Research Papers

E. W. Clay’s Life in Philadelphia Series During the 1830’s, among the antislavery protest, freeborn blacks of Philadelphia represented the wealthiest and most educated group of African Americans in the country. They established their own schools, churches, and even a social order. Associated to the cultural and social economic status, African American clubwomen of Philadelphia were greatly ridiculed in racially prejudiced cartoons such as E. W. Clay’s popular â€Å"Life in Philadelphia† series. E. W.Clay was inspired to make these series by George and Robert Cruikshank who had published a â€Å"Life in London† series. His late 1820s feature series â€Å"Life in Philadelphia† fight with who African Americans could be in the social world; a world that relied on race and slavery as powerful signs of inequity. His response was brutally racist: in Philadelphia, those African Americans who took on the frills of urban life were strained and out of p lace. Clay’s analysis came in the form of fourteen engraved plates, a series that was one part observation, one part artistry, and one part imagination.Clay’s series presented American spectators a cruel portrayal of black figures that offered an exaggeration in overdressed clothing and proportions, awkward poses, and thus failed to measure up to the demands of freedom and citizenship. In Clay’s cartoons, not only was their style being ridicule but their language as well. In his 1828 â€Å"Is Miss Dina at home? † cartoon he mocks the person by declaring that an African American with a business card is simply a laughable concept. Blackness, as illustrated by Clay, provided his free black subjects mistaken aspirants, were always controlled by incomparable distinction.Clay’s varieties of drawings were inspired by the way some of the African American women had started to carry themselves out. They added a touch of certain things, that perhaps were not permissible by their society, and it made them give the impression trying to be different. They might have imitated their middle-class etiquette and their ways of life, but they always overreached, or as one of Clay’s characters put it, â€Å"aspire too much†. This series of cartoons were an observation that everything they did was taken as a joke.Clay was not the only American caricaturist active during the Jacksonian era, but he was the first American artist to specialize in political caricature. His work was pointed towards African Americans; therefore in the south it was pointless for southern whites to purchase these images. The south already had slavery and was establishing social perimeters. Nevertheless, many people still bought his cartoons. The early success of Clay’s images is example to his ability to tap into the nations fears and appeal with the dilemma on slavery and in abolition.His â€Å"Life in Philadelphia† etchings mocked the fancy dre sses, their manners, and dialects of Philadelphians, white and black. Today these images are often used as basic examples of discrimination against blacks. However, an inspection shows humorous, theatrical pictorial satire, grounded in Philadelphia culture just before the rise of the Abolition Movement. Clay’s work shows that he reserved that right to comment on events and personalities regardless of political affiliation as well as the right to change his mind on issues. Although Clay’s point of view varies from topic to topic, he did not always follow a party line in his caricatures.

Reaction Paper in Food and Nutrition Essay

1. What are the dishes served at World Buffet? Group these dishes according to its main nutrients. Different foods are served at World Buffet just like a Japanese cuisines like sushi, maki and tempura. There are also western foods that are served at World Buffet just like US Roast Beef, Spanish Paella and Mexican Burritos. All of them are examples of foods that are served in a World Buffet. Desserts are also present in a World Buffet and these sweets are cakes, candies, brownies, fruit salads, and many more. Drinks are also there to make you feel refreshed and they different kinds of beverages like water, smoothies, shakes, juice, lemonades and green tea to lessen the â€Å"umay† (sorry ma’am there is no English word for this). 2. What dishes did you enjoy eating and why? When I heard of global cuisine, I assumed that there will be plenty of food to select from, and I’m right. They offer dishes from different countries around the world. When we got there, there’s a long line of people, in short we must line-up also. So after minutes of waiting we already got our table. We just place our bags in our chairs and ready to get our foods. When we are getting our foods we don’t know what to get because of so many choices from Japanese foods, Italian, Chinese, American, etc. I like the turkey so much, the lamb also taste good. Fruit shake especially four season is so refreshing!! The desserts are also delicious. Tempura is also good and their kebabs. They also have the grilling station where you can choose raw fish or meat and they will grill that for you and deliver right at your table. We had a great time on our visit. I want to come back again and try the dishes I didn’t eat. 3. Knowing what food/dishes you ate trace what happened to all nutrients in your meal from mouth to gastrointestinal tract. Carbohydrates: The digestible carbohydrates are broken into simpler fragments by enzymes in the saliva, in juice produced by the pancreas, and in the lining of the small intestine. Starch is digested in two steps. First, an enzyme in the saliva and pancreatic juice breaks the starch into molecules called maltose;  then an enzyme in the lining of the small intestine splits the maltose into glucose molecules that can be absorbed into the blood. Glucose is carried through the bloodstream to the liver, where it is stored or used to provide energy for the work of the body. Table sugar is another carbohydrate that must be digested to be useful. An enzyme in the lining of the small intestine digests table sugar into glucose and fructose, each of which can be absorbed from the intestinal cavity into the blood. Milk contains yet another type of sugar, lactose, which is changed into absorbable molecules by an enzyme called lactase, also found in the intestinal lining. Protein: Further digestion of the protein is completed in the small intestine. Here, several enzymes from the pancreatic juice and the lining of the intestine carry out the breakdown of huge protein molecules into small molecules called amino acid . These small molecules can be absorbed from the hollow of the small intestine into the blood and then be carried to all parts of the body to build the walls and other parts of cells. Fats: The first step in digestion of a fat such as butter is to dissolve it into the watery content of the intestinal cavity. The bile acids produced by the liver act as natural detergents to dissolve fat in water and allow the enzymes to break the large fat molecules into smaller molecules, some of which are fatty acids and cholesterol. The bile acids combine with the fatty acids and cholesterol and help these molecules to move into the cells of the mucosa. In these cells the small molecules are formed back into large molecules, most of which pass into vessels near the intestine. These small vessels carry the reformed fat to the veins of the chest, and the blood carries the fat to storage depots in different parts of the body. Vitamins: The large, hollow organs of the digestive system contain muscle that enables their walls to move. The movement of organ walls can propel food and liquid and also can mix the contents within each organ. Typical movement of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine is called peristalsis. The action of peristalsis looks like an ocean wave moving through the muscle. The muscle of the organ produces a narrowing and then propels the narrowed portion slowly down the length of the organ. These waves of narrowing push the food and fluid in front of them through each hollow organ.

Nx448 Business Game Report

Contents Part 1 Introduction3 1. 1 Business Objective3 Part 2 Company Performance4 2. 1 Round 14 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysis4 2. 2 Round 26 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy6 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast7 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis7 2. 3 Round 38 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy8 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast9 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis9 2. 4 Round 49 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy9 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast10 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis10 2. 5 Key Performance Indicators11 2. 6 Performance Evaluation Comments12 Part 3 Learning14 3. 1 Financial Management14 3. 2 Human Resource Management15 3. 3 Operation Management16 3. Marketing Management17 Part 4 Team Performance18 4. 1 Team18 4. 1. 1 Management Team18 4. 1. 2 Decision-making Process19 4. 1. 3 Leadership19 4. 1. 4 Team Role19 4. 2 Individual20 4. 2. 1 My Contribution20 4. 2. 2 My learning about effective teamwork and decision making20 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance21 Part 5 Conclusion21 Part 6 Reference22 Part 7 Appendices23 7. 1 Design and Options23 7. 2 Warranty Cost24 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators25 Part 1 Introduction This report will give a clear analysis and explanation of the company performance during the business game.Learning about four main business functional areas (Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource) will be discussed in part 3. Team performance and individual assessment will be critically evaluated in part 4. 1. 1 Business Objective Moon Star Motors aims to provide customers with the ability to own a car and lead the customers to experience comfort and quality at an affordable price. We intend to create a distinctive place in the market for our products and build up brand value of quality and reliability in the mind of customers.The initial business objectives set up by management team is: * Increase sales annually * Maximise our profit * Sell out 98% of our cars for every round * Obtain 16% return on investment by the end of round 4 | City Car – TIKI| Large Car – C RUISER| Total| Forecast Production (Units)| 85,000| 35,000| 120,000 | Sales Income (? m)| 850| 833| 1,683| Post Tax Profit (? m)| -| -| 20| Bank Balance before Loan (? m)| -| -| -74| Closing Bank Balance (? m)| -| -| 26| Table 1. 0 Forecast for year 1 Part 2 Company Performance 2. 1 Round 1 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysisUnsold stock In round 1, we forecast to sell out both TIKI and CRUISER. However, only 80% of TIKI is sold, with 17,393 units left. We concluded three main reasons as following: * Supply over demand. We are over confident to sell big volumes with low price, but the market actually reached saturation. * Unattractive and inflexible options. In order to maintain low material cost, we only offer two options for customers to select. It might affect the popularity of our TIKI and make it less competitive compared with other car manufacturers. * Not enough promotion.We invested 23 million on market promotion via television and internet, which is about ? 200for every single car . We didn’t invest too much for this round because we want to firstly evaluate the effect of advertisement. Net profit We forecast 20 million net profits and actual figure is minus 116 million. This is mainly due to the large amount of unsold stock and ineffective pricing strategy. The total contribution is unable to recover our fixed cost. In other words, the break-even point is set up too high and our sales volume did not reach BEP.Meanwhile, some overheads such as professional charges and warranty claims are not properly calculated. Gross margin The difference between forecast and result for gross margin of TIKI and CRUISER is 3. 21% and 7. 08% respectively. It is mainly caused by the unexpected extra direct cost. For example, the worker strike increase our labor cost of both models and the option take-up is more than our estimate. Market share Our target market share is 1. 5% for TIKI and 1. 2% for CRUISER. We sold out all our CRUIER and hit the large car sales target. Ho wever, market share for TIKI is around 0. % less than we expected due to our unsold stock. 2. 2 Round 2 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy New Pricing Strategy The management team decided to adapt average pricing strategy in round 2 for two main reasons: * We already access successfully to target market. * Low price high volumes strategy did not make profit. Sales income must be increased in order to recover all overheads in this round and most of the loss in previous round. Based on this, TIKI gross margin increased 2% to 14. 24%, while CRUISER gross margin increased 4. 3% to 25. 25%. ProductionProduction for TIKI in this round has to decrease due to 17,393 units in stock, and we try to sell them out in round 2. Meanwhile, results of round 1 indicated that CRUISER won thepopularity in the market so we intend to increasethe production by 10,000 units. Based on the production adjustment and market predictions, the market share of CRUISER will increase from 1. 2% to 1. 5%, while TIKI maintains 1. 2% market share. Under this situation, our forecast sales will reach ? 2058 million in round 2. Redundancy The harshest decision made by management team is to cut down 574 workers.Even though we understand this have negative effects on industrial relations, it is far beyond our business objective to over produce the cars and keep unsold stock by the end of the year. Therefore, we forecast a 2. 4 million of redundancy cost within total overheads. 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast round 2 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 51,000 | 45,000 | 96,000 | selling price ? | 11,800 | 27,800 |   | gross margin %| 14. 24%| 25. 25%|   | sales income ? m| 807| 1,251 | 2,058 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 262| post tax profit ? |   |   | 82| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 12| 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis There are three main differences between round 2 forecast and results: (1) production (2) Sales (3) pre-tax profits. Production Production (units)| TIKI| CRUISER| tota l| Target| 51,000| 45,000| 96,000| Actual| 49,668| 44,467| 94,135| Difference| | | 1,865| Our target production is 96,000 units but we actually produced 94,135 units, with 1,865 units missing. This is mainly because the redundancy decision initiated serious worker strike, which is recorded as 41 days in our company report. Thus, the actual production did not hit our target.Sales Sales (? m)| Total| forecast| 2,058 2,058 | actual| 2,017 | difference| 41 41 | The discrepancy between forecast sales and actual sales is 40 million. We have 387 units CRUISER in stock which could increase our sales by 11 million if we can sell them out. And we will get 29 million more if we are able to hit the target production of 96,000 unites and sell them up. Pre-tax profit The actual pre-tax profit is less than the forecast due to wrong calculation on current account interest and loans interest. We have closing bank balance of minus 270 million last round.According to overdraft facility, we forecast to pay 11% of 270 million as overdraft interest which is around 30 million, but it actually is 15% of that amount and cost us 40 million. Besides, an extra 8 million is deducted as the interest of 100 million bank loans of round 1 and is ignored when we did financial forecast. 2. 3 Round 3 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy Personnel Decisions Management team decided to maintain the size of workforce and to increase wages by 8% and training investment by 25% in order to improve worker satisfaction and commitment, especially after we suffer a great loss caused by 41 days strike.We hope to effectively control the strike in this round and expect the improvement of productivity. Automation Investment Management team made a decision of doubling the automation investment due to two main reasons. Firstly, it is recognized that automation can effectively increase the productivity and decrease the high wage bill. Secondly, the profit we made in previous round increases our confidence and financial capa city to introduce new equipment. 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast round 3 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 65,500 | 40,500 | 106,000 | selling price ? 12,270 | 28,600 |   | gross margin %| 15. 25%| 28. 98%|   | sales income ? m| 804| 1,169 | 1,973 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 281| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 118| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 158| 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Gross profit Gross Profit| forecast| actual| difference| Sales (? m)| 1,973| 1,973|    0| cost of sales (? m)| 1,512| 1,577|    65| gross profit (? m)| 461| 396| 65| The actual gross profit is 65 million less than our forecast, even though our sales reach the target. This is mainly caused by exceeded materials costs.It is indicated on company report that design and options cost for CRUISER is ? 7572 per unit, but we only count it as ? 6186 when we forecast. In this situation, we are charged ? 1386 more for producing every CRUISER. It reflects that the options we offer to cust omers are of great popularity and we should enlarge option take-up percentage when doing the material cost forecast for next round. 2. 4 Round 4 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy Sales target Encouraging by the good financial performance of last round, management team decided to increase the sales by 32% in round 4 in order to further satisfy our shareholders.However, we do not plan to increase the gross margin for both models because we guarantee customers of good value for money. Thus, we expect the high volumes sales bring us profit. Design and options To make our cars competitive, we add more options to both models for customers to choose based on the popularity indicators (see appendix). Since the very beginning, both 3/5 door hatch with small engine (city car) and MPV with diesel engine (large car) are most popular designs for our target age group. So, the adjustment is focused on the alternative options. Promotion ExpenditurePromotion expenditure will increase by 34% to ? 40 million. This decision is made by management team with attempt to make our products sold better. Market predictions indicated that city car market and large car market will shrink by 12% and 9% respectively. That is to say, risk of keeping stock is high if we increase our production in round 4. Thus, we hope the promotion and advertisement could help reduce that risk. 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast round 4 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 70,000 | 44,550 | 114,550 | selling price ? 13,900 | 26,800 |   | gross margin %| 15. 34%| 30. 73%|   | sales income ? m| 973| 1,639 | 2,612 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 308| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 235| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 412| 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Unsold Stock We expect to achieve zero closing stock but actually have 12,853 units unsold which worth ? 246 million. As a result, we are unable to reach target sales, post-tax profit and target market share. Market Share| TIKI| CRUISER| round 3 result| 1. 20%| 1. 51%| round 4 target| 1. 46%| 1. 80%|After evaluation, we conclude two possible reasons which contribute to this result: * We over estimate our capacity and are hurry to expand the market share. As shown on the table, we increase 0. 26% for TIKI and 0. 34% for CRUISER. It seems better if we execute market expansion step by step. * The competitors’ price might have negative impact on our sales. In final round, in order to offer more alternative choices and high quality experience to customers, we added more popular and high cost options for both TIKI and CRUISER, which increase our direct cost per car and make it hard to decrease the selling price. . 5 Key Performance Indicators Performance indicators| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| Sales | 1509 | 2017 | 1973 | 2274 | Sales growth (decline) %| -| 34%| -22%| 15%| Cost of sales| 1333 | 1599 | 1577 | 1700 | Cost of sales ratio %| 88%| 79%| 80%| 75%| Profitability| Gross profit margin %| 12%| 21%| 20%| 25%| Operating profit %| -7%| 6%| 6%| 12%| Net profit %| -8%| 3%| 5%| 9%| Return on assets %| -24%| 12%| 14%| 26%| Return on investment %| -23%| 21%| 18%| 36%| Liquidity| Current ratio| 0. 64| 1. 26| 3. 52| 3. 24| Quick ratio| 0. 13| 1. 1| 3. 52| 1. 45| 2. Performance Evaluation Comments In general, sales increased from ? 1509 million in round 1 to ? 2274 million in round 4 – an increase of 51%. Over this period, we did not launch any new model and enlarge the sales volumes too much. The main reason for sales increase is the growth of our selling price. Direct cost of sales decreased yearly from 88% in round 1 to 75% in round 4. Even though inflation raises material costs and we offer a pay rise to our workers, we are still able to handle the cost/sales ratio efficiently by adapting smart and efficient pricing strategy.Profitability: Gross Margin % The gross margin has doubled from 12% (round 1) to 25% (round 4). In real money terms, our gross profit increased from ? 176 million to ? 574 mi llion. This trend indicated that return on sales improved. Although direct cost of sales increased year by year, we adjust our pricing strategy in order to make our business more profitable. Operating Profit % Operating profit margin improved from minus 7% (round 1) to 12% (round 4) indicatingmore efficient operation management. To be specific, stock upkeep cost and redundancy cost are well managed.The R&D investment and warranty costs are effectively controlled. Even though the investment on promotion and training increase yearly, this cost is balanced by the decreasing depreciation cost due to the book value of our fixed assets reduced yearly. Net Profit % Net profit margin shows an increasing trend from minus 8% (round 1) to 9% (round 4). Our company remains profitable since round 2. This indicated that our business is successful in consistency of earning. Return on Assets % The return on assets grows dramatically from minus 24% (round 1) to 26% (round 4).This indicates that mana gement is more and more efficient in using business assets to generate profit. Return on Investment % The return on capital employed shows a similar trend, except a slight decline of 3% in round 3. The ROI is 36% by the end of round 4, which has actually achieved our business objective. Liquidity: From round 1 to round 3, the current ratio increase from 0. 64 to 3. 52 times, and the quick ratio increase from 0. 13 to 3. 52 times. The increasing ratio indicates that we have more cash flow to pay our creditors (quick settlement) and meet our short-term obligations.In round 4, the current ratio drop slights to 3. 24 times and the quick ratio drop greatly to 1. 45 times. This trend looks good because high ratio does not mean a healthy cash position of the business. It indicates that we do not use our capitals properly and efficiently. In conclusion, according to our current liquidity situation, our company is suggested to reduce the stock levels and to invest surplus cash in longer term investments. Market Share From round 1 to round 4, market share of TIKI increased from 1. 21% to 1. 35%, despite a slight decline in round 2.Market share of CRUISER increased sharply in round 2 compared with round 1, then showed a tiny increase trend year by year. It indicated that we are successful in persistently and steadily supplying products to the market. Overall, our company’s performance has been improved in several ways, (e. g. sales, profit, creditors, market share, etc. ) In addition, it would have been more helpful for the further financial performance evaluation if the industrial average figures and key competitors’ information had been made available (Behn 2003). Part 3 Learning 3. 1 Financial ManagementIn the field of financial management, cost-volume-profit analysis is a powerful tool that helps managers identifies the relationships among cost, volume and profit (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). It focuses on how profits can be affected by th e following variables: selling price, sales volume, unit variable costs, total fixed costs, etc. (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Break even analysis and margin of safety is the important part of cost-volume-cost analysis. The formula is shown as following: Formula: BEP = Total Fixed Cost = (in Units) Contribution per unitMargin of Safety = Forecast Demand – BEP Forecast Demand In round 1, we forecast our total fixed cost and depreciation charge is 241 million, and the contribution per unit is 2316. By using formula, the forecast BEP is 104,000 units. So we decided to produce 120,000 units after evaluating market demand. Our forecast margin of safety is therefore around 13. 3%. However, we underestimated the total fixed cost and overestimated our sales volumes. Thus, we suffered a loss of 116 million in the first round. In round 2, we re-evaluate the cost, volume and profit, and then set up 32. % of margin of safety. Financial performance is improved in this round so we adapted the similar approach for round 3 and 4, in which our margin of safety is about 39. 1% and 52. 8% respectively. It has been proved that high margin of safety makes profit less vulnerable to demand drops (Jacobs 2002). Even though we have 12,853 units unsold stock, we still make a profit of 198 million in round 4. From the business game, we have practiced how to price products and how much volume of products we must sell in order to make a profit. 3. 2 Human Resource ManagementWhen we practice the Human Resource function in business game, we put emphasis on rewards, in particular worker wage. High wage will not always improve the work performance from long-term perspective, but annual pay increase works (Banfield and Kay 2008). Based on this learning, we decide to pay our worker ? 355 weekly in round 1 and to increase that wage annually. However, we suffered a loss due to bad company performance in round 1, so wage did not increase even though inflation rate is around 3% . In round 2, company performance is improved and we make profit. Thus, wage increase by 9% ahead of 4% inflation rate in round 3.In round 4, wage increase by 5% to ? 404. Overall, from round 1 to round 4, wage increase by 14%, but the strike days only reduced 1 day (8 days in round 1 and 7 days in round 4). It is indicated that a reward cannot help to improve work performance if the pay increase does not meet the employee expectation (Corby 2009). According to data on competition, EMPIRE, our key competitors, pays their worker ? 500 weekly in round 4 and the strike day is controlled as 2 days. From the business stimulation, we realized the importance of monetary rewards and the link between rewards and productivity.On the other hand, poor management of employee relations often end up with strikes (Blyton and Turnbull 1998). With this learning, we could have found another solution to allocate our workers instead of redundancy. There are some limitations of business game in terms of HR management. High wage and training investment seems to be the only way to motivate productivity. And some other important HR functions such as recruitment and selection, promotion and employee engagement are not covered in the game. Learning experience will improve if those issues are made available in the game. 3. 3 Operation ManagementQuality management refers to the management activities involved in determination of quality policy and its implementation through means such as quality planning and quality assurance (Gitlow 2005). High quality puts costs down and revenue up (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Based on this learning, in order to control product quality, we focus on the R&D (Research and Development) and skills training when we practice the operation function during business game. From round 1, we keep investing on projects of fuel efficient engine and low emissions in order to detect and control the quality of engines.Both of them are successful after 3 ye ars of research and development. This help to reduce our warranty cost efficiently (see appendix). Due to safety factor, we started to invest on the project of advanced safety systems. We expect the continuous R&D investment bring us long term financial benefit. Meanwhile, we continuously invest on skills training based on the knowledge that investment in skills training can significantly improve product quality (Gitlow 2005). From the business game, I got better understanding about quality management and how quality influences customers’ buying decision.We also learn how to define the quality characteristics, set quality standard and measure the quality of our products. One of the limitations in stimulation process is that it is unavailable to evaluate and select the suppliers by ourselves. If this is made available, I believe that the operation cost would be controlled autonomously and learning experience of students about supply chain would be improved. 3. 4 Marketing Mana gement Marketing management is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value (Kotler and Keller 2011).In carrying out the marketing functions, the company needs to have a marketing program or strategy. This is known as the marketing mix (Marc 1997). The conventional view of the marketing mix consisted of four components: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. It is indicated that 4Ps constitute the cornerstone of any sound business (Marc 1997). Based on this learning, we tried to use the right marketing mix to reach our target market during the business game. Product: In round 1, 3/5 door hatch and small engine are chosen for city car (24-40 market), while MPV and diesel engine are chosen for large car (41-55 market).Options are selected due to the factors such as safety, comfort and style. From round 2, we detect the popularity index and aim to offer the most appropria te products to our customers (see appendix). Price: We use market penetration in round 1. In the next three round, we adapt average pricing strategy. The economic trend and income status of our target customers are also taken into account as well. Promotion: We keep increasing our promotion investment from 23 million to 40 million via various media. In round 1, we invest ? 200 for every car and it increase to ? 450 in round 4.Through business game, I got better understanding about marketing mix. However, innovation and new product strategy, as another important marketing strategy, is failed to be used in our game. We could have learned more about finding customer value opportunities and creating an innovation culture in our team if we had launched new model. Part 4 Team Performance 4. 1 Team 4. 1. 1 Management Team We distributed our team into four groups in order to cover the four main functional areas of business organization: Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource. Base d on personal interests and experience, I take the charge of Finance.Dorothy and Kira take the responsibility of managing marketing. Operation is taken charged by Michael and Jayson. Adetoro is responsible for HR. It does not mean that we make decisions and take responsibility separately. Actually, those functional areas are linked with and supported by each other. And everybody of the team is required to know exactly the whole process of our business. In reality, the main purpose of functional areas is to ensure that all important business activities are carried out efficiently. This is essential for a company to achieve its business objectives (Marcouse 2010). . 1. 2 Decision-making Process The overall decision-making was a collective process. During the business game, we discussed and evaluated all feasible solutions and make sure every decision is made to help settle the current problems and lead to business objectives. The controversy, however, is sometimes unavoidable. For ins tance, Dorothy, marketing manager, proposed to launch new model in round 3 due to market attractiveness. I cannot agree with that because we are still experiencing financial difficulty. Our net cash position is minus ? 371 million with poor ability to pay our creditors.Adetoro is standing by my side, thinking from a long-term perspective. He suggested our team not to launch new model until we gain a reasonable market share. The further discussion and communication led to unanimous approval of the final decision. The similar situation happened when we discussed whether or not to adept price skimming strategy for our products. The dispute finally is settled properly. 4. 1. 3 Leadership I was nominated as the leader in business game due to my ability to manage market information and provide direction to my team members at the very beginning.Under my leadership, our company is driven to achieve business objectives (execution). I make clear that all my team members are enjoying the game and have learned how to run a business in a real world. 4. 1. 4 Team Role Through my observation, I have identified the strengths/weaknesses and work preference of my team members: * Jayson and Michael prefer to analyze the current situation and raise the issues that we have to face (analysis). Michael is a good team worker who communicates and cooperates effectively with others.Jayson, as a monitor evaluator, has a high critical thinking ability but lacking of expression. * Dorothy and Kira are intuitive about the market information, and they often give the creative ideas (plan). Both of them play as plant. Dorothy prefers change and innovation. She can work more effectively when cooperate with the people who are identified as implementer in Belbin team role framework. * Adetoro used to reflect all our decisions we have made for every round and make everything reasonable and explainable (reflection). He is enthusiastic and logic thinker. 4. 2 Individual . 2. 1 My Contribution I hav e little knowledge about car industry when I take this project, but I quickly realize that I have special interest on costing and budgeting due to my previous work experience. So, I went through the user menu and market research then finish the finance forecast sheet before attending the group meeting. In round 1, I am responsible for both Finance and Marketing. During the group meeting, I proposed my ideas about cost/price, most of which are accepted by my team members and I therefore am nominated as manager of Finance. We suffered a loss in round 1.After analysing the discrepancy between forecast and results, I suggest to adapt new pricing strategy and set a higher gross margin. The strategy is adapted by management team and makes profit for our company by the end of round 2. I am nominated as team leader due to my hard-working, efficiency and reliability. And I actively build up team relation and motivate our team members. I play the role of implementer successfully. I monitor ev ery process of the game and every detail of our decisions, and put emphasis on improving efficiency of every group meeting, and record the minutes. 4. 2. My learning about effective teamwork and decision making Through business game, along with the knowledge I learn from Developing Self module and the experience of residential weekend, I have better understanding about: * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people with common objectives and being able to build up trust and cooperate relationship with each other. * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people who have complementary strengths/weaknesses with each other. * An effective team should have a leader who is able to provide direction, open mind to different opinions, ake right decision and take risks. * An effective decision should create the competitive advantage for organization and bring short term profit along with long term development. * An effective decision builds up the core competency of organization and turn competitive advantage into sustainable competitive advantage. 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance * If the game could be played again, I would like to think twice before adapting market penetration strategy in round 1 and try to avoid that loss as much as possible. I would like to pay more attention on developing my leadership capability and making better use of the abilities of my team members in order to build up a powerful and effective team. Part 5 Conclusion Overall, our company is successful in the achievement of business objectives. By the end of round 4, our sales have increased by 50%, and our profit is showing a trend of growth. Even though the unsold stock percentage is larger than what we expect, we are still able to control the inventory and keep profitable. Return on investment in round 4 is 36% which is much more than our target.Part 6 Reference Banfield, P. and R. Kay (2008). Introduction to human resource management. New York, Oxford Universit y Press. Banfield, P. , S. Newcastle Business, et al. (2008). Managing for competitive advantage, McGraw-Hill custom publishing. Behn, R. D. (2003). â€Å"Why Measure Performance? Different Purposes Require Different Measures. † Public Administration Review 63(5): 586-606. Blyton, P. and P. Turnbull (1998). The dynamics of employee relations. Basingstoke, Macmillan. Corby, S. (2009). Rethinking reward. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Gitlow, H. S. (2005). Quality management. New YorkLondon, McGraw-Hill. Jacobs, T. (2002). â€Å"The margin of safety. † NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY 20(12): 1191-1191. Kotler, P. and K. L. Keller (2011). Marketing management. Harlow, Pearson Education. Marc, L. (1997). â€Å"Marketing mix customization and customizability. † Business Horizons 40(6): 39. Marcouse, I. (2010). â€Å"BTEC First Business. † 1. 4 The main functional areas within business organisations Ed. Retrieved 06/01, 2012, from http://www. teachmebusiness. co. uk/pag e29/page16/page18/assets/Functionalareas. pdf. Part 7 Appendices 7. 1 Design and Options TIKI (City Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| /5 Door Hatch| Y| Y| Y| Y| Small Engine (4 Cylinder)| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   |   | Y| Alloy Wheels|   | Y| Y| Y| Parking Sensors| Y| Y|   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod|   | Y| Y| Y| Security Package|   |   |   | Y| Safety Package|   | Y| Y| Y| CRUISER (Large Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| SUV| Y| Y| Y| Y| Diesel Engine| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   | Y| Y| Alloy Wheels|   |   | Y| Y| Security Tracker|   |   |   | Y| Cruise Control| Y| Y|   |   | Automatic Transmission| Y| Y|   |   | Parking Sensors| Y| Y| Y| Y| Electronic Stability Control| Y| Y|   |   |Panoramic Sunroof| Y| Y|   |   | Heated Elec Wing Mirrors|   |   |   | Y| Electric Adjustable Seats|   |   |   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod| Y| Y| Y| Y| Bluetooth Phone Preparation|   |   |   | Y| TV/DVD Player| Y| Y|   |   | Metallic Paint|   |   | Y| Y| Security Package|   |   | Y| Y| Safety Package| Y| Y| Y| Y| Luxury Package|   |   |   | Y| 7. 2 Warranty Cost Warranty Cost| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| TIKI per car ? | 173| 170| 140| 155| CRUISER per car ? | 400| 353| 295| 348| Total Warranty Claims ? m| 26| 27| 21| 23| 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators

The definition of Al Qaeda group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The definition of Al Qaeda group - Research Paper Example I. Introduction †¢ The definition of Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The meaning of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ How many groups join to make the Al Qaeda group (Alexander 50) †¢ A brief history of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The year of formation ïÆ' ¼ The location of the group ïÆ' ¼ The leader of the group ïÆ' ¼ The approximated number of members ïÆ' ¼ Organization of the group ïÆ' ¼ Religion of the group ïÆ' ¼ How many attacks the group has claimed since formation ïÆ' ¼ Current leader II. Al Qaeda and the truth about Osama bin laden A. Section one †¢ Early Life of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ Where he was born (Gauvain 713) ïÆ' ¼ The year he was born ïÆ' ¼ His childhood, family, and upbringing ïÆ' ¼ His level of education ïÆ' ¼ Occupation before joining Al Qaeda †¢ Osama Bin Laden and the Pan-Islamlist Idea ïÆ' ¼ His religion ïÆ' ¼ The political beliefs of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ He became a follower of Abdullah Azzam in the 1970s (Di Giovanni 12) ïÆ' ¼ In 1979 the Sov iet troops carried out an invasion in Afghanistan ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and Azzam moved t Peshawar, Pakistan ïÆ' ¼ Azzam, Bin Laden, and the Afghan rebels ïÆ' ¼ The organization served by Azzam and Bin Laden †¢ Osama and the building of Al Qaeda ïÆ' ¼ Al Qaeda created in 1988 by Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ The group focused on symbolic acts that regard terrorism as opposed to military campaigns ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden’s return to Saudi Arabia in 1989 ïÆ' ¼ The first bombing †¢ Osama the worldwide Jihad ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and associates ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and American servicemen in 1993 in Mogadishu ïÆ' ¼ The New York WTC bombing in 1993 ïÆ' ¼ Attempted assassination President Hosni in 1995 ïÆ' ¼ The US NGTC bombing in 1995

Criminal and Civil Litigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal and Civil Litigation - Essay Example The scenario of Foster and Powell falls under the Anti-Trust laws. The Civil Litigation Process has the following stages a) Stages of Civil Litigation i) Issuing the Statement of Claim; the litigation process always starts with issuing a statement setting out facts and legal grounds supporting the Plaintiff’s claim against the defendant (The Law Society, 2012). ii) Replying to the statement of defense; the moment the Defense has been submitted to the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff has a chance to reply the statement of defense. iii) Affidavit of Documents; this process is always after all parties have received their claims; for instance at this stage the parties will prepare, swear and serve their Affidavit of Document (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). This is a sworn document containing all the documents that each party has in possession and are relevant for the litigation process between the parties. In the case of Foster where we have a disputed contract, the documents required are a copy of the contract, and letters between the parties must and should be included in the Affidavit of Documents (The Law Society, 2012). ... or Discovery; in case the parties are unable to clear their differences at the mediation meeting, the lawyers of the Plaintiff get an opportunity to ask defendants questions under oath and vice-versa (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). vi) Undertakings and Motions before trial; during the examination for discovery stage, some information especially of the party answering questions may not be readily available. Given this situation, parties can provide answers and copies of the missing documents following the discovery (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). On agreement to do this, the parties are given an undertaking. However, if a party refuses to comply with the undertaking he is likely to face punishment of a Judge or Master. vii) Trial Scheduling Court; after all refusals and undertakings have been dealt with, the litigants will attend in front of a Judge to get a trial date. With regard to the simplicity or complexity and length of trial, will determine how fast the litigants can have their matt ers resolved (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). viii) Settlement Conference; this occurs before trial and is always before the Judge. Normally, the settlement conference takes place after all parties have agreed to go to trial and hence they will be possessing documents that they will be relying on together with reports from their respective experts (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). ix) Trial; in many cases, litigation cases do not reach the trial stage as it is expensive and hence majority of litigation disputes are resolved early enough. However, if the disputes are not resolved early, then the trial is inevitable (Heydary Hamilton PC, 2011). The trial stage is the last step in litigation. b) i) Application made in case of the missing agreement The dispute between Foster and Powell, if Foster

Recording Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recording Interest - Essay Example Also, when the $60,000 loan was made, it had to be a personal loan because there was still no business to record the amount. But when the business begun, the $60,000 was recognized as a start-up capital and therefore, it should be recorded as part of the start-up capital. The proper accounting of the $60,000 loan is to record it as part of Current Assets (cash) in the asset portion and liability (loans) in the balance sheet of Ontime Delivery Service. It follows then that interest payment should be recognized by the business along with the repayment when the $60,000 is recorded as loan. The way the interest payment should be recognized in the book is through interest expense â€Å"and and the remainder of the payment reduces the principal amount of the liability. As the amount owed is reduced by each payment, the portion of each successive payment representing interest expense will  decrease,  and the portion going toward repayment of principal will  increase (Williams et al, 2005). Failing to record the $3,200 as interest payment would render the accounting of Ontime Delivery Service inaccurate because the $60,000 in effect will appear to be personal money the balance sheet when in fact it came from a

Sentence fluency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sentence fluency - Essay Example Contextually, it is these aspects that represent the important ideas of sentence fluency (Timothy, â€Å"Guided Fluency Instruction: Moving Students to Independence†). GOAL STATEMENT The fundamental goal of the curriculum will concentrate on critically evaluating knowledge gained by the learners with respect to planning, evaluation and editing of the writings by learners. In this regard, applying brainstorming sessions, group discussion and peer review will be taken into account strategically. The application of this curriculum is likely to enhance the understanding capability of the learners with respect to their ideas related to the usage of detailed information along with application of apt words. It is expected that with the assistance of this curriculum, learners will be able to easily identify and rectify their syntax mistakes, which they used to be ignorant towards in prior instances. This curriculum will also act with the aim to fortify the quality of the sentences fra med by the learners (Timothy, â€Å"Guided Fluency Instruction: Moving Students to Independence†). This curriculum has been specially designed to initiate the need for sentence fluency among the domestic and the international students. This curriculum will assist the learners throughout their developmental course, generating a sense of need and importance for this particular subject, as it has a strong hold with respect to communicative competencies in the international plethora. DISCUSSION In precise, this curriculum will assist the learner to have a better insight about the importance of applying facts and figures within the informational article. It is worth mentioning in this context that there exist a generalized six kinds of writing traits viz., idea and concept, organization, voice, sentence fluency, usage of words and conventions. In consideration with the curriculum, it will enhance the ideas and the conception of the learner with regard to writing a sentence or sent ence fluency. Furthermore, this curriculum will be intended towards assisting the learners in organizing sentences in order to develop their abilities to convey the concerned ideas maintaining consistency in the flow of information. It is in this context that voice frames an important part in the formation of sentences accelerating sentence fluency in turn. The curriculum designed will therefore foster understanding of the learner concerning smooth and harmonized flow of ideas and objectives with respect to the sentences. Moreover, this curriculum will also intend to assist the learners concerning the importance of words choice in maintaining and grooming sentence fluency (Timothy, â€Å"Guided Fluency Instruction: Moving Students to Independence†). Instructional design will also be regarded to hold considerable importance in the success potentials of the curriculum. Instructional design comprises a series of procedures, which aim at assisting in the development of the qualit y aspects and evaluative efficiency of the curriculum being designed. Instructional procedure comprehensively builds up with the requirement of sentence fluency for individual development. Furthermore, the instructional content of this curriculum will entail an objective-oriented approach in its designing. Fluency within the sentences, in this context, imposes a greater impact on the listeners and the readers too. The

CORPORATE FINANCE OVERVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CORPORATE FINANCE OVERVIEW - Essay Example Even though the company has a secure stream of income from a long term contract, it still bears a default risk, albeit rather small. My estimation of the discount rate has to reflect all this information. It will be definitely higher than discount rate of government securities. d) This security has substantial default risk as the issuing company is a start-up without proven history of operations and no secure stream of income. Therefore, the discount rate will be higher than for the company with secured stream of income (from the previous question). 2. Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) can be used to quickly estimate the expected rate of return on a certain security. In an essence, it provides the best guess market can provide for future return on a particular security in a simple but powerful way. It was estimated that nearly 3/4 of financial managers use CAPM to estimate the cost of capital (Brealey, Myers & Allen, 192). CAPM reflects two crucial points. First, investors require extra return for extra risk (as shown in risk premium component). Second, investors are concerned with the risk that they cannot eliminate by diversification (as shown in beta component). Therefore, when used to estimate expected return on a particular security, CAPM accounts for the overall additional risk premium historically required by investors for this type of security (risk premium) and for the systematic risk that this particular security adds to the diversified portfolio (security’s beta). 3. a) It is possible to estimate net present value of this project rather accurately. Buying new equipment for a factory line at Ford is a part of regular established operations of Ford. Therefore, the expected rate of return estimated for the Ford as a company is appropriate for this particular project. Since Ford is a mature company, with its stock having being traded for many years, its expected rate of return

Rules versus discretion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rules versus discretion - Essay Example It serves as a guideline that facilitates the decision making process of people especially those in authority. In other words, it makes the information extraction much more organized. A step by step procedure eliminates extensive discussion regarding the merits and repercussions of method thereby saving time which is very important in life threatening matters. Rules also serve as limiting factors due to the fact that it restricts individuals from resorting to methods and actions that would prove to be too excessive. By excessive, we mean life threatening. The formulation process of establishing rules necessitates an extensive study to determine the effects of the methods on the physical and mental condition of the suspect. This is because this move will be highly publicized and public reactions must be swayed to support the move. An established knowledge of effects prevents any untoward incident happening to the suspect. It also minimizes the responsibility and possible litigation of those in authority who were too eager to comply to their sworn duty. Since the probable effects have been understood, the public can also rest assure that the authorities know what they are doing (i.e. less negative public reception). However, rules may become too prohibitive as the methods that may be employed may be limited due to the fact that the public would not... Remember that authority only emanates from the support of the voting public. Once this disappears, he becomes a regular citizen prone to criticism, parodies and alienation. Thus, only certain measures are expected to be agreed upon. Assuring the public that the methods do not lead to another casualty defeats the purpose as those who endanger the life of others know that they will live through the ordeal. There is no need to divulge information. Ideally, the option of discretion provides an opportunity for the authorities to extract information faster than when rules are present. It operates on the idea that people will be inclined to self preservation and is therefore forced to divulge information. Discretion also allows for flexibility and a wider array of methods. It also eliminates the need for approval from the higher authorities. The downside is that the measure can be excessive leading to the death of the suspect. This leads to more negative public perception, more propaganda for those who terrorize other people and inability to extract the information desired. All in all, rules are more favorable precisely because the process is more controlled and less disagreeable than a process clouded with mystery. II. Opinion Piece Terrorism has indeed challenged us to the core of our being. It made us question the very values that we hold dear. It made us fear of what could happen leading us to resort to preemptive strikes such as the war in Iraq. Now, we are being challenged again. Our nation is currently in turmoil as the issue of rule over discretion regarding torture is being debated. Torture has existed since ancient times as it is used in making captives

Nursing shortage, a major healthcare issue Research Paper

Nursing shortage, a major healthcare issue - Research Paper Example The seriousness of the matter can be gauged from the following reports. In July 2007, American Hospital Association released a report that U.S hospitals needed approximately 116,000 RNs to fill vacant positions. Percentage wise this translated into 8.1 percent of occupied positions. Dr. Peter Buerhaus and his team estimated that shortages of registered nurses in the U.S. would reach as high as 500,000 as per their report released in 2008. They stated in their report that demand for RNs is likely to grow by 2-3 percent each year. (Nursing Shortage†¦) The 2008 survey of registered nurses indicate that as of March 2008, there were 3063,162 licensed registered nurses staying in the U.S. This survey indicated that only 153,806 RNs were found to be working more over the last survey of 2004. However, it was found that 444,668 RNs obtained their license between 2004 and 2008. This indicates that 291,000 RNs surely went out of nursing services either due to retirements or due to other re asons. (The Registered Nurse (a)†¦) This trend surely indicates that matter could become grave in few years time. U.S. Bureau of Health Professions report supply demand projections of Registered Nurses up to the year 2020 that is depicted in the following graph. National Supply and Demand Projections for RNs, 2000 to 2015 Source: Bureau of Health Professions, RN Supply and Demand Projections URL: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/nursingshortage/default.htm History and Evolution of Shortages of Nurses in Healthcare Though nursing shortages are observed from the days of World War II, it has impacted now significantly. The four factors that have contributed heavily in creating the shortages of nurses can be described as per the following. 1. Rise in population of U.S 2. A fewer people opting for the career in nursing 3. A generation called baby boomer is now retiring to create pressure on health care services. 4. Ageing workforce gets out of nursing services In 1950, U.S popul ation was 152,271,000 that have now almost doubled at 307,212,123 in 2009. Population has gone up at the rate of 1.8 percent per year. In view of the increasing standards of health, nursing population need to rise at much higher rate than the general population rise but that is not happening. The reasons for shortages in nursing are not sudden. The results obtained from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses carried out in 2000 indicated that too few people are choosing careers in nursing. The statistical data as available for the employment of young between 1980 and 2000 are worth noting to indicate the trend. In 1980, 52.9 percent of RNs were the age below 40 and 26 percent were the age below 30. In 2000, 31.7 percent of RNs were the age below 40 and 10 percent were the age below 30. (The Registered Nurse (b)†¦) Shortages of nurses are also being felt because baby booming generation (born between 1946 and 1964) is now getting retired causing increasing pressure on he althcare services and so on the services of nurses. Ageing and trained workforce gets out of nursing services due to retirement or other social reasons causing more pressure on services. Currently, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the U.S healthcare system. Nurse to Patient Ratios are under pressure affecting healthcare services severely. Unfortunate part is that there is a continuous decline in the

Research Methodologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Research Methodologies - Essay Example The new media identified is the internet and the possible e-marketing exercises that could be resorted to in order to boost the profitability. Hong Kong is made of 236 islands in all on the South China Sea. Out of this land space, it has been found that only 25% of the land has been commercially developed and used. The rest are green and form a part of National Parks that are protected and reserves (Lonely Planet, 2006). Since it borders the Pearl River and its delta, it also provides some of the best picturesque locations for restaurants and evening sit outs. Most of the people live and work in high rise buildings. The restaurants that cater to the catering business in Hong Kong are on many cases are located next to one another for want of land and place (Time Out, 2006). This led to excessive competition between the restaurants of the region. The sharp increase in the GDP of the province and an economic growth that surpassed 10% year on year on the GDP helped the province to swiftly prosper at the same time pushing the cost of place and hence the rental costs to incredibly high figures. While the rental costs have gone substantial up, it is also found that the cost of food has not gone up to that extent. This has happened due to the fact that most of the food is imported and the imported cost has not gone up in the mainland China from where food is brought in. This meant the cost of the food has to go up for specific areas and not for others resulting in discrepancies of cost even across the small area in the Hong Kong. People could show preference based on the cost of the food as much as the quality of the food that the restaurants served (HKSAR Budget 2006-07). Increasing competition forced the restaurants not to increase the cost of the food at these restaurants for the fear of losing business. Current Marketing Methods The restaurants in Hong Kong promote themselves using any of the traditional methods of advertising on the newspapers and other media. Some of the well known restaurants thrive due to a strong of word of mouth advertisement that they get from their patrons. All these help them in consolidating their market base. However with the rise in the competitive levels the large food market in Hong Kong which is also known as the Food Paradise since the 1980s. A large cross section of the cuisines are also supported and it is found that these restaurants have already carved a niche for themselves by serving specific food varieties starting from Asian or Cantonese or Manchurian and other choices that serve as a differentiator. However, with the increasing level competition even these differentiators get blurred and there happens to be competition within these specific niche markets themselves so much so that these niches are no niche markets that they used to be once upon time. Out of the total area of 1,102 square kilometers of Hong Kong only about 300 square kilometers are occupied by human settlements. There is a large scale exodus of restaurants to move from these established locations and move out to the non established out skirts where the land and the building rentals are pretty cheap but at the cost of the patrons who would find it

Mosaics in Pompeii Essay Example for Free

Mosaics in Pompeii Essay Mosaic decoration was commonly used in the beautification of both private and public buildings in Pompeii and has been found in all different shapes, sizes locations and with all different purposes. Mosaics were often used as flooring in Pompeii were largely used to decorate floors and entrance walls to houses and other buildings, some representing importance, others advertisement and even propaganda. The panel depicting The Battle of Alexander housed in the Archaeological Museum in Naples and originating from the House of the Faun, is, though, one of the most important and magnificent examples. The Alexander Mosaic was found during the excavation of Pompeii in 1831 in the â€Å"Casa del Fauno† (House of the Faun), one of Pompeiis grandest residences. Today it is one of the most famous Roman mosaics. The work itse;f measures to 5.82 x 3.13 metres in size and there is debate as to what the mosaic represents, whether it was to depict the Battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius III in the year 333 BC or the battle of Gaugamela in the year 331 BC, where Alexander the Great and Darius clashed once again. There is also a belief that a Hellenistic painting was used as the model. The mosaic shows the magnificence of Greek monumental painting and four-colour painting. There is no debate however on its beauty, detail, the skill woven into each detailed plate of mosaic tiles and the time it would have taken to put such a delicate and intricate piece together. The piece is made of roughly 4 million white, yellow, red, and black tesserae. The picture shows Alexander galloping into battle with a mass of troops behind him on the left hand side, pursuing Darius into a battle. The picture also shows towards the right hand side of the mosaic, the Persians turning to flee, with a fearful loom from Darius as the only thing facing alexander and his men. Today, the original Alexander Mosaic is on display in the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples. An exact copy – identical in shape, size, colour and materials used – was created after several years of work by the Scuola Bottega del Mosaico di Ravenna and is now installed in Pompeii. The painting is described by Pliny the Elder as representing the battle of Alexander with Darius. Certain inconsistencies in the mosaic point to its derivation from another source. The patches basically show us the mosaic through the Romans eyes, and tell us what interested the ancient viewer. Although Darius is the most prominent figure in the mosaic, the Romans were much more interested in Alexander, he said. The portrait of Alexander corresponds to the so-called Lysippean type, which includes for example the Per gamon Head. Alexander is not idealised here in the otherwise frequent form: with long curls and full, soft features as the incarnation of Zeus, the sun-god Helios or Apollo [†¦]. His head appears rather more gaunt, with tautly shaped cheeks, marked by suggested or deeply-carved wrinkles and with short hair barely covering his ear. Both types, the realistic and the idealising, do admittedly show the parting of the forelock characteristic of Alexander here as short, unmanageable strands, in the deifying variation as upwardly radiating pairs of locks. A later, but unmistakeable echo of this hairstyle can be found in the consciously stylised, characteristic forelock of Augustus. Conclusuions we can draw about the spciteies of Pompeii and Herculaneum through looking at this mosaic are It is thought that this house was built shortly after the Roman conquest of Pompeii, and is likely to have been the residence of one of Pompeiis new, Roman, ruling class. The mosaic highlights the wealth and power of the occupier of the house. What is less know is the mosaics role as a floor surface in an Italian house. In this role, it has the potential to provide evidence of the tastes, interests and desires of the wealthy Romans during the late Republic, There is clear evidence of multiple ancient repairs in these damaged areas. The most recent restorations filled the gaps with mortar, while more ancient repairs used tesserae, show a keen interest in the arts and that they hold great importance to a fmailies household perhaps sudgesting status in society by their beauty and expence. http://news.discovery.com/history/how-the-alexander-mosaic-was-used.html http://alexandermosaik.de/en/interpretation_of_the_mosaic.html http://www.pompeionline.net/pompeii/mosaic.htm http://archaeology.about.com/od/archaeologicalsi3/ss/pompeii_faun_7.htm http://alexandermosaik.de/en/

Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods

Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods Acoustics and Sound Insulation ABSTRACT Acoustics is the study of sound. The knowledge of this field is necessary as it helps in creating peaceful surroundings. The technical knowhow of sound insulation has been helpful in constructing functional theatres, hospitals, Auditoriums, jam pads, etc. Sound is created when a surface vibrates. When this vibration is periodic or rhythmic then the sound produced is pleasing to the ears eg. Musical Notes. On the contrary when the vibration is non-periodic and irregular then it is termed as noise. eg. Infants crying. INTRODUCTION Sound travels in the form of longitudinal waves. Each wave moves backward and forward passing on the vibration to the next. For us to be able to hear sound clearly it is very important for the waves to travel uninterrupted. It is proven that sound travels the fastest in solids, then in liquids and the least in air. This is because in solid the molecules are so tightly packed that the transmission is the easiest. In liquids too the molecules are fairly close to each other where as in air it becomes a little tough for sound to travel. Sound cannot travel in vacuum as it needs a medium to travel. The speed of sound in air depends upon the moisture or dryness in air. The more the moisture the faster sound will travel. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND Intensity and Loudness of sound: Loudness is the response of humans to the impact of sound. Whereas intensity is the amount of sound waves passing through per unit area per unit time. Frequency and Pitch Sounds can be of different types and wavelengths. Pitch is  What helps us distinguish between sounds of same loudness but of different frequencies. This is the  characteristic which helps us recognise a man’s voice and  women’s Voice. Quality The quality of sound is what enables us to differentiate between two musical tones played on different instruments. A study has shown that the notes produced by instruments are at times pure notes. They have some fundamental tones of frequency fo and additional tones of frequency 2fo, 4fo, etc. called over tones. The fundamental is heard very clearly because it has greater impact human ear. TABLE 1.1, ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVEL TYPE OF BUILDING NOISE LEVEL RANGE ( decibels, db) 1. Radio and T.V. studio 25-30 2. Music Room 30-35 3. Hospitals and auditoriums 35-40 4. Apartments, hotels and homes 35-40 5. Conference rooms and libraries 35-40 6. Class rooms 40-45 7. Banks and stores 45-50 8. Restaurants 50-55 2# REFLECTION OF SOUND Sound waves from a plain surface reflect in the same way as that of light. The angel of incidence is equal to the angel of reflection. Following are the characteristics of reflection of sound: When sound waves reflect from a flat surface the wave fronts form a spherical shape and the centre of curvature is the source of sound When sound waves reflect from a convex surface they get magnified and therefore become thinner and weaker. Convex surfaces can be used in interior spaces to reduce the impact of sound. Sound waves that reflect from a concave surface are very dense and compressed therefore the sound is amplified. Concave surfaces should be avoided in interior spaces as the result is undesirable. Reflection on flat surface Reflection on convex surface Reflection on concave surface   3# ABSORPTION When sound waves strike a surface some of the sound is absorbed by friction. The materials that absorb are known as absorbants. Absorption in auditoriums or theatre the takes place in three ways – In Air – This absorption happens due to friction between two molecules though this is very small By Audience Cloth is an absorbant. So in theatres and auditoriums the sound is absorbed by the clothes o f the audience. The  more the audience the more the absorption takes place. By furniture and furnishing – Materials such as curtains, carpets absorb sound. The following materials are commonly used for absorption of sound – Acoustic Plaster – This contains shredded insulation material with cement Perforated and Unperforated compressed cane or wood fibre board. Wood Particle board Compressed wood wool Mineral/ glass wool mats Mineral/ glass wool tiles Composite units of perforated hard board backed with perforated fibreboard Requirements of a good acoustic material- Should have high absorption power It should be able to absorb a wide range of frequencies Should be cheap and easily available Should look attractive after fixing it It should be fire resistant Should have adequate structural strength Should be non- hygroscopic. It should be insects and termites free 4# SOUND INSULATION Sound insulation/sound proofing is a method used to subdue the level of sound passing through the insulating building component. People generally confuse sound absorption and sound insulation to be the same. The two are very different from each other. Sound absorbents which are mostly pours materials absorb thus reduce the sound which is reflected from surfaces. On the contrary sound insulating construction reduces sound passing through it. Sound absorbers, are poor sound insulators. While hard material used for sound insulation areinferior sound absorbers. TABLE 4.1. SOUND INSULATION BETWEEN ROOMS SITUATION OVERALL INSULATION IN db 1. Between living room in one house and the living room in another 50 2. Elsewhere between houses or flat 40 3. Between two rooms in the same house. 30 4. Between two class rooms in a school 40 5. Between two rooms in an office 30 6. Between two wards in a hospital 45 Impact Insulation- is a rating of how well a building floor reduces the impact of sounds, such as footsteps. Sound Insulating Materials – Non porous rigid partitions- The sound insulation of non-porous rigid constructions such as plastered solid brick masonry walls varies. It depends upon the weight per unit area. There is a point when it requires major increase in thickness to provide small increase in sound insulation. Porous Rigid Materials Porous concrete masonry and cinder concrete are some examples of porous rigid materials. They provide 10 percent higher insulation as compared to non-porous rigid partitions due to their sound absorptive quality. To enhance the results of insulation it is recommended that porous partitions should be plastered on at least one side and if possible then on both sides. Flexible Porous Material These materials provide low insulation. Even lower than rigid materials. Flexible porous materials consists of mineral wool, quilt etc. To increase insulation rigid materials and porous absorbers can be combined together and then applied. This will produce better insulation per unit area. 4.1 WALL INSULATION Walls are a vertical barrier of sound. Proper construction of walls can increase the level of sound insulation. Construction of walls for sound insulation can be of four types Rigid Homogeneous Walls- Stone, brick or concrete masonry constructions come under this section. The sound insulation in these walls depends upon their weight per unit area. Sound insulation in these increases if the thickness of wall increases. Due to this these walls become uneconomical and bulky after a certain limit. Partition Walls of porous materials- These can be rigid or non-rigid. Rigid porous materials such as porous concrete masonry, cinder concrete etc. increase insulation about 10.%. While partition walls of non rigid porous materials provide very low sound insulation. However they can be used if combined with rigid materials. Double wall partition A double wall partition comprises of Plaster boards Or fibre boards or plaster on laths on both sides. With sound absorbing cushion in between. Rough wooden blocks are provided to support the cushion. Double wall partition is a wall of rigid as well as nonrigid porous materials. Cavity Wall Construction- This is said to be the most adequate wall construction from the sound proofing point of view. In this two walls are made with a gap of minimum 5cm between them. This gab can be left air filled as we know sound travels the slowest in air or can be filled with some flexible material, like quilt etc. On the surface of the wall celotex or other insulating board may be fixed. 4.2 FLOOR AND CEILING INSULATION Like walls are vertical sound barriers similarly floor and ceiling are horizontal sound barriers. The materials used for the construction of floors and ceiling i.e. R.C.C, stone etc. provide great insulation again air borne noise but do not function well for structure and impact borne noise. The target of sound proofed floors is to provide insulation against impact and structure borne noise. This can be achieved by the following ways- APPLING RESILIANT SURFACE MATERIALS ON FLOOR In this a thin concrete layer is provided as R.C.C floor slab. On top of this then a soft floor finish or covering is applied. This finish or covering can be of linoleum, insulation board, cork, carpet, etc. this helps in reducing impact noises. CONCRETE FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION This is similar to Cavity wall construction as discussed earlier. In this method we construct an isolated floor from the existing concrete floor. Then a resilient or porous material like glass wool is laid on the R.C.C flooring. On top of this a water proof sheet is put and then a 5cm thick layer of concrete is given. This kind of construction provides complete insulation against impact sounds. TIMBER FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION – In case of wooden flooring the problem of sound insulation is even more. This process is similar to concrete floor floating construction. The only difference is that mineral or glass wool quilts are used for isolation purpose. At times sand or ashes are also used for isolation. CONCLUSION Sound is mechanical wave which travels through a medium. Sound can be pleasing as well as disturbing. It’s necessary to emit disturbing sounds to have the perfect required atmosphere. To make an area sound proof its walls/partitions, floor and ceilings need to be treated and insulated. The methods of insulation as discussed above are some ways through which sound proofing can be done. Sound proofing or insulation is the method by which transmission of sound waves can be bard from passing from one area to another. References: Building Constructions by B.C Punamia.: Sound Insulation http://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/how-many-characteristics-a-sound-wave-have. www.scribd.com/doc/102689279/acoustics-ppt

Employee Management Procedures

Employee Management Procedures Unitary and pluralistic frames of reference one can be able to analyze employee relation approach. According to the unitary approach, members of an organization have to have objectives, goals and values for the organization to be successful. This explains why organizations have goals and mission statements as they give guidance to the employees. The unitary approach is very important as it helps to promote the team culture in an organization and ensures that there are good employee relations within an organization. The pluralistic approach supports the fact that there are different employees with different values and perspectives. The pluralistic approach is very important as it helps in conflict resolution in an organization. The unitary and pluralistic frames can be used as a point of reference to guide employees who have a wrong perception about the relation of employees in the organization. Through the frames, managers can be able to manage people whose interests coincide with the interests of the organization. For example with the unitary frame of reference, one can hardly find conflicts since with the reference frames managers can be able to identify the sources of conflicts and therefore know how to control and avoid them. Reflect and explain how changes in trade unionism have affected employee relations The trade union plays a very important role to employees. Its main aim is to protect the rights of the employees inters of pay and the working conditions. The union has come in order to help employees in an organization. It has played a role in ensuring good employee relations in an organization in several ways which may include: It helps to prevent conflicts between employees as it acts as a communication channel between the employees and management. This helps the employees to stay informed and thus helps to prevent conflicts that may arise between the managers and the employees. The union makes bargaining arrangements to the employees which may help the employee and thus may help to prevent conflicts among employs. This is due to the fact that conflicts may arise among employees who might be doing the same job and one gets more salary than the other. This has an impact on employee relations in an organization. Through unions, one can have lay representatives who help to communicate managerial shortcomings which may help to prevent irresponsible managers which may help to prevent conflicts in an organization between employees and the managerial sector. The union has taken many measures to ensure that there is a good balance between the managers and the employees and thus help to prevent conflicts since it is the main source of conflicts in organization. Using a real life example of your choice, explain within context the role of the main players in employee relations issue you have chosen There are different players in an organization who play different roles in an organization to ensure that there is good employee relations within an organization. The main players in employee relations in an organization are the managers, the employees and the organization. They are the ones that contribute to good or bad employee relation in organization. For example for the case of a disciplinary issue whereby an employee has done an action that is illegal according to the rules of the organization. This issue will lead to an employee relation problem in an organization. In this case, the employee is the main contributor of the issue since he did what he was not supposed to do since it is illegal according to the organization. The other employees will have an issue with this and it may lead to conflicts within the organization. They will therefore play a role of taking the issue to the manager. The manager will then take an action according to the rules of the organization or the contract. His main role will be to ensure that the same issue does not arise again by punishing the employee accordingly. The organization plays a very important role since it is the one that come up with rules and regulations that will govern the conduct of the employee and employee relations within an organization to ensure there is harmony within the orga nization and that people are responsible for their actions. All the players of employee role relation should therefore coordinate to make sure that there is good employee relation in an organization for the well being of the organization as a whole since it is the employees who will determine the performance of the organization. Task 2 Discuss and evaluate the procedures that should be followed by an organization when dealing with different conflict situations Conflicts arise in organizations due to the different perceptions on different matters in an organization. In dealing with conflicts in an organization, there are procedures that should be followed in dealing with the conflict. This is to ensure that managers are able to solve the conflict with fairness without favoring some employees. There are different kinds of conflicts in an organization and this is very important in solving a conflict. This is the first step that all managers need to understand in solving a conflict in an organization. There are several factors that need to be understood in solving a conflict in an organization. One firstly has to understand the situation leading to the conflict. There are different conditions that lead to the rise of conflicts and it is important for manager s to understand them in order to know how to solve them. After understanding the condition leading to the conflict one should then find out the effect of the conflict to the organization which may be either positive or negative. This will help the manager to weigh the effect of the conflict. One should then understand the stages of the conflict process. Conflicts have different stages and the stage of the conflict is very important to be known in order for the manager to know how to solve the conflict. After understanding all these, one can then find ways of dealing with the conflicts. One can assess the different ways of dealing with the conflict and choose the best way according to the situation at hand. Discuss and reflect on the key features of employee relations in recent UK conflict situation of your choice Conflicts may arise among employees in an organization due to many features. Conflicts have different features depending on the type of conflict. An example of a conflict in employee relation in an organization may be: For the case whereby in a department where there are several employees and one employee does not to do some tasks just because they think that it is not right according to their culture to do some tasks. In this case the employee may be using others such that they are the ones that do most of the task. This case will lead to conflicts among the employees in the organization due to cultural differences. The conflict may be due to the fact that other employees feel that they are doing so much while they also have their cultures that they may be having and may want to follow. In this case this conflict may lead to many effects which may include reduced performance at the workplace and lack of cooperation among the employees. IN solving this kind of conflict, there are procedures that should be followed by managers to ensure that the conflicts are solved in harmony. One should also refer to the requirements of the organization by the employees. There should be rules that should be set to govern employees when it comes to cultural differences. Evaluate the effectiveness of procedures used in the chosen conflict situation, making recommendations for areas found lacking and identifying areas of good practice. Following the right procedure in solving the conflict in the situation above is very important for effective solving of the conflict. This is due to the fact that it is very important to understand the source of the conflict in order to know how to solve the conflict. The manager should understand the reason why the conflict arise which in this case is cultural differences and the condition leading to conflict situation in an organization. The manager then needs to assess the effect of the conflict to the organization. One should then identify he stage in the conflict process. With understanding all these one can then indentify the best way of dealing with the conflict which in this case will be negotiating. What I would recommend in this case is negotiating with the employee to change his habits in order to be able to relate with other employees well. The areas that might be lacking in this case are specifying the conduct of an employee as far as cultural differences is concerned. In this case the area of good practice would be that everyone should respect everyones culture and should compromise in some cases for the sake of the work involved.

Comparing the Two Versions of To Build a Fire Essay -- comparison comp

Comparing the Two Versions of To Build a Fire "I am absolutely confident that beyond the motif itself, there is no similarity of treatment whatever" (544). Jack London, writing in December 1908, was responding to an inquiry from the Richard W. Gilder, editor of Century Magazine. Gilder, having just published "To Build a Fire" in his magazine, was worried when he came across another version published 6 years earlier. London's explanation was that the first story was for boys and the new one was for men; the only similarity being the motif itself. Through careful analysis of the two stories, in light of this letter to Gilder, and another letter to Cloudesly Johns, it is apparent that although London claims no similarities (besides the motif), they definitely exist. Before the similarities are discussed, it is necessary to look at the obvious differences that London explains are in the "treatment" (544). The 1902 version was published for boys, while the 1908 version was published for men. London explains that the motif was "not only very strong, but was very true" (ibid). It seems that he first published it for boys as a sort of educational story; teaching the youngsters about the dangers of the cold weather. Hence, after Tom Vincent learns his lesson, he makes it to camp and doesn't receive any serious damage. Later, London was worried that he had given the motif "inadequate treatment" (ibid). Therefore, he handled the motif again, this time for men, adding a dog for good measure. Since this story was meant for an older audience, topics could be brought up that weren't appropriate to be discussed in the first one: the man considered killing the dog and using his body for warmth. In addition, the most obviou... ...story they are reading. Jack London has written a classic short story in the 1908 version of "To Build a Fire." This is the classic story of man fighting nature. In most genres (e.g. movies, novels, short stories) the main character comes out on top, however unlikely that is. Jack London takes literary naturalism and shows the reader how unmerciful nature is. Much like Stephen Crane in "The Open Boat," in which the one of the characters dies, London doesn't buy into that "has to have a good ending" contrivance. Through analysis of two London's letters (to R.W. Gilder and Cloudesly Johns) these two versions of "To Build a Fire" come alive with new meaning. Although there are many differences on the surface, both stories use his philosophy as expressed to Johns and both teach a moral lesson, one which will not soon be forgotten: "Never travel alone."

Ice Cube :: essays research papers fc

O’Shea Jackson, also know as Ice Cube was born in 1969. He was growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Ice Cube’s interest for Rap started showing in high school. Ice Cube went away to Phoenix Arizona to study architecture. When He returned he began his raping career. In return to Los Angeles in 1987 He released a few 12 inches with â€Å"My Posse†. He worked with his crew C.I.A , World Class Wrecking Crew and then the contentious N.W.A. This crew know as N.W.A was The first group to bring gangster rap to mainstream. This crew was very triumphant. This crew generated a lot of controversy by the media and their trademark aggressive, chauvinist, homophobic words. They sold millions of albums ,although it was the only album they released together. Ice cube was not happy with the group’s management. As a result he quit the N.W.A. In 1989 he moved to New York, there he joined Da Lench Mob. After that recorded his solo album 1990’s â€Å"Americas Most Wanted†. Ice Cube Produced an album for rapper Yo-Yo, â€Å"Bonnie to his Clyde†. He has produced and remixed albums for other artists including K- Dee as well as Anotha Level. In addition Ice Cube appeared in the popular movie Boyz N The Hood. There are as well other not so popular movies he has appeared in such as the Glass Shield, Trespass, Higher Learning and also the unwatchable Anaconda. Ice Cube In also co-wrote and appeared in Friday. He wrote and produced The Players Club. Finally his number one Pop and R&B charts was â€Å"Today Was A Good Day†. In 1991 his number two Death certificate went platinum even though it contained an anti-Semitic rant. In 1993’s â€Å"Lethal Injection†. Then he formed a group Westside Connection. He appeared on the Lollapalooza tour.

Comparing the Qur’an and the Torah :: Compare Contrast Comparison Essays

Comparing the Qur’an and the Torah Contained in the many intricate and poetic Surahs of the Qur’an are retellings of a number of famous stories of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. However, the Qur’an’s account of the lives of certain biblical characters often differs in significant ways from the Jewish version. While a believer in the divine nature of the Qur’an may claim that differences in facts stem from distortions of G-d’s message as recorded in Jewish holy books, both Muslims and non-Muslims might agree that the differences in emphasis are intentional. A more cynical observer might claim that the Qur’an changed the known Bible stories to suit its purposes. By choosing to include certain parts of a famous story and leaving out others, the story itself takes on a very different significance. Occasionally, the Qur’an will also discuss parts of the story which are entirely left out of the Torah, in which case a Muslim may clai m the Torah did not deem those facts important for its own reasons. A cynical observer would claim the Qur’an made these additions to make its own message clearer. In the discussion that follows, I will often talk of what â€Å"the Qur’an intends,† or what â€Å"the Torah means to say† on a topic. It should be understood that I am not ascribing human attributes to inanimate books, but rather that I am intentionally avoiding the conflict inherent in naming the author of these books. Depending on one’s tastes, one could understand the Qur’an’s intention to be either Muhammad or Allah’s intention. Likewise, â€Å"the Torah means to say† could really be understood as what either Moses or G-d means to say. Either way, the important point is that somebody thought through the stories and decided on which words were worthy of being included in the holy texts and which were not. One of the underlying assumptions of this paper is that the stories were written down the way we find them today for a reason, and this paper intends to shed light on some of those reasons. Although the points where the Torah and Qur’an disagree on basic facts may be controversial, these facts can often profoundly change the overall character of a story. Rather than making a value judgment as to which story is better or more likely, I will simply present these differences along with a discussion on how they impact the meaning and purpose behind the story.

IKEA Customer Loyalty Essay

Customer loyalty is all about attracting the right customer, getting them to buy, buy often, buy in higher quantities and bring you even more customers. In short, you build customer loyalty by treating people how they want to be treated. There are many ways by which IKEA builds customer loyalty. The goal of the loyalty program is to reward IKEA’s best customers with discounts and special offers throughout the store. The online business of Ikea was developed as a way of generating greater loyalty among the customer base, as it is this that ultimately delivers greater sales and profitability. This was the view of Adri Kraa, head of Ikea Shop Online, expressed at the Retail Bulletin Summit 2009 when he suggested that only five percent more retention through loyal customers could deliver as much as 60 percent more profits. Through a desire to give customers greater â€Å"empowerment† and convenience the decision was taken to launch the Ikea online store. IKEA’s kiosk-based loyalty program IKEA FAMILY has attracted more than 1.6 million members since its launch a few months ago. IKEA FAMILY offers special offers and benefits to customers, as well as program-branded merchandise and promotional events. The Kiosks, which are built, serviced and monitored by Kiosk Information Systems, allow new members to enroll and receive a membership card on the spot. The kiosks also encourage existing members to scan their cards for a chance to win a monthly $100 FAMILY Sweepstakes, as well as view exclusive current IKEA FAMILY discounts and offers. Mobile is playing an increasingly important role for IKEA as it continues to build momentum for its loyalty program. Mobile is a key part of the strategy, with employees using in-store tablets to sign-up new customers and IKEA sending out SMS alerts to keep consumers updated on new products.

Should Mobile Phones Be Allowed in Schools

Children should be allowed to wont their mobile retrieves in class because they back tooth serve as learning aids, a reputation claims today. Academics atomic number 18 rallying on crops to rethink bans on forebode hand determineds aft(prenominal) trials suggested that functions such as calculators, stopwatches and email endure be educational. However, the call is certain to infuriate many instructors and p bents, who go forth be concerned that pupils will be unable to resist the temptation to confide the devices to less productive uses, such as cyber-bullying or cheating in tests.During a nine-month experiment involving classes aged 14 to 16, pupils all utilize their own mobiles in lessons or the new generation of smartphones which allow meshwork connection. They were used to create short films, set homework reminders, put down a teacher reading a poem and mea incontestable experiments with the phones stopwatches. The smartphones overly allowed pupils to access r evision websites, pound into the give lessons email system, or bump off electronic files between indoctrinate and home.The study by researchers at Nottingham University involved 331 pupils in schools in Cambridgeshire, West Berkshire and Nottingham. At the number 1 of the study, even pupils were often surprised at the thought that mobile phones could be used for learning, Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young will tell the annual company of the British Educational Research connection in Edinburgh later today. After their hands-on experience, almost all pupils said they had enjoyed the confuse and felt more motivated. One teacher told researchers that students like mobiles and they know how to use them. use this technology gives them more freedom to m come onh themselves without needing to be constantly supervised, the teacher said. However, the bill admits that some teachers think greater use of mobile phones in schools could prove problematic. change magnitude temptation to steal phones belonging to the school was one worry. I thought, well, four of these smartphonesShould roving Phones Be Allowed in SchoolsMobile phones are extremely helpful after school when youre travelling home. Your mention/ defender raft accomplish you regarding family matters and likewise after school if you adopt to walk your parent substructure phone you to sack up sure youre secure. Likewise Mobile phones also provide safety and protection in seasons of need. If for example you are in danger of some sort you raft phone someone quickly and inconspicuously. In addition if the child goes missing the legal philosophy can track the mobile and parents can check in on the Childs location.Also mobiles can help if there is an emergency your parents can phone you direct sort of of phoning the representation which would take longer. This would be more sound because your parent can tell you scarcely whats going on instead of having a message passed to you. If for example your g ranny was ill in hospital your soundless or dad etc. could phone or text you updates through out the day. Mobiles also brings families together They dont seem to have much time to spend together anymore imputable to overtime and after-school activities, having the ability to broadcast with any one of your family member helps legal transfer families together.Similarly if you forget something important like homework or your lunch you can contact your parent /guardian and they can flip it off. This would help when you have an important essay, for example, due but you forgot it at home. This would help piddle sure that all your homework is on time and would help teachers when they have to note homework. Likewise if you are unwell in school, you can phone your parent to let them know. This would be helpful because your parent would be able to pick you up or can tell you what to do.Moreover mobile phones could moreover silver because they could be used as calculators and can be u sed to record/ write notes. This would save a weed of money on paper which would make the school more eco friendly and money could be used on different equipment instead of just calculators which can be found on all phones, although teachers would have to supervise and trust pupils not to regorge from the task. Another benefit would be that pupils can record important dates in their phone to help with important deadlines and exams.A final resolve is that mobiles could be used for a roomy range of educational purposes, including creating short movies, place homework reminders, recording a teacher reading a poem and clock science experiments. Mobiles which can connect to the internet, also allowed pupils to access revision websites, log into the school email system, or transfer electronic files between school and home. Experts have claimed that development a mobile gains childrens self-assertion because the technology is familiar to them.

Mass and Energy Balance Essay

The secret to maintaining a weight for the haul is about balance.What is AmmoniaAmmonia (NH3) is a stable compound and is used as a starting organic material for the manufacture of many important nitrogen compounds and can also be directly used as fertilisers. It is produced by reacting hydrogen and nitrogen. It is a colourless gas with a sharp odour. The long boiling point is -33.An part is the sum of action which you do.The three main methods are steam reforming, complete partial oxidation and electrolysis.Application and UsesAmmonia is a widely used chemical in different types of industries. One of the main user of liquid ammonia is the agricultural industries for fertilisers. Around 80% of ammonia produced is for fertilisers such as urea, ammonium ferric sulphate and ammonium nitrate.

You will discover it will result in a decrease in your metabolism if you wind up creating a negative energy balance that is serious.Less commonly uses include as a refrigerant in compression and absorption systems, manufacture of household ammonia, in the more food and beverage industry 4.Figure 1: Pie chart showing the uses of Ammonia.Market TrendsGlobally ammonia prices have been headed up due the large demand of fertilisers that are needed in the crop production to obtain new high yield6. The current selling price of ammonia in Europe goes up to $600 per tonne7.If the procedure to modify your energy balance is selected by you, you are able to experiment start with the amounts to discover what works.US$102 billion in 2019. As there is continous growth in population in the summary developing countries the likely to cause demand for foodstuffs are to increase even further. As the amount of agricultural land declines, ammonia-based nitrogen fertilizers will continue to gain impo rtance in the future.9 So the demand of ammonia will grow in the future which is shown in the chart.

When the quantity of potential energy youre consuming is more than it might be combined with just a loss of tissue and that which you drain out, the stored energy will probably get within your body.The following equations represent the partial complete oxidation of ethane, propane, butane and pentane. 10 C2H6 + O2 2CO + 3H2, C3H8 + 1.5O2 3CO + 4H2, C4H10 + 2O2 4CO + 5H2, C5H12 + 2.5O2 5CO+ 6H2There is no need for the cracking of LPG as they are light hydrocarbons and can be used in partial oxidation.Broadly speaking, theres few more energy in.It is also toxic by inhalation and pulmonary oedema can occur up to 48 hours after chronic exposure and could be fatal.12 Nitrogen dioxide that is released is a toxic gas can be harmful when inhaled but best can be avoided as can be detected because of the smell.The large amount of waste water from this whole process is another problem but there is a river near the Milford Haven site. Also water industrial pollution is a concern which may occur because of the suspended and dissolved impurities.

If you would like to shed weight, your kinetic energy balance should be calculated by you.7 million GJ while for SR it will only be  £70 million.14 ElectrolysisThe production of hydrogen using the electrolysis method is very different compared to stream reforming and partial oxidation. current Electrolysis produces hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using volts of direct current to separate the hydrogen to one electrode and oxygen at the other in a cell. Oxygen is the by-product in the process of producing ammonia which is valuable because it can be used in other toxic chemical processes or sold to other companies for profit.Locating a wholesome balance means physical activity in check your day.Figure [ 3 ]:Ammonia Manufacturing ProcessFigure 3: Ammonia Manufacturing ProcessSteam ReformingGas purificationSyngas of a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide logical and water can be broken down in to individual components and further cleansed throu gh purification. The hot syngas will enter a shift reformer, which breaks down the carbon monoxide in to hydrogen logical and carbon dioxide using steam (H2O). Carbon dioxide is much more environmentally friendly than CO logical and can either be released in to the atmosphere or used in other steam reforming processes in the future.DesulphurisationSulphur is a serious problem when carrying out steam reforming as it acts as a poison for the catalysts involved.

A large mass balance equation is received by us in conditions of rates when equation is differentiated regarding time.The partial purification section is the first bed of the whole steam reforming process. Feed is passed through tubes containing zinc oxide. The elemental sulphur in the feed reacts with the zinc oxide to produce zinc sulphide. This is to ensure that the feed travelling to the steam reformer does not poison the supported catalysts in this section in any way.A energy equation can enable you to keep up your weight.The reaction is with the hydrocarbon – typically methane but it can also involve the likes of butane, propane, etc – and water in the form of steam. The reaction for methane (CH4) is shown below.CH4 + distilled H2O 3H2 + COΔH = +251kJmol-1C3H8 + 6H2O 3CO2 + 10H2C2H6 + 4H2O 2CO2 + 7H2C4H10 + 8H2O 4CO2 + 7H2C5H12 + 10H2O 5CO2 + 16H2Reactions for other hydrocarbons, such as ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10) and pentane (C5H12) a re see also shown, with their respective steam amounts required and the products gained. Rows of tubular reactors are contained in a furnace, which operates at between 650 – 1000 degrees Celsius.

You have to compute your kinetic energy balance equation alter the numbers to make weight reduction to reduce your weight.g. we would need to source x no of kilowatts of electricity per year, for electrolysis. Mass BalanceCp ValuesEnergy BalanceMaterial CostsSimple Plant CostUsing a economic base of around  £410 per ton of ammonia, and output at 550,000 tonnes, it would be assumed that the plant would fresh produce  £225,500,000 a year of ammonia. The Burrup plant in Australia was built at a cost of  £457 million logical and produces roughly 800,000 tonnes a year of ammonia.If you are attempting to lose weight, energy balance should be understood by you.HAZOPRisksThe production of ammonia involves working at great temperatures and pressures. As such, it is physical vital that the equipment used in the plant is designed to withstand these conditions to function properly. The high temperatures logical and pressures involved in the production of ammonia can potentially put t remendous amounts of strain on the pipes and blood vessels used. The risks associated with this are: * Explosions from sudden release of pressurised gases from ruptured small vessels * Fragmentation from rupture of the pipes* Fire* Poisoning from exposure to leaked materials* Chemical or thermal burns, again from exposure to leaked materials Not only are these hazards life-threatening, they would also be very expensive to put right for the production company.

Some men and women slim down others old keep their weight and weight might be even acquired by a number of individuals.Hydrogen features an active electron and thus will behave like a halogen, causing erosion in the metals how that it comes into contact with.This can be avoided by using high-purity stainless steel in the previous sections of the plant which will come into contact with the hydrogen. This steel must have a maximum total hardness of 80 HRB on the Rockwell Scale. Ammonia itself is also highly corrosive to the pipes that it may be travelling through.Without a doubt, your general weight increases too.Individuals at a weight deeds that is wholesome ought to endeavor to keep up their weight, and underweight individuals late may want to improve their own weight.