Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Essay Example Just because a person carries out ritualistic actions or worries once in a while does not necessarily mean that he/she suffers from OCD. It is important to remember that a behavior is considered a disorder only when it starts to interfere with one's daily life - consuming every aspect of it and impairing a person's ability to perform regular functions (e.g., working, establishing good interpersonal relationships). A mother who double checks her child's safety belt more than once before starting her car does not automatically suffer from OCD just because a behavior was repeated. In contrast, an OCD patient may spend between hours to even an entire day worrying about something and/or thinking of ways to prevent bad things from occurring. Although OCD patients are aware that their lives are being disrupted, they have difficulty controlling these disruptive thoughts and behaviors ("Obsessive Compulsive Disorder", 2005). They know that these thoughts and actions are not normal but they cannot stop them. This is what differentiates these types of repetitive thoughts and actions from regular rituals that people perform to ensure order, cleanliness, and safety (e.g., checking for locked doors, arranging files alphabetically for easier access). There is a desire from the person to rid himself of these thoughts and behaviors, but this desire is overruled by his obsessions and compulsions. According t According to the American Psychiatric Association's Fact Sheet on OCD (2005), some symptoms may include but are not limited to the following: cleaning, such as repetitive bathing or inability to hold door knobs; arranging and organizing, wanting everything in a particular order all the time; mental compulsions, such as silently saying phrases or prayers to self; hoarding and collecting various items such as magazines and newspapers, forming piles; and repeated checking, possibly retracing driving routes. Foa and Steketee (as cited in Hilgard, 1953) discovered that the most common compulsions among the list are washing and checking. Almost always, these actions are carried out because of doubt. OCD patients always think that something bad will happen and do not to rely on their senses alone. At the back of their minds, they believe that there are always things that they cannot see (or foresee). For example, a person with OCD may always believe that germs are always there despite repeated washing, or he may think that he forgot to switch an appliance off even after checking the switch numerous times. Rachman & Hodgson as well as Stern & Cobb concluded that these patients are concerned mostly about: completing tasks, preventing harm (self and others), and contracting illness from germs (Hilgard, 1953). In the film "As Good As It Gets," Jack Nicholson's character is a good example of a patient suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He repetitively washes his hands, each time with a different bar of soap. It takes a long time for him to finally cease this hand-washing session. His cabinets were filled with an unending supply of soaps to accommodate this compulsion. Although seemingly extreme, many OCD patients exhibit behaviors that are beyond normal (perhaps even more pronounced than in this example), which shows that the disorder may really become an impediment to normal functioning, especially when the rituals take over most of their time and effort, robbing them of time to do

ROTERDAM RULES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ROTERDAM RULES - Essay Example With different countries following their own choicest laws to protect and further their own commercial interests, global sea trade has been thrown into a quagmire of anarchy and gross malpractices which need to be thoroughly cleansed before accountability and responsibility fixtures are made. While the shipper and the ship owners had added responsibilities under the new Rules, it is also envisaged to introduce modern communication and technological innovations including e-commerce documentation, have sound laws for container movements and also bring in new laws and conventions that could fill the gaps left in the previous Shipping rules, especially with regard to Deck Cargo and balancing of risks and responsibility among the various players in the sea trade. It is widely believed that with more and more countries signing up for the Rotterdam Rules, it would fulfil its role as a precursor of robust and rule based transportation of Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea. â€Å"The Rotterdam Rules are the direct and natural result of the deregulation and reforms that have been a boon to shippers, allowing for the flexibility and customized transportation central to any efficient supply chain.† (Rotterdam Rules, 2009). The reason for the replacement was that the old versions did not included criteria for the carriage of goods in containers and transferring electronic data. This was the main reason that made the court of law to reinvent the old versions of law. The Rotterdam rules clearly states the responsibility and accountability in certain situations where the container are stolen or if any damages happen to the ship. The other parties who are involved in the chain are also liable for the loss that happens while the goods are carried through sea. All these conditions were not included in the Hague rules and the Hague-Visby rules and the Hamburg rules. â€Å"The Ordinance of Rotterdam of 1721 declared that the owners should not

Action Potentials In Squid Axon

Action Potentials In Squid Axon In 1952, Hodgkin and Huxley published a series of four papers in the Journal of Physiology (London) reporting their experiments to investigate the underlying events of the action potential. In their final paper, they derived a series of equations that describe the relationship between sodium conductance (gNa+), potassium conductance (gK+) and the membrane potential in a squid axon following electrical stimulation. Hodgkin and Huxley were awarded the Nobel Prize for this work. In this practical, you will use a computer program based on the Hodgkin and Huxley equations to show what is happening to the membrane potential, gNa+ and gK+ during and after electrical stimulation. An example of the output from the program is illustrated in figure 1. It can be seen that the electrical stimulation depolarises the membrane. Once a depolarisation of 30mV has occurred, the conductance to sodium ions increases rapidly and the membrane potential rises to +20mV. The rise in gK+ is slower in onset and lasts for longer than the increase in gNa+. The fall in gNa+ and the associated rise in gK+ returns the membrane potential towards the resting value. Figure 1: Simulation of changes in membrane potential, Na+ and K+ conductances following the application of a single electrical stimulus of 50  Ã‚ ­A/cm2 for 1  ms. The peak height, amplitude, latency and threshold of the action potential are shown. Methods and Results Run the Squid Giant Axon simulation from the Start menu, HHX. Experiments using a single electrical stimulus In the first series of experiments, you will use a single electrical stimulus to initiate an action potential. Run a simulation with the following parameters: Stimulus 1 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 1 Duration (ms) Delay (ms) Stimulus 2 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 2 Duration (ms) 50 1 0 0 0 A trace similar to figure 1 will be obtained. From this trace, you can measure the peak height, amplitude, latency and threshold of the action potential: Peak Height (mV) Amplitude (mV) Latency (ms) Threshold Voltage (mV) +19 109 0.46 -66 Q1 and 2. Investigate the effects of varying stimulus amplitude and duration by running all the simulations shown in the matrix below in Table 1: Enter a X in the Table 1 matrix for experiments that produce an action potential, and record the peak height, amplitude, latency and threshold of any action potentials in Table 2 overleaf. For experiments that fail to elicit an action potential, enter a O in the matrix below, and record a value of  ¥ (infinity) for the latency and - for the other parameters in the table overleaf. Table 1. Success/failure matrix Stimulus Strength ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus Duration (ms) 0.1 0.5 1 2 5 50 O X X X X 20 O X X X X 10 O O X X X 7 O O X X X 5 O O O X X 2 O O O O O Table 2: Action potential characteristics Stimulus Response Strength ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Duration (ms) Peak Height (mV) Amplitude (mV) Latency (ms) Threshold Voltage (mV) 2 0.1  ¥ 0.5  ¥ 1  ¥ 2  ¥ 5  ¥ 5 0.1  ¥ 0.5  ¥ 1  ¥ 2 14 104 2.89 -61 5 15 105 2.74 -59 7 0.1  ¥ 0.5  ¥ 1 12 102 4.38 -57 2 15 105 2.16 -58 5 16 106 2.16 -57 10 0.1  ¥ 0.5  ¥ 1 15 105 2.01 -61 2 16 106 1.62 -64 5 16 106 1.62 -64 20 0.1  ¥ 0.5 15 105 1.58 -64 1 16 106 1.02 -63 2 17 107 0.97 -66 5 17 107 1.04 -61 50 0.1  ¥ 0.5 17 107 0.59 -61 1 19 109 0.54 -60 2 19 109 0.52 -62 5 19 109 0.57 -58 Q3. Plot two graphs to show the relationship between: (i) Stimulus strength and latency and (ii) Stimulus duration and latency. How these graphs should be plotted is not immediately obvious, and information on how to complete this task will not be explicitly given! The optimal solution to the problem is for you to find, but the following points are provided for guidance: It is not legitimate to plot infinity on graphs It is not appropriate to extrapolate beyond data points It is not legitimate to plot average latencies. The graphs must be plotted so that every value of latency (except  ¥) is represented. Use the blank sheet on the proforma, there is no need to use graph paper. Graph 1 : Stimulus strength and latency Remember you need to distinguish different stim durations in this gr Graph 2: Stimulus Duration and Latency Make sure you distinguish different strengths as well These can be plotted accurately using excel for your submitted report. Experiments with dual stimuli Q4. Run a simulation with the following parameters to demonstrate the absolute refractory period: Simulation Stimulus 1 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 1 Duration (ms) Delay (ms) Stimulus 2 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 2 Duration (ms) A 50 0.5 4 50 0.5 B 50 0.5 4 100 0.5 Briefly describe the responses obtained in simulations A and B in the space below: In A the first and second stimulus is equal. The first stimulus causes an action potential whilst the second stimulus does not. The delay is only 4ms. The membrane is at the absolute refractory period when the second stimulus is sent. Therefore an action potential cannot be produced. The first stimulus for A causes the gK value to change from -0.36 to 6.0. The gNa, 0.01, does not increase for the second stimulus and the peak reached is -92mV for the second stimulus and the threshold is -52mV. In B the second stimulus is larger than the first one but the delay remains the same at 4ms. The increase of the stimulus does not cause an action potential. This suggests it must be in the absolute refractory period because a larger stimulus should be able to generate an action potential if it is in the relative refractory period. The value of gK changes from -0.36 to -5.87. The peak was -83mV Q5. Repeat the simulations, but with a longer delay between stimuli: Simulation Stimulus 1 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 1 Duration (ms) Delay (ms) Stimulus 2 Amplitude ( Ã‚ ­A/cm2) Stimulus 2 Duration (ms) C 50 0.5 7 50 0.5 D 50 0.5 7 100 0.5 Compare and contrast the responses obtained in simulations C and D with those of A and B. Stimulation C and D has a longer delay between the first and second stimulus than stimulation A and B. Stimulations C has a lower second stimulus than D but the same as A. Likewise for Simulation A which has a lower second stimulus than B. Stimulation B and D have got the same amplitude for the second stimulus. The second stimulus, like A, for simulation C did not generate an action potential. Whilst with simulation D, unlike B, an action potential was generated. This is because in the absolute refractory period it is not possible for an action potential to be generated hence why simulation B did not produce an action potential. The delay in stimulation C and D is longer therefore the membrane is in the relative refractory period. This is suggested by the action potential produced in D. The extra delay in D enables more inactivation gates to open generating an action potential. The larger amplitude in D caused the membrane to reach threshold. Discussion Answer the questions below in the spaces provided. This will provide the basis of your report discussion Q6. Briefly justify why a latency of  ¥ was recorded if an action potential was not produced. Latency is the time from the start of the stimulus to threshold. If no action potential is produced then it is not ever possible for it to reach threshold, -59mV, therefore it has to be labelled as infinity because no matter how long you wait you will never reach threshold. Q7. What evidence from your results suggests that action potentials are threshold phenomena? Only the experiments which reached threshold value produced an action potential, refer to table one. For example when the strength of the stimulus is 2mA/cm2 no action potential was produced but the membrane potential did change however it did not reach threshold. When the strength of the stimulus was increased the, for example to 5 mA/cm2, and the duration of the stimulus as increased to 2ms then an action potential was reached. This is because the membrane must depolarise to the threshold level therefore generating an action potential with the same amplitude. This is the all or nothing principle. Q8. Comment briefly on the amplitude of the action potentials generated in these experiments. In all the experiments, table 2, which an action potential was generated, the amplitude was always similar even though the stimulus strength and duration had changed. This is part of the all or nothing principle. The amplitude was always around 106mV showing that action potentials are not graded. The frequency of the action potential is determined by the intensity of the stimulus. The frequency of action potential is caused during the relative refractory period. Graded potentials can be larger and last longer than action potentials. Therefore during the relative refractory period if the graded potential is stronger than the threshold at resting then it will produce another action potential. If the graded potential last longer than the relative refractory period an action potential will also be generated. Both these factor effect the frequency of action potentials. Q9. From Graph 1, describe the effect of increasing stimulus strength on the latency of the action potential. The graph shows that the strength of the stimulus increases as the latency decreases. For example, when the stimulus strength is 5mA/cm2 and has duration of 2ms the latency is 2.89ms. When the stimulus strength is increased to 50mA/cm2 for the same duration of 2ms the latency decreased to 0.52ms. This shows that the latency has decreased by 2.37ms. Latency is the time from the start of the stimulus to the threshold. Therefore as the strength of the stimulus increases, the time for an action potential to be generated decreases. Q10. From Graph 2, describe the effect of increasing stimulus duration on the latency of the action potential. The graph shows a larger effect with the lower stimulus strength. For example if the stimulus strength is 50mA/cm2 and the duration is 0.5 the latency is 0.59ms and if the duration is 5ms the latency is 0.57. However, if the stimulus strength is 10mA/cm2 and the duration is 1ms the latency is 2.01ms and if the duration increases to 3ms the latency is 1.62ms. Latency is the time from the start of the stimulus to the threshold. Therefore as the duration of the stimulus increases, the time for an action potential to be generated decreases. Sodium permeability increase in membrane Number of sodium channel open increaseQ11. Draw a simple flow diagram to illustrate the positive feedback cycle that results in the rapid depolarizing phase of the action potential. Activation gates open Membrane depolarises Stimulus causing to reach threshold Positive feedback Charge of cell increases causing depolarisation Influx of sodium into cell increase Q12. What event at the ion channel level terminates the above cycle? 1ms after the activation gate open the inactivation gate closes. This is a delay response of the depolarisation. The channel is now incapable of opening until it reaches near resting potential; this is when the inactivation gate opens. Therefore the sodium channels closes and sodium ions cant enter the cell. Also the opening of the potassium channels helps terminates this cycle. Q13. What physiological mechanism is responsible for the absolute refractory period? Absolute refractory period is during the depolarisation and most of the repolarisation phase. At this point the sodium channels inactivation gates are closed and the activation gates are open. Therefore the channel is closed and incapable of opening so an action potential cannot be generated by another stimulus in this period. Q14. Explain your observations to simulations C and D in the Methods and Results section. Stimulations C have a lower second stimulus than D. The second stimulus, for C did not generate an action potential but simulation D did. The delay in stimulation C and D is long therefore the membrane is in the relative refractory period. This is suggested by the action potential produced in D because the larger stimulus amplitude. The extra delay in D, compared to B, enables more inactivation gates to open allowing. Also the larger stimulus allows another action potential to be generated. Q15. Briefly summarise two effects that refractory periods impose on the behaviour of neurones (N.B. restatement of the definitions of refractory periods is not what is asked here) There are two types of refractory period absolute and relative. During the absolute refractory period no action potential can be produced. In the relative an action potential can only be produced depending on the strength of the stimulus. Therefore there is a minimum delay required before a second action potential can be generated. Also it controls the frequency of the action potential generated. This period also helps ensure action potential can only move in one direction. Questions to answer after the practical. Q 16 . Most Local anaesthetics are Sodium channel blockers. Describe how these compounds work, the side-effects and what their main clinical uses are. ( max 300 words). Local anaesthetics are weak bases which are used for loss of pain and muscle power so that a particular area of the body becomes numb. When sodium channel blockers, like lidocaine, enter the body it will be equilibrium with the tissue fluid. The anaesthetic will be in its ionised and non-ionised form. The non-ionised form will be able to pass through. It will be become partially ionised and cant leave, ion trapping. The ionised form will bind to the sodium channel. This will prevent sodium ions from entering the cell and therefore it cannot be depolarised. As a result it does not reach threshold and an action potential is not generated. Consequently the nerve cells cant signal to the brain so pain cant be felt or muscle cant be moved. (Tuckley, 1994). There are many different local anaesthetic available with the side effects differing for each drug and. The general side-effects can be, for example, numbness, sickness, lower blood pressure, light headedness and drowsiness. Not all of these are felt by the patient. (Joint Formulary Committee (2010). The anaesthetic can be administered in by several methods, for example, a dentist will use an injection to the mouth. The effect of the anaesthetics will only be felt by the area in which it is injected in. Dentist will use local anaesthetic so that their patient will have loss of pain only in their mouth. Therefore the patient will not be able to feel any pain whilst the dentist carries out the procedure. It is also used for some eye surgery and minor skin surgery. (Tuckley, 1994). Referencing Tuckley, J, M. (1994).The pharmacology of local anaesthetic agents, Pharmacology, 4, 7. Joint Formulary Committee (2010). British National Formulary. (59th ed.). London: Pharmaceutical Press. Q17. Will these compounds work if they dont block all the Na channels ? Why ? (Use your experimental data to help answer this question) During the relative refractory period some channels are open allowing a second action potential to be generated. For example for stimulation D an action potential was produced for the second stimulus because the cell was in its relative refractory period. However for stimulation C an action potential was not produced for the second stimulus, even though the delay was the same. However the second stimulus was larger for D than C. Therefore if the compound does not block all the sodium channels then an action potential may be generated depending on the number of sodium channels blocked and the strength of the stimulus because the concept is very similar to the relative refractory period as some of the channels are not be open but in this case some channels are blocked. In both cases, relative refractory period and local anaesthetic, some channels allow sodium ions to enter the cell. As a result the compound will not work.

Marketing Management Essay -- Technology, The Internet

Introduction Internet technology growth has a huge potential such as it reduce the costs of goods, services delivery and expand environmental boundaries in bringing buyers and sellers together. Internet permits small businesses to gain and maintain an access market that helps them to compete with huge industry. The information and communication technology revolutions, globalization have taken a movement in the economy of world from production based to economy of knowledge based. Internet has also changed the method of business is being conducted the way that it will take important achieve to consumers and transactions. In the present age, Internet is playing an increasingly significant role in consumer daily live. Consumers use the Internet various reasons ranging from only collecting information to purchasing product online. Internet shopping has been becoming a significant current approach for marketing, and along with the increase to a higher level of customer consciousness, my study intends to propose a theoretical framework for customer satisfaction in internet shopping. The Internet invention can create and/or improve competitive advantage based on two perspectives. At the first, businesses can incorporate and establish an accurate market segmentation mechanism (Ryan, 2004), seeing that market segmentation information can help marketing managers learn more about their target market, take enhanced stock of market through the process of product growth (Kotler and Keller, 2006) and enhance the opportunity of delivering and creating personalized goods and services throughout a better understanding of the feelings and motives of the targeted customer segment. Second, studies have often applied various hypothetical bas... ...ular website, they are still to be expected to find substitute sites and switch to them. Compare information and find other websites that provide similar products or services which is easy for consumers. In online shops, the relationship between loyalty and consumer satisfaction is weaker than offline shops (Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003; Terblanche and Boshoff, 2010). Objective of customer buying studies highlighted the role of such as factors that are service quality, equity and value, customer satisfaction, passed loyalty, expected switching cost and brand favourite (Hellier, 2003). Attitude towards online shopping and intention to shop online are not only related to ease of use and fun but also to numerous exogenous factors such as consumer traits, situational aspects, product characteristics, preceding online shopping experience and confidence (Monsuwe 2004).

Century

The 14th century was anything but pleasant for the people living In Europe at the time. There were so many factors and conditions that ultimately helped pave the way for the Renaissance. I will focus on the key influences during this period that contributed to the development of this â€Å"rebirth†. The most significant impact that you must address right off the bat Is, the Black Death. With the plague wiping out nearly one-third of Rupee's population, this catastrophe led to many economic, political, social, ideological, and cultural changes.Before getting into details of conflicts of the middle ages, I think it is important to know that In the beginning of the 14th century the medieval warm period had ended which resulted in a â€Å"little Ice age†. The climate had gotten colder and the farmland was becoming less fertile because of soil unrest from generations using the same land. The Malthusian Crisis was a prediction that ultimately became true–the population of Europe had gotten too large and there wasn't enough available resources.Hunger and famine caused a big spike in the death rate and as things were starting looking pretty grim, then comes the plague.. The Black Death is believed to have arrived in Europe by sea in October 1347 when Genomes trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messing after a long journey at sea (the pathogen Yearly's Pestles supposedly carried In certain Infected rodents had transmitted the disease). People ready to greet the ships were shocked to see a bunch of dead and diseased sailors. It didn't look good whatsoever.The victims showed strange black, oozing swellings about the size of an egg or an apple In the armpits and groin, Before anyone could try and quarantine the sick, it was too ate. Merchants and marmots would help spread this deadly disease, making no one have any idea knew where it was coming from or why it was happening. It is believed that since the plague spread so quickly, the infection had to airborne which was the biggest Issue. Once the disease reached the lungs of the malnourished, It was then spread to the wider population through sneezes and coughs.The sick suffered severe pain and died quickly within five days of the first symptoms. Pneumonia plague which targeted your respiratory system would kill 95% of people within 2 says, and If you were said to have skepticism plague, your bloodstream Is directly Infected leaving you with no chance. Before you know It, graveyards throughout Europe were filling up and towns had to make mass burial pits to help rid the dead bodies. It came to the point where it was basically considered ordinary to be burying a family member quite often.All these problems along with confusion, led people to start questioning life and what they did to deserve all this. The mall question the plague had everyone asking themselves was, why are we being punished by god? Since the church was always their only answer, citizens needed a new react ion. Before the Black Death hit Europe, almost all things including elements of daily life, were under the Influence of the church. In medieval times the most Important thing was that the church had always told people right from wrong.Since the afterlife was judged more importantly than ones actual lifetime, it was considered 1 OFF salvation. A result from that were the Flagellants. Flagellants began as a militant pilgrimage for religious extremists who demonstrated their religious passion and ought self-punishment for their sins by vigorously whipping themselves in public as displays of penance. Who in their right mind would even do that? As the Black Death is taking over, the public believed it to be a punishment from God and now they have to pay.Conditions were so bad that they felt as if turning toward the church for help as they always do, was no hope. How could they find a solution when even the priests and bishops were dropping dead like flies from the plague too!? So it coul dn't be that God was mad at the general public, however more specifically mad at the church. In return, the Catholic Church lost a lot of its influence and for many people, their view of the world changed significantly.The Italian peninsula (mostly Florence at the beginning) was pretty much the center of the newer learning at the time because they had wealth, religion, and many eager people ready to stop living strictly everything by the church. Francesco Patriarch (1304-1374) lived in Avignon, which was an international community of lawyers and churchmen at the papal court, which was where he copied ancient works including Tulips Cicero (106-BOB. C. ). This rediscovery of Latin antiquity began a fascination on reviving and revitalization classical learning.Cicero ultimately led Patriarch to see in a classical philosophy, a guide to life based on experience. Patriarch's successors found and copied manuscripts including writings from Sophocles, Constantinople, and certain libraries. His use of Roman ideology attracted Giovanni Biostatic, a Florence leader during this time who adopted his ideas and even turned away from writing in the medieval tradition to the classical tradition. This all helped ignite a large focus on humanism, an alternative approach to knowledge and culture.This helped lean away from Scholasticism, which was narrow-minded insistence on traditional doctrine at the time. Scholar's most respected sources and ideas were being spread throughout Europe as a response to the standard educational program that focused only on logic and linguistics. As citizens of Florence and the surrounding areas in Italy were overcoming the Black Death, they experienced a great awakening in self-awareness. They desired to become closer to God and take pride in their humanity. Writers during this period soused on individualism and artists sought to make their artwork more realistic.The Medici and the papacy, who became the greatest patron in Rome, gained an interest in art that reflected both human and religious qualities. Painters started creating man in the image of God and helped to humanism religion, and revealed the self- worth and beauty of oneself. With all of the new learning taking place because of conditions that faced Europe in the 14th century, people's lives started to get back together. Instead of only focusing on agriculture for the main source of food, animal husbandry arose which also had a positive health impact.Since the population had plummeted, there was plenty of food and resources to go around. At this point, the public did not have to spend as much time worrying about where their next meal is coming from, but perhaps more time thinking about creative aspects in life such as painting, acting and inventing. The 1 5th century held Johannes Gutenberg to invent the printing entire world. If it weren't for the harsh realities of the 14th century, the Renaissance may have not had such a lasting impression as we know it to be.

Product Mix Essay

What Is a Product Mix? Product mix, also known as product assortment, refers to the total number of product lines that a company offers to its customers. For example, a small company may sell multiple lines of products. Sometimes, these product lines are fairly similar, such as dish washing liquid and bar soap, which are used for cleaning and use similar technologies. Other times, the product lines are vastly different, such as diapers and razors. The four dimensions to a company’s product mix include width, length, depth and consistency. The Service Quality Dimensions Every company owner wants to get loyal customers which add to repeating purchases and of cause increasing their maximum revenue. But to get there they need to know about the 5 Service Quality Dimensions. Many actually think that service is just a little part of the marketing mix, but it is actually a very important part of both the 4 and 7 P’s Each of the 5 Service Quality Dimensions makes an extra addition to the level and quality of service which the company offers their customers. It also makes the service far more unique and satisfying. Dimension 1 – tangibles; The tangible Service Quality Dimension refers to the appearance of the physical surroundings and facilities, equipment, personnel and the way of communication. In other words, the tangible dimension is about creating first hand impressions. A company should want all their customers to get a unique positive and never forgetting first hand impression, this would make them more likely to return in the future. Dimension 2 – reliability; The reliability Service Quality Dimension refers to how the company are performing and completing their promised service, quality and accuracy within the given set requirements between the company and the customer. Reliability is just as important as a goof first hand impression, because every customer want to know if their supplier is reliable and fulfill the set requirements with satisfaction. Dimension 3 – responsiveness; The responsiveness Service Quality Dimension refers to the willingness of the company to help its customers in providing them with a good, quality and fast service. This is also a very important dimension, because every customer feels more valued if they get the best possible quality in the service. Dimension 4 – assurance; The assurance Service Quality Dimension refers to the company’s employees. Are the employees skilled workers which are able to gain the trust and confidence of the customers? If the customers are not comfortable with the employees, there are a rather large chance that the customers will not return to do further business with the company. Dimension 5 – empathy; The empathy Service Quality Dimension refers to how the company cares and gives individualized attention to their customers, to make the customers feeling extra valued and special. The fifth dimension are actually combining the second, third and fourth dimension to a higher level, even though the really cannot be compared as individuals. If the customers feel they get individualized and quality attention there is a very big chance that they will return to the company and do business there again. Appendix Reliability (1) Providing services as promised. (2) Dependability in handling customers’ service performed. (3) Performing the services right the first time. (4) Providing services at the promised time. (5) Maintaining error-free records. Responsiveness (1) Keeping customers informed about when services will be performed. Service quality dimensions Gi-Du Kang and Jeffrey James Managing Service Quality Volume 14  · Number 4  · 2004  · 266–277 276 (2) Prompt service to customers. (3) Willing to help customers. (4) Readiness to respond to customers’ requests. Assurance (1) Employees who instill confidence in customers. (2) Making customers feel safe in their transaction. (3) Employees who are consistently courteous. (4) Knowledgeable employee to answer customer questions. Empathy (1) Giving customers individual attention. (2) Employees who deal with customers in a caring fashion. (3) Having the customer’s best interest at heart. (4) Employees who understand the needs of their customers. (5) Convenient business hour. Tangibles (1) Modern equipment. (2) Visually appealing facilities. (3) Employees who have a neat, professional appearance. (4) Visually appealing materials associated with the service. Technical quality (1) It is successful to complete a call. (2) There is no noise during the call. (3) The call can be completed without the interruption. Image (1) It is a reliable company. (2) It provides an excellent service to customers. (3) It is a successful company. (4) It makes a lot of contribution to the society. (5) It has an superior technology in cell phone service. (6) It is sincere to the customers. (7) It has a good reputation. (8) It is a large-scale company. (9) It is familiar to the customers. (10) It is honest. Customer satisfaction (1) The services have not worked out as well as I thought it would. (2) I am satisfied with my decision to use this service. (3) Sometimes I have mixed feelings about keeping it. (4) My choice to use this service was a wise one. (5) If I could do it over again, I’d choose a different company. (6) I feel bad about my decision to use this service. (7) I am not happy that I used this service. (8) Using this service has been a good experience. Note: are presents an item removed after the CFA. Service quality dimensions Gi-Du Kang and Jeffrey James Managing Service Quality Volume 14  · Number 4  · 2004  · 266–277 Promotional mix; There are five main aspects of a promotional mix These are: Advertising – Presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. Examples: Print ads, radio, television, billboard, direct mail, brochures and catalogs, signs, in-store displays, posters, motion pictures, Web pages, banner ads, and emails. Personal selling – A process of helping and persuading one or more prospects to purchase a good or service or to act on any idea through the use of an oral presentation. Examples: Sales presentations, sales meetings, sales training and incentive programs for intermediary salespeople, samples, and telemarketing. Can be face-to-face selling or via telephone. Sales promotion – Media and non-media marketing communication are employed for a pre-determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate market demand or improve product availability. Examples: Coupons, sweepstakes, contests, product samples, rebates, tie-ins, self-liquidating premiums, trade shows, trade-ins, and exhibitions. Public relations – Paid intimate stimulation of supply for a  product, service, or business unit by planting significant news about it or a favorable presentation of it in the media. Examples: Newspaper and magazine articles/reports, TVs and radio presentations, charitable contributions, speeches, issue advertising, and seminars. Direct Marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising. Corporate image corporate image may also be considered as the sixth aspect of promotion mix. The image of an organization is a crucial point in marketing. If the reputation of a company is bad, consumers are less willing to buy a product from this company as they would have been, if the company had a good image. Sponsorship is sometimes added as an seventh aspect