Lee Smiths Oral History, a Depiction Intricacies and Complexities of Essay

Lee Smiths Oral History, a Depiction Intricacies and Complexities of History - Essay Example And perhaps the point of the entire novel is to show readers the different facets of history, making it both rich and confusing; a field which is definitely more than just a simple narration of events in the past. Oral History is deemed by many not only to be Lee Smith's most popular novel, but more importantly her most complex work. The twists and turns that one has to go through reading the novel is quite evident as the piece is very challenging to read, much more to understand. However this complexity seems to be the very vehicle upon which Smith presents to readers the idea of how complex writing or telling history is. In this novel, Smith puts herself and the reader in the shoes of a historian, who is faced with the dilemma of gathering a large collection of stories and accounts of things in the past to present to the public in a simple and straightforward manner. By making the narrative intricate, Smith takes the reader along for a dizzying journey that most serious historians take. Smith cleverly uses different voices and points of view in the stories that the main character, Jennifer Bingham, had to hear.

Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Activism - Essay Example The purpose of art activism is to be heard collectively. Its major focus lies on the issue at hand and not on the artist as an individual (Cohen-Cruz, 2002). Art activism moves people through what they see. It stirs up something inside the viewer to do something. It was a medium that has been used by many to change the course of history. Art activism can be expressed in many ways. The examples are many; the Harlem Renaissance in 1919-1929, it was an early depiction of an African-American activist art. There was Angelina Grimke’s play â€Å"Rachel†, the stage was used to be heard clearly that everyone is equal, regardless of color and race. In 1917 Lenin used the colorful festivals to advance his agenda in Russia. These are just few examples of the power of Activist art (Cohen-Cruz, 2002). Artistic skills can be used to attract the attention of the public; it is an aid for the public so it can look deeply on social and political issues. Concert for example can be used to promote peace on war stricken and famine stricken country like Africa. People respond to the message of the music, it touches the hearts of its hearers. Art has the capacity to move the audience to reevaluate the accepted views. It can direct by consent and not by force as someone puts it (Cohen-Cruz, 2002). Having declared everything, I want to move on to the proposal. To use arts in order to get people’s attention; and to make them see or understand, and to persuade them to get involved. I asked people about what they think or feel on specific subjects. Majority of people I asked are having difficulty on expressing their thoughts regarding certain issues. I find it even difficult extracting from them what they think about what makes them proud or what makes them happy and what will make them hate themselves. They even find it difficult to complete sentences like â€Å"I am satisfied when I (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦), I hate myself when I (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦), and I think self confidence is (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.). When I

Use of Enzymes for Clinical Diagnosis

Use of Enzymes for Clinical Diagnosis Clinical enzymology is branch off medical science deals with the usage of enzymes for diagnosis prognosis of various diseases. In general, each enzyme of clinical significance is found in many tissues of the body, and in healthy individuals, these enzyme exhibit very low levels in serum. In certain disease states or with cell injury, these intracellular enzymes are released into the blood and are indicative of the presence of a pathological condition. Quantification of enzyme levels in serum is useful in determining the presence of disease. Based on the individuals physical symptoms, several enzymes may be chosen for analysis to determine if a pattern develops that aids in identifying the tissue source of the enzyme elevation in the serum(2). The understanding of enzyme kinetics allows for laboratory measurement of plasma levels. Damaged or dying cells within organ can release enzymes into the circulation, these plasma enzyme levels can be used to develop a differential diagnosis of a patient with respect to specific organ disease and dysfunction(1). Like others analyte use for clinical chemistry analysis, specific pre-analytical influences have to be taken into consideration. Analysis of enzyme measurement would involve the process from the start to the end that comprises the pre-analytical factors, analytical and post analytical factors. Pre- analytical issues in the enzyme measurement include the types of specimens, the specific anticoagulants and preservative in the tubes and the specimen collection procedure. Table 2.0 describe the type of enzymes, the specimen of choice and the pre-analytical factors that can affect the enzyme measurement. Slight hemolysis can be accepted as there is no CK ain rbc, however severe or moderate hemolysis can cause enzymes and intermediates (adenylate kinase,ATP,glucose 6-phosphatea) liberated from the erytrocytes and may affect the lag phase and the side reactions occurring in the assay system(3) Lactate Dehydrogenase LDH Serum or heparanised plasma Plasma containing anticoagulant especially oxalate, should not be used. Haemolysed specimen 150 times LDH in rbc than serum(3) Alkaline Phosphatare ALP Serum or haparinized plasma ALP-, free hemolysis. Complexing anticoagulants such as citrate,oxalate, and edta must be avoided. Storage and doing test later than 4 hours can cause loss of activity EDTA concentration in the sample-reagent mixture, causing chelation of metallic cations, and this can affect the activity of the alkaline phosphatase Gamma Glutamyl Transferase GGT Serum free from hemolysis preferred. EDTA -plasma ( up to 1 mg/mL blood) can be used Heparin produces turbidity in the reaction mixture; citrate, oxalate and fluoride depress activity by 10 15 % The rate of disappearance of substrate or the rate of appearance of product had been utilized for enzyme measurement. Usually, measuring small increase in product it is much easier than to measure small decrease in a large amount of substrate. In some enzyme measurements, neither the product not the substrate of a chemical reaction can be measured conveniently. In such cases the enzymatic reaction can be coupled to another reaction that uses the product of the enzyme catalyzed reaction to produce an indicator substance (1). The rate of change in concentration of substrate or product is the principle of kinetic method for most of the enzyme measurement. The accuracy of Kinetic makes it easier to detect changes in reaction conditions and samples requiring dilution. In a kinetic reaction, the rate of reaction can be expressed as ΔP/ΔT, the change in amount of per unit time. The amount of enzyme in a sample is measured by the rate of reaction  catalyzed by the enzyme. This rate is directly proportioned to the amount of enzyme and is expressed in enzyme unit, IU/L (4). Substrate depletion phase is a period during an enzyme assay when the concentration of substrate is falling and the assay is not following zero-order kinetics(5). The amount of substrate must be present in sufficient quantity, so that the reaction rate is limited only by the amount of enzymes. In order to get optimal method of enzyme measurement, the substrate concentration is one of the important parameters. It is essential for the concentration of the substrate(s) is saturating during the measured period of the reaction(6). At saturating substrate concentrations, the reaction velocity is pseudo zero order with respect to the substrate and the velocity is proportional only to the enzyme concentration. Figure 1.0; describe the importance of substrate depletion in enzyme measurement. Enzyme activity High Moderate Low Substrate depletion Substrate depletion Lag phase Absorbance Time Figure 1.0 Enzyme activity can be calculated from a plot of absorbance versus time when monitoring an enzyme-catalysed reaction. When reagents and serum are mixed, there may initially be a period of a time when mixing and any preliminary reactions occur; this is termed the lag period. Following this phase, the reaction will proceed at zero-order kinetics (V max); at this point, the rate of appearance of product (as measured from the slope of the line, ΔA/ΔT) is directly proportional to the enzyme activity present. As the reaction proceeds and substrate is depleted, the rate of reaction will fall below V max and the plot is no longer linear. At this point, the reaction is no longer zero order with respect to substrate concentration; rate of reaction is now dependent on both amount of substrate (which is declining) and amount of enzyme present, making it difficult to calculate amount of enzyme present. (Adapted from Henrys Clinical Diagnostic and Management by Laboratory Metho ds) An organic component of enzymes is called coenzyme. Coenzymes participate in many of the enzyme analyses performed in the clinical laboratory. As the coenzyme make up a part of the active site, the role of this coenzyme in enzymatic transamination is crucial as an example the use of pyridoxal phosphate for expression of enzyme activity for aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase measurement(7). Table 3.0 describe the enzyme, the coenzyme and the clinical relevance of the enzyme measurement for laboratory diagnosis. In conclusion, the type of assay method, sample preparation, age and storage conditions are the variables that have to be taken into consideration in the determination of enzyme activity. Other important variables in determining enzyme activity include temperature, pH, concentration of substrate, concentration of cofactors of the assay, use of other enzyme reactions as indicators, and whether the forward or backward reaction is used to measure the enzyme. All of these variables can lead to significant differences in enzyme activity between methods (1). Enzyme Co-enzyme Clinical relevance Creatinine kinase (CK) Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide Elevations of total CK in serum are associated with cardiac disorders, such as AMI, and skeletal muscle disorder, such as muscular dystrophy. Occasionally,elevations are due to central nervous system, including seizures and cerebral vascular accidents. CK-MB values greater than 6 % of total CK are suggestive of AMI. When AMI is suspected, troponin is assayed in conjunction with CK-MB, and sometimes myoglobin is assayed. Following AMI, Ck-MB levels rise within 4-6 hrs,peak at 12-24 hours, and return to normal within 2-3 days(2). Aspartate aminotransferase pyridoxal phosphate AST is used to evaluate hepatocellular disorders (up to 100 times upper reference limit in infectious mononucleosis, and up to 4 times upper reference limit in cirrhosis), skeletal muscle disorders ( up to 8 times upper reference limit) and acute pancreatitis(8). In AMI, AST rises within 6-8 hours, peaks at 18-24 hours, and return to normal within 4-5 days. AST is not used to diagnose AMI, but awareness of the AST pattern may be useful when ruling out other disorders, including concurrent liver damage(2). Lactate dehydrogenase (LD) NAD Elevated in cardiac disorders (AMI), hepatic diseases (viral hepatitis,cirrhosis,infectious mononucleosis),skeletal muscle diseases, haemolytic and haematological disorders (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) In AMI, LD levels rise within 8-12 hours, peak at 24-48 hours, and return to normal in 7 10 days. Although LD and LD isoenzymes are not used to diagnose AMI, knowledge of their pattern may be useful when assessing concurrent liver damage(2).

Escape :: essays research papers

SettingThe story Escape by R.A. Montgomery takes place in the year of AD 2035. The place is in the country of Dorado. It first starts off in a maximum-security prison. The rest of the story takes place in the terrain of Dorado. There are many other little settings that are not important. ThemeIn this story (Escape) there are more than one theme. One of the themes is that don't trust anyone when you are on the run. Another is plan ahead on your escape. There were only two obvious themes to this story. CharacterizationThere are two characters that should be put in characterization. The first one is Milma. She is the leader of the resistance in Dorado. She is in her early thirties. She is a tall, slim woman with long red hair. There is a bounty for her head. The other character is Matt. He is Milma's bodyguard. He is also in his early thirties. He is a build tall man with short, curly blond hair. It is Matt's responsibility to protect and safely get her out of Dorado.Plot Summary1. The spy leader breaks out of a maximum-security prison.2. After you escape you hide in a barn and meet Milma the resistance leader, her bodyguard Matt and a computer specialist named Haven.3. You are waiting at the small runway for your escape plane and there is no plane in sight.4. You decide to go back to town because it was too risky of being caught. 5. You go to Matt's friend Julio's house to stay safe.6. They decide to separate and meet at a safe house in Santa Fe. 7. Secret Agents come to Julio's house to check for the fugitives but they get out in time. They are all out in the back alley when they realize that Haven is not with them.8. You and Matt go back to look for Haven.9. They look around the house for Haven but no sign.10. They go in the kitchen, there was no sound at all. They go in the living room and hear familiar voice say put your hands in the air. It was Haven. He was the Captain of the Secret Police.RecommendationI enjoyed the book Escape. I thought it was very good. It was a very unpredictable book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. If you like adventure books I recommend this book for you.

Branding and advertising Essay

In recent years there has been more of a shift towards more branding and advertising as opposed to focusing on product development, resulting in some companies having strong advertising campaigns coupled with a non-successful product. These observations lead to an important marketing theorem: Successful brands are built on successful products. The belief is that without great products, great brands could neither not exist nor withstand the competitive market. In a short paper, answer the following questions pertaining to the theorem. †¢Do you agree or disagree (partially or completely) with the theorem that successful brands are built on successful products? Why or why not? †¢Provide examples of brands and their products that a) prove the theorem and b) disprove the theorem. Explain your reasoning. †¢Why do so many companies appear fixated on branding rather than on ultimately developing successful products? In real terms, how would you as a marketing executive balance these two marketing forces? In recent years there has been more of a shift towards more branding and advertising as opposed to focusing on product development, resulting in some companies having strong advertising campaigns coupled with a non-successful product.

In this assignment, we would present our findings on whether Singaporeans are receptive to Telecommuting

In this assignment, we would present our findings on whether Singaporeans are receptive to Telecommuting. Telecommuting is the substitution of telecommunication for transportation, permitting work to be performed at a remote site anywhere except from the office. We conclude that Singaporeans are not very receptive to Telecommuting although Singapore is quite a technologically advanced country in Information Technology. A total of 20 respondents ( males and females) were asked to complete a survey form. Their age group was around 21-30 years of age. They were mainly made up of NUS students and system analysts. Among the 20 interviewees, 55% indicated that their current jobs do not require them to telecommute. Half of the 20 respondents spend on the average, 0-10 work-related hours in front of the computer every week. In addition, 90% of them feel that Telecommuting could not replace most of the jobs in Singapore. Below are the four highly topped responses that the interviewees made regarding their feelings towards Telecommuting in general. In the survey, 90% of those participating recognize that there is a loss in human touch while 85% of the interviewees feel that there is a loss in team cohesion. Telecommuting may cause a relative loss of synergy, because of reduced face-to-face contact, although electronic mail and on-line documentation can counterbalance this. Thus, Telecommuting results in less social interaction and reduced contact with the physical part of the organization (the office). This leads to isolation, loneliness and a reduced sense of identification with the organization and its members. The survey reported that 80% of the interviewees recognize that there is no need to commute with telecommuting. Telecommunication technology lets telecommuters transform almost any space into a workplace. Instead of going to work, telecommuters let work come to them. Time is saved too when the telecommuter does not have to travel to work. He beats the hassle of traveling to work and getting stuck in traffic jams. The time saved can be used to generating more output for his work. Moreover, 70% of those participating in the survey feel that they are able to spend more time with family and friends with Telecommuting. Telecommuting can help balance work and family demands. In this sense, Telecommuting can play a part in helping to bond the family together. When the parent does not have to leave home to go to work, he/she is able to spend more time at home with his family. The parent is able to show more concern for his children and spouse, as he/she knows what is going on in their lives. This will greatly improve the family cohesiveness. We found out that 65% of the interviewees think they are not able to work from home. This could be because Telecommuting requires unwavering self-discipline as telecommuters can make a choice between eight hours of work time or eight hours of web-surfing. The latter is of course more tempting. The reasons why Singaporeans are not receptive to Telecommuting might be due to three reasons. Singaporeans have a collectivistic culture and value team cohesion as well as membership. They are socialized to be emotionally dependent on organizations and institutions. As a result, Singaporeans are not used to the idea of Telecommuting. Firstly, the close proximity between family members due to Singapore's small physical size makes Telecommuting unfeasible. Secondly, the accessibility of Singapore due to its efficient transport network ensures that employees can commute between home and office quickly.

Comparison of Novel and Film Adaption and Philip K. Dicks Criticisms Essay Example

Comparison of Novel and Film Adaption and Philip K. Dicks Criticisms Essay Example Comparison of Novel and Film Adaption and Philip K. Dicks Criticisms Essay Comparison of Novel and Film Adaption and Philip K. Dicks Criticisms Essay Philip K. dick’s criticisms about the film adaption ‘Blade runner’ have been justified by the differences that have been shown. The theme of empathy throughout both texts has been shown through two different characters causing the effect to change. Rick Deckard has the hero sort of sign through human’s eyes throughout the novel whereas Roy Batty has the hero symbol in a replicants eyes throughout the film. The motivation for Deckard in the novel is to buy a real animal, playing on his want and needs, which is also a sign of empathy. Having this motive shows the selfish side of people and questions whether or not someone actually needs an animal to be happy. The idea is put across that killing for an animal (even if it is just killing an android) to be alright. Throughout the novel we watch Deckard’s development. Having only a glimpse of this development in the film adaption shown, the viewer won’t really understand that Deckard goes through a change. Ridley Scott has used a different way to put across the empathy by using a different character that was only a small part in the novel. Batty has been given the motive to find a way to live longer and be able to become more human. Batty became the super human figure with more intelligence and strength. However Dick wrote that androids died way before they could even begin to comprehend emotions, making sure they were as robotic as possible. Electric animals were just a little way from the bottom of the social ladder and having a real one puts you higher. Being able to take care of an animal shows the empathy that a human is able to have and not an android. The film adaption doesn’t revolve empathy around the animals like the novel does. A glimpse is seen through the wolf howls that Baty cries at the point when he feels so much pain and loss, again showing empathy through a replicant. Dick had that androids shut down at the moment they feel threatened towards their lives. Scott turns that around in the film adaption and has them fight back as shown with Pris as well as Baty. The minor characters in the novel have been taken out for the film adaption so this does change parts of the story. The novels characters contrasted with each other. Deckard had Iran to contrast with himself; he wanted to have an animal to keep his life meaningful whereas she had already given up. Irmgard shows the more gentle side of an android in contrast to Pris who is curious about how life works is still more violent to figuring it out â€Å"Restraining the spider with the edge of her hand. She was smiling. † This insinuates that she feeling some sort of emotion whether it be that it’s just that she trying to fake an emotion or she’s being sadistic. Having some of these contrasts cut out for the film adaption it’s hard to see what the character’s main intention is until later on in the film. Dick’s criticisms are justified in the way that the main parts of his story have been cut out. Some of the scenes make or break certain characters and not having them in the film adaption slows the story down in how it has been told. Characters even if they are minor are still relevant to the story and are used to put the point across. The film adaption does give a different point and is less straight forward than what Dick wrote ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep? ’

Essay analyzes of The Lover by Abraham B. Yehoshua

Essay analyzes of The Lover by Abraham B. Yehoshua "[She] starts to sort it out, to turn over the day, scraps, feelings, words and laughter, all are like a thin layer of rubbish that [she] gathers up and throws into the basket" (9). In A.B. Yehoshua's novel The Lover, Asya utilizes dreams to release her inner-tensions. Yehoshua employs Asya's dreams as symbolic, prophetic mechanisms that parallel the subtle, emotional conflicts within the characters and her self.Once Asya is deprived of her lover, Gabriel, she is consumed by his absence and immediately begins to dream about him. The first of Asya's dreams described in the novel reflects her unconscious desire to reunite with Gabriel and abandon her family. The dream places Asya within a military encampment as an educator on a fieldtrip, paralleling Gabriel's own military excursion (14). Like the dreamer, the reader is also unable to make the connection between the dream and Gabriel, because both are uncertain of Gabriel's military career at the novel's onset.English: Flag of Israel w ith the Mediterranean sea..."The faces of children from Dafi's class" that Asya encounters are analogous to the "young, boyish faced" men in Gabriel's platoon (14, 297). While Dafi's class attends compulsory education, the soldiers have been forced into military service. Dafi's class also creates a commentary on the Zionist movement. Though the Zionist movement recently catalyzed the creation of an Israeli state, the Israeli's must now defend their independence in the Yom Kippur War. The field trip in Asya's dream exposes the young children to war, corrupting their naivety and innocence. These children must be prepared; they must sacrifice their childhoods for war, because most Israelis believe their independence will continually be contested, regardless of the outcome of the Yom Kippur War.Like Gabriel, Asya is lost within the encampment; she does not understand her purpose, but eventually understands her position with the...

Analysis of the Public and Private Sports Industry

Analysis of the Public and Private Sports Industry Public, private and voluntary sectors in the sports industry, advantages and disadvantages of the leisure centre being in the public sector, how the local leisure centre can meet the aim of getting more local clubs to use its facilities. Introduction â€Å"Since the opportunity to participate in sport or recreation requires facilities, the central task of organisations, and associated individuals, is to provide a service which focuses on people and which satisfies that need.† [1] The sports industry has changed beyond all recognition since the beginning of the 1990’s in each of the public, private and voluntary sectors. The impetus has come from top level government policy with the creation of the UK Sports Council and the formation of the chief sporting bodies such as Sport England offering both funding and structure to the previously ad hoc nature of leisure and recreation in modern Britain. Moreover, the lure of professional sport has also irrevocably changed in tan dem with the structural changes in amateur sport with the result that there is, at the dawn of the twenty first century, more people are taking an active part in sport, which has further increased the pressure on local services such as leisure centres. There are though vast differences between the way that the public and private sector sports providers are run and funded as shall now become apparent. The Private Sector With regards to the sports industry, the private sector refers to those leisure services that are funded by private capital and open only to private membership. This can mean anything from specialist professional sports clubs to health and fitness clubs to local sports teams that have been established and sponsored by local and national businesses alike. The advantages of this kind of sporting industry are predominantly economic with the funding of private sports clubs historically far outstripping the economic resources available to equivalent public sector sports se rvices. Certainly in the 1970’s and 1980’s, private sector sports industries were far more popular and productive than their public sector counterparts mirrored in the elevated sporting achievements of private school sporting institutions as opposed to the relative failings of the same public (comprehensive) school sports bodies. There are, however, inherent disadvantages to sports and leisure services that rely exclusively on the private sector for funding. First and foremost, there are no guarantees that the source of that funding will remain constant for any fixed length of time. Benefactors are subject to the ups and downs of the free market economy, which can result in sharp reductions – as well as rises – in the level of funding provided. In addition, any leisure service that is inexorably tied to the private sector also inevitably suffers from the lack of community spirit that can only be adequately garnered through association with the local publi c authorities. Thus, while the advantages to sports services in the private sector appear on the surface to be all encompassing, the reality is that the lack of stability that characterises all facets of the private sector economy hampers the sustained growth and popularity.

2.Critically assess the proposition that it is essential to Essay

2.Critically assess the proposition that it is essential to distinguish between refugees and other migrants - Essay Example It is for this reason that immigrants into a country cannot be treated as a homogenous group. An important distinction between these two immigrant groups is their ability to return to their native country. While refugees are either unable or unwilling to return for fear of persecution, economic immigrants are free to return at their will. Another distinction is that refugees do not enjoy much social contacts in their home country and economic immigrants maintain social contacts in their home country on a permanent basis by visiting their relatives and friends. Studies have shown that refugees over time make earnings more than economic migrants do in the host country (Cortes, 2004). Refugees deserve protection by virtue of Article 1 A (2) of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees which defines a refugee and prohibits their expulsion by Article 33 (1). A refugee is an asylum seeker initially and may or may not be taken in as a refugee. The obligation against expulsion s tems from international human rights law. For example, Articles 6 & 7 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prevents refugees from being returned in case of irreparable harm to them. Similarly, the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, prohibits return of asylum seekers in case of likelihood of torture being meted out to them in their home country (UNHCR, n.d.) . World Migration Report 2010 which lays down ten core areas for capacity-building to achieve migrant integration does not spell out special treatment for refugees vis-Ã  -vis other migrants. The report advocates a range of core area from strengthening economic participation by migrants to mainstreaming integration across government. It generalizes the status of migrants as being prone to poverty and social inclusion. Migrants are certainly better placed than refugees and

Quality and Performance Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality and Performance Excellence - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Baldrige focuses on the performance excellence for all aspects of an organization in an overall management framework. Six Sigma deals with the internal quality with an aim of improving the standards and reducing the costs. Overall, they are all similar since they deal with quality improvement in the workplace.ISO 9000, on the other hand, pay more attention to the quality and conformity of the products and services according to the set guidelines to provide equity in the market. The system is more concerned with fixing the issue with the products and service non-conformity and quality system problems. For the Six Sigma, more emphasis is laid on measuring the quality of the products and working on process improvement design to reduce the overall costs. All these processes, however, are management-led, data-based, process focused and aims at helping the organization improve performance and increase customer satisfaction. The level of emphas is and how these processes of operations are carried out causes variation within an organization such as the quality of the processes policies instituted, and the review of these policies. TecSmart Electronics dwell on quality, service and to meet the customers’ expectations which in turn help the organization grow. The management of the company followed some of the quality and performance excellence models which help it maintain a clear focus. One of the quality and performance models the company has focused on is the Deming’s 14 points. Some of the plans instituted include framing company policies such as an emphasis on quality and services. Imparting skills to the employees and dissemination of the information; information gathering for quality control; analysis of the obtained data to assess the areas where to rectify; standardization of the products and services; quality assurance of the entire processes and having future plans about the organization.

Environmental, Health and Safety Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental, Health and Safety - Term Paper Example The term paper "Environmental, Health and Safety" discusses job functions and EHS representative responsibilities related to environmental protection, Worker health and safety, and Environmental protection as seen at Exxon Mobil and Shell Oil and Gas. Both the companies discussed in this paper are incorporated in Texas, USA. Shell environmental job functions entail ongoing effort to uncover ways to help lessen the impact of trade actions all over the world. The company’s environmental professional works in tandem with their business contemporaries across various operations and projects. They also help to sustain the application and development of modern technologies and work together with external partners as well. The EHS representatives of Shell work to avert any incidents that may consequence in leakage of harmful and unsafe substances. The company’s policies have very strong foundations and it also recognizes that a significant oil spill disaster due to company†™s negligence should be dealt by Shell and its representatives. The company outlines prepares and practices disaster management policies in response to events that can create a negative impact on the environment or threaten public safety. Shell’s EHS representatives are committed to mitigating the consequences to the environment and people. The company is passionate about the safety standards both at sea and land. Shell has been working for about over a century in the business of governments, industry shipping bodies and other private stakeholders.

Compressing the supply chain through E-commerce for the customer Dissertation

Compressing the supply chain through E-commerce for the customer benefit in the fashion industry - Dissertation Example h higher volumes of consumers across the world due to high adoption levels of Internet consumption has reduced dependency on decentralized procurement and distribution systems, allowing them to centralize these functions for efficiency, time, and also cost savings. In Sweden, as one example, 90 percent of consumers use the Internet (Entertainment NewsWeekly 2011). In Singapore, younger consumers are buying fashion products via the Internet at a growth rate of approximately 10 percent annually (Ramchandani 2011). In the United States, e-commerce sales are estimated, currently, at $227.6 billion (Steigrad 2011). It is these growth patterns in online fashion consumption that continue to provide new opportunities to compress traditional supply chains to include more efficiency and replenishment for fashion products that have very limited life cycles. Reducing the dependency on traditional collaborations, the newer, unrestricted geographic boundaries imposed by less efficient procurement and distribution systems and even changing consumer trends for purchasing and demand continue to drive new synergies for using e-commerce as a fashion supply model. Research aims and objectives This research project aims to identify how to achieve maximized customer benefit by using e-commerce as a tool to compress the supply chain. Cost-reduction, improved efficiency, streamlined supply chain processes and fashion replenishment will be examined to determine how to gain outputs that lead to customer benefits. The research objectives are as follows: 1. Determine the nature of consumer fashion market demand driving new e-commerce procurement and distribution models. 2. Identify the current e-commerce supply chain models currently finding success in key fashion markets. 3. Determine how... This research project will tackle the issues of e-commerce within the supply chain under the premise that there is no pre-existing template that provides greater benefit to the customer. Thus, the project will be wholly exploratory in design. The traditional agile supply chain methodology involves demand-driven systems. In such a chain, market data and information are exchanged from the business to all layers of the supply chain process in order to forecast and deliver replenishment to meet consumer demand. However, agile supply networks seem to only have this title for their ability to provide merchandise by moving sourcing closer to specific target consumer markets (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood). Even under agile systems, merchandise planning failures have caused price increases on consumer goods, high levels of excess inventories, and significantly lower margins that come from demand uncertainty and collaborative failures within this vast network of procurement and distribution. Why is this? In the sourcing process, considerable investment is included in testing procedures once the textile raw materials have been purchased. All quality assurance processes are different depending on the fashion merchandiser, however it usually includes quality checks of threads, buttons, zipper durability, and testing fabric swatches/samples against existing quality standards templates. The Hong Kong Clothing Company, as one example, boasts an agile supply chain network that includes rigorous quality checks prior to even distributing the raw materials/textiles to the production floor in-house.

Corrections and Additional Issues in Criminal Justice Essay

Corrections and Additional Issues in Criminal Justice - Essay Example The origins of corrections of the United States criminal justice system date back during the early colonization era; this practice was ascribed from European colonizing countries (May et al, 2007). Corrections generally refer to â€Å"the supervision of persons arrested for, convicted of, or sentenced for criminal offenses† (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012). Corrections carry varied functions and are performed by different government agencies, which are involved in imposing social control and lessening crimes through punishment and management of those who are sentenced (Stohr et al., 2008). Further, corrections are delimited to three main functions: (1) imprisonment; (2) parole; (3) probation (Garner, 2009). By and large, any offender is not automatically sent to corrections; â€Å"the first exposure most people have to the criminal justice system is the police† (May et al., 2007) after committing any form of legal violation. Before an offender or suspected offender is forwarded to the corrections, the offender will have to undergo a trial on which he or she is given the chance to defend himself or herself against accusations or alleged suspicions; and to clear his or her name. After being found guilty, the offender is now handed in to the corrections, wherein the offender will have to submit to a punishment. In history, punishments were stern and ruthless. Due to deficient resources to construct buildings in which convicted individuals would be incarcerated, early civilizations resorted to some grave punishments; â€Å"defendants who were found guilty were subjected to corporal punishment (physical punishments such as whippings)†¦ or executed soon after the sentence was imposed† (May et al., 2007). However, less inhumane punishments such as shame was also employed as a form of condemnation. With the progression of time, system of executions has likewise progressed into

Environmental, Health and Safety Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental, Health and Safety - Term Paper Example The term paper "Environmental, Health and Safety" discusses job functions and EHS representative responsibilities related to environmental protection, Worker health and safety, and Environmental protection as seen at Exxon Mobil and Shell Oil and Gas. Both the companies discussed in this paper are incorporated in Texas, USA. Shell environmental job functions entail ongoing effort to uncover ways to help lessen the impact of trade actions all over the world. The company’s environmental professional works in tandem with their business contemporaries across various operations and projects. They also help to sustain the application and development of modern technologies and work together with external partners as well. The EHS representatives of Shell work to avert any incidents that may consequence in leakage of harmful and unsafe substances. The company’s policies have very strong foundations and it also recognizes that a significant oil spill disaster due to company†™s negligence should be dealt by Shell and its representatives. The company outlines prepares and practices disaster management policies in response to events that can create a negative impact on the environment or threaten public safety. Shell’s EHS representatives are committed to mitigating the consequences to the environment and people. The company is passionate about the safety standards both at sea and land. Shell has been working for about over a century in the business of governments, industry shipping bodies and other private stakeholders.

Corrections and Additional Issues in Criminal Justice Essay

Corrections and Additional Issues in Criminal Justice - Essay Example The origins of corrections of the United States criminal justice system date back during the early colonization era; this practice was ascribed from European colonizing countries (May et al, 2007). Corrections generally refer to â€Å"the supervision of persons arrested for, convicted of, or sentenced for criminal offenses† (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012). Corrections carry varied functions and are performed by different government agencies, which are involved in imposing social control and lessening crimes through punishment and management of those who are sentenced (Stohr et al., 2008). Further, corrections are delimited to three main functions: (1) imprisonment; (2) parole; (3) probation (Garner, 2009). By and large, any offender is not automatically sent to corrections; â€Å"the first exposure most people have to the criminal justice system is the police† (May et al., 2007) after committing any form of legal violation. Before an offender or suspected offender is forwarded to the corrections, the offender will have to undergo a trial on which he or she is given the chance to defend himself or herself against accusations or alleged suspicions; and to clear his or her name. After being found guilty, the offender is now handed in to the corrections, wherein the offender will have to submit to a punishment. In history, punishments were stern and ruthless. Due to deficient resources to construct buildings in which convicted individuals would be incarcerated, early civilizations resorted to some grave punishments; â€Å"defendants who were found guilty were subjected to corporal punishment (physical punishments such as whippings)†¦ or executed soon after the sentence was imposed† (May et al., 2007). However, less inhumane punishments such as shame was also employed as a form of condemnation. With the progression of time, system of executions has likewise progressed into

Sprint’s Inflexibility Hindering Growth Essay Example for Free

Sprint’s Inflexibility Hindering Growth Essay Continuous and rapid customer growth is what will make a company successful and key to beating any leading competitors. Unfortunately for the Sprint Corporation, the numbers in customer growth are not where they need to be in order to keep up with their main competition, Verizon, ATT, and T-Mobile. Sprint is quickly losing their old customers faster than they can contract new ones. This lack of growth could be for a number of reasons, but specifically examined are the pricing wars. It isn’t that Sprint is not doing their part in customer satisfaction or keeping up with the changing technology and listening to their customers. Sprint revolutionized the next step in global technology by being the first company to provide 4G to their carriers. So why are they having issues growing their customer base or struggling to even retain the customers they do have? ANALYSIS â€Å"Sprint Corporation provides wireless communications services to consumers, businesses, and government users in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands† (Sprint Corporation Profile, 2014). These are all considered critical customers to the Sprint Corporation. A critical customer is defined as having â€Å"the greatest impact on product design, sales, and future growth opportunities† (Swink et al., 2011, p. 12). It is important that Sprint recognizes that their customers are considered critical customers because they are in a business where the customers shape the product and growth of the company. Having the ‘latest and greatest’ is so important to the materialistic society that is the United States and if a cell phone company cannot keep up with these demands, they will not hold the attention of the customers. â€Å"It is important for operations managers to know what product features and delivery terms critical customers consider important, what they are willing to pay, and what they consider acceptable† (Swink et al., 2011, p. 29). This is where Sprint’s major competitors like ATT and Verizon are beating them. Price is really the bottom line, which is why the once underdog, T-Mobile is fighting to take Sprints number three  position in the cell phone provider rankings. One of Sprint’s current weaknesses is that they are not adjusting to what the critical customer is willing to pay, and it is obvious their clientele does not think the prices are acceptable, hence dropping their Sprint contract and moving to a different company that offers the same coverage, the same products, but for a lower price. This makes Verizon Wireless and ATT the â€Å"order winners† (Swink et al., 2011, 29), that is to say, customers are choosing their offers over Sprint because they offer the lower price. Sprint is a flexible company when it comes to responding to the efficiency to change their product and processes (they are always coming up with new and different data plans and the new â€Å"framily plan†) but they are completely inflexible in adapting quickly to the competitive price environment (Swink et al., 33). Unfortunately, Sprint is far behind its competition and customer growth is suffering. â€Å" Fierce competition in the US operator market led to number three player Sprint reporting a US$1billion loss for the fourth quarter [of 2013] as it experienced the slowest customer growth of the country’s four major carriers† (Handford, 2011 ). They are definitely a strong enough company to retain customers and start growth again; they have the quality products, the nationwide coverage, and the name. However, they are not taking the opportunity to do so. In one quarter, Sprint lost one million contracted customers. Meanwhile, in the same quarter, Verizon wireless added nearly a million customers while ATT racked in another half million (Brown, 2013). The profitability of Sprint has gone down -8.5% while the top two continue to thrive and do well. CONCLUSIONS It is safe to say just about everyone in the United States has a cell phone these days. So which provider do you chose? Verizon, ATT, and Sprint are the top three leading cell phone carriers and all rank in top 100 Fortune 500 companies (â€Å"Fortune 500,† 2013). Sprint has its strengths, there is no doubt they are still a successful company, but their weakness lies within their ability to adjust market prices to satisfy and retain their current customers as well as bring in new clientele. If they have any hopes of beating out Verizon Wireless and ATT and keep T-Mobile off their heels, they will need to adjust their operation management, reevaluate their systems and what they think is important versus what their customers think  is important. If the customer does not think they are getting the best deal they can, they move on. Sprint cannot afford to continue the one million customer decrease per quarter and hope to remain in the business much longer. RECOMMENDATIONS Sprint needs to become more flexible and more focused on matching prices than on anything else at the present time. Price matching is what is hurting the company. Although they are adapting quite well to the changing technology and keeping up with data coverage and especially the leader in 4G LTE, it is not enough. Sprint needs to become more flexible and more focused on matching prices than on anything else at the present time. Price matching is what is hurting the company. Although they are adapting quite well to the changing technology and keeping up with data coverage and especially the leader in 4G LTE, it is not enough. Of course if they were to fall behind in one of these other factions, they would suffer even further. Good data and the newest gadgets are expected by customers. The price matching is what is going to continue to harm the company. Sprint needs to take the opportunity to reevaluate their operations and get on track with the other three major cell phone providers (Verizon Wireless, ATT, and T-Mobile). There was talk of Sprint putting in an offer to merge with T-Mobile and absorb them as they previously did with Nexus. Though that did not work out well with Nexus, it could be beneficial for this merger to take place, for both companies. Both are almost neck and neck with each other, and this could be the push they need to attempt to beat out the big top two. REFERENCES Brown, A. (2013, JULY 13). Sprints problems, brought into new clarity. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2013/07/30/sprints-problems-brought-into-new-clearity-fall-to-billionaire-led-softbank-to-solve/ Fortune 500. (2013). Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/ Handford, R. (2014, February 11). Sprint reports $1b loss as growth suffers. Retrieved from

History of Cricket in India

History of Cricket in India Cricket is religion in India. How many times have we heard that in the news, read that in newspaper, quoted in conversations? Though the National game of India is Hockey but it is cricket that has the Indian publics heart. People follow this game like a religion. People in India might not be aware of Indian Hockey teams captain but they are aware of cricketers playing for the first time in national colours. Corporate houses, politicians, even the media wants to get associated with cricket in one form or the other. This wasnt always the case with cricket. There was a time when cricket was a game only for the royals and the privileged and the common man had no or very little access to it. Cricket was started in India by the British as early as 1791. It wasnt late in the 19th and early 20th century that it was played with a lot more interest. In 1932 India became one of the few counties to be given the right to play international cricket. A lot of people along with the then king of England followed the game. India, along with other countries became a regular in International cricket, but it was an average cricket playing nation. It was followed by a lot of people now, but there was very little media coverage. This might have been due to the poor performance of Indian cricket team during this time. This might also be attributed to the fact that Indian Hockey was at its best during this time racking in medals after medals at Olympics and other International events. In 1983, a shocking turn of events took place; India won the World Cup. They did so by beating the then cricket powerhouse West Indies in the finals. Indian cricket team received a heros welcome. They were the new talk of the town. Everybody wanted to see them, talk about them and know about them. Around this time, television also started making its way into Indian peoples drawing rooms. This is when the media, though limited in its scope, got a chance to bring these cricketers closer to Indian audiences and fans. This was to open a door of endless possibilities which were beneficial for both the parties. This was the first time Indian cricketers started making money through endorsements and sponsorship deals. This trend was started by Sunil Gavaskar. But Media had a big hand to play in it. The popularity of these cricketers was as much due to the coverage of their feats in the newspapers, television news (mainly Doordarshan) and radio. In the 90s two other new changes came which were about to revolutionize cricket and media both. The advent of cable television was about to change how news was viewed and how Indian audiences looked at entertainment. The rise of Sachin Tendulkar also was a phenomenon which brought unlimited money into cricket and cricketers became richer and richer through sponsorship deals and endorsements. In 1995, worldtel signed Sachin Tendulkar for Rs 30 crore, and after this, there was no looking back for cricketers. The beginning of 24 hours news channels saw the start of entertainment and news merging together. The media got too involved in the lives of cricketers and everything a cricketer did was in the limelight. The audience wanted to know everything about their favourite cricketer and the media delivered. This led to the crazy idolization of cricketers when they performed and their fall was even more dramatic whenever they failed. Media was instrumental in shedding light on the match fixing scandal that shook the cricket world. Before that, the cricket world used to talk about it in hush tones and nobody was sure what was going on. But the whole Hansie Cronje incident also brought down many big names and media had a big role in providing evidence against the culprits. Initially the role of the media in Indian cricket was progressive during the transitional period in the Indian cricket, where we were transitioning from an average cricket playing nation to a force to reckon with. But now, the Indian media, in my opinion (particularly the electronic media) does not serve the interest of the people and cricket in general in fact some of it is positively anti-cricket. The Indian media today is busy making profits or helping some political party fulfil a political agenda. Earning money through selling stories about crickets to the masses and bringing controversies like these are not the only motive that media has with cricket. Media often diverts the attention of the people from real issues to non-issues. The real issues in India are socio-economic. Even in cricket the real issues are development based. In olden times emperors used to say if you cannot feed them bread, then give them circus This is what the Indian media is doing today. Nobody would disagree with the fact that a little entertainment in news would not harm anyone, but today the media is overdoing it. Media distracts people from real issues using entertainment and what better way to distract people than cricket. The best example of this would be India-Pakistan relations. The partition of 1947 and the resultant turmoil triggered off hatred, distrust and prejudice in almost every sphere of activity in the sub-continent. Interestingly, it was cricket that formed the first bilateral exchange in 1952 when Pakistan, led by Abdul Hafeez Kardar, toured India, evoking a spontaneous, albeit tense, response. It was reciprocated two years later when India paid the first official visit under Vinoo Mankad, generating an equally sensitive response. Yet since 1947 a cricket conflict brewed simultaneously between the two countries, based on the nationalist antagonism between the two teams and backed by passionate fans on both sides. And even today whenever there is a talk of the Indian and Pakistani dialogue over politics and peace process, it starts with resuming Indo-Pak cricket ties. And thus starts the agenda of distracting the general public from the real issues. Indian public, (not as a generalisation) is not disappointed with the failure in the peace negotiati on as long as we win the cricket match between the two countries. Today Indo-Pak cricket offers a striking case study to see how a political conflict between two states has trickled down to the mass level and saturated the mass psyche to such an extent, that political hostilities are not only played on the Line of Control but also on the cricket field. This mass psyche of a purported nationalist conflict has been also revved by years of state propaganda against the enemy country, which permeated in all forms of interaction and exchange with the enemy be it sports or war. Media often divides people. Be it about bomb blast, Indias Foreign policy or Indias chances in the next cricket world cup. It is healthy for a country and its people to have debates and opposing views, but the way media works in India, we are being fed opinions about how we should think about policies, personalities and situations. Our views and opinions are polarized by the media and we see through their eyes. There was a time when Indian cricketers did not have money, and except for the cricketers playing at the international level, domestic cricketers had to struggle with their career and money. But Indian cricket board became one of the richest sporting bodies in the world. And then came IPL, the country was divided between whether it was fair for cricketers, especially young cricketers starting their careers, to get ridiculous amount of money. Then there was corruption and this heated up the debate even more. IPL was used by politicians, movie stars, corporate houses and media houses as well to their advantage (not taking into account Deccan chronicles recent decline). IPL became a way for everyone to earn money and easy publicity. Media also became a part of this honey pot. Constant coverage of not just cricket but of the cricketers activities, the parties and the over analysis of performances, all became part of what media circus that was IPL. Media has now become so powerful that based on one failure or success it can create stars and make villains. The Ganguly-Chappell controversy was brought to the general public by the media. Something that was supposed to stay in the dressing room was now at the medias disposal. It led to the downfall of both Ganguly as well as Greg Chappell. Media and the players have started to understand how to use each other for their own benefit. Players have started using media to increase their popularity, joining social networking sites, remaining in the public eye. All this gets them bigger and better pay checks. Today the fee these stars charge for a single endorsement is astronomical. Media has had a big role to play in that. Also a lot of players make up some controversy right before they release their autobiography. They leak some controversial part of the book and then media does the rest. But Media also benefits from these cricketers. Players give them sound bites, come as guests for expert opinions, which raises the TRPs of their programs and gets them advertising spots as well. Indian Public has been fed with large amount of information by the 24 hours news channels but the quality and standard of its content have become extremely narrow. The glitz and the glamour of television have taken the Indian viewer by storm. They surf from channel to channel, mindlessly viewing and getting information that they might not need leaving them confused and perplexed and unable to think for themselves and thats when media feeds them information that they want the viewer to take. The amount of money involved in cricket today and the influence it holds over the general Indian public is huge, and that make a very powerful motivator for the media to use cricket as a tool to further its agendas in India and the world.

Do Cleaning Chemicals Clean As Well After They Have Been Frozen :: essays research papers

Do Cleaning Chemicals Clean As Well After They Have Been Frozen Problem:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher is trying to determine whether or not cleaning materials will clean as well if they have been frozen solid and subsequently thawed out until they have returned to a liquid state of matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher will use Dial Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner, Clorox Bleach, and Parson's Ammonia, applied to simple bacon grease, to determine which chemical is least affected by the glaciation. Hypothesis:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The researcher feels that the process of glaciation will degrade the ability of these three household cleaning chemicals to breakdown the most common kitchen cleaning problem - grease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For example, the freezing, thawing, and then freezing again of ice cream puts the substance through the freezing process. The result is a separation of heavy and light substances which breaks down the food. The researcher feels that the same end result may happen with the cleaning materials. Experimentation Test Concept:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to determine weather the glaciation process affected the cleaning chemicals, it is first important to establish its potency prior to freezing. Accordingly, two test sets were created by the researcher. The purpose of the test was to determine how well the chemicals could break down household grease before and after the substances were frozen. The first test set would focus on unfrozen chemicals, while the second was set up for previously frozen chemicals. The Test:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To start the experiment the researcher fried four pieces of bacon until there was enough grease in the skillet to perform the test. He then put a quarter teaspoon of the grease onto two nine by thirteen casserole dishes. Each casserole dish was set up for three frozen and three unfrozen chemical cleaners. A measured amount of cleaner (both frozen and unfrozen) was added to each spot of grease. After approximately two minutes of breaking down the grease, the dishes were raised to a uniform height at one end and the broken down grease was allowed to run. By measuring how far the grease ran, the researcher could then determine how much the cleaner broke down and therefore which cleaner was

Black Rain Essay -- Japan WWI Hiroshima Bombing Atomic Essays

Black Rain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel, Black Rain, is a first hand recall of the events of a man’s life during the bombing of Hiroshima. The main character, Shigematsu Shizuma, is concerned that his niece, Yasuko, will be unable to marry because prospective husbands are scared off due to the fact that she was near the bombing and that her or her children will suffer the effects of this radiation sickness that had already affected so many. In his quest to find a husband for his niece he decides to rewrite his journal of the bombing of Hiroshima. It is his copying of this journal that takes the reader though the treacherous events of the bombing and the effects on his and others’ lives. Mr. Shizuma writes of every detail of the bombing. He describes the bombs blinding white light and the mushroom cloud that followed and he also describes the people. He tells of the strange burns on people’s bodies. He tells of family’s journey back into the city of Hiroshima to try to find lost loved ones. And he tells of the survivors’ struggles as well, from the radiation sickness to the small rations of rice and beans distributed to the people. He also seems very inquisitive about what kind of bomb fell on the city. The journal ends with the surrender of Japan and the book ends with his niece becoming very ill with the radiation sickness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This novel is like many other Japanese stories in that it is not a very happy book. There is no happy ending and the novel is filled with many gruesome de...

Information Technology Strategy

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY Introduction In today’s business environment, organizations are adopting the latest technologies in order to make the organization’s processes more organized and fruitful. There are several various technological tools that have been initiated through the information technology system, which has become very effective for organizations in order to compete in a proper manner. The Human Resource Information Management is one of the major tools from information technology, which is contributing effectively to the human resource functions of an organization.The human resource information management was, in the past, the human resource management system, which now has involved the information technology. There are many other information technology tools available for the organizations which has reduced the workload and increased the output of the organizations. B & J Medical Consulting shall determine the use of information technology in the bus iness organization environment. In addition to this, B & J Medical will provide some brief information of the Cloud Technology concept and how it can contribute to the organizational processes and operations.Utilizing Technology for Businesses The growth in the field of the Internet, the globalization of trade, and the rise of information economies have changed the role of information technology in today’s business and management environment. Information technology can be defined as â€Å"the hardware, software, telecommunication database management and other technologies used to store, process and distribute information. † Through this the business organizations make their operations and processes easier and effective to have maximum growth and success.Information technology has bought many software and tools which reduce the workload of employees and increase their contribution for the organizations. The information technology includes various programs and tools such as information systems, network, and internet technology to name a few, which contributes effectively in today's business organization environment. Organizations in today’s society are involving information technology in order to conduct their maximum work electronically and effortlessly. Information systems are designed to assist managers and orkers in their functions of sales, marketing, manufacturing, production, finance, accounting, and human resources, at all the major working levels of the organization. Through information technology, the managers and workers become more efficient and effective for organization (Laudon, 2004). The sales and marketing information systems helps an organization to identify the potential customers for its products or services and contribute effectively in the development of products and services offered to meet customer's needs.In addition to this, the sales and marketing system can promote the products and services, sell the products and services, and provide ongoing customer support after the purchase. The manufacturing and production systems majorly deal with the planning, development, and production of products and services and helps in management of the flow of production. The finance and accounting systems can keep track of the organization's financial assets and fund flows.The human resources systems maintain employees records; track employees skills, job performance, and training; and support planning for employee compensation and career development. Through the aforementioned response it is clear that there is information system involvement in every part of the organization which is a very important aspect for the organizations and their functions (Burgess, 2002). Today business organizations are using various information technology tools to promote their product and services in various networks.Through e-mails and social media, organizations can reach a maximum number of customers. The social media and e-ma ils has become one of the very effective tools for promoting a product or service in specific market segments or customer segments. Today business organizations can organize various research programs with the help of technology in order to understand the market and customer needs, which ensure that they make the proper marketing strategies. Cloud Technology ConceptThe Cloud technology gives organizations the option of delivery of computing; a metered service rather than a product which keeps track of shared resources, software and information provided to computers and other devices over a network or service provide on the internet. The cloud technology provides computation, data access, software, and storage resources without demanding the cloud users to know the location or other major details of the Cloud computing infrastructure. Through this the cloud users can have required information and data in a less span of time and increase productivity.The end users of internet access th e cloud services through cloud based applications through a web browser or a mobile application. An organization’s business software and data are stored on servers at a remote location. The cloud technology application provides better performance and services to the users even though the software programs were installed locally on the business computers. The internal and external networks would work properly for the business organizations in order to provide better services to their consumers.The cloud technology would contribute effectively in solving various organizational issues in an effective and appropriate manner (Turban, 2007). The concept of cloud technology was initially adopted through Amazon. com, where the organization stored their various programs with the help of technology in order to serve its customers in a better and effective way. Today there are a lot of organizations which is implementing the cloud computing technology for their customers, which has incr eased the quality and performance of their services.Through this the business organizations attract maximum potential customers, which directly contributes to the growth and success of the organization. The Internet provides the primary technology infrastructure for electronic commerce, and electronic businesses. The Internet and other networks have made it possible for businesses to replace manual and paper based processes with the electronic flows of information. Electronic commerce is the process of buying and selling goods electronically with computerized business transaction using the Internet or other digital network technology.B & J Medical Consulting would benefit with the use of Cloud technology for the present needs of the company and the possibilities of expansion in the future. Information Technology Planning Information technology is a kind of discipline in the information technology domain and is majorly concerned with the planning process for information technology in vestments and decision making processes. This process of management planning is quicker, flexible, and more aligned for information technology in an organization.Information technology planning has become a major concept which includes a strategic planning domain. The information technology planning adjusts plans to meet the major business needs of an organization. Without the information technology planning phase, information technology does not understand how it can contribute to the business strategies (Tsai, 2003). Today the security systems in information technology have developed at a fast rate in order to provide adequate security and safety to the business organizations implementing the information technology programs and tools.The major information technology tools can help companies to provide proper privacy to their confidential data and insure the security and privacy of major data resources and information stored on the web. The control process in information technology has become very effective for a business organization to have proper hold on their confidential information. Today’s companies require proper information technology concerns to be addressed in order to prevent any affecting issues such as security breaches or crashes in the system.Conclusion Information technology has changed the way people and businesses operate in today's workforce. All types of business, both large and small, are using information systems, networks and Internet technology to make their business processes happen electronically while striving to achieve new levels of competitiveness, efficiency, and profitability. Through the information technology processes, the workplace has become more productive and errorless.This role of information technology in today's business world and organizations will be a great asset to B & J Medical Consulting to compete in today’s economy and business environment. References: Burgess S. (2002). Managing information tec hnology in businesses: challenges and solutions. Idea Group Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2012 from website http://www. amazon. com/Managing-Information-Technology-Small-Business/dp/1930708351 Laudon, J. (2004). Management Information Systems, (8th Edition). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Tsai H. (2003).Information technology and business process reengineering: new perspectives and strategies. Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from website http://www. amazon. com/Information-Technology-Business-Process- reengineering/dp/1567206328 Turban J. (2007). Information Technology for Management: Transforming organizations in the digital economy, 4Th Ed. John Wiley and Sons. Retrieved May7, 2012 from website http://www. amazon. com/Information-Technology-Management-Transforming-Organizations/dp/0471705225

Buisness opportunity

This document can prove to be a major milestone with regards to the development of a marketing plan for the Electrolux Tumble dryers, a product of an American firm to be launched in the German market. This marketing plan intends to capture the German market with a full laid down disruptive marketing strategy. This marketing plan looks at the present market with all the existing market players in this field, and seeks to identify trends which will influence the market potential in the coming years.It looks at the position of the Electrolux brand in the German market, the strengths and weaknesses of the product under study – Tumble dryer. Moreover, these characteristics will be studied to know their influence on the customer and threats in the marketplace. The analysis of this plan identifies a number of probable target markets whose requirements very closely match by the advantages provided by the Electrolux tumble dryers. Finally the marketing plan will set penetration targets for the product and list down the main strategies that are needed to do so.This report lists down some major points that are needed to make a complete analysis of the American product for the German market. INTRODUCTION The Electrolux group was founded in the year 1910 as Elektromekaniska AB, and changed its name to Electrolux in 1919. The company was a holding company in 1928 and now is an independent company. The company has been highly successful in attracting the international customers, worldwide and has successfully gained a prominent market in the white goods industry.The concerned product – Electrolux is a mature product and reviewers acknowledge that it provides a decent amount of functionality that is needed by consumers. A PROPOSED MARKETING PLAN TEMPLATE A properly developed and executed marketing plan will outline the costs, sales, advertisements and promotional figures of the process of introducing Electrolux tumble dryers in the German market. These types of m arketing plans where disruptive marketing potential is being aimed at, it is better to help customers with less expensive and culturally adaptive products.The marketing plan starts with the thought process about the central business activities that will be involved in the marketing of the product. 1. Who are the potential customers and the targeted customers? 2. How will the company price the product after evaluating the buying potential of the buyer? 3. What are the possible channels, sales and methods that can be employed for the effective marketing of the Electrolux tumble dryers? 4. What is the time frame and plan to spend the marketing plans? A typical structure of a proposed marketing plan for the launch of the product in the German markets is represented below:A. Condition Analysis – In this part, the analysis of the targeted German market is done with references to the following issues. These issues may be related to the geographical image, present German market situa tion, competitive analysis of the different brands present in the German market, German customer or end user analysis, Electrolux tumble dryer product review and its distribution. Environment Analysis 1. German Demographic trends (age, gender, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion, race, nationality) 2.German Economy and Financial trends 3. Technical Backdrops and Trends 4. Political Issues and Laws 5. German Communal Trends 6. Civilizing Trends within the societies 7. Material Supply Trends/Issues 8. Predictable impact of the Internet on the product marketing plan and Industry, both today and in the future Market Situation 1. German Market Situation 2. Size of total German market 3. Growth trend of total German market 4. Key elements that affect the German market scenario Competitive Situation 1. SWOT Analysis (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) 2.Listing down of key competitors and their market position with context to the German scenario 3. Evaluation of the size of the competitors and their revenue analysis 4. The German Market share of each of the key competitors 5. Sales trends of key competitors 6. Strong point of key competitors compared to the product or services. 7. Promotion strategies of key player and their likely impact on your product 8. Unique Selling Proposition of the product that can attract the customer 9. Competitors' likely response to your Advertising/Promotion program and your planned counter- measuresDistribution and Supply Situation 1. To organize an efficient distribution channel 2. significance of each distribution channel in terms of: – Percent of business sales – Development potential – Competitive status B. Goals and Objectives – The marketing plan also aims to define the goals of the company and devising the correct strategy. These include the following: 1. Financial objectives – under this, the following are to be considered: Gross sales, Cost of prod ucts, Gross margins, Net profit and ROI. 2.Marketing objectives – under this, the following are to be considered, sales revenue, total ales, and market share and distribution levels. This will also include a marketing timetable which lists all the marketing, advertising and promotional activities. CONCLUSION By choosing to invest in Germany, the investor would be able to be a pioneer in the international market that US is trying to establish. The investor would enjoy the benefits of low taxes, and easy penetration. The track record of the economic growth of Germany only shows that the company is worth investing in.There is a small risk of rental yields going down for the White goods market, this is because the country is improving on its international market and chances are, more and more people would come in the country. Comparing the risks and the benefits of investing in the German market, it is better to choose to invest than choosing not to. Reference List 1. Economist I ntelligence Unit. 2005. â€Å"Country Profile 2005: Germany †. The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2. Export Development United States 2006. â€Å"Exporting Globally : A Guide for White Goods Businesses †.

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay Example for Free

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay To help your child understand feelings you could do a feeling chart or make a feeling tree in your home. To make a feelings chart just draw out faces with how there expression might be when they are feeling that way an do the expressions yourself when showing them. This will give your child a better understanding of their feelings and how they can express them through facial expressions. For a feeling tree its much the same idea as a feeling card but you just take in a branch from a tree and stick the faces with the expressions on it. this will help a child express themselves when they can’t do it through facial expressions. Buy them some books with plenty of colourful pictures with the theme of friendship and them to them.this will help show them how nice it is to have friends and how to make them and keep them. It is only after the age of three that children can incorperate other children into their playtime activities so at around this age ask other parents if they would like to make a playdate for their child and yours n a regular basis.this will get your child used to other childrens company.you can also talk about what they did together at dinner or quiet time alone and encourage them to do it again. To help your child with communication you need to be a good example to them.talk to them as much as you can about your day and ask how theirs was.even talking about their favourite tv programme would be good as they will be more likely to talk about something that they’re interested in. To teach them about respect you need to set a good example for this as well. Giving them boundaries will also help and treating them with respect will encourage them to do the same to you. Factors that impact/Motivate children Tou tourself have a major impact on your child.they learn from how you react to situations and other peaople and will use this as a guide for themselves. Also the tv programmes that they watch will make an impact on them and can also motivate them to try new things that they wouldn’t of thought of themselves. . Building Positive Relationships in Children. (2016, Dec 08). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

The Principles of Management Communications Used to Successfully Research Paper

The Principles of Management Communications Used to Successfully Achieve Organizational Objectives - Research Paper Example In other words, in an organizational set up, communication has to involve the transfer of meaning and information from managers to employees and vice versa. The information communicated could take a wide range of forms that may involve symbols, words, numbers, and concepts among others. For any conveyed meaning or information to make sense, the receiver of such information has to make meaning from the conveyed elements. Therefore, considering that communication involves making meaning of the sent information, it would follow that organizations that design effective communication policies in their organizational management would perform much better than those with inferior communication strategies. Any organization has to put in place norms standards of communication that would lead to effective communication that result to change within the organization. Management involves the process of directing others to achieve organizational goals. Managers and employees have to be active listeners and pay attention to details for such communication to be effective. Research in Oncology has revealed that effective listening can be accommodating to others, leading to effective communication (Cohn, 2007). For instance, it is necessary to have communication at the same level. In other words, instead of communicating while one is standing, there is a need for both communicators to sit and have an eye-to-eye contact. Gupta (2013) further elaborates the need to have emotional contact expressed through facial or eye-to-eye contact as well as the use of maintaining a cordial relationship through proper tones, gaze or touch during such communication. Cohn (2007) further elaborates the need to av oid prejudgments during communication by allowing the speaker to express themselves fully without interruptions or unnecessary criticism. Moreover, there is a need to show emotional connectedness with the speaker by reflecting back to

Economic Environment of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Economic Environment of China - Essay Example This issue is one of the most sought after topics for the researchers because in the recent years a lot of flexibility has been allowed in the economic system of China. There are several sectors where the private players are being allowed to exist in the market. The stringent restrictions on the property rights of the country have also been relaxed. The paper also analyses the economic systems that the other developed and developing countries have adopted. The comparison of the economic systems provides an insight into the various pros and cons of the set ups that are existent across the world. The fundamental premise for the contention is that the economic structure and the systems of a particular economy are a major determinant of the growth and prosperity of the economy. The world has witnessed the set up of different kinds of economic systems over different eras. There are various countries that have adopted different theories and have tried to implement them into their economies . The economic set up that China, Russia or Poland have followed the socialist structure while that of the US or German Economy have adopted the capitalist set up. In this paper comparison of China has been done with the other countries that work on a different economic model. A variety of economic systems around the world can be observed. In the Capitalist economic system which is alternatively called the market economy, the forces of demand and supply are allowed to operate. The prices and quantities to be sold are determined in the free market and there is no restriction put by the government on the determination of the prices that are sold in the market. Thus the profit or surplus that is earned by the owners of the means of production remains on their hands and the employees or the workers are eligible for salaries or wages (Gardner 27). The economic structure of the United States is of the capitalist type because this ideology has been applied in the economic system of the Uni ted States. In an alternative system that is the Socialist structure of the economy, the entire ownership of the means of the production lies with the government of the country. In this kind of a socialist system the surplus that is derived out of the production of goods and services after the payment of the wages are equitably distributed among the people that constitute the residents of the entire nation. Even the disabled people who directly cannot contribute to the production get an equal share of the surplus as the wage earners are entitled to. The main proponents of the theory of socialism were Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. They believed in the theory of class struggle and the theory of surplus value. A third kind of economic system that has the quality of both the capitalist structure and the socialist structure is the mixed economy. In this kind of an economic structure, the public and the private sector institutions coexist (Conklin 37). The government of such mixed econo mies does not interfere into the activities of the private sector directly but they do have certain restrictions imposed on them in the form of legal and constitutional regulations. The economy of India is an example of mixed economy where there is the coexistence of the private and the government players in the markets. Literature review The

British Airways strategic management Case Study

British Airways strategic management - Case Study Example and Stahl, M.J. (1997, p. 2) that managers of organizations need to anticipate and adapt to change by keeping in touch with the external environment of the organization. The present chapter is focused on British Airways which is one of the world's favourite airlines as it carries more international passengers to more destinations than any other air carriers (Haberberg, A and Rieple, A, 2008:458). Since its establishment in the year 1919, the British Airways has come a long way to be one of the reputed airlines in the world and continuously returning profits at the end of financial years, which most of its competitors are unable to do so. The secret for the success of British airways is attributed to its strategic management decisions (Cole, G.A., 2003:191) and hence the present research is undertaken to study the process of planning, development and implementation of management strategies in order to know the actual success factors like management, human resource, finance, marketing and communication. The British Airways' forerunner company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T) launched the world's first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris, way back on 25th August, 1919 (www.britishairways.com). Presently it is the world's largest international airline and has global flight network through USAir, Qantas, and TAT European Airlines serving 95 million passengers a year using 441 airports in 86 countries and more than 1000 planes. (www.fundinguniverse.com) British Airways Ltd came into existence with the merger of many smaller airlines to form Imperial Airlines which was later nationalized into the present original form. (www.bizcovering.com) Cole A.G. (2003, p.192) states that the company has been able to achieve considerable rate of success all these years just because of its effective strategic management decisions including maintaining a sustained marketing campaign, focusing on the requirements and preferences of business customers which res ulted into development of brands like Concorde, First Class, etc; focusing on the needs of private passengers and tourists, marketing the excellent reputation of the company's safety and engineering aspect, providing effective customer service through the use of information technology, promoting an extensive programme of staff training ensuring the efficiency, productivity and awareness of the employees. The company adopted a strategy of alliance and mergers which was advantageous to provide service to more

Barnabas Medical Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 14

Barnabas Medical Centre - Essay Example 2. The power boundary between Dr. Tony, the Associate Chief Medical Officer, and the departmental managers could jeopardize this process, especially if Dr. Tony opted not to cede power to them to come up with a solution to the problem facing BMC. Â  There could also be a conflict between the departmental managers as they sought to establish how each department influences the other. This was overcome through Dr. Tony’s effective relationship and communications management. Â  3. In this case, leaders encompass all that offered support and facilitation in the process. Dr. Tony exhibited emotional intelligence as a leader, self-motivating and motivating other members of staff towards the realization of the intended goal and showing social awareness. He shared authority and collaborate knowledge. Departmental managers exhibited their active leadership by engaging in the problem-solving process at BMC. Â  4. The factors that made the collaborative effort successful included Dr. Tony’s effective collaborative leadership and his effective management of communications and relationships. His knowledge of BMC’s ED situation and knowledge and skills on healthcare operations also made the collaborative effort successful. Â  1. The leader-followers boundary posed a challenge as the followers (medical staff) could resist the change by their leader, Dr. Till, in adopting the proposed changes. There was also a challenge between the organization and the government, such that, whereas the hospital management seeks to provide the best services to Willow Springs residents, the government cuts the needed financial aid. Â  2. Dr. Till is a leader in this case, having ceded his power to the medical staff to allow them to come with effective solutions for Willow Springs residents. He served as a servant leader by supporting and facilitating the workload with the medical staff.

Alternative fuel for the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Alternative fuel for the USA - Research Paper Example Alternative Fuel for the USA. The requirement for transportation fuels within US is rising. The amount of light-duty automobiles is expected to grow from 28.7 million on-road vehicles during 2010 to 38.7 million by the year 2025.The requirement for transportation fuels within US is rising. The amount of light-duty automobiles is expected to grow from 28.7 million on-road vehicles during 2010 to 38.7 million by the year 2025. Unless people transform their habits, petroleum will remain the key source of the transportation fuels for the predictable future, and as demand, carries on to increase and in-state as well as Alaskan fuel supplies lessen, US will depend more and more on overseas imports of crude oil (Riley & Chee, p. 192). Almost 100 percent of the country’s transportation system is presently fueled by fossil fuels. Going toward a further varied choice of fuels and sustaining the development of higher competence vehicles are two of the objectives of the state's plans. Bei ng the fifth largest financial system in the world, California is a state that moves on energy. Each day, people spend â€Å"$ 24 million for natural gas, $ 84 million on electrical energy, and $ 84 million for petrol and diesel† (Hordeski, p. 183). The State has sustained the growth of alternative transportation fuels (apart from petrol or diesel) since the establishment of the ‘California Energy Commission’ during 1975. ... ption of non-petroleum fuels to 30 percent of on-road fuel utilization by 2025 and 40 percent by 2030, supported by known policies that are feasible as well as cost effective (Stan, p. 299). US is already home to a increasing amount of alternative fuel vehicles as a result of the combined attempts of the ‘Energy Commission’, ‘California Air Resources Board’, local air regions, national government, transportation agencies, utilities, in addition to other civic as well as personal entities. Over 59000 automobiles, transit buses, and trucks presently function on natural gas and LPG, together with over 11000 electric vehicles. US as well have hundreds of fueling stations providing a range of non-petroleum fuels (Bartis et al, p. 55). However, increasing the consumption of these fuels faces considerable doubts such as the accessibility of latest vehicle expertise, the rate and accessibility of new fueling infrastructures, and approval of these fuels by customers. At present, the ‘Energy Commission’ is functioning with stakeholders of different alternative fuels. These stakeholder’s operational groups have contributed in informal studies to recognize the major barriers that exist to creating a more vigorous alternative fuels marketplace within US and to give advice to overcome or alleviate those barriers (Halderman & Martin, p. 33). The accomplishment of modern attempts to introduce electric vehicles into the marketplace will mostly be determined by the capacity of vehicle producers to persuade customers that these vehicles characterize a practical and competitive substitute to the conventional vehicle. Electric vehicles and power trains offer an immense prospect to reengage clientele with automobiles as manufactured goods. Electric vehicles provide enhanced

Yoga Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Yoga Philosophy Essay Most of the time when people think about yoga they simply imagine contorting their bodies into strange and awkward positions in hopes of keeping themselves in shape. I have to admit that I was one of those people. However, I have come to understand that the art of yoga is much more complex than I had ever imagined. This form of exercise, that I thought was restricted to famous people attempting to keep there movie star physiques, is becoming an epidemic among modern society. Yoga is much more than contorting your body into strange and somewhat un-normal positions. Mind and Body explains that â€Å"Yoga is both philosophic and metaphysic conditioning. † This art is also a general name for the controls and techniques that are used to create mythically the perfect body, mind, and spirit. Along with the above definition of yoga, we must look at it as one of the six systems of Indian philosophy â€Å"Darshanus†, meaning viewpoint or vision from the root (Hewitt). Yoga differs from all other systems because it is not content on the metaphysical knowledge, but has devised and presented practical techniques that allow intellectual understanding and can be reinforced by experimental knowing. The fundamental principle of Yoga philosophy is that nothing exists beyond the mind and its consciousness. The objective of this philosophy is to dig up misconceptions about the existence of external realities from the minds of men. It believes that it is possible to reach this stage of self realization through regular practice of yogic meditative processes that bring complete withdrawal or detachment from all false sources of knowledge and exposes an inner sense of balanced calm and tranquility (Mind and Body). The sense of meditative healing and yogic philosophy works on the five states of the mind, the five modifications of the mind, and the nine impediments of the mind. To begin the philosophy exposes the five states of the mind which include; disturbed, confused, distracted, concentrated, and completely balanced. â€Å"The first three stages are causes of impediment to the mind and are considered negative. † says Hewitt. The last two stages of mind are positive and engaging to meditation. Various yogic practices are designed for achieving these two particular states of mind. The yogic philosophy also breaks down the forms of thought or modifications of the mind into fives stages. These stages include; comprehension, misunderstanding, conceptualization, deep sleep, and memory. The knowledge gained from either sensory or inner perception, inference, or verbal authority is all considered to be true knowledge according to yoga. However deep sleep, conceptualization, and memory are looked at as negative modifications to the mind in particular forms. (Mind and Body) Last are the nine impediments of the mind that define the yogic philosophy. Sickness, incompetence, doubt, delusion, fatigue, overindulgence, confusion, lack of perseverance, and regression are all results of the modifications to the mind and forms of thought. These nine conditions are the greatest causes of all sorrows, miseries and pain, which disturb the mind and result in distractions and loss of mental tranquility. Knowing all this changes my entire outlook on yoga. I understand that this art that people engage in is much more complex than simply body positions and the humming that I often associated with this practice. The philosophy of yoga encompasses all the elements of mind, body, and spirit. References Mind Body Focused. August 29, 2008 . Claire, Thomas. Yoga for Men : Postures for Healthy, Stress-free Living . Franklin Lakes: The Career Press, 2004. Hewitt, James. The Complete YOGA Book. London : Hutchison Publishing Group Limited, 1977.

Climate Of Lahore And Thermal Comfort Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Of Lahore And Thermal Comfort Environmental Sciences Essay Chapter 2 2.1 Introduction Climate has great effect on building for its electricity consumption and building performance. Energy efficient design requires the consideration of the climate. The overall heating and cooling requirements in the buildings is controlled by climate during summer and winter season. As we have selected our site in Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab and kala shah kaku is located in Lahore region therefore the description of the climatic data of Lahore region is given below. 2.2 Climatic classification: Climate can be classified in terms building design in which the country will be divided into five zones in such a way that the difference of climate from zone to zone can be seen in the building design, gauranting some special provision for each zone. Based on these criteria, there are five major climatic zones, Hot-dry Hot-humid Cold Temperate Composite Types of climate Typical Characteristics Cold Excessive heat loss for most of the year Minimum Temperature: below -15  °C Temperate Excessive heat lost for part of year Inadequate heat loss for part of year Temperature changes: -30  °C to 30  °C Hot/Dry Overheating for most part of the year Dry air allow evaporation Temperature ranges: -10  °C to 45  °C High radiation Strong Winds Hot/Humid Overheating for most of year Humid air inhibits cooling Temperature often above 20 C Mean relative humidity around 80 % High rainfall in certain months Table 2.1 typical characteristics of different types of climates 2.3 Climatic zones of Pakistan: Pakistan has a wide range of climatic conditions. The Northern and North- Western parts of Pakistan are cooler, the centre of the Punjab is extremely hot and semi-arid, and the Baluchistan is cool and arid whereas the coastal strip is warm and humid. In cold regions, during the winter temperature drops well below the zero. In the desert regions, the maximum temperature remains above 40 °C during most of the summer period; with a peak often approaching 50 °C.The climatic regions have been divided based on various criteria. Fig 2.1 map of climatic zones of Pakistan 2.4 Climate of Lahore Region: Lahore lies 217 meters above sea level and it lies between 31 °15 and 31 °45 North latitude and 74 °1 and 74 °39 East longitude. On the North and West Lahore is bounded by Sheikhupura district, Wagah surrounds Lahore on east, and on the south of Lahore there is Kasur District. The river Ravi flows on the North of Lahore. Lahore city has a total land area of 404km2. The Lahore region comes under the normal composite zone, according to climatic zone map. It lies near the hot dry zone and in summer the wind direction is such that the wind blows northeast towards southwest of the city affecting the climate of Lahore region. The effect of hot dry zone starts from March and remains till September as the wind direction is southwest which means from hot dry zone towards Lahore region. The main features of this season are that the winds blown are hot and full of dust during the daytime but are cooler in night. Throughout the day very strong wind blows. The climate of Lahore region can be divided into the following broad categories: 2.4.1 Hot and dry: Hot and dry weather is found in the months of March and April. In these months the air is dry with the clear sky and no sea breeze to check the excessive heat as the Lahore region is located more than 1000 km from the nearest sea, the temperature rise is sharp. In the mid-March the maximum temperature reaches up to 90 F and till the middle of April temperatures reaches up to 100 F. Due to clear sky, nights are cooler having the average temperature of nearly 65 F (18  °C). The rainfall is very less in this duration. 2.4.2 Very hot and dry: In the months of May and June the weather of Lahore is very hot and dry and the heat is at its peak in these months. In the second week of May, the temperature reaches up to 110 F (43  °C).The heat is oppressive, humidity level is low with very hot and dry wind which is called loo in local language blowing most of the time. The month of June still remains hotter with the temperature sometimes reaching to 119 F (48  °C). However in June due to intense low pressure created by the extreme heat, sometimes some moisture from Arabian Sea finds its way to this region and causes rain which for the brings the temperature down temporarily. 2.4.3 Hot and wet: The months of July to September are rainy. Monson clouds travel from the Bay of Bengal and after traveling about 100 km over India reaches Pakistan and enter Lahore from the South- East. This rain system in these months called Monsoons. This is a regular characteristic of the Punjab, in this country. The weather is cool and pleasant when it rains, otherwise hot and humid. Although the temperature decreases significantly, from nearly 106 F ( 41  °C ) just before the monsoons starts in Lahore to about 95 F ( 35  °C ) but as the monsoon arrives there is the increase in the relative humidity which increases from less than 25% to more than 65%. The high temperature along with the excessive humidity makes the weather very exhausting. Moreover sometimes the rain falls with such an avalanche that it drowns the low lying area and people have to undergo great hardships so this weather is a mixed blessing. 2.4.4 Warm and dry: Warm and dry weather remains in the months of October and November. Since the monsoon stops at the end of September, the weather again becomes dry again but the temperature is considerably less hot this time. The dry continental air remains in the region. The temperature is moderate to warm during days whereas the weather is cooler in nights. The average high temperature is nearly 85 F (29  °C) and at night due to dry air temperatures it can decrease to 53 F (12  °C) especially at the end of October or early November. There is no rain in this season and this season is the driest season as compared to other seasons. This extreme dryness creates a lot of dust and haziness which results in pollution in the environment. 2.4.5 Cool and dry: The most pleasant months of all are December January February in Lahore. This is the most perfect weather of Lahore. The peak high temperature is nearly 68 F (20  °C) and the peak low temperature is nearly 41 F (6  °C). The climate remains cool, refreshing and sunny. However sometimes, a rain bearing system known as western disturbance which has its source in Mediterranean Sea affects the Lahore region and causes rain. But the rain is not so heavy neither it remains for a long duration. So the weather most of the times remains sunny, dry and refreshing. In fact, the climate of Lahore is hot and dry for the maximum period of the year with a short winter period with very refreshing weather. 2.5 Climatic indicators of Lahore: The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in Lahore which is based on 8 years of historical weather readings. Temperature in: Fahrenheit Table 2.2 average monthly climate indicators in Lahore 2.6 Hot dry climate: The hot dry equatorial land lying between the two mean annual isotherms of 68 °F (20 °C) has regions where the temperature during the summer season may reach 43.3 °C or may exceed and the vapor pressure is below 25millibars. 2.6.1 Elements of hot dry climate: 1 Seasonal variation 2 Air temperature 3 Humidity 4 Precipitation 5 Wind 6 Sky conditions and solar radiation 7 Dust storm 2.6.1.1 Seasonal variation: In these regions there are two major seasons; hot season winter Fig 3.2 Monthly averages of the minimum and maximum daily temperatures.  °C/ °F 2.6.1.2 Air temperature: The main features of the climate are temperature remains high during the day 80-130 °F (26.67-54.44 °C) in the summer months along with strong sunlight reflecting pitilessly from light dry and parched earth. There is however a big difference between summer and winter temperatures due to the varying altitude of sun. During winter the day temperature is usually as high as 90 °F (32.22 °C) but the temperature is quite low at nights ,whereas during summer the temperature goes down to 50 °F(10 °C) compared with 70F (21.11C) at night. 2.6.1.3 Humidity: Humidity remains low, Relative humidity varies with the air temperature. It can go below 20% in evening to over 40% at night. V.P fairly steady changing with location and season from about 500-1500 N/m2 2.6.1.4 Precipitation: The amount of rainfall or precipitation is generally noted as the average mm/day or mm/month which provides a beneficial indication regarding seasonal changes. Usually, average maximum rainfall in 24 hours or the average number of days in which a certain amount (in cm.) of rainfall happened is also given. This data is beneficial as an indicator of the rain intensity, which will affect the design of windows, roofs and sewerage etc. July and August are the months in which most rainfall occur, whereas June and September also have some rainy days. For the rest of the year, hardly any rain fall occurs in Lahore. Based on temperatures and precipitation data, during the hot and rainy season it is not advised to go between June and September. The rest of the year is dry with temperate daytime temperatures. Fig 3.3 Precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the weather. 2.6.1.5 Sky conditions and solar radiations: The skies are without clouds for the most of the period of the year where as frequent dust haze and storms occur mostly in the afternoon. Direct solar radiation is severe and is amplified by radiation reflected from the barren and light colored landscape. Fig 3.4 Monthly average numbers of hours of sunshine per day. 2.6.1.6 Wind: Winds are mostly native; they are generally low in the morning however increasing towards afternoon and are maximum in the afternoon, most commonly accompanied by whirlwinds of dust and sand. 2.6.1.7 Dust storms: Dust storms mostly occurs on summer afternoons which is the most intolerable part of the day , when routine winds blow at 15-220 miles per hour. These dust storms also occurs in other parts of the day i.e. in the evening and nights. 2.7 Climatic design of building: Climate has a great effect on building performance and electricity consumption of the building. The process of recognizing, deducing and controlling climatic effects at the building is perhaps the most difficult part of building design. The main objectives of climatic design of building should include: To minimize electricity cost of a building. To take benefit of maximum of natural energy instead of mechanical system and electricity. To provide comfortable and healthy environment for inhabitants. 2.8 Factors affecting climatic design: The native micro-climate and site factors influence the actual environmental conditions of the building. Some important factors related to site should be included while making the climatic analysis: Topography- elevation, slopes, hills and valleys, ground surface conditions. Vegetations height, mass, silhouette, texture, location, growth patterns. Built forms nearby buildings, surface conditions Important thermal design factors which should be considered include: solar heat gain, conduction heat flow and ventilation heat flow. The design variables in architectural terms which are important to be considered are: Shape surface-to-volume ratio; orientation; building height. Building fabric materials and construction; thermal insulation; surface qualities; shading and sun control. Fenestration the size, position and orientation of windows; window glass materials; external and internal shading devices Ventilation air-tightness; outdoor fresh air; cross ventilation and natural ventilation. 2.9 Thermal comfort: There is no approved standard for thermal comfort. This is not astonishing, as people can and do live in a wide range of climates from the equator to high latitudes. An Internationally- accepted definition of thermal comfort, used by ASHRAE, is that condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment (ISO7330). Perceptions of this environment are influenced by air temperature, radiant temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, activity and clothing. Fig 3.5 achieving comfort in buildings 2.9.1 The comfort zone: The Comfort Zone means the range of temperature conditions of air movement, humidity and exposure to direct radiations, under which a normally clothed person feels comfortable. This will differ for Indoor conditions as compared to Outdoor conditions. This will also vary for different cultures and regions and varying climate conditions. As an Architects we use our buildings to not only create comfortable inside environments, but also aesthetical and beneficial spaces outside our buildings. 2.9.2 Thermal comfort index: A thermal comfort index serves the objective to evaluate the effect of environmental factor on the thermal feeling of inhabitants. Number of methods have been used in the previously to evaluate the thermal comfort level. However it is not possible to gratify every person in a building and a small number of persons are always discontented with the thermal environment due to individual variations. Several efforts have been made to produce a subjective and quantitative way of representing the thermal comfort. Thermal comfort condition in tropical summer conditions is given by Sharma and All at the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India. The ranges and optimum values are given in table. Thermal sensation Range  °C Optimum value  °C Slightly cool 19-25 22 Comfortable 25-30 27.5 Slightly warm 30-34 32 Table 3.3: temperature ranges in different thermal zones 2.9.3 Optimal settings for indoor temperature: Researchers have carried out much research on the most suitable comfort conditions, and have come up with general comfort results like effective warmth, the recent comfort standards set by ASHRAE (American society of heating, refrigerating and air condition engineers) for an individual performing light work are: Thermal comfort conditions: Air temperature 73-77 F Relative humidity below 60 % Mean radiant temp equal to air temperature Air velocity 10-45 ft/min