Walmart's Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay

Walmart's Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example One of the main issues that had become the root of all problems was its core values of providing low prices always. Some of the strategies that the company had implemented into achieving these policies were called into question. One of the important objectives of implementing the strategy for change management was to revive the falling sales and get the company back on growth platform. One of the turnaround factors for wall mart that is going to lift it out of the stage that it is currently in is to grow leaders at all stage. To grow leaders at all stage of the organizations among both the managerial and non managerial workforce is to impart them adequate training. Since wall mart is a large multinational organization so to impart training at large scale will require adequate planning. The plan to grow leaders at all stage of the organization should be done step by step (Walmart Inc, 2006b). The plan should be first inducted as a training module for a single branch and then slowly spread into other branches at first in a country, then in a continent and then through all the continents. Before going into next step of the process the company must first ensure that the first step has been successful with clear and positive results. The company by utilizing its innovative CRM tools has huge pile of customer data that it has collected over the years. A simple strategy would be look into what has changed in the customers buying behavior. If the customers are moving towards other store why on earth are they doing so? The key is to analyze the key lacunas and fix them. One of the key areas where wall mart might be lacking as compared to its competitors is that in a drive to give its customers â€Å"Always low prices. Always† the company gives discriminatory wages to its employees. So the company suffers from low employee productivity as compared to many of its competitors (Cascio, 2006b). Costco produced $21,805 in operating profit per hourly employee. This is

How Islam responds to Relationships Essay Example for Free

How Islam responds to Relationships Essay Introduction Throughout this project, the intention of the information is to answer the question: How does the religion of Islam respond to issues on relationships? All through this Booklet, I have kept in mind to focus on the ideas of Islamic relationships and what this means to a Muslim, in the Islamic definition. In Islam a definition of relationships means marriage, contract, sex, families, children etc. Therefore, if applied to Islam in liaison to the now modern everyday life this would involve issues such as * Men Womens Roles in the family * Beliefs about the ethics of Divorce * Beliefs about sexual Relationships * Religious attitude to the use of contraception These are the subjects I will be talking about and looking over at the Islamic perspective on these topics of concern. To portray the view Islam has over these issues I will be using: * The genuine teachings from the word of our God `Allah` himself, doing this through the Quran. * Referring to important hadiths (lessons) and quotes from the prophet Mohammed (pbuh) * The message given out today by the most knowledgeable top scholars. These should give a clear message of what, the view on these issues used to be like, how they have progressed and possibly altered over the years, the differences on these matters from today in contrast to when the religion began, and how it is today, right now in Muslim houses and nations across the world. Islamic Marriage Ceremonies Marriage (nikah) is a solemn and sacred social contract between bride and groom. This contract is a strong covenant; `Mithaqun Ghalithun` as expressed in Quran 4:21. The marriage contract in Islam is not a sacrament. It is revocable, both parties mutually agree and enter into this contract. Both bride and groom have the liberty to define various terms and conditions of their liking and make them a part of this contract. Mahr The marriage-gift (Mahr) is Gods command. The giving of mahr to the bride by the groom is an essential part of the contract. And give the women (on marriage) their mahr as a (nikah) free gift (Quran 4:4) Mahr is a token commitment of the husbands responsibility and may be paid in cash, property or movable objects to the bride herself. The amount of mahr is not legally specified, however, moderation according to the existing social norm is recommended. The mahr may be paid immediately to the bride at the time of marriage, or deferred to a later date, or a combination of both. The deferred mahr however, falls due in case of death or divorce. One matrimonial party expresses `ijab` willing consent to enter into marriage and the other party expresses `qubul` acceptance of the responsibility in the assembly of marriage ceremony. The contract is written and signed by the bride and the groom and their two respective witnesses. This written marriage contract (`Aqd-Nikah`) is then announced publicly. Sermon The assembly of nikah is addressed with a marriage sermon (khutba-tun-nikah) by the Muslim officiating the marriage. In marriage societies, customarily, a state appointed Muslim judge (Qadi) officiates the nikah ceremony and keeps the record of the marriage contract. However any trust worthy practicing Muslim can conduct the nikah ceremony, as Islam does not advocate priesthood. The documents of marriage contract/certificate are filed with the mosque (masjid) and local government for record. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made it his tradition (sunnah) to have marriage sermon delivered in the assembly to solemnize the marriage. The sermon invites the bride and the groom, as well as the participating guests in the assembly to a life of piety, mutual love, kindness, and social responsibility. The Khutbah-tun-Nikah begins with the praise of Allah. His help and guidance is sought. The Muslim confession of faith that There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger is declared. The three Quranic verses (Quran 4:1, 3:102, 33:70-71) and one Prophetic saying (hadith) form the main text of the marriage. This hadith is: By Allah! Among all of you I am the most God-fearing, and among you all, I am the foremost held responsible to save myself from the wrath of Allah, yet my state is that I observe prayer and sleep too. I observe fast and suspend observing them; I marry woman also. And he who turns away from my Sunnah has no relation with me. The Muslim officiating the marriage ceremony concludes the ceremony with prayer (Dua) for bride, groom, their respective families, the local Muslim community, and the Muslim community at large (Ummah) Marriage (nikah) is considered as an act of worship (Ibadah). It is honourable to conduct it in a Mosque keeping the ceremony simple. The marriage ceremony is a social as well as a religious activity. Islam advocates simplicity in ceremonies and celebrations. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) considered simple weddings the best weddings: The best wedding is that upon which the least trouble and expense is bestowed. Primary Requirements 1) Mutual agreement (Ijab-O-Qubul) by the bride and the groom. 2) Two adult and sane witnesses. 3) Mahr (marriage-gift) to be paid by the groom to the bride either immediately (muajjal) or deferred (muakhkhar), or a combination of both. Secondary Requirements 1) Legal guardian (wakeel) representing the bride. 2) Written marriage contract (Aqd-Nikah) signed by the bride and the groom and witnesses by two adult and sane witnesses. 3) Qadi (State appointed Muslim judge) or Mazoon (a responsible person officiating the marriage ceremony) 4) Khutba-tun-Nikah to solemnize the marriage. The Marriage Banquet (Walima) After the consummation of the marriage, the groom holds a banquet called a walima. The relatives, neighbours, and friends are invited in order to make them aware of the marriage. Both rich and poor of the family and community are invited to the marriage feasts. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: The worst of the feasts are those marriage feasts to which the rich are invited and the poor are left out. (Mishkat) It is recommended that Muslims attend marriage ceremonies and marriage feasts upon invitation. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: and he who refuses to accept an invitation to a marriage feast, verily disobeys Allah and His Prophet. (Ahmad Abu Dawood) Roles of Men and Women within an Islamic Family Islam teaches that men and women are equal and that Allah will judge them equally according to the way in which they have lived. Men and women are quite obviously different from each other and each have their own qualities, both of these joined together in the act of marriage is what makes a family work well. Due to the differences and qualities, men and women have different responsibilities to their children and to each other. These responsibilities are in no terms biased against women, the responsibilities laid upon the parents are balanced and equally as important to one another. Men do have the quality of normally being physically and mentally stronger than women, and for this, they are expected to provide his wife(s) with sufficient money to allow her to buy food, take care of the house and look after the children. But this does not mean that the father just has a financial role, not at all, the father is the leader of the home in Islam, it is his responsibility to set the social and emotional nature for the home and family. Mens responsibility in Islam goes far beyond only financial. If the father is emotionally distant, perpetually angry, or closed off, chances are this will reflect throughout the rest of the family. Thus, the role of the father and husband as a tone-setter is a key element in the leadership running of the household. I notice in my own home that when my father is engaged in reading/activities, I will take interest and want to join him. Rather than get upset at me for interrupting him, he will usually try to include me in what he is doing in a way that is playful and educational. This allows me to take an interest in it as well, increasing the bond and emotional connection between us. Islam gives fathers and mothers a great deal of responsibility for raising their children. It was narrated that Abd-Allaah ibn Umar heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The man is the shepherd of his family and he is responsible for his flock. The woman is the shepherd of her husbands household and is responsible for her flock. The servant is a shepherd of his masters wealth and is responsible for his flock. He said, I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Women are expected to cook food, clean the house, and take care of the children but the fathers do also have a part in the upbringing of the children and the daily house chores as Mohammed (pbuh) used to help his wife Khadija at the housework as well. Also equal rights are given to both the women and men in Islam; Women do have the right to study if they which, to refuse a marriage, to divorce, to inheritance, to keep their own names, to own property, to take part in politics, whether they are married or not. Women are owed more respect in Islam than men and the pathway to heaven is at your mothers feet. Muslim Beliefs about the Ethics of Divorce Muslim marriage is supported by Islam and is classified as a very good act between a man and women however Muslims are not so ignorant to think that marriages dont fail. They do, it is acknowledged that they do, and since marriage is a legal contract between two people and if the continuation of a marriage brings misery to the couple and their children, it can be undone. In a hadith it states; `If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husbands part, there is no blame on the, if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best; even though mens souls are swayed by greed` Also it is said that of all things allowed in Islam but disliked (this is known as `makrooh` e.g. smoking) Divorce is the most hated of them all. A man cannot seek to have a divorce from his wife until it is certain that she is not pregnant, as they may change their mind and try and give it another go if the woman is pregnant. Also as divorce is much hated and is not to be done lightly at all, once divorce has been announced there is a period of three months called `iddah` this is a period of three months to allow for a possible reconciliation of the marriage. If there is no reconciliation then the divorce is permitted to take place. A woman is also allowed to have a divorce, either by an agreement with her husband or because of his treatment of her. Children are regarded as illegitimate if their parents are not married and, according to Shariah law, the father has no legal responsibility. These are the complete conditions of marriage in the contract and the circumstances in which it is permitted, backed up by quotes from the Quran. Requirements; * Marriage implies that both husband and wife are able to live with one another with kindness, respect and cooperation. It is their responsibility to raise a family and it is a covenant binding on both parties. * There are times when marriages fail and no solution can be found except divorce. * The Quran orders men to either live with their wives on good terms or divorce them, but they are not to hold them hostage: When you divorce a woman and they are about to fulfill their Idda, either take them back on equitable terms or set them free, but do not take them back to injure them. Chapter 2, verse 231. * A woman has the right to seek a divorce from her husband if she feels that their marriage is doomed. If you indeed fear that they would be unable to keep the limits ordained by God, there is no blame on either of them if she gives something for her freedom. Chapter 2, verse 229 Muslim Beliefs about Sexual Relationships In Islam, sexuality is considered part of our identity as human beings. In His creation of humankind, God distinguished us from other animals by giving us reason and will such that we can control behaviour that, in other species, is governed solely by instinct. So, although sexual relations ultimately can result in the reproduction and survival of the human race, an instinctual concept, our capacity for self-control allows us to regulate this behaviour. Also, the mere fact that human beings are the only creatures who engage in sexual relations once they are beyond the physical capacity for reproduction, sets us apart from all other species, which engage in sex for the sole purpose of reproduction. Beyond childbearing, sexual relations assume a prominent role in the overall well being of the marriage. In reading hadith, one is impressed with the Prophets ability to discuss all issues including those dealing with human sexuality. The topics range from questions about menstruation to orgasm. He apparently was not embarrassed by such inquiries, but strove to adequately guide and inform the Muslims who asked. Both Quran and hadith allude to the nature of sexual relations as a means of attaining mutual satisfaction, closeness and compassion between a wife and husband. Permitted to you on the night of the Fasts is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and you are their garments.(2:187) Adultery Also, Muslims are advised to avoid sexual intercourse during menses so as not to cause discomfort to the woman. It could be said that Islam has a very realistic attitude towards sex and realises that both men and women can be tempted to have a sexual relationship outside of marriage. Sexual activity of any kind is explicitly forbidden and adultery by the husband or the wife is a serious crime. `Nor come night to adultery: for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils` (surah 17:32) Sex Before Marriage Naturally, attraction between individuals is necessary to initiate a relationship that leads to marriage. But sexual relations can obviously take place between any couple, consenting or not. Because of the far-reaching ramifications of sexual relations outside of marriage, God prohibits Muslims from such behaviour. And because the process that leads to physical attraction and ultimately intimacy is part of human nature, Muslims are advised to behave in a way and avoid circumstances that could potentially result in extra- or pre-marital sex. Modesty in dress and behaviour between women and men figures prominently as a means of exhibiting self-control. Similarly, unmarried couples are admonished against spending time alone in isolated places where they would be more likely to act on their feelings and thus be less inhibited. Homosexuality Human beings are capable of many forms of sexual expression, orientation and identification. The existence of such a variety again is not found in any other species and thus further demonstrates our uniqueness among Gods creations. The potential for behaviour, such as homosexuality, does not mean that its practice is lawful in the eyes of God. Therefore, individuals are expected to control themselves and not act on their desires if such action is contrary to the guidelines of Islam. Homosexuality, like other forms of sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage, is thus prohibited. In any discussion of prohibited acts follows the question of what happens if they nevertheless occur. The Quran and hadith are explicit regarding severe punishment by the State if a person is convicted of such a crime. However, in order for conviction to take place, the individuals must confess or be accused by at least four eyewitnesses of the act of actual intercourse. Obviously, the likelihood of these criteria being met is small which means that most couples who engage in unlawful acts will not be punished by the State. They will then deal with the consequences of their behaviour in this life and will be accountable to God on the Day of Judgement. Only He knows how He ultimately judges. Muslim Beliefs about Contraception Contraception Although Muslims are encouraged to have children, contraception is not prohibited. The method used during the time of the Prophet was `coitus interruptus` (known as azl`) about which several hadith exist. His basic response when asked if such a practice was lawful was that individuals can do as they will, but if God intends for a child to be born, she/he will be born. Some interpreted this to mean that preventing pregnancy is not recommended because childbearing is preferred; yet the act is not specifically prohibited. Also, other hadith stipulate that azl could not be practiced without the wifes consent as it might interfere with her sexual satisfaction or desire to bear children. The Quran does not make any explicit statements about the morality of contraception, but contains statements encouraging procreation. Various interpretations have been set forth over time, and at the time of this writing, discussions on the web can be found easily that take various positions. Early Muslim literature discusses various contraceptive methods, and a study sponsored by the Egyptian government concluded that not only was azl (coitus interruptus) acceptable from a moral standpoint, but any similar method that did not produce sterility was also acceptable. It is permissible to use condoms so long as this does not cause any harm and so long as both husband and wife consent to their use, because this is similar to azl (coitus interruptus or withdrawal). But it reduces the sensation of pleasure, which is the right of both partners, and reduces the chance of conception, which is also the right of both partners. Neither one of them is allowed to deprive the other of these rights. And Allaah is the course of strength. islamic-paths.org, Sex and Sexuality in Islam Condoms (2005) [4] By analogy, the methods that exist today as contraceptives are lawful for Muslims to use at their discretion. Basically, it is our position that any method that does not involve pregnancy termination is permissible. Imam al-Ghazzali lists a number of legitimate reasons for practicing contraception, including; * Financial difficulty * Threat to mothers health * Chance of child being born with mental or physical deformities * Emotional or psychological hardship * Already having many children * Preservation of beauty and health. It should be clear from this discussion, that since sexual relations should be confined to marriage, contraception is so limited. It is not considered a means of easing the difficulties associated with sexual relations outside of marriage and should most certainly not be used in this way at all. Conclusion Overall, all in all in my total truthful opinion, I do believe that Islam the true words from Allah does promote marriage among society, does accept that marriages do fail and permits divorce and the use of contraception. I accept that marriage breakages can happen and that they cannot be forbidden as the continuous misery of two people is worse than the split of their marriage so it should be permitted. However I do think that in todays modern society people are getting married with the thought that they can just divorce if it goes wrong but I believe this is truly wrong! People should seriously contemplate whether or not the time is right for them to get married before they just go into it. Also despite being Muslim myself I feel that the permittance of a man having more than one wife is wrong and unfair on the women themselves, because no matter how fair the man wants to be, hell never be able to treat all them with the same fairness. Also I dont feel that a man is able to truly love more than one woman at the same time, so having more than one fair would make one think that the man doesnt actually love any of his wives but keeps them for pleasurably reasons only. I also have to disagree with a certain Shariah law stating that `Children are regarded as illegitimate if their parents are not married and, according to Shariah law, the father has no legal responsibility` I believe this to be unjust as women cannot become pregnant by herself; the man in full knowledge of what he was doing had sex with her, giving him responsibility for any offspring created from it. Also men may very well use this law as a means of taking advantage of women as they will not be held responsible for any children created as a result of it. Apart from those, Islam has a very modern and fair way of looking at relationships, and apart from those mentioned I dont believe that women are treated unfairly in anyway at all. Bibliography The holy quran the companions of the prophet book2 al-nawawis 40 hadiths Religion equality booklet www.islamonline.net www.islam101.com www.bbc.co.uk/gcse/bitesize www.islamicforums.com

Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema (CPFE)

Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema (CPFE) Ong Wei Jun Dan The Causes, Consequences and Differences Between Pulmonary Fibrosis or Emphysema Alone   Abstract Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a complicated disease and untreated disease which consists of two diseases. It is difficult for respiratory therapists or respiratory physicians to differentiate between CPFE versus idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)/emphysema alone. There is an increased recognition of the coexistence of emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis in individuals. The association of two diseases results in chronic dyspnea, upper-lobe emphysema and lower lobe fibrosis, and severely diminished diffusion of gas exchange with preserved lung volumes. CPFE is also frequently complicated by pulmonary hypertension, lung injury and even lung cancer. This causes CPFE patients to feel have a low quality of life and a low 10-year survival rate. Currently, there are no known treatments for CPFE patients with the exception of lung transplantation. Thus, clinical evaluations are needed to differentiate between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibro sis, and to recognize that CPFE is a unique entity by looking at the difference in radiological, pathological and metabolism features in order to find better treatment for CPFE. Introduction About 11 million Americans have Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD) and out of these, most are diagnosed with pulmonary emphysema. The etiology of emphysema found that 80% of cases are caused by cigarette smoking, which causes alveolar membranes to break down, creating huge alveoli (called blebs) that lesser surface area and weaker walls than normal alveoli. This causes the low perfusion of oxygen due to decrease in surface area. In addition, approximately 50,000 new cases of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) are diagnosed each year.   IPF is a restrictive respiratory disease, and it is the most common of the idiopathic lung diseases. IPF causes thickening of the alveolar capillary membrane, which results in minimal gas exchange between the alveolar and the blood capillaries. Both diseases lead to the decreased efficacy of oxygen delivery. CPFE is a combination of both IPF and emphysema. However, it is usually treated as IPF and ignored or excluded in the diagnosis of emphysema.   COPD and pulmonary fibrosis have different pathologies, metabolic pathways and radiological characteristics, and were therefore regarded as separate entities for a very long time. However, in recent years, there is some recognition of the coexistence of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema in patients. As such, it is very important to know the differences between CPFE versus emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis alone in order to find a treatment or prevent the patients conditions from further deteriorating. In the following years, studies had shown that CPFE patients have a coincidental occurrence of early emphysema and at later age of IPF, especially for smokers with many pack years.1   However, in recent studies there is a correlation between the occurrence of the combination between lower lobe pulmonary fibrosis and upper lobe emphysema. These two diseases have been observed coexisting in greater frequencies which are therefore called combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) and there is a need to distinguish them as distinct entities. There are some studies taking place to better understand the pathophysiology of the condition and find the possible causes of CPFE such as genetic factors or any biological metabolism pathways which may encourage its development. CPFE is normally caused by heavy smoking, exercise hypoxemia, upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe pulmonary fibrosis, unexpected lung volume and severe reduction of carbon monoxide transfer.2 Whether the combination of both emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis is a unique clinical entity still remains unknown. For some of the population in the medical community, it is a coincidental occurrence of two smoking-related diseases on one person, versus the coexistence of the similarities of COPD and lung cancer. However, many different studies have shown and suggested that interstitial lung abnormalities, which are normally caused by IPF, have are inversely related to emphysema in smokers. In fact, based on the chest X-Ray images, most patients who have many pack years with IPF do not have any signs of having emphysema. Similarly, most patients who have emphysema do not have any signs of IPF in their chest X-Ray. Hence, the combination of both pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema may be a direct result of heavy smoking or many pack years which reflects the uniqueness in individual susceptibilities. Even though medical professionals tend to use chest X-Rays for any respiratory distress, as it is inexpensive and considered a fast diagnostic tool, it is unable to properly diagnose the CPFE syndrome. Another alternative would be to use High-Resolution Chest Computed Tomography (HRCT), which is the only tool to diagnose the syndrome. The CPFE syndrome consists of heterogeneous syndromes, in which syndromes differ from one individual to another and resulting in no actual definition of the syndrome for CPFE. This makes it difficult to diagnose CPFE with the current pulmonary function test, as CPFE patient results look similar to those of patients diagnosed with pneumonia. From past research and observations, CPFE is frequently complicated with pulmonary hypertension, acute lung injury and the possibility of lung cancer, resulting in very poor prognoses. Treatments for CPFE patients with severe pulmonary hypertension have not been found and have largely proven ineffective in curing the disease apart from a wholesale lung transplant. The identification of patients with CPFE is needed due to the uniqueness and complication of the diseases history. Since CPFE has not yet attracted the attention of researchers and healthcare practitioners, there have not been many studies focused on finding the differences between pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema and CPFE. Currently, there is no consistent way to differentiate the factors, signs and syndromes when diagnosing CPFE patients from other obstructive respiratory diseases. This has resulted in many medical practitioners failing to immediately recognize CPFE in patients diagnoses. Population distribution of Emphysema, IPF and CPFE The prevalence of the disease emphysema was reported to be at about 24.5 per 1,000 in America, while the prevalence of IPF varied from 14 to 42.7 cases per 100,000. Therefore, emphysema is a more common disease as compared to IPF. However, there are no studies that account for the prevalence of CPFE. Some of the reported observations show that the proportion of patients with CPFE detected on HRCT scans range from 8% to 51% in IPF patients. On the other hand, the proportion of pulmonary fibrosis found in patients with emphysema is less than 10% using the HRCT. This variation of proportion of prevalence in CPFE may be due to the different types and complications arising from the diagnosis of emphysema when evaluated by chest X-Ray and HRCT. Patients with CPFE tend to be older men who tend to have many pack years of smoking. Previous studies have shown that there is no significant difference when varying the number of pack years against the occurrence of COPD such as emphysema and CPFE. However, patients with CPFE and those with COPD usually have a long history of smoking as compared to patients with IPF.   Many studies have reported that male have higher prevalence then female in having respiratory disease syndrome, and could be due to men tending to have more pack years as compared to females. It may also be due to the genes of men which predispose them to succumbing to COPD or CPFE. Even though both IPF and emphysema have proven to be more common in male smokers than female smokers, it does not necessarily mean that gender plays an important risk factor in the contraction of CPFE. More studies are needed to determine how gender differences affect this syndrome. Pathology pathway of CPFE Till now, there are no conclusive findings for pathogenies of CPFE. There are no clear conclusions on the development of CPFE, whether emphysema and or pulmonary fibrosis progress independently or whether there are synergistic qualities between the two. There may be some mechanisms involving cytokines, beta receptors or signaling pathways which have not been discovered. Thus, both pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema may tend to occur in genetic susceptibility individuals with from exposure to environmental factors such as smoking or occupational hazard and chemicals. Case Study of a CPFE patient (Occupational exposure) A case study journal report on a male patient aged 73 years old in 2015 gives one of the more detailed analysis of Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), a disease that precedes by CPFE. The patient worked as a metalworker and had 25 pack years. He was admitted to the hospital due to progressive dry coughing and he was later diagnosed with CPFE. He eventually died due to complications from CPFE, which resulted in severe pneumococcal pneumonia with acute lung injury. His arterial blood gas result was normal with a fairly abnormal range in his pulmonary function test (PFT). There were clear signs of emphysema and IPF from his CT scan and Chest X-Ray (Kyoko Gocho, 2015). MPA is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis of small vessels associated with numerous types of antibodies in particular myeloperoxidase- antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA). Oxidation induced by MPO-ANCA may trigger pulmonary fibrosis due to alveolar hemorrhage, resulting in pulmonary capillaritis (an inflammation of p ulmonary capillary). This causes pulmonary fibrosis as the alveolar capillary wall thickens (Kagiyama, 2015) Correlation of smoking with CPFE patients A common etiology factor for CPFE is smoking. Tobacco smoke contains 4000 chemical substances, including Kaolinite or aluminum silicate, an organic industrial material. Studies show that inhalation of this organic industrial substance will result in hyperactive macrophages, which in turn will lead to respiratory bronchiolitis and emphysema (King, 2005). Currently, there are no studies for the association of tobacco smoking resulting in IPF, other factors such as environmental factors in genetically-predisposition individuals may play a key role in resulting IPF. The association between CPFE and lung cancer may reflect the susceptibility linked to long term smoking which causes chronic smoking-induced inflammation. These were done on several other studies on the relationship between emphysemaand IPF.3,4 Pathological findings (Diagnostic Imaging) Patients who have acute respiratory distress syndrome such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis or even CPFE, will tend to have more difficulty breathing due to the use of accessory muscles and the need to constantly supply supplemental oxygen to meet the oxygen level demanded by the body. For some of the patients, a high flow of oxygen is required (flow rate of more than 60L/min) to meet their inspiratory demand. Patients with CPFE have a confused and undetermined ventilation/ perfusion ratio due to emphysema causing low perfusion and IPF having low ventilation. This results in both ventilation of oxygen to the alveoli and perfusion of capillaries to be diminished, leading to dead space and shunt. Emphysema results in the reduction of alveoli-capillary surface membrane by forming a bleb that causes air-trapping, whereas pulmonary fibrosis scars the alveolis tissue, creating a shunt that causes ventilation of the oxygen to the alveoli to be inefficient, resulting in the patients body tissue b eing unable to get a sufficient amount of oxygen. Other remarkable syndromes found in COPD patients are chronic cough and sputum production in volume greater than one shot full glass due to inflammation of bronchi and impairment of the mucociliary clearance, presumably due to the effects of smoking. Patients with IPF may show progressive shortness of breath, loud expiratory wheezing sounds and if the condition is worse cyanosis may appear on the patient. CPFE from previous clinical studies shows that it is similar to IPF. On close physical examination, by doing chest auscultation, it was found that more than 80% of CPFE patients will emit inspiratory dry crackles sounds due to the underlying pulmonary fibrosis. About 40 to 50% will have digit clubbing and poor capillary refill. As of now, there is no consistent definition for CPFE. However, it is very important to diagnose it early. Diagnostic criteria for CPFE include radiological findings by using either chest X-Ray or HRCT these images will appear as upper-lobe emphysema with fibrosis like blebs, lower-lobe honeycombing with subpleural reticular opacities, thick wall cystic lesions, and sometimes ground glass opacities.2 Table 1: Comparison of clinical characteristics difference between CPFE, emphysema and IPF patients group (measures of Framingham variables) CPFE IPF Emphysema p-value Sample size 22 8 17 Age (in years) Median 73.5 74 78 0.7 Range 59-96 56-89 48-86 Number of pack years Median 64 43 75 0.64 Range 20-50 30-80 15-65 Table 2: Comparison of clinical characteristics difference between CPFE, emphysema and IPF patients group (Pulmonary Function Test) CPFE IPF Emphysema p-value Vital capacity 2.52 ±0.72 2.34 ±0.86 2.85 ±0.61 0.52 Vital capcity (%) 83.1 ±22.1 68.0 ±27.7 87.0 ±12.4 0.29 FEV1 2.01 ±0.19 1.60 ±0.24 1.57 ±0.22 0.28 FEV1/FVC(%) 76.8 ±3.31 81.8 ±4.45 55.6 ±4.06 70%, this results being emphysema to be ignored or overlooked. Physician, healthcare workers and respiratory therapists should be aware of its existence. More autopsies should be recognized such as thick-walled cystic lesion and idiopathic interstitial pneumonia should be recognized as both of these can be found in CPFE patients but are seldom found in emphysema/IPF alone patients. A deeper understanding of the pathophysiology is needed for CPFE and the factors that causes the syndrome of CPFE should be explored further with more clinical studies so as to develop effective treatments or therapeutic strategies for CPFE patients. References       Hiwatari H., S. S. (1993). Pulmonary emphysema followed by pulmonary fibrosis of undetermined cause. Respiration, 60(6). Cottin V., H. N. (2005). Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: a distinct underrecognised entity. European Respiratory Journal, 26(4). Kaplan R. M. (2015). Quality of Well-being Outcomes in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial. Chest Journal, 147(2). Kagiyama C., N. T. (2015). Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive conversion and microscopic polyangiitis development in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 2(1). Inomata M., A. M. (2013). An autopsy study of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: correlations among clinical, radiological, and pathological features. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 104(14). King, C. G. (2005). COPD: a dust-induced disease? Chest Journal, 128(4). Kyoko G. (2015). Microscopic polyangiitis preceded by combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Respiratory Medicine Case Reports, 10(2). Papaioannou A. I., E. A. (2016). Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: The many aspects of a cohabitation contract. Respiratory Medicine, 117(10). 9.  Ã‚   Portill K., J. M. (2011). Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema Syndrome: A New Phenotype within the Spectrum of Smoking-Related Interstitial Lung Disease. Pulmonary Medicine , 2012(1).

Free Essays: The Themes of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein essays

The Themes of Frankenstein Mary Shelley discusses many important themes in her famous novel Frankenstein. She presents these themes through the characters and their actions, and many of them represent occurrences from her own life. Many of the themes present debateable issues, and Shelley's thoughts on them. Three of the most important themes in the novel are birth and creation; alienation; and the family and the domestic affections. One theme discussed by Shelley in the novel is birth and creation. She does this through the main character, Victor Frankenstein, who succeeds in creating a 'human' life form. In doing this, Frankenstein has taken over the roles of women and God. Shelley discusses how Frankenstein has used his laboratory or 'workshop of filthy creation' (page 53) as a kind of 'womb' as he has worked on his creation. He also refers to his task as his labour, suggesting that he has literally given birth to his creation. After so much time spent in painful labour (Page 51) The passing of time from when Victor first began his creation and finished it is also significant. Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours (Page 54) The length of the three seasons is nine months, representing the time a natural human baby takes to be formed in its mother's womb. This once again suggests that Frankenstein has found a way to take over the role of women, and they become powerless, weak and flimsy. They no longer have a purpose in life, as Victor Frankenstein can now create new life forms - a process which women needed to be involved in previously. An example of women's powerlessness in the novel is the condemnation of Justine for a crime she did not commit. Had she been a man, she would probably have been set free. Frankenstein succeeds in removing the only powers that women had, as well as stripping God from his role. Through the theme of birth and creation, Shelley criticises Victor not only for creating the new being, but also for abandoning it when it comes to life. Victor first wishes to create the being because he thinks: A new species would bless me as its creator and source ... No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. (Page 52-53)

Analyzing a Written Essay Essay

The two essays that I read were â€Å"A Soul as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone† and, â€Å"How to succeed as an Online Student†. The four types of essay organization discussed in the course readings were; 1. Topic: This development organizes information about the topic in the most logical way. 2. Time order: It is using sequential order to write an essay. It organizes the information from one time period to another. 3. Space order: This deals with location of people, places or things. 4. Informative process: This is written in a step-by-step arrangement in their natural occurring order. The characteristics that make these essays expository, is that it has facts to inform about the topic. It is used in facts form and not biased.  What distinguishes space organization from time organization or informative-process organization in an essay is that Space order deals with location, Time organization refers to placing information in chronological order by date or a specific time, and Informative essay would be one that takes on a step-by-step process. The organization of each essay help the reader understand the subject matter of that essay in the essay â€Å"How to Succeed as Online Student†, it list steps to teach online students what it takes to be successful in an online atmosphere. The reader understands you must follow these steps to succeed. On the essay, â€Å"A Soul as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone† it helped to learn about Lucy Stone, it showed the order of her achievements. On the essays that I read, the one that has the most effective organi zation was â€Å"A Souls as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone†. I chose this essay, because it was organized from the beginning to the end, it was in the order of each of her achievements. A different type of organizational style for â€Å"How to Succeed as Online Student† if you change it to a time order or space order, then it would confuse some of the online students. The main part would be lost in the reading. It would definitely have students wanting to go to class instead of online, so the teacher could clarify things. The type of essay organization that is more suitable for my essay topic on â€Å"Warming Global; Drought,† would be Time Order, due to the heat and water levels at the time.

How to write annual reports - Emphasis

How to write annual reports How to write annual reports Annual reports should be focused, well written and dynamic – and, above all, they mustnt shy away from giving a clear and accurate message. A good place to begin when you need to write one (or, indeed, any other document), is with a question. Why do you write? This isn’t as foolish a question as it seems. We all write, but the style will differ depending on the medium and the audience. Criticising government policy in a column in the Financial Times needs a certain degree of logic and rhetoric. Criticising government policy on the wall of a public convenience, however, demands a style that is less formal and more succinct. Oh, and a good-sized permanent marker. (A biro will make you look like an amateur.) Every business action – including communication – must be targeted, with a clear result in mind. Internal actions are almost always intended to improve efficiency, while external actions have three main aims: 1. to increase sales 2. to promote the brand 3. to reassure current or potential shareholders. A lot of bad business writing is born of an obsession with number three. We are so afraid of saying something that might be construed negatively that we opt to say nothing at all. Sometimes that’s fine, when your purpose is to reassure; to show that the writer and his organisation conform to preconceived notions. Like a parent saying there, there, there to a crying baby, the words themselves don’t matter. If you’re a listed company, then there are rules about what’s in your annual report and too often the summit of achievement is to get it written without attracting any attention. A simple description of the business position is all that’s called for. Here’s a middling example – neither good nor bad – from Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke: In the UK, we have an outstanding core business. It made progress in the year but some aspects of our performance can improve. Stronger sales momentum here is a key priority and I am confident that the focus and energy our new UK leadership team is bringing to the business will see a return to form in the months ahead as Tesco tries to do its bit to help customers who face pressure on their household budgets. The increasing scale and competitiveness of our international businesses are now driving strong growth in sales, market share, profits and returns, supported by the generally improving global economic environment. We have built some excellent springboards for future growth, and whilst there is still work to do, particularly in the United States, I am delighted with our performance in Europe and Asia, where I expect further strong growth this year and beyond. Taken from the Tesco annual report 2011 It uses fairly plain English to describe the situation in Tesco’s main markets in guardedly optimistic terms, while refusing to promise anything. You might point out that Tesco’s share price dropped by a quarter following publication of the results, but we expect the CEO’s spectacles to be rose-tinted. But things can go badly wrong if you try to impress your readers. Lucy Kellaway of the FT gave her award for Outstanding Services to Bunkum to Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, for this horror from the company’s annual report: In the wholesale channel, Burberry exited doors not aligned with brand status and invested in presentation through both enhanced assortments and dedicated, customised real estate in key doors. Such clichà ©-ridden jargon only invites ridicule. So how do you avoid becoming the target of mockery? What rules can you follow if you actually want to say something, to convey a message, to change minds or inspire action? Whole books have been written on this subject, but some of the basics can be summed up here. 1. Write it three times Your first draft is simply a list of the points you want to cover. Your second draft gets those points into some sort of coherent narrative. Don’t worry about it being an unreadable mess or that you’ve used the wrong word here and there. No-one will ever read it but you, although you might be surprised to find your prose is more vigorous than normal – especially if you’re the sort of executive who can speak with charisma. The third draft will tidy it up, ideally without smothering the vibrancy of the writing. Then get someone to check it and edit it. If it’s for publication, use an outside professional. 2. Avoid clichà ©s Your readers will switch off the moment you synergise an ecosystem. As soon as you leverage solutions to issues going forward, or, worse, exit a door not aligned with brand status, you are doing exactly what teenagers do when wearing the uniform of whatever subculture is cool this week. They are masking their individuality in an effort to conform. Clichà ©s are the calling cards of a mind that has stopped thinking for itself and is using thoughts that are off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all, microwave-for-three-minutes-for-a-delicious-individual-meal. Clichà ©s are verbal clip-art, which means mediocrity. If you are familiar with seeing a word or phrase in print, don’t use it. 3. Use the right imagery We use imagery all the time, because it brings our prose to life and paints pictures in the mind. It also reveals a lot about a writer’s attitude. So, when my local health trust writes about delivering healthcare, I know that they think of healthcare as a commodity. Their language implies that the personal, human activity of caring is beneath their dignity and a long way from their thoughts. Try to use words that have literal, rather than abstract, meanings, and never forget what the word actually means. Try to picture it, and ask yourself if the picture makes sense. David Gillespie, author of the book Charisma, describes Bill Clinton as a man who does exactly what it says on the tin!; a horribly wonderful blend of mixed metaphor and clichà ©. Just try to picture it. 4. Write simple sentences Keep your sentences short and simple, but not so short that they become staccato. Keep the verb close to its subject, and always use a short word instead of a long one. When you come to cut your piece, as you almost certainly will, delete as many adjectives and adverbs as you can, starting with ‘ongoing’. 5. Use strong, active verbs Verbs are the engine of language. Nouns are the cargo; adjectives and adverbs the packaging. If you overload your prose with heavy nouns and drive them with weak verbs (‘to be’ is the weakest), then your writing will plod along like an old lady lugging twelve bags of shopping. Compare the sporting clichà © it’s a must-win game with we must win this game. The second sentence is so dynamic it almost demands an exclamation mark. Why? Compare the verbs: ‘is’ versus ‘must win’. Now compare the subjects: ‘it’ versus ‘we’. By saying ‘we’, the second speaker is taking responsibility by focusing on himself and his team, while the first speaker is looking at the game: a distant, abstract thing. The first speaker has turned the important thing – ‘must win’ – into a feeble adjective. The second speaker has made it the main verb. Above all, let your own personality come through. For more on how to write reports that yield real results, take our one-day Business report writing course. To learn more about making writing annual reports a much easier and less painful task, check out our free webinar  recording How to turn your expert analysis into exceptional reports.  Its ideal if you have to write reports to colleagues and clients as part of your day-to-day job – whether thats as a traditional written report or as a slide deck.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the responsive regulation model with reference to the regulatory powers and responses available under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The WritePass Journal

Evaluate the effectiveness of the responsive regulation model with reference to the regulatory powers and responses available under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Introduction Evaluate the effectiveness of the responsive regulation model with reference to the regulatory powers and responses available under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. ), 41 Common Law World Review 1. Case Law Esso Petroleum Co Ltd v Harper’s Garage (Stourport) Ltd [1968] AC 269 Lloyd Shuhfabrik Meyer Co GmbH v Klijsen Handel BV [1999] ETMR 690 Lloyds Bank v Bundy [1974] 3 WLR 501 Macaulay v Scroeder Publishing Co Ltd   [1974] 1 WLR 1308 (HL) Office of Fair Trading v Purely Creative Ltd and Others [2011] EWHC 106 (Ch) Tiscali UK Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc [2008] EWHC 3129 (QB) [1] F Sudweeks and C T Romm., Doing Business on the Internet Opportunities and Pitfalls with 39 Figures (United States: Springer, Business Economics) 9. [2] [1999] ETMR 690 [3] P Stokes., ‘New OFT Powers in the Credit Clamp-Down’ (2005) 155 New Law Journal 236, Issue 7164. [4] [1974] 1 WLR 1308 (HL) [5] [1968] AC 269 [6] [1974] 3 WLR 501 [7] M J Trebilcock., ‘The Doctrine of Inequality of Bargaining Power: Post-Benthamite Economics in the House of Lords’ (1976) 26 University of Toronto Law Journal 4, 359. [8] S Brown., Protection of the Small Business as Credit Consumer: Paying Lip Service to Protection of the Vulnerable or Providing a Real Service to the Struggling Entrepreneur?’ (2012), 41 Common Law World Review 1, 59. [9] Office of Fair Trading., ‘Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008’ (2008) Information for Businesses on the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, oft.gov.uk/business-advice/treating-customers-fairly/protection [Accessed 13 April, 2014].

How the Plot Pyramid Keeps Readers Turning Pages

How the Plot Pyramid Keeps Readers Turning Pages A plot diagram, plot skeleton, plot structure, or plot pyramid- these are common names for a universal setup of stories that spans time periods, genres, and literary movements. In the simplest of terms, its the way humans have always told stories. When you take away the individual character traits and plot points of a certain story and narrow it down to its conflict and basic structure, youll find that most stories are the same.The reason for this is because the basic plot diagram works. It appeals to our humanity as readers and touches on experiences weve all shared, regardless of our socioeconomic status or background. Its how we analyze our own life story (subconsciously) and how we piece together connections between experiences.How it worksYou begin the story with a character. This part is known as the exposition or introduction, and in it, you learn important information that sets up the action of the story.Next, your character experiences some type of challenge or struggle. Thi s is known as the rising action. This can be in the form of other people, nature or a conflict within himself/herself. The rising action can look like a heart monitor (several peaks and valleys as the character faces increasingly larger obstacles and overcomes them) or like one large peak, with the climax at the top.The climax is the point at which the character faces his greatest challenge and overcomes it. In action stories, this could be the final battle between the protagonist and antagonist. In romance, this could be the moment when all seems lost between the lovers but they suddenly find themselves in each others arms to profess their undying love.Finally, there is the resolution or the dà ©nouement. This is the moment when life returns to normal and the reader experiences resolution along with your characters. Its a cathartic process and the reason this plot diagram works every time, in every story.Here is a plot diagram from DiagramsCharts.comThe basic building blocksSo, kn owing that there is a basic setup common to almost every story that has ever been told or written by humanity, what about the other building blocks? Are there particular traits that are important in making a story appeal to audiences?Researchers at Georgetown Universitys Center for Social Impact Communication sought to identify the five key aspects of compelling stories, and heres what they found every story should have:An effective characterThere needs to be at least one compelling character to which readers can relate. It needs to be a character that is realistic, authentic and someone readers can root for. It also should be someone who has a need that is universal (a need everyone can relate to), whether that is seeking for a real connection with someone or trying to survive.TrajectoryThe trajectory is another way to describe the rising action, climax and falling action of the plot pyramid. There needs to be an experience or journey that brings about transformation in the charact er. Think of it as a force that pulls the story forward and makes the reader want to turn the page.AuthenticityAccording to the article, If the trajectory of a story is its skeleton, then authenticity is the meat that adds critical substance to those bones. Through an authentic characters voice and/or thoughts, authors are able to create someone who is compelling- someone readers would want to get to know if they encountered someone similar in real life.Action-oriented emotionsWhen you get angry- really angry- what actions do you show? Do you slam doors? Raise your voice? Does your voice shake?These kinds of actions are always more compelling to read about than passive ones, which is why when someone is arguing with another person in public, people will stop to listen. Its human nature to be drawn to such raw displays of emotion. The same is true of readers. Give your characters compelling, raw situations that elicit action-oriented emotions.A hookA compelling story needs to hook re aders as quickly as possible and then keep them hooked. Some authors do this with a fast-paced storyline told with short chapters that end with a suspenseful moment, allowing a sense of urgency to keep readers wanting to turn the page. Other authors do this by building profound or interesting characters, dropping hints about some mysterious past or present as the story is told. Whichever method you use, keeping the reader hooked is what makes a good book impossible to put down.

Journal on Aviation Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal on Aviation Education - Essay Example This analysis can take various forms including a variety of models for performance analysis. In this chapter, the "a-ha moment" is associated with the concept of modeling the process of problem solving. It's intuitive that problem solving requires extensive analysis, but the concept of using a "comprehensive" as well as a "situation specific" methodology in unison to arrive at both a high level and an operational approach to critical issues, really makes sense (Rothwell & Kazanas, 1998). The point that seemed most unclear is the process of finding the association of data point metrics required for a valid performance matrix designed. This model for comprehensive problem-solving was exemplified by the Gilbert Performance Matrix, but it was difficult to understand exactly how to associate the data points. In Chapter 5 the concept of assessing relative characteristics of targeted learners is the main topic of discussion. This exercise includes great attention to the detail of describing learner characteristics; identifying those characteristics specifically; developing learner profiles; evaluating and describing cognitive assessment; then judging learner assessment. The "a-ha moment" was based on the specifics of what kind of learner characteristics should be assessed. ... The entire range of learner characteristics provides for a sense of uncertainty in approach, so a template of learner related characteristics worthy of consideration and useful to the design process and in focusing the efforts in the instructional design. Muddiest Point The concept that made the least sense is the theory of "cognitivism" in the instructional design process. The idea that learners develop their own strategies for learning is perhaps misleading, since all learning is based on factors associated with one's own environment and percepts developed from the influence of others (Kemp, 1985). Developing Performance Measurements In this chapter, the development of measurement criteria is suggested as quickly as learning objectives has been established. Measurements are defined as a means to track performance relative to objectives, and as such are a critical component in understanding if the learning process is working as anticipated or needs to be adjusted. A-Ha Moment The breakdown of the value and purpose of performance measurements is the "a-ha" moment in this chapter. It's intuitive that there is an impact, but the correlation to purpose was somewhat unclear. Based on the Table 9.1, the value and influence of each component in the process becomes apparent. For example, the breakdown of each fundamental element assists with the understanding of the ingredients required for success (e.g.: influence of participant reaction; participant learning; on-the-job performance change; and organizational impact). Muddiest Point The process in deciding "how" to measure performance is still confusing. The reason for decisions associated with the selection of a data collection method seems arbitrary, since all the elements described could apply to

Project Mercury Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Mercury - Research Paper Example During the period the project was active 25 space flights were completed where six of the missions were manned flights. Those six manned flights were completed with an excellent pilot safety record and with no deviation from the Mercury program basic operating parameters (Nasa). The Mercury project outlined a series of operational objectives to be completed: 1. To launch a manned space flight mission in orbit around the earth. 2. To investigate and analyze man’s capabilities and ability to function in a zero g space environment. 3. To safely land the spacecraft and recover the pilot successfully. After establishing the primary objectives, certain guidelines were put in place in order to guarantee the most efficient and safest approach to completing the mission objectives. The guidelines established were as follows: 1. Existing off the shelf the shelf technology must be used whenever possible. 2. General system design should follow a philosophy of safety and simplicity. 3. A cu rrent launch vehicle platform will be utilized to safely place the spacecraft in orbit. Mission Launch date Duration Objectives Little Joe 1 21 Aug 1959 20 seconds Test of launch escape systems Big Joe 1 9 Sept 1959 13 minutes Test heat shield and Atlas/spacecraft Interface Little Joe 6 4 Oct 1959 5m, 10 sec Testing of spacecraft aerodynamics and physical integrity during flight Little Joe 1A 4 Nov 1959 8m, 11 sec Second test of launch escape systems Little Joe 2 4 Dec 1959 11m, 8sec Carried Sam, a live monkey to an altitude of 85 km. Little Joe 1B 21 Jan 1960 8m, 35sec Carried Sam, the monkey to an altitude of 15 km Beach Abort 9 may 1960 1m, 31s Testing off pad launch abort system Mercury-Atlas 1 29 July 1960 3m,18s First flight of Mercury spacecraft and Atlas rocket booster Little Joe 5 8 Nov 1960 2m, 22sec First flight of a production Mercury craft Mercury -Redstone 1 21 Nov 1960 2sec Launch malfunction Mercury-Redstone 1A 19 Dec 1960 15m, 45sec First flight of Mercury craft and Redstone booster Mercury- Redstone 2 31 Jan 1961 16m, 39sec Carried Ham the chimp into orbit Mercury-Atlas 2 21 Feb 1961 17m, 56sec Test of Mercury craft and Atlas booster Little Joe 1A 18 Mar 1961 23m,48sec Test of launch escape systems during adverse conditions Mercury- Redstone BD 24 Mar 1961 8m,23s Redstone booster test flight Mercury- Atlas 3 25 Apr 1961 7m, 19sec Test of Mercury-Atlas with a robotic astronaut Little Joe 5B 28 Apr 1961 5m, 25 sec Test of launch escape systems during adverse conditions Mercury-Atlas 4 13 Sept 1961 1h,49min, 20sec Test of Mercury-Atlas spacecraft Mercury-Scout 1 1 Nov 1961 44sec Test of Mercury racking system network Mercury- Atlas 5 29 Nov 1961 3h, 20min, 59sec Carried Enos the chimp on a two orbit flight Unmanned Missions: Manned Missions The first astronauts were chosen from a group of 110 military pilots, picked for their flight experience and meeting certain physical requirements. A total of seven astronauts were picked, collectively known as the â€Å"Mercury Seven† (The spaceplace). Manned Missions Mission Launch date Duration Objectives Mercury-Redstone 3 5 May 1961 15m, 2sec First American to complete a sub- orbital flight, Alan Sheppard Mercury-Redstone 4 21 Jul 1961 15m, 37sec Second suborbital flight. The spacecraft sank due to a hatch falling off Mercury-Atlas 6 20 Feb 1962 4h, 55m, 23s First American to enter into orbit (3 orbits) John Glenn

Research Paper - Sexual Assault - Part One Essay

Research Paper - Sexual Assault - Part One - Essay Example Sexual assault, which is a general term encompassing rape, sexual battery and sexual harassment, is the forcible, non-consensual subjection of a person into an unwanted sexual activity by the use of physical or emotional violence. It can be physical, verbal or visual (e.g voyeurism). Sexual assault statutes vary from state to state but basically it is based on the precept that no one has the right or the privilege to coerce sexual contact and that a person has the right to determine who may touch hiss/her body and â€Å"when and under what circumstances†. Moreover, â€Å"each person has the right not only to decide whether to engage in sexual contact with another, but also to control the circumstances and character of that contact† (Brody et al 2000, p.426). The act of sexual assault is consummated when the assailant has intended to perform forcible nonconsensual sexual contact but fails to actually complete the act (Lindemann & Kadue 1999, p. 373). Herein, a demarcation line is drawn between rape and sexual assault because on the basis of this definition, sexual assault is tantamount to attempted rape and sexual battery. One author kept one step ahead by suggesting that sexual assault has been institutionalized since time immemorial and that the culprit is patriarchy, which propagates male gender domination favoring man’s power to exploit without legal restraint women and children â€Å"whose consent is mainly taken for granted unless actively withheld and whose communications are consistently devalued or misinterpreted because of patriarchal values and assumptions† (Pickard et al 2002, p.542). Many state laws are also one in affirming that to convict the sexual assailant, it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that â€Å"there was sexual penetration and that it was accomplished without the affirmative and freely-given permission of the alleged victim† (Brody 2000,

Job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job - Assignment Example The advertising sales agents perform several tasks in their job description. First, the advertising agents should prepare and deliver sales presentation to new and existing customers about the company’s products and services. Secondly, liaise with the company officials, sales departmental heads, and the advertising agencies to develop the promotional plans. Third, to identify new advertising markets and propose products that will suit the customers and in turn generate revenue to the company. The advertising agents attend sales meeting, trade shows and training seminars in order to gather information, promote the company products and services, expand network of contacts and increase knowledge due to exposure (United States Department of Labor, 2014). The agents also organize the commercial tapping sessions together with coordinating bidding and contract approval. In addition, the advertising sales agents determine the best advertising method to use and prepare sample advertisements to present to target customers using the proposed medium of advertising. Other tasks include providing clients with the estimates of the cost of the products and services, maintaining assigned account basis explaining to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products and services in the most effective way possible. The sales agents need a lot of confidence since not everyone will listen to them and so they have to learn to be strong when facing rejection (United States Department of Labor, 2014). For this job, a high school diploma is usually sufficient. However, some employers prefer the applicants to possess a bachelor’s degree as an added advantage together with excellent communication skills and a two or three years’ experience. Previous work related knowledge and skills increase the opportunity of an applicant or serves as an added advantage. Before embarking on the job, many employees need some few months of training

Problems with Social Network Services Research Paper

Problems with Social Network Services - Research Paper Example , fast, and simple way to communicate jokes, photographs, it can help families and friends separated by great distances to keep in-touch in ways that was not always possible in the past; unfortunately, the effects of social media are not entirely positive. In fact, there are some negative side-effects of our modern social media obsessed society today, which includes, issues of privacy, hacking and â€Å"witch-hunting,† as well as, other societal effects and concerns, However ,the predominant issue caused that has evolved on social media is cyberbullying. This unpleasant phenomenon is affecting 1000s upon 1000s of children in the United States and all over the world. The nature and trends in today’s social media facilitates cyberbullying and effective changes must be made. Social media was intended to be entertainment and was established as an opportunity to communicate with friends and family far away, make new friends in other states, and all over the world. Unfortunately while many may approach social media sites with reserve and responsibility as an entertainment form, that behavior is not universal. However, the side effects of social media’s potential positives are becoming more and more serious. People are becoming too involved with the â€Å"cyber† life and less involved in their actual lives. Addiction to technology and social media is being acknowledged and those instances appear to be increasing. The excessive or overuse of technology, like social media, can have some serious psychological, social, and even physical repercussions. However, as cyberbullying began to manifest all too often on internet sites the dangers of social media began to effect the youth in horrific ways (The Movement Against Bullying). Cyber bullying is the direct offspring of social media. Bullying, unfortunately, is a long-lived reality of children, tweens, and teens throughout their years of schooling. These instances can be horrific for the victims, embarrassing, hurtful,

Critically discuss how youth work practice contributes to young Essay

Critically discuss how youth work practice contributes to young peoples transition from dependence to interdependence - Essay Example The young person starts to look for groups that share similar thoughts and attitudes in the search for consistency within the self that would enable the creation of identity. There may be a variety of factors acting on an individual at this stage: parental demand for conformity to social norms, peer pressure for conforming to norms of the group and individual’s conflict of conformity versus striking out to find a path or acceptance with a peer group. In cases where the family situation is rife with conflict due to parental temperament, financial pressures, surrounding social situations, the conflict within the young adult leads to undesirable behavioral outcomes. The growing individual leaves behind the state of sensory exploration and becomes more conscious of the self as a part of the world. Coleman and Hendry explain the connection between the onset of puberty and the development of self identity. At this stage, the individual develops a sense of being a person distinct from others and is conscious of the image being presented to the world. At this stage, physical appearance takes precedence and the varying stages of bodily development can be a source of continuing dissatisfaction. Steinberg’s research suggests that the emotional dependence of the young individuals on the parents reduces with the onset of puberty and the increased search for identity. Kroger attempts to explain the stage of identity formation as a natural sequence that a child goes through after initially mapping a significant elder’s identity. The individual seeks to understand the self at a psychic level and arrive at a personal conclusion of ways to live by. The early stages of adolescence find children in different stages of physical maturity. The acceptance of the changing physicality at the peer, family and social level impacts the individual’s views of the changes. As the body develops, young

Job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job - Assignment Example The advertising sales agents perform several tasks in their job description. First, the advertising agents should prepare and deliver sales presentation to new and existing customers about the company’s products and services. Secondly, liaise with the company officials, sales departmental heads, and the advertising agencies to develop the promotional plans. Third, to identify new advertising markets and propose products that will suit the customers and in turn generate revenue to the company. The advertising agents attend sales meeting, trade shows and training seminars in order to gather information, promote the company products and services, expand network of contacts and increase knowledge due to exposure (United States Department of Labor, 2014). The agents also organize the commercial tapping sessions together with coordinating bidding and contract approval. In addition, the advertising sales agents determine the best advertising method to use and prepare sample advertisements to present to target customers using the proposed medium of advertising. Other tasks include providing clients with the estimates of the cost of the products and services, maintaining assigned account basis explaining to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products and services in the most effective way possible. The sales agents need a lot of confidence since not everyone will listen to them and so they have to learn to be strong when facing rejection (United States Department of Labor, 2014). For this job, a high school diploma is usually sufficient. However, some employers prefer the applicants to possess a bachelor’s degree as an added advantage together with excellent communication skills and a two or three years’ experience. Previous work related knowledge and skills increase the opportunity of an applicant or serves as an added advantage. Before embarking on the job, many employees need some few months of training

Critically discuss how youth work practice contributes to young Essay

Critically discuss how youth work practice contributes to young peoples transition from dependence to interdependence - Essay Example The young person starts to look for groups that share similar thoughts and attitudes in the search for consistency within the self that would enable the creation of identity. There may be a variety of factors acting on an individual at this stage: parental demand for conformity to social norms, peer pressure for conforming to norms of the group and individual’s conflict of conformity versus striking out to find a path or acceptance with a peer group. In cases where the family situation is rife with conflict due to parental temperament, financial pressures, surrounding social situations, the conflict within the young adult leads to undesirable behavioral outcomes. The growing individual leaves behind the state of sensory exploration and becomes more conscious of the self as a part of the world. Coleman and Hendry explain the connection between the onset of puberty and the development of self identity. At this stage, the individual develops a sense of being a person distinct from others and is conscious of the image being presented to the world. At this stage, physical appearance takes precedence and the varying stages of bodily development can be a source of continuing dissatisfaction. Steinberg’s research suggests that the emotional dependence of the young individuals on the parents reduces with the onset of puberty and the increased search for identity. Kroger attempts to explain the stage of identity formation as a natural sequence that a child goes through after initially mapping a significant elder’s identity. The individual seeks to understand the self at a psychic level and arrive at a personal conclusion of ways to live by. The early stages of adolescence find children in different stages of physical maturity. The acceptance of the changing physicality at the peer, family and social level impacts the individual’s views of the changes. As the body develops, young

The Gospel According to Luke commonly shortened Essay Example for Free

The Gospel According to Luke commonly shortened Essay The Gospel According to Luke commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke is the third and longest of the four Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension. The purpose of Luke is to write a precise and reliable history of Jesus’ Christ’s life, while bringing out the theological significance of the history. He is a Greek and the only Gentile Christian writer of the New Testament. The language of Luke reveals that he is an educated man. We learn in Colossians 4:14 that he is a physician. In this book Luke refers many times to sicknesses and diagnoses. Being a Greek and a doctor would explain his scientific and orderly approach to the book, giving great attention to detail in his accounts. He addressed his Gospel to the Greek people (a non-Jewish). The Gospel according to Luke is the first part of a two-volume work that continues the biblical history of God’s dealings with humanity found in the Old Testament, showing how God’s promises to Israel have been fulfilled in Jesus and how the salvation promised to Israel and accomplished by Jesus has been extended to the Gentiles. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are closely related. Written by the same author and for the same purpose, both were addressed to a Christian named Theophilus and were designed for the purpose of presenting to him a complete and well authenticated narrative of the early history of the Christian movement. Luke was a faithful friend and travel companion of Paul. , who came to be known in Christian circles as the Apostle to the Gentiles,. He wrote the book of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Some discredit Lukes Gospel because he was not one of the 12 disciples. However, Luke had access to historical records. He carefully researched and interviewed the disciples and others who were eyewitnesses to the life of Pauls interpretation of Christianity as a universal religion did much to eliminate the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. When Jews and Gentiles are contrasted in Luke, often the Gentiles are presented in the more favorable light. As nearly as we can determine, the Gospel of Luke was written toward the end of the first century, probably between the years 85–90 A. D. By this time, Christianity was fast becoming a worldwide movement. The predominant theme in the book of Luke is the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ. The Savior entered human history as the perfect man. He himself offered the perfect sacrifice for sin, therefore, providing the perfect Savior for humankind Luke shows the broad humanitarian character of Jesus work that was manifested from the first in Jesus attitude toward the Samaritans and others whom the Jews regarded as their enemies. Jesus never failed to commend those who had a humble and contrite heart and it made no difference whether they were Jews or Gentiles. Lukes Gospel gives special emphasis to prayer, miracles and angels as well. Interesting to note, women are given an important place in Lukes writings. The gospel closes with an account of the resurrection and the subsequent meetings of Jesus with the disciples and others. As two men are walking to the village of Emmaus, Jesus joins them, but the men do not recognize Jesus until he sits at a table with them and blesses the food that they are about to eat. Later, Jesus meets with the eleven disciples in Jerusalem and overcomes their suspicions by showing his hands and feet to them. They cook some fish, and Jesus partakes of the food with them. Then follows a farewell discourse to the disciples, during which Jesus gives them instruction concerning what they should do. Afterward, they go together as far as Bethany, and after blessing the disciples, Jesus departs from them.

Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay

Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay IKEA achieves competitive advantage under the cost leadership strategy by producing at the lowest possible cost. Wherever possible, under this strategy IKEA will reduce costs at every stage of the value chain and either charge lower prices or charge competitive prices resulting in relatively high profit margins. IKEA cuts costs constantly and is always asking its makers to seek the least costly suppliers. IKEA also, seeks to offer prices much cheaper and target very wider audience. Therefore, to be able to achieve required margins. Differentiation Strategy: In the differentiation strategy, IKEA look for competitive advantage by offering products that are perceived to be different and better than competitors products by customers due to its unique characteristics, e.g. quality of the products. Focus Strategy: The focus strategy has two variants i.e. Cost Focus and Differentiation Focus. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market and applies a Differentiation strategy. IKEAs Hybrid Strategy: IKEA uses a combination of these strategies in achieving its vision which is Its business idea The part of the cost leadership strategy that IKEA adopts is that part aimed at producing at the lowest possible cost, so they can charge as low a price as possible to maintain their competitive advantage. For the differentiation strategy, IKEA focuses on quality designs. However, the IKEA does not do this, so they could charge a premium price. They do it to promote their brand. The differentiation focus strategy is also used in some segments of the market. For example, they produce customized plastic mats to commemorate the year of the rooster in China. Functional level strategy defines different functions within the business unit, such as sales, accounting or production, which contribute towards the success of the business level strategy. This contribution will differ from function to function, but the overall aim will be to support the overall strategy. If the strategy is to be a cost leader, then production will be integral in achieving cost advantages. Therefore, Functional strategy refers to the strategy of individual departments linked to achievement of business goals. For example, a Marketing department of a firm may have promotional or pricing strategy, while a finance department will have a credit control policy. Similarly, IKEA has functional strategies aimed at achieving its vision and business ideas. For example, under the Marketing function, IKEA increased its distribution channels by opening 19 new retail outlets in 2006. This is to support its business growth strategy. In the US, by the end of 2010 the number of IKEA outlets is expected to be 50, in comparison to 25 in 2006. To support its hybrid strategy, IKEA is determined to ensure that This policy applies to the research and development and well as the purchasing functions of the company. The customer perception of IKEA is that the company offers quality products at affordable prices. Going shopping at IKEAs is treated more like an event to be looked forward to by the customers, rather than a task which needs to be completed. The following quotes demonstrate how IKEA is seen by many people: If it wasnt for IKEA, most people would have no access to affordable contemporary design. IKEA makes me free to become what I want to be. Half my house is from IKEA and the nearest store is six hours away. Every time, its trendy for less money. IKEA is addressing the needs of most customers. Customers buying behaviour usually demonstrate price sensitivity, with the average shopper constantly looking for bargains or discounts. On the other hand, these same customers would look for a higher quality product over what they perceive a lower quality product where both cost the same almost always. IKEA is perceived as providing to the needs of the modern and cool as well as those with aspirations for the finer things in life. There appears to be a strong bond as parents are generally comfortable leaving their children in the shops playroom while they go about shopping, which create a trust. As it mentioned above, the IKEA strategy is a hybrid strategy, which incorporates elements of cost leadership, differentiation and differentiation focus strategies. IKEA brand is very strong, most competitors do not possess the strengths that IKEA does and, which are important in achieving a hybrid strategy. Consequently, IKEA is able to attract good quality of customers and even better is able to duplicate its quality and price ranges globally. It also has economies of scale and a strong research and development team constantly looking at innovative ways to meet its business objectives. Therefore, for the strategy to be imitated, the distinctive competencies of competitors must be strong, they must have the resource to deal with any potential price wars, and they must also have the capabilities to react to changing external environment. The main threats of IKEA come from its external environment. IKEAs threats can be measured with PESTEL, Porters Five Forces and SWOT analysis. Political, relates to the influence of government legislation and regulations on a business. Economic, how economic factors like interest rates, inflation and exchange rates affect businesses Social, refers to social trends and includes things like change in consumer taste and fashion and demographical changes Technological, level of automation and the rate of technological advancement and the impact on businesses Environmental, relates to how businesses are impacted by environmental factors such as global climate change Legal, health and safety laws Porters five forces, is a tool used to analyse how competitive pressure impact on businesses, i.e. the extent of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, buyer power, supplier power and the availability of substitutes. SWOT, summarises the key issues from the business environment and the strategy capability of an organisation that most likely to impact on the strategy development. In IKEAs case, the main potential threats come from three of these factors, i.e. Economic, Social and Competition. In terms of economic factors, the global recession has significantly reduced business growth as customers have less disposable income and are consequently spending less. With limited income, consumers prefer to spend only on necessities mainly, and saving. Many governments affected by the recession have been putting stimulus packages in place partly to encourage consumer spending. As far as the social threat is concerned, due to a collapse of the housing and mortgage market which started the downward spiral into global recession, the amount of first time buyers, who are mainly IKEA customers, has considerably reduced. From a competitive point of view, there is the threat the extent of competitive rivalry will put at risk IKEAs strategy. For instance, it has to compete with major competitors Target Corporation and Kmart in US, Fly in France and Nitori Co. in Japan. Furthermore, increasingly buyer power will increase as competition increases demanding review of price or even design. This could potentially hurt the IKEA brand. IKEA must constantly analyse its internal and external environment to determine what the business is at for any given point in time and to identify what needs to be done going forward. For the internal analysis, IKEA must analyse its resources and capabilities with a view of making improvements as appropriate. They must always seek to ensure that their resources and capabilities are superior to those of their competitors to reduce the threat of imitation, which would eliminate their competitive advantage. In terms of the resources, they could look at the following with a view of identifying strengths and weaknesses: Finance what is the state of the business in terms of profit and loss, cash flow and the balance sheet position? Marketing they must continue to revaluate their marketing strategy. for example: Are the products priced adequately? Is the roll out of new stores meeting growth targets? Promotion how successful have the gift initiatives activities been? Product how environmentally friendly and are they to meet with any challenges? Operations IKEA could review the strengths and weaknesses of their machines, method of operations and materials used to produce furniture. Management as the founder is an old man now, this is a significant area that needs looking at. Is the management in place currently skilled enough to achieve objectives? Staff assess their motivation, their training needs and contribution to the success of the company, for example. An external audit should then be performed by analysing PESTEL SWOT is to determine the opportunities and threats facing IKEA from the external environment. Subsequently, IKEA should then be in a position to determine how it can use its key strengths, minimize weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and triumph over threats to achieve a competitive advantage through its hybrid strategy. The greatest challenges facing IKEA can be outlined below: Entry into new markets and segments in US and Japan Environmental challenges Culture and Values As we know, IKEA over the last few years expanding in Japan and US markets. These are two countries where it has recorded failure in the past. For instance, in the US, according to them they did not listen to the needs of the customers and employed a hybrid strategy. With time, they realized that the Americans needed larger sized products which they subsequently corrected. In Japan, they miscalculated thinking the Japanese were interested in low price products when their interest was in quality. It would be interesting to see how they fare in the next 10 years for these reasons, especially with the high level of competition from Target Corp. and Nitori Co. IKEA is committed to meet environmental challenges. Another big challenge is internal in nature. The owner and founder Ingvar Kamprad instilled a lot of the values that is currently being pursued today. A lot of the top brass are committed to his philosophies. With the passage of time however, the culture of IKEA which has delivered such great success will decrease. In the next 10 years, it is important that whoever is driving the business operates in line with its core values, as the brand is one of its discriminating strengths. This brand was built on the back of the core values and business idea. Any threat to that may mean a threat to the entire business as a whole.

A Comparison of Heart of Darkness and Facts Concerning the Late Arthur

Heart of Darkness and Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family    Knowledge Leading to Insanity in H.P. Lovecraft's "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" and the influence of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"    "Science, alrady oppressive with its schocking revelations, will perhaps be the ultimate exterminator of our human species-if separate species we be-for its reserve of unguessed horrors could never be borne by mortal brains if loosed upon the world." --H.P. Lovecraft, "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family"    Both texts, "Heart of Darkness", and "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" are about the limits of the human mind.   Some are able to contain powerful universal truths and some are not.   Lovecraft, twenty-one years after the publication of "Heart of Darkness", uses it as a partial basis for the exploration of the dangers of Darwin on the human psyche.   Therefore, I explore Conrad's imagery and ultimate purpose in order to show how it is repeated in Lovecraft's story.    European progression into Africa can be summarized as attempting to draw a straight line to the center.   In "Heart of Darkness", Conrad gives two important   descriptions of European exploration to support seeing it as a linear, penetrating movement.   One is the importance of rivers in exploration, which I will discuss in more detail.   The other is one of the European managers description of the ideal goal of the stations on the river:   to each link up in a line and ferry civilization and goodness into Africa.    Turning to rivers, they appear first when Marlow is discussing the blank spots on the map.   He says that these yellow spaces are filled... ...s lineage back to its origin led Arthur Jermyn straight into death, just as extending the line of stations into the Congo led Kurtz into death.   Twenty-one years after the publishing of "Heart of Darkness", its effect on the perception of Africa can be clearly seen.   Lovecraft is an American commercial author, without the colonial perspective of a 19th century English author, so his appropriation of Conrad is based solely on the power of the text.   Together, both stories make a very powerful statement on the true state of the average human being and what his or her mind might be capable of understanding.    Works Cited    Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness.   1899    Lovecraft, Howard Phillip.   "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family."   Dagon and Other Macabre Tales.   Arkham House:   Sauk City, WI.   1965.   orig. pub. 1920.   pp 73-83

Science and African Metaphysics :: Africa Government Papers

Science and African Metaphysics If one takes the African situation as a case study, one finds that serious efforts are made for the sake of scientific progress and exploration. However, the results attained are not comparable to the energy expended. Lack of progress is often attributed to faulty policy formation and execution on the part of African leaders and governments. This essay attempts to shed light on the source of this problem. The heuristic principle I follow holds that the metaphysical preconditioning of consciousness leads us to approach sensory data in particular ways and, furthermore, influences both our formulation of problems and possible solutions. I note the lapses in African metaphysics and sketch an alternate metaphysics which I hope will inaugurate a new African system of thought. INTRODUCTION The distinctions Between metaphysics As Body Of Beliefs and metaphysics as a Tool Of Exploration shall serve as the foundation of this essay. The essay would review and highlight some important characteristics of metaphysics as the most fundamental science and the basic tool of exploration. This claim, among others, has incidentally been the root of most harsh and destructive criticisms against metaphysics as a quest in futility. (1) These doubts and criticisms notwithstanding the understanding of metaphysics as the catalyst of scientific progress and exploration would be upheld in this essay. This is borne from the insight that scientific progress is sustained by the urge to go beyond each attainable results. To stimulate this urge, whether real, hypothetical or even imaginary would be identified in this essay as the pride of metaphysics. Yet not all quest for quantitative and qualitative scientific growth based on this urge is rewarded with the same amount of progress. If the Afric an situation is taken ask a case study, one discovers that serious and consistent efforts are made within this area to ask questions that go beyond the possible limits of attainable results. Yet the curious energy expanded within the African context in terms of search for scientific answer to challenging problems does not always seem to have yield commensurate results as comparable to what is obtainable elsewhere. A pertinent question then is this: Why is a quest sustained by the urge towards breaking new grounds fundamentally the same, but the results in terms of tangible or recognisable results remain at variance? TWO MODELS OF METAPHYSICAL INQUIRY Two models shall be put up for reflection - the science oriented model and the mythological model.

Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics Essay

   1. Specialty faces the decision of how many Weather Teddy units to order for the coming holiday season. Members of the management team suggested order quantities of 15000, 18000, 24000 or 28000 units. The wide range of order quantities suggested indicate considerable disagreement concerning the market potential. The product management team asks you for an analysis of the stock-out probabilities for various order quantities, an estimate of the profit potential, and to help make an order quantity recommendation. Specialty expects to sell Weather Teddy for $24 based on a cost of $16 per unit. If inventory remains after the holiday season, Specialty will sell all surplus inventory for $5 per unit After reviewing the sales history of similar products, Specialty’s senior sales forecaster predicted an expected demand of 20,000 units with a 0.95 probability that demand would be between 10,000 units and 30,000 units. Questions 1. Approximate the demand distribution using Normal distribution and sketch the distribution. 2. Compute the probability of a stock-out for the order quantities suggested by members of the management team. 3. Compute the projected profit for the order quantities suggested by the management team under three scenarios: worst case in which sales is 10,000 units, most likely case in which sales is 20,000 units and best case in which sales is 30,000 units Questions 1. One of Specialty’s managers felt that the profit potential was so great that the order quantity should have a 70% chance of meeting demand and only a 30% chance of any stock-outs. What quantity would be ordered under this policy, and what is the projected profit under the three sales scenarios? 2. Provide your own recommendation for an order quantity and note the associated profit projections.

Cap and Trade Policy Paper Essay

Introduction: The issue of carbon emissions is an important one not only from an environmental perspective but also an economic one. While reducing carbon emissions is an important one for the health of human beings as well as that of the environment, the larger question is what type of policy strategy is best for both reducing such emissions which might have an impact on efforts to mitigate the effects of pollution on climate change. While ther are options to consider which does not rely on economics– technological or output standards achieved by command and control regulations–they are often fraught with political resistance by industry because they do not allow industry to make any choices or play a role in solving the problem of excessive emissions and the burden that these emissions place on others. Instead of such draconian measures based on fiat, the preferred options rely on economic tools instead to provide incentives to industry to police itself by either incenting investment in emission-reducing and/or energy saving technologies or to reduce production in line with the total/social-costs rather than just the private/ producer-costs of production. Two such economic policies to consider in this regard are emission taxes and cap-and-trade policies. Overview of Policy Problem: Carbon emissions reduction Consider a company that faces an increasing marginal pollution abatement cost curve as in the Figure 1. Left unregulated it will choose not to reduce its carbon emissions (a.k.a abate carbon emissions) and avert facing the costs of abatement represented by the area underneath the marginal abatement cost curve represented by area (B + C + D) in the diagram below. Figure 1: Marginal Costs and Marginal Benefits of Reducing Carbon Emissions [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. Suppose that policy analysts have determined that the economically efficient level of pollution abatement occurs at the point where marginal benefits of abatement equal the marginal cost costs of abatement as is suggested in economic theory. The resulting level of carbon emissions is e* (reduction in emissions is measured from the far right in the diagram above to the pointe*). The question is what policy to follow to achieve e*: either some type of fiat policy involving either some type of output restriction or requiring use of a particular pollution-control technology or some type of policy that involves financial incentives to reduce emissions. This paper hypothesizes that policy options involving economic incentives are preferable to those options that involve regulatory fiat. Specification of Economic Policy Models: 1) A Carbon Emissions Tax: One policy instrument that can be used to achieve this level of abatement is to set a tax where marginal benefit equals marginal cost — represented by the horizontal â€Å"tax† line in the Figure 2 below. Under such a scheme, the polluter will find that it is cheaper to reduce carbon emissions so long as the marginal cost is lower than the tax. Since the tax bill (A + B) is great than the marginal abatement cost bill (B) to the left of the point e*, the firm will choose to reduce emissions up to the level of C with the remaining emissions level indicated in figure 2 measured from the right in the diagram. To the right of e*, the marginal abatement costs, represented by areas C + D, are greater than the tax bill (area D) so the firm will choose to pay the tax and continue to emit pollutants beyond e*. Figure 2: The Carbon Emissions Tax [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. So long as the marginal costs and benefits of abatement can be known with certainty, an emissions tax can be set at the point of intersection of these two measures resulting in an efficient level of pollution emissions at e* with total abatement costs (including taxes paid) to the polluter of area B+D and providing the government with revenues represented by D (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). It is when these marginal costs and marginal benefits are either not measurable in their entirety or when there is uncertainty about the figures obtained that leads to added questions as to whether this would be the best policy to follow. 2) A Cap Policy: An alternative policy to an emissions tax to achieve reductions in emissions through the tools of economics is to set a cap at the point where marginal social benefit equals marginal social cost of reducing emissions/abatement — represented by the vertical â€Å"cap† line in Figure 3 below. The polluting firm must reduce its carbon emissions to e* where the marginal social cost of reducing emissions equals the marginal social benefit of the products produced by the polluter. Such a policy–if the social costs and social benefits can be measured accurately—results in an efficient level of emissions produced/reduced at e* with an abatement cost borne by Figure 3: Cap Policy for Each Firm [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. the polluter equivalent to area B (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). The issue is whether total social costs can be measured and measured accurately in order to set such a policy at the correct or efficient level of emissions for each firm. Normally such policies do not result in efficiency even though an efficient level of overall emissions can be attained since it does not account for different costs of abatement in different firms. That is, a level of emissions can be attained that is equivalent to that achieved under an economically efficient policy but the level is not achieved at the lowest overall cost. One way of obtaining individual caps is for the government to auction off emission permits that total the pre-set amount of emissions that it feels is optimal. Firms with higher costs of reducing emissions will bid higher than firms with lower cost structures. Again, the only problem is determining what the total amount of emissions should be reflecting all social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. 3) A Cap-and-Trade Policy An added twist on the cap policy allows firms to trade emission allotments between themselves based on the buyer of allotment bargaining with the seller over the proper price to pay for the extra allotment. A two-panel diagram is needed to better understand the logic of trading emission allotments. Figure 4 illustrates the marginal cost of reducing emissions of two firms. One firm is run on older technology with high abatement costs that goes from right to left with zero costs represented at the lower right-hand corner of the diagram. The other firm has newer technology in its plant with lower abatement costs that goes left to right with zero costs represented at the lower left-hand corner of the diagram. The width of the horizontal axis is the reduction in emissions that must be achieved overall to an efficient level. The intersection of the two marginal cost curves is where economic efficiency is achieved. That is, the value achieved Figure 4. Cap-and-Trade Between Firms Policy Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. from the last dollar expended on abatement must be the same across all firms in the market. This is known as the equimarginal principle (Boyes and Melvin, 2011,122). The total cost of attaining the efficient abatement/emissions level is equal to the area C + G + K. At the efficient level of emissions, e*, the low cost (of reducing emissions) firm should reduce more emissions than the high cost (or reducing emissions) firm. Such a policy can be implemented by issuing carbon permits to different firms and allowing them to buy and sell their permits in the open market. Normally, equal amounts of permits are issued to each firm since it is difficult to assess the true abatement cost a priori. In the end, the marketplace will help determine the differences in cost structure depending on how high a firm is willing to bid for an extra permit or two (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). As with the individual firm cap policy, the cap-and-trade policy is predicated on the government being able to determine the optimal level of total emissions desired reflecting social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. Combining the different economic policy options together, it is obvious that it is possible to achieve the same level of reduction in emissions by setting a tax at the same level as where the marginal costs of reducing emissions is the same between firms which is at the level represented by the horizontal line in Figure 4 above. As above, the polluting firms will notice that it is cheaper to abate carbon emissions as long as the marginal abatement cost is lower than the tax. The firms with the higher cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from right to left and incur abatement costs equivalent to area K and pay taxes equivalent to area B+C+F+G. The firms with the lower cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from left to right and incur abatement costs of C+G and pay taxes equivalent to areas J + K in Figure 4. Setting a cap on each individual firm will produce the same level of reduction in emissions, but given that it is difficult, if not impossible, to individualized caps based on different cost structures of abatement, an efficient outcome is difficult to achieve under such a policy even though emissions are reduced to the same overall level. Regarding the market failure due to the negative carbon externality, both a carbon tax and carbon cap-and-trade will achieve the same level of increased efficiency–assuming that measurements of costs and benefits can be measured accurately– by reducing emissions to the optimal level at minimum cost. The real difference in these policies is due to differences in the distribution of costs. In the carbon tax policy, the government receives added revenues while in the cap and cap-and-trade policies when permits are simply handed out to firms, the firm has no additional outlays other than the cost of abatement to stay within the cap or to purchase additional allotment from other firms. If the permits are initially auctioned off by the government, the additional revenues to the government should be nearly the same as with a tax scheme if marginal social costs and benefits have been measured accurately. However, the economics-based policies are preferable to policies based on fiat where specific technologies (e.g., smoke-stack scrubbers) or a uniform cap on emission outputs across all firms since these other policies fail to take into account social costs and benefits. With regard to the economics-based policies, the following added impacts may also occur. First, in addition to static efficiency–efficiency occurring within a single period of time–there may also be dynamic efficiency within these policy schemes whereby firms have an incentive to adopt new technology over time to reduce their marginal costs of reducing carbon emissions (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Secondly, carbon emission taxes and/or auctioning permits will generate additional government revenue that might be used to offset various distortionary taxes on labour and/or capital (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Evidence and Analysis: There are various problems associated with the design of emissions tax regimes warranting discussion. First, if such a tax were placed on individuals rather than firms without any offsetting changes in other taxes or government transfers, a carbon tax might be regressive suggesting that the highest tax burden would be placed on the poor (Poterba, 1991, 11). This is mostly applicable to gasoline taxes where a flat emissions tax would make up a higher percentage of the income of poorer over wealthier taxpayers; thus, an issue of equity arises here. Likewise, firms with higher profit margins would shoulder less burden from the tax than firms with lower profit margins given a similar costs of pollution abatement. Poterba (1991) suggests that this regressiveness could be offset by changes in either the direct tax system or in government transfers. Second, as the population grows and production totals continue to increase to meet the demands of this growing population, emission taxes will need to rise to keep emissions at a particular level; this may lead to a set of distortions in terms of domestic vs. foreign production whereby firms can transfer production to other jurisdictions that do not have such taxes in place. Thus, international trade leads to an opportunity to get around the tax scheme and the higher the taxes instituted, the higher the incentive to engage in such behaviour. Thus, if emission taxes differ significantly between two neighbouring jurisdiction–for example, the State of New York and Connecticut or even New York and one of its neighbouring Canadian provinces–there is an inherent incentive to move production outside of the jurisdiction with the highest taxes and import products from elsewhere. Third, a central issue regarding the design of carbon emissions taxes to harmonize such polities with other fiscal instruments designed to mitigate the effects of climate change. For instance, it is important to ensure that taxes on chlorofluorocarbons and emissions from fossil fuels are comparable to avoid distortions in consumption that may lead to a worse outcome for the environment than in the absence of such policies (Poterba, 1991, 27). Bosquet (2000) conducted a review of the evidence regarding the impact of carbon emissions taxes on the environment and the economy. She claims that environmental taxes involve the shifting of tax burden from employment, income, and investment to resource depletion and waste. She asks the general question of whether such tax reform can produce a double benefit by helping the environment and the economy simultaneously. Based on her reviews of the literature and available evidence, she concludes that when emissions taxes are instituted, they are generally associated with reductions in payroll taxes, and–if wage-price inï ¬â€šation is prevented–they often result in signiï ¬ cant reductions in pollution and small gains in employment (Bosquet, 2000, 19). Also associated with the implementation of such environmental taxes are also marginal changes–gains or losses– in production in the short to medium term, while investments decease marginally and prices increase. However, she cautions that the results of such environmental taxes in the long-term are less certain (Bosquet, 2000, 29). With regard to cap and cap-and-trade policies, the evidence is also available regarding the effectiveness and consequences of such policies. Stavins (2008) describes a graduated cap-and-trade scheme that involves initially just Carbon gasses with 50% of permits issued to polluters in the market free of charge and other half auctioned off. Over 25 years, the percentage auctioned off annually will gradually increase to 100% and other greenhouse gas emissions will be included over this time span. The idea is to implement a gradual iterative policy with a slow trajectory of emission reductions. As time goes on, other emissions are included in this scheme and the system provides for harmonizing this scheme over time with effective cap-and-trade systems and other emission credit reduction programs in other jurisdictions. This harmonization effectively addresses the issue raised with emission tax policies that are unilaterally established in one jurisdiction without consideration for the po licies in neighbouring jurisdictions. If there is an effective way to dovetail policies in different jurisdiction, then this would level the playing field between domestic and imported products. Regarding actual cap-and-trade policies already in place, Colby (2000) analyzes a cap-and-trade policy for limiting Sulfur Dioxide emissions. The changes stemmed from the Clean Air Act of 1990 which allowed for a nationwide cap-and-trade policy for industrial firms emitting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Marginal costs of reducing emissions fell substantially duringn the 1990s due to reduced costs of installing scrubbers, reduced costs of flue gas desulfurization, and falling costs for low sulfur coal all due, to a large extent, to an active program of trading/buying allowances between firms that emerged after a few years of experience after the program was initiated. As Colby (2000) states, â€Å"The allowance trading market enhanced competition among the different methods that firms use to control emissions, adding impetus to cost reductions† (Colby, 2000, 642). Low allowance prices and falling marginal costs associated with reducing emissions produced earlier-than-predicted cutbacks in sulfur dioxide emissions. Allowance prices rose from lows of $80-90/unit in 1996 to about $215/unit in mid-1999 spurring further conservation efforts. Colby (2002) does mention that design and implementation of cap-and-trade schemes involves some important policy tradeoffs: equity among the players, balancing use levels with resource conditions, facilitating transactions between firms wishing to trade allowances, accurate accounting for externality costs, assuring adequate monitoring of emissions levels, and documenting welfare gains due to the policy. She says that efficient trading mechanisms can be more easily implemented when there is a strong political or legal mandate to cap resource use and trading allowances are sensed by all parties involved to be a way to ease adjustment to limits on emissions (Colby, 2000, 638). In choosing between the various policies, it is inevitably important to sense the level of uncertainty over measuring the items of interest. With regard to emissions taxes, it is important to have fairly accurate estimates of marginal social costs and benefits and with regard to cap-and-trade schemes, there needs to also be a fairly accurate means of estimating the optimal level of emissions given all the costs and benefits involved in reducing emissions. If it becomes difficult to measure these items accurately, then the expected deadweight loss and associate probabilities of various miscalculations needs to be assessed and compared across the different strategies to determine the policy that produces the smallest expected deadweight loss which is key from an economic perspective. Since policies based on fiat, such as technology mandates and non-economically based output standards, are not set with regard to these types of measures, it is likely that the deadweight economic loss associated with these policies will be greater than for either emissions taxes or better yet, cap-and-trade policies. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that economics-based emissions policies are preferred over policies based on fiat. Moreover, the strongest evidence for promoting investment in pollution control equipment and reducing emissions that mitigate the effects of climate change appear to involve cap-and-trade policies. Partially, this might be due to the flexible design of such policies which—through the auctioning and/or trading of allowances—account for changing market conditions. This policy, even more so than emission taxes, forces the industry to face current market conditions through the use of auctions and trading for emission allowances. As a result, the parties are forced to make choices based on strong economic criteria to obtain efficiencies over time. Works cited: Bosquet B. 2000. Environmental Tax Reform: Does It Work? A Survey of The Empirical Evidence. Ecological Economics. 34, 19-32, Colby G. 2000. Cap-and-Trade Policy Challenges: A Tale of Three Markets. Land Economics, 76, 638-658. Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade. 2012. Website. Retrieved on June 5th, 2012 from http://www.env-econ.net/carbon_tax_vs_capandtrade.html Melvin W. Boyes M. 2011. Microeconomics. 9th ed. Marion, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning, Poterba JM. 1991. Tax Policy to Combat Global Warming: On Designing a Carbon Tax. NBER Working Paper. MIT-CEPR 91-003WP. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/50159/28596145.pdf?sequ Stavins RN. 2008. Addressing Climate Change with a Comprehensive U.S. Cap-and-Trade System. Nota Di Lavoro 67.2008 Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://www.feem.it/userfiles/attach/Publication/NDL2008/NDL2008-067.pdf