Drugs and Alcohol in American Popular Culture Essay

Drugs and Alcohol in American Popular Culture - Essay Example As for the authors’ credentials, Dr. Primack is a faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania. He is also a faculty of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and therefore he has an authority regarding adolescent behavior in the context of medical science, for adolescent behavior is the main subject of this particular study. Moreover, he is also a recipient of the Physician Faculty Scholar Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The other author, Dr. Douglas is another faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Dr. Kraemer is a third faculty member of the same medical school. Dr. Douglas and Dr. Kraemer are affiliated with the Center for Research on Health Care of the same educational institution, and so it implies that they already have considerable background on how to conduct research on health care. The authors, being experts in their fields, with their medical degrees, with Primack’s expertise with adole scent medicine, and with Douglas’ and Kraemer’s experience with research on health care, make up a team of researchers that possess full credibility. The study is published by the National Institutes of Health, particularly PubMed Central and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This is a reputable institution when it comes to research on health. This source is barely 3 years old and is certainly not that old for it to be considered unreliable or obsolete. The thesis advanced by the authors based on the results of the study is that there is an â€Å"independent association between exposure to cannabis in popular music and early cannabis use among urban American adolescents†. ... authors based on the results of the study is that there is an â€Å"independent association between exposure to cannabis in popular music and early cannabis use among urban American adolescents† (Primack et al.). The objectivity of the presentation and analysis of data lies in three facts. First, the sample size of 1198 American and African-American students is large enough to become representative of the group of adolescents exposed to popular music with cannabis content. Secondly, the researchers used statistical analytical tools like multivariable regression, bivariate analysis, and additional analysis in the form of finding out whether there was a correlation between cannabis use and alcohol, but of which the researchers have not found any significant relationship. Thirdly, the study is objective and credible because the methods used in the study had been preapproved by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board prior to the execution of the study (Primack et al.). If the procedure had not been approved by the board, it would not have been published by the NIH and it would not have been considered credible and objective. On the support to its claims, On the subject of comprehensiveness, the study was actually able to find the differences when it comes to various variables vis-a-vis the degree of correlation between exposure to popular music and cannabis use among the respondents: â€Å"Current use of cannabis was associated with higher exposure to cannabis in music, having a favorite artist with a higher number of songs with cannabis references, older age, lower grades, less demanding parenting, less supportive parenting, higher sensation seeking, and higher rebelliousness [while] ever use of cannabis was associated with higher exposure to cannabis in

Introduction to International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Introduction to International Business - Essay Example This can include money or people, and most often refers to a nation offering this investment to a private or publicly held corporation that is owned by people in foreign countries, who are doing the investing (â€Å"Foreign Direct Investment,† 2011). For example, the United States may have some people who are sent to Icecreamists, an ice cream parlor in the city of London that has made headlines for serving a new flavor called the â€Å"Lady Gaga,† which is made with human breast milk (Casciato, 2011) not only to help the budding entrepreneur who owns the establishment, but also to bring new ideas home. When dealing with foreign direct investments, it is paramount that those who deal in them understand that for each nation there are precise regulations that need to be followed in order to operate there. The purpose of foreign investment regulations is to protect industries when trying to catch up to more advanced nations. In some cases, it is to prevent other nations fr om being able to get a hold of the technology, methods, and management practices that make one nation better than all others. This is why some countries allow certain industries to receive a high level of foreign direct investment, and others to receive little. A nation like Ireland, for example, is very open to foreign direct investments while Finland operates in much the opposite fashion (Chang, 2003). Foreign investment regulations vary by country. In the United States, businesses are welcoming to member who participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO) to those who prefer more secrecy. Part of the reason for this is because the United States values the world of ideas and tends to shun isolationist sentiment, which is when a nation does not want to have anything to do with any other country. The idea that one country keeps to itself while others fend for themselves does not often work because while one nation is operating to the best of its ability, the world of nations are o perating to the best of all of their collective talents. For this reason nations who have tried to live in a bubble in the past have ended up paying a price for it later. Foreign investment regulations start with the premise that a firm must be abreast of global trends in their industry. For example, if a textile company wanted to know whether or not a foreign competitor was going to expand into its market, it could try to find out from third party sources, or it could go straight to the source. After all, if a firm from Japan, China, Brazil, or any country wanted to operate in the United States, it would be very interested to get an inside look at a factory (as well as its management and other staff) to see how to be successful, possibly allowing it to capitalize on shortcomings within the operations. Doing so will also allow for a company to see how globalization affects domestic clients, meaning that when a firm travels home, the local company will want to follow their expansion, which could allow for a partnership to form in work that is either performed in the United States or other countries (Chang, 26-30). All of this is related to concerns that management will have in screening potential markets for expansion. Two of the most important concerns are the assessment of internal resources and how competitive a firm can be in the new market. For example, it would not matter that Ford Motor Company has the cash to expand into India and sell sport utility vehicles if the locals would be