United States were in fact universal values of peace and democracy. In 1918 Woodrow Wilson, the American president published his Fourteen Points which called for a democratic peace based on the rights of self determination of all nations and the setting up of an international body, the League of Nations, to solve conflicts. But the world was changing. In Russia in 1917 Lenin and his Communist Party had come to power. Even worse for Wilson, his ideas were rejected in his own country, the United States. Wilson was pleased that the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War One established a League of Nations, but then found that the United States would not join. The League of Nations was rejected by the Senate, the upper house of the US Congress. Instead the Untied States tried to secure its future through the Washington Conference of 1921-22 which agreed that the US Navy should be of equal strength to the largest navy in the world, the British. In the 1920s and 30s, American foreign policy was dominated by isolationism, a refusal to intervene in Europe even when fasicsts, nazis and communists were on the march against American-style democracy in Europe. Those who support American power in the world today still worry that if the rest of the world criticises the United States too much it will retreat into its shell again and leave Europe and Australia at the mercy of a new (presumably Asian) religious fascim. Despite or because of its spectacular economic growth, American capitalism hit a major snag in the Great Depression that began in 1929 and economic problems increased the mood of isolationism in the US public, that is a mood of cutting the United States off from the world’s troubles. The president to take the US out of the Depression was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who introduced his New Deal. It was Roosevelt who would take the USA into the Second World War but only after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941, putting an end to the argument for isolation. The USA suffered more than three hundred thousand deaths in World War Two, mostly soldiers. But as in World War One this was a relatively small price to pay for what was a huge victory. The Soviet Union now under Joseph Stalin lost 27-30 million people, the majority of which were civilians. At the end of world War Two, the United States had a new and powerful weapon, the atomic bomb that it had to used to force japan to surrender in 1945. Under president Truman from 1945-52, the United States staked out a new role as the world’s policeman whose task it was to protect the democratic and free ‘West’ from the tyranny of Stalin’s Communism in the Soviet Union. The United States would win the Cold War, in large part because of its continuing economic success. On the eve of its collapse in 1990, the GNP of the Soviet Union was approximately one third of that of the USA, even though the United States and the Soviet Union had almost identical population sizes. The secret to America’s success? Unlike the Soviet Union, which experimented with a new and untried economic model of a state-rune economy, the Untied States had a proven economic model of capitalism. It had its faults such as inequality and crises of unemployment but encouraged innovation and efficiency in a way that the Soviet system did not.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Brazilian Immigration To United States History Essay

Brazilian Immigration To United States History Essay It is estimated that eleven to fifteen million fresh immigrants arrived in the U.S. between the year 1990 and 2000 and were integrated into to the U.S. workforce. This when compared with any time in history, is a high level of immigration, more than the previous Great Wave. In the previous ten years, people born outside the US comprised 41.4% of the growth in U.S. inhabitants. More than 50 percent of the growth in the countrys civilian workforce can be pointed to new overseas immigrants. New overseas immigrants are younger, less learned, more probable working in the private sector as wage and salary workers, and over-represented in many industrial sectors, than the indigenous labor force.10. According to Brazilian government numbers, there are more than 1.5 million Brazilians living out of the country. America is the main point of entry: about, 700,000 Brazilians lived in the U.S in 1997. The highest concentration was New York followed by Massachusetts and Florida respectively (Heloi sa 10). In the past there were many immigrants in Brazil, they came from all over the world. For instance, in the 1960s, there was a surge of immigrants to Brazil. However things have now changed and it is the Brazilians immigrating to Europe, the US and Asia. Statistics show that at least a million Brazilians have immigrated to other countries in the past decade; this is due to the economic problems Brazil is facing and people are in pursuit of a good life. Another reason for Brazilians immigration is the 1964 coup dà ©tat of, thousands of people opposed to the military regime at the time were forced into exile for fear of persecution. In 1979 the Brazilian government offered amnesty to the political exiles. Majority of these exiles came back to Brazil after the amnesty, but the figures of economic emigrants increased in the 1980s; especially true after the oil crisis and the military governments financial mismanagement in 1979.   By 1987 about 250,000 Brazilians were outside the country . Ever since, emigration has gone up at a rate of 20% annually. In early 1969 the Banco do Brasil opened a branch in New York City.   Later that year the Brazilian-American chamber of Commerce was started to support investment and trade between the US and Brazil (Davis p. 10). There have been no official statistics about Brazilian emigrants since 1991. What is known is that   there were 436,177 passports issued by the Federal Police in 1993(the figures have since then gone higher). There are no statistics to show how many Brazilians have emigrated but a majority of Brazilians in the US were born in Brazil. Evidence from Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute (IBGE) shows that over a million Brazilians between the ages of 20 to 44 from the 1991 census were missing The statistical absence of this age bracket was explained logically by Brazilian emigration (Alejandro p. 14). Brazilians in the East Coast: The Unseen Minority that Everybody Sees Possibly, nearly half of the Brazilians living outside Brazil reside in the United States. The biggest Brazilian community is found on the East Coast. New York is estimated to have almost 70,000 to 160,000 Brazilian emigrants. A further 140,000 are thought to live in Boston, 70,000 in Florida), 30,000 in California, 40,000 in Houston, Texas, and another 15,000 in Washington, DC. According to the Center for Immigration Studies in New York, more than half of the Brazilians who moved to the US already have friends or a member of family in the U.S. with whom they live with after they land in U.S. Nearly a quarter of the immigrants do not plan on going back to Brazil. An American anthropologist by the name Maxine Margolis, took three years analyzing the Brazilian neighborhood in New York examining more than 30 Brazilian immigrants better known by the tag Brazucas. She circulated her work as the book  Little Brazil  (1994).   She established that majority of the Brazilians she examined were feeling shame to be immigrants with almost 80% answering that they were not immigrants, but only passing through.   Margolis found out that most of the Brazilians in the US are from middle-class households and that the Immigrants shield themselves from dissatisfaction by believing that theyre doing these jobs only for a year or two, that its a short-term situation. In spite of what people think, most Brazilian migrants arrive in US with money and links to live for a short while before getting employed, Gino Agostinelli, of the Center for Immigration Studies, has informed the Sao Paulo newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. They dont seem to be desperate individuals, but persons with substantial amounts of money who want to explore a different way of living. Almost 60% of Brazilian citizens, who move to the US ordinarily find employment within three weeks on landing on US soil. Initially, majority of them search for employment in the same line of work in which they were employed in Brazil mainly because this is one of the straightforward ways of obtaining a green card, the lasting resident visa for foreigners living in the US. On the other hand, nearly 75% of Brazilians residing in the US are illegitimate immigrants.   (With such a number of illegal immigrants in the US, I can presume that the state unofficially needs the immigrants, legal or illegal. I have a few of my friends who are illegal Brazilian Immigrants, in the course of my research I talked with a few of them to get more insight on the issue of Brazil  Immigrants in the US. I asked one of them if he would like to have any knowledge or information on the immigration service and he said it was of no importance to him, because they (the illegal immigrants) dont really have t o be troubled about the immigration service.   He further told me that there is always a way to escape the immigration rules.   Another one of the illegal immigrants that I interviewed told me that he was once caught and thrown out of US and he had just come back but this time he had changed his name and come through Mexico which borders the US or and even others even use some other way to get back which he did not disclose to me. A very high percent of illegal immigrants do some odd menial jobs and earn the minimum wage of between $1000 and $2000 a month. This means that a majority of the Brazilians in the US fall in that bracket. In fact only about 4% of Brazilians living in New York earn more than that; about $3000 a month. Most of the Brazilians do the same menial jobs they did while they were in Brazil. It is in fact very sad to note that even the immigrants that have had a descent college education still work as housekeepers, maids, nannies and cooks. This is especially very common for Brazilian women immigrants. As for men only about 4% even have an elementary education and therefore most of them work as laborers or as construction workers among other menial jobs (Research Division for the Office of New Bostonians). The Brazilian community in New York has a great number of men working as shoe shiners and women working as go-go dancers. Brazilians are in fact stereotyped in this two professions and therefore out of the immigrants consider such jobs shameful. Another thing that bothers the Brazilians immigrants is that they cannot make a mark in their adopted countries as most of them work for long hours. As a result most of them are grouped as Hispanics by the Americans. An interesting trend of Brazilian immigrants in Massachusetts is that a survey by Martes of 300 Brazilians in 1996 showed that there was an increase of families immigrated as opposed to single males in the past. About 48% of the immigrants were married and 52% came along with all their children to Massachusetts. Of all the participants of the survey twelve percent had college education, thirty one percent had a high school diploma, 12% had some college, and 16% had no college education. The reasons for migration were same as those of other immigrants tht is, continuous economic crisis as well as with violence in town areas in the early and mid-nineties to also propel the upper-middle class families to leave Brazil and open businesses. I had previously talked to an immigrant who told me that he moved to the US because of disappointment at work in Brazil. He said that he had a high skilled job but the business collapsed and his wages decreased to very low levels. Others said that they came to the US to make more money, save it and buy property in Brazil. Different Brazilians had different reasons but I thought that Kaka summarized it all I came here thinking that life was easy and I would make more money and hoping to go back to Brazil and never want to be employed. In other word they all came to chase the American dream and get back to their country and only to realize that that was just an illusion. There was a sharp contrast of the population of the Brazilians in the US from two census conducted. The most logical explanation was that neither the 2000 nor 1990 census mentioned Brazil as a country of choice and therefore most of them chose to identify themselves as Hispanics or white for fear of deportation after filling the Census forms. Another school of thought was that most of them lived in overcrowded houses and therefore lied about the sizes of their families in order to avoid prosecution. Lastly, Brazilians do not like to be classified as Hispanics unless they understand the classification process of race and ethnicity (Davis p.12). While the reasons for this census disparity may be arguable, the mystery is still there. What is the number of Brazilians living in America? Brazilians continue to flock US and most of them are undocumented. The fear of deportation is widespread among immigrant communities and therefore stops them from participating in survey research by the government or any other entity. There are many Brazilians in Massachusetts and the reason for them to go there is varied. Interviews conducted in Lowell show that most of them get there as a result of family ties, friends. These contacts with others in Brazil make them choose Massachusetts as a city to settle. Some interviewees offered an explanation that they get a place to stay before they move on to other places but end up settling there. Also, some Brazilians live in Massachusetts because they believe that the state provides ample public services, such as health insurance and public schools to immigrants. Racial and Ethnic Identity of Brazilian Immigrants Salgado (2) observed that Significant as it is to comprehend how U.S racial and ethnic pecking order, family members, and principles have an effect on migrants, rearrangement of racial and ethnic uniqueness in the United States must be connected with the racial and cultural occurrences immigrants came across in their countries of birth. Based on my study and discussions with a good number of Brazilian immigrants in Massachusetts, their perception tends to change depending on the life they are exposed to. The replacement of nationality over race is constantly present in Brazilian immigrants narratives of self description. This preference to define oneself nationally rather than ethnically is entrenched in major beliefs. First, the majority of immigrants, mainly those who dont have a full racial or ethnic awareness, are more likely to confuse these three terms. Second, race interactions in Brazil have habitually been ignored specifically because racial matter were presumably determined by a genial joining during colonization and afterwards highlighted by the following belief of racial democracy. Concluding thoughts A future evaluation of the Brazilian Immigrant Community Forecasting what will occur to the Brazilian Immigrant Community in the days to come is a complex and extremely doubtful process. Nevertheless, there are basically two critical issues that will form this immigrant population progress for generations to come. Firstly, Brazilian immigrants, like majority of other immigrant units, come to US with willpower to be successful. With that appear fresh new thoughts that can lead to an industrial drive. Specifically, many Brazilians migrate when they are young, with the clear mission of working, regularly with a fairly high level of education. Occasionally the migrant can converse in English. In addition, Furthermore, currently, Brazilians often feel relatively calm and relaxed in the region, observing that they frequently are seen in better terms by Americans compared to other immigrant groups (Maxine p. 5). Secondly, the Brazilian immigrant community may underrate the obstacles that they may encounter in the years to come. Immigration rank, usually thought to be the primary obstacle that Brazilian immigrants encounter, is only one of many stumbling blocks that Brazilians will have to meet. In fact, even US Census data shows that Brazilians in Boston MA, have not only a depleted percentage of the inhabitants with a middleclass standard of living when put side to side with the native and foreign born residents, but they also have a slightly higher percentage of the inhabitants lacking a high school diploma.