British industrial relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

British industrial relations - Essay Example lective bargaining can force employers to deal with labour as a collective identity, rather than isolated individuals and so, secure better the terms and condition of employment. Nevertheless, in 1979when the conservative party won the election, everything changed. The new government used a lot measures to restrict the role of trade unions. In addition, it introduced an enterprise culture in which individuals and organisations, rather than government, were to be held responsible for economic performance. Thus, as well as rejecting the maintenance of full employment as a major policy objective, they in effect abandoned the commitment of their predecessors to voluntary collective bargaining as the most effective method of determining pay and conditions. Then, there was a total break with the old work patterns but an explanation of this will be the economical context. In fact, after the war, there was a period of reconstruction that engendered a lot of work; manufacturing was the backbone of the economy, it was a period of full employment. After that, there was a wave of privatisation, many companies became multinationals, and there was an internationalisation o f business. Because Britain is the candle of industrialisation, the British employment relations system has a long history. It is extremely important as it's the FIRST system in the modern sense and thus other ER systems such as Australia's, has been 'modelled' on it (Marchington et al. 2004 p36). For example, many percent trade unions can trace their roots back to this mid-19th century or earlier in Britain. The legislations and rules of employment relations in many countries are also modelled on the Britain's. As a result, studying the British employment relation system can help to know the history of the ER... The aim of this essay will be to access and explain the management of British employment relationship and then derive lessons concerning the management of the employment relationship from the study of the operation, structure and effectiveness of systems of the employment relations in Britain. This essay will then give a description of the recent management of the British Industrial Relations system in Britain and discuss the future of British Industrial Relations System. The British industrial relations system has a long history and has gone through much change in recent years. Industrial relations are also known as employee relations. There are three phases in the evolution of employee relations since the end of the World War II, the third one being the partnership approach. Until 1979 (date of the election of the Conservative Party), work relations were based on collective bargaining and collective agreement aiming to determine and regulate, in varying degrees, the terms on which individuals will be employed (Flanders 1968 p35), with a strong voluntarism encouraged massively and informally.Since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, from 1760-1830 progress, innovation and growth in every field of human endeavour have served to transform industry, economics and society. The British system of industrial relations has often been considered as being as voluntarist, by which is generally meant the abstaining of the state from direct interference in the managing industrial relations

INtro to rela dbase Business Intelligence and Data Warehouses week 9 Assignment

INtro to rela dbase Business Intelligence and Data Warehouses week 9 - Assignment Example Since it operates with such huge data sets, an OLAP database is substantial on CPU and plate bandwidth. A data warehouse is intended to handle extensive investigative inquiries. An OLTP database system emphasizes extremely complex tables and joins because the data is standardized. In other terms, it is organized in a manner that no data is copied. Using this method to make data relational conveys storage and handling efficiencies. In addition, this method also permits those sub-second reaction times (Rahman, 2011). In an OLAP database framework, data is composed particularly to encourage reporting and examination, not for rapid value-based needs. The information is de-normalized to improve explanatory inquiry reaction times and give usability to business clients. Fewer tables and an easier structure bring about simpler reporting and examination. Operational data and decision support data serve diverse purposes. Most operational information is put away in a social database whereby the structures have a tendency to be profoundly standardized. Operational data stockpiling is improved to help transactions that concern day by day operations. To compel the performances given, operational frameworks store data in numerous tables, each with a base count of fields. Decision support data contrast from operational data in three fundamental ranges Operational data are ordinarily stored in numerous tables, and the information stored concern the data around a certain transaction only. Decision support data are put away in relatively fewer tables that store information obtained from operational data. The decision support data do exclude the subtle elements of every operational transaction. The operational databases continuous and fast information renewal make data irregularities a conceivably devastating issue. Accordingly, the data neces sities in a common transaction framework for the

The Marketing Strategy Of Air Arabia Tourism Essay

The Marketing Strategy Of Air Arabia Tourism Essay The company Air Arabia which is chosen in this report is a public company. This report also gives information about how the company works internally and externally. The main hub of the Air Arabia Company is in Sharjah, U.A.E and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. This report will also give you the financial Information of the company and also about its competitors financial status like its sales, profit, and market share. Air Arabia is worlds First and Largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to operate in Middle East and North Africa. It operates in more than 40 countries worldwide and has segmented its target market in Middle East, Indian Subcontinents, South and Central Asia, Africa and Europe. The report also gives complete information about the companys Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats and also about its Product (Services), Price, Place and Promotion. Last but not the least, the report has showed the position of the company in the current market, evidence of the compa nys success and prospects for future growth/success. Air Arabia Introduction Air Arabia is the first largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to operate in Middle East and North Africa. Air Arabia started its operation in October 2003 and holds a portfolio of successful business.The Main Hub of Air Arabia is Sharjah Airport, UAE and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and later on announced its third hub in Egypt. The current CEO of Air Arabia is Adel Ali who was named as Airline CEO of the Year for 3 years. Air Arabia is named as Best Low Cost Carrier at many Airline Awards. Air Arabia is a listed company on the Dubai Financial Market. The current Air Arabia slogan is Air Arabia, Pay Less Fly More. The Market Environment: Air Arabia has spread it wings from its hubs; Sharjah Airport, UAE and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and Egypt to over 65 destinations spreading across Middle East, Indian Subcontinents, South and Central Asia, Africa and Europe. Air Arabia is in Airline Industry and has maintained a portfolio of successful business till now. The Airline Industry provides with Air transport services to passengers who want to travel to different countries which are covered by Airplanes in much less time. It also provides with air cargo facilities. The Competition The Main Competitors Air Arabia has many competitors such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, and Air India Express but out of all these the main competitor of Air Arabia is Jazeera Airways. Sales and Profit Trend Jazeera Airways faced a Net Loss of 8.2 million in the year 2009. In the year 2010 the company is still operating in loss of 4.4 million in the first quarter and a loss of 4.7 million in the second quarter. Market Share Jazeera Airways head office is in Kuwait. It also had its hub in UAE but because of it facing loss in the previous year it had decided to close down the UAE hub. So now it only controls from Kuwait. Target Market Jazeera Airways is a low cost airline that targets the people with low income. The Company Sales and Profit Trend Air Arabias company profits in the year 2009 were AED 452 million. In the year 2010 the profits of the company in the first quarter were AED 50 million and in the second quarter were also AED 50 million. The company is building up a strong network route which is helping in growing its sales. Market Share The following graph shows Air Arabia Profit generated worldwide. GCC AED 63.28 million Middle East AED 63.28 million North Africa AED 49.72 million Central Asia AED 22.6 million Europe AED 94.92 million Indian Subcontinents AED 158.2 million Business Sector Air Arabia is a public sector company with its share listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM: AIRARABIA). SWOT analysis Strengths Air Arabia is the first low cost carrier in the GCC region. Given the huge investment required in setting up an airline, competition will need time to be a significant threat. Sharjah Airport gives significant waivers to Air Arabia in the form of landing and parking fees. Despite a very young history, net profits have been increasing at a CAGR of over 200% since 2005. The company managed to generate its first net profit in 2005 after starting operations in late 2003. Weaknesses Less number of planes Hub location A deterrent for residents of other emirates in UAE other than Dubai. Fuel prices account for roughly 38% of total operating costs for Air Arabia. The price hike in crude oil is expected to continue affecting the airline. Opportunities With a firm order for 34 aircraft and an option for 15 more, Air Arabia is poised for growth. The airline is expected to add more destinations to its portfolio. Competition is still young when compared to Air Arabia which gives the company time to further solidify its positioning as a quality LCC. The UAE and the GCC as a whole is focused on attracting tourists to the region. As the region grows with the rising price of oil, the accessible market for Air Arabia also expands in the long-term. Threats Being the most significant component of operating costs, energy prices can seriously hamper Air Arabias performance. Airlines around the world are struggling because of rising energy costs. Low LCC penetration in the region makes the pie very large however new LCCs are on their way to make the division more diluted in the future. New LCCs include Sama, Nas, RAK Airways and Fly Dubai. Due to limited choice in aircraft suppliers, airlines are sensitive to delivery schedules of aircraft. The delivery of the 34 ordered aircraft is originally meant to commence in 2013. The Companys Marketing Strategy Segmentation Air Arabia has been spread worldwide through three hubs namely Sharjah Airport, Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca and Egypt airport. Air Arabia is in Travel and Tourism industry which is further divided into Travel industry which provides with travel facilities to passengers who want to travel to other countries whereas Tourism industry which help with Hotel reservations. Targeting Air Arabia targets people with low income who would like to travel the world which could not be possible as the air freight is high. But nowadays people with good income have also started traveling in Air Arabia as it helps them to save for better future. Positioning Air Arabia has positioned itself in the market in such a way that has kept it far ahead of its competitors. Air Arabia and Jazeera airways are in competition but still demand for Air Arabia is high as it provides cheap ticket price. Growth Strategy Air Arabia has planned to expand its Sharjah hub by Investing 2.0 billion in new aircrafts which will increase the number of planes to 34 by 2015.this expansion will also increase the frequency of flights on certain routes, i.e. doubling the number of daily flights in most cases. The Marketing Mix Product (Service) Air Arabia offers many services to their customers according to the target segment they belong to. They provide with online booking which reduces the time of a customer to go to any agency and book a flight. Air Arabia also provides with hotel-reservation service and recommends the best options for customers according to their needs and budgets. Price Air Arabia is using a low cost strategy, which is to offer lower price than what other airlines in the market offer. It uses this strategy because it targets people from low to medium-income level who are willing to pay less in order to fly more. Place The main base of Air Arabia is in Sharjah, UAE. It has more three hubs which are in Morocco, Egypt and Jordon. Air Arabia also has an Online Website through which customers can book their flights, check the latest offers and book an accommodation in a hotel during his/her travel. Promotion Air Arabia always advertise in local and international, Arabic and English newspapers and magazines because their target audience are people from all nationalities. It advertises in business, family and social magazines worldwide to reach their target audience who have different interests. Air Arabia has created a website offers many services such as the online booking, which allow customers to select particular seats or service from their home. Furthermore, Air Arabia advertises in many websites from different fields such as the MSN messenger and the Gulf News. Evaluation of the Companys Strategies and Tactics Current Market Situation Air Arabia being the First and largest Low Cost Carrier in the Middle East and North Africa have put themselves ahead of their competitors. The companys services are being demanded by many customers due to whom in 2010 the Net Profit of the company in third quarter increased to AED 136 million. Evidence of Companys Success The Companys profit in the year 2009 was AED 452 million which had been decreased from the previous year. But the companys growth strategy shows that it will be successful in the coming years. Prospects for future growth/success Air Arabia have invested AED 1.7 2.0 billion on new aircrafts to increase the number of planes by 2015. This investment will increase the frequency of the flights on certain routes. Conclusion Air Arabia has been growing in Travel and Tourism industry with a vision to offer better services and to be the best airline on every route it flies by improving a strong network route. Thus, it has many target segments of people with low to medium- income levels that are looking for low air fares. The ambition of Air Arabia is a fleet expansion of 50 aircrafts by 2015 and also establishing more hubs to link the whole Arab world to Africa and Europe

Troops should NOT be Withdrawn from Iraq :: War Military

Iraq is not stable enough to risk the United States withdrawing their troops, security is too weak and it will show in the near future. It is evident that Iraq cannot hold a steady government that can support the people and maintain a state of armistice throughout these hard times that the country is going through. This statement is clear seeing that there have been about one hundred and sixty three insurgent attacks daily since May of 2007. The United States is currently controlling the country due to Iraq housing terrorist groups that withhold weapons of mass destruction. Like Al Qaeda for example, their leader, Osama Bin Laden has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s â€Å"Most Wanted† list since the year of 2003. Ever since March 19th of 2003 many people have died because of this evil, ruthless man. That is why the United States Defense Department has kept our troops stable in Iraq to prevent some outrageous outbreak of violence. David Patraeus is a General in the United States Army and has written several reports on the war in Iraq and the progress the United States has made. He states that are still enormous difficulties that Iraq has to deal with. A lot of that may come from the many terror groups that inhabit the country. General Patraeus also says, â€Å"the addition of troops will enable the growth of Iraqi security†. (Patraeus 12) He, and many of the other brave men serving in the military completely understand that they have made substantial progress but know for a fact that the situation is still fragile and very reversible. Why would we pull our troops out of something that could be reversed? Would that not be a waste of taxpayer time and money? The General was actually asked why the troops are still in the country, he replied that the only way to secure the population of Iraq is by living with them. The last thing he noted is that he noticed that as force levels grew, the security s ituation improved. The better the security, the more likeliness that the soldiers can come home sooner. Troops should NOT be Withdrawn from Iraq :: War Military Iraq is not stable enough to risk the United States withdrawing their troops, security is too weak and it will show in the near future. It is evident that Iraq cannot hold a steady government that can support the people and maintain a state of armistice throughout these hard times that the country is going through. This statement is clear seeing that there have been about one hundred and sixty three insurgent attacks daily since May of 2007. The United States is currently controlling the country due to Iraq housing terrorist groups that withhold weapons of mass destruction. Like Al Qaeda for example, their leader, Osama Bin Laden has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s â€Å"Most Wanted† list since the year of 2003. Ever since March 19th of 2003 many people have died because of this evil, ruthless man. That is why the United States Defense Department has kept our troops stable in Iraq to prevent some outrageous outbreak of violence. David Patraeus is a General in the United States Army and has written several reports on the war in Iraq and the progress the United States has made. He states that are still enormous difficulties that Iraq has to deal with. A lot of that may come from the many terror groups that inhabit the country. General Patraeus also says, â€Å"the addition of troops will enable the growth of Iraqi security†. (Patraeus 12) He, and many of the other brave men serving in the military completely understand that they have made substantial progress but know for a fact that the situation is still fragile and very reversible. Why would we pull our troops out of something that could be reversed? Would that not be a waste of taxpayer time and money? The General was actually asked why the troops are still in the country, he replied that the only way to secure the population of Iraq is by living with them. The last thing he noted is that he noticed that as force levels grew, the security s ituation improved. The better the security, the more likeliness that the soldiers can come home sooner.

Coldest Winter Ever Summary

Set in the projects of Brooklyn, New York, The Coldest Winter Ever is the story of Winter Santiaga (aptly named because she was born during one of New York's worst snowstorms), the rebellious, pampered teenage daughter of a notorious drug dealer. Ricky Santiaga, Winter's father, has attained substantial wealth through his illegal drug empire and lavishes his wife, Winter, and Winter's three younger sisters, Porsche, Lexus, and Mercedes, with the best things money can (and cannot) buy. Unknown to her father, Winter uses her hustling tricks to get whatever she wants. Winter's world is turned upside down on her 16th birthday, when her father suddenly decides to relocate his family and his growing business to Long Island, but she is determined not to sever ties with the old neighborhood. Her life spirals downward when her mother is shot in the face by foes of her father. Shortly afterward, the FBI arrives at the Santiaga mansion while Winter is at a party, seizes the family's possessions, and sends the drug lord to prison. At this juncture, Winter's sisters are placed in child custody, rather than in their unemployed mother's custody. Winter escapes by pretending to not be her parents’ daughter. Winter stays with a man just for his money for a while, but when his girlfriend comes back, Winter goes to live with an aunt. While with the Aunt, Winter's location is revealed, and she is turned over to the Bureau of Child Welfare. Winter's location was probably divulged by Natalie, a former friend of Winter's, who suspected that Winter was trying to date her boyfriend. While visiting her father in jail, she finds out that he had an infant son and was cheating on her mother, which tears her apart. Also, her father murdered someone while in jail. After being taken out of her aunt’s home, Winter starts living at the House of Success, a group home for teenage girls. Her new surroundings do not stop her from hustling: she makes money by selling clothes and cigarettes to her housemates, and she does their hair. Winter obtains the goods she sells from her friend Simone, who is a booster who steals designer clothes for her. Winter continues making money this way until Simone is arrested. Winter does not bail out now-pregnant Simone, but Simone gets out another way. Upon her release, Simone gathers some friends to wait so that they can beat up Winter. Winter escapes the beating by running and never returns. Then Simone falls and has a miscarriage. Rashida, one of Winter's House of Success housemates, thinks that Winter needs help and persuades her to go to a friend's house. Winter doesn't know that the friend is Sister Souljah, whom Winter boldly stated she never liked in the book's introduction. Under Souljah's tutelage, Winter volunteers at a benefit for people with HIV/AIDS, but Winter still does whatever she can to get money. Winter steals money from the AIDS benefit and rushes home to pack. Suspicious of Winter leaving, Lauren, Souljah's sister, switches the bag into which Winter has put her prized belongings. Winter takes a cab to a New Jersey hotel, and realizes that she has no money, no jewels, and no protection. Winter hooks up with an old boyfriend named Bullet, who has money. She finds out that she is pregnant with the baby of a man who tricked her into believing he was hip-hop MC GS. Months later, Winter's world crashes again when she is attacked in a car by Simone. A crowd gathers to watch the fight, and Winter loses focus when she sees Bullet cause the crowd to disperse by waving a gun in the air. Once Winter looks away, Simone slashes her across the face with a broken bottle. Winter is led back to the car by Bullet and, shortly afterward, the police arrive. Bullet leaves Winter, who gets a mandatory 15-year prison sentence for transporting drugs in his rental car. Soon, her old friends Natalie and Simone join her in prison, and her younger sister eventually becomes just like her. The ending surprises: after her father was jailed, Winter talked about being let out of prison to attend her mother’s funeral.

Combining Vinegar and Baking Soda- Lab Report

The second trial displayed similar results of a weak presence of carbon dioxide. The solution bubbled up, the cork stayed stationary in the top of the bottle, but the solid did not dissolve completely. A third trial was performed in which we decided to increase the amount of vinegar used. The indicator which triggered this decision was the resulting solid at the bottom of vessel. In the third trial we kept the baking soda our constant at % TTS. ND deed 2 ounces of vinegar. The results remained similar to trial two. The solution bubbled, the cork remained stationary In the top of the bottle, and there remained solid In the bottom of the vessel. A fourth trial was performed In which we again Increased the amount of vinegar added to dissolve the solid. In the fourth trial we kept the baking soda our constant at % TTS. And added 3 ounces of vinegar. The results Improved slightly as we saw that, although the cork remained stationary, the solution bubbled substantially higher In the bottle displaying a stronger presence of arbor dioxide.It was also noted that the solid that remained was much less than In past trials. A fifth trial was performed in which we again increased the amount of vinegar added to dissolve the solid. In the fifth trial we kept the baking soda our constant at TTS. And added 4 ounces of vinegar. The results dramatically changed. The solution bubbled almost immediately and so quickly that the solution overflowed that there was more than enough baking soda, there may have been too much vinegar added and that the technique of the pour may have been too slow or the exults may have been different.A sixth and final trial was done in which we kept the baking soda our constant at % TTS. And reduced the amount of vinegar poured to approximately 3 h ounces. The pour was done more quickly and the bubbling reaction took place almost immediately. The cork was placed in the bottle after the overflowing had started to occur so the reaction of the cork popping st ill was not quite achieved, however the last trial did show a large amount of carbon dioxide present. The data from each trial is recorded in the table below on the following page.In order to study he reaction we created trials which would allow the chemicals to combine within a vessel. The movement or lack of movement from the cork allowed us to measure the amount of carbon dioxide present in each experiment. My results showed the trial with the greatest reaction was the final trial because the solution bubbled almost more than the other trials. If the cork had been placed inside of the bottle quicker or if the pour had been slightly slower the cork would have popped with stronger force.The trial with the least reaction was trial one because the solution bubbled the least wowing a weak presence of carbon dioxide, the solid dissolved completely and the cork remained completely stationary showing there was very little pressure within the vessel. While observing the experiment, I noti ced that the more vinegar added and the quicker the pour the greater the reaction and the more the solution bubbled. In order to further investigate the experiment, next time I would try the experiment utilizing only one student performing the pour to keep consistency of the control of the pour and the pressure being applied to the cork.

one flew over cuckoos nest essays

one flew over cuckoos nest essays One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest 1. How would you describe your main character? Become his voice and write about who he believes they are. I might frighten some of you at first, and others may think of me as some crazy man who has no business living in a normal society. Well, if you thought any of those, youre wrong. I, Randle McMurphy, might have gotten in four or five fights and have been in jail and the work farm for sometime, but I feel that it is necessary to get certain ideas across to people and violence is usually the only way to do that. However, speaking about the crazy part, I do not feel that Im crazy. I dont sit and daze out in the middle of nowhere; I dont walk up and down a hallway; I talk and listen and I am able to think on my own. Now, by explaining myself to you, I ask you why I am in this dumb mental hospital talking to people who have no sense about life. In fact, I could not even answer the question but I know that I have no voice in the decision of my presence hear. I am probably the biggest rebel you will ever see and I do not take dictation very well. When I first came to the hospital, the other patients knew I was different because I did not listen to the black workers and especially Ms. Ratched, the Big Nurse who had control over the patients. My biggest conflict was with the nurse. Everyday day we had therapy meetings, where Nurse Ratched tried to help the mental patients cope with their problems. While in the circle, I noticed that when asked to talk by the nurse, the patients stood silent because they were scared of the nurse. To me, she was nothing but a ruthless woman who took advantage of her position as the head nurse. But for me, being the rebel that I am, I did not want this lady to control me or the other boys. So I started to talk to these people and try to make them comfortable with me in order to get them on my side. This conflic...

AIDS in Rural Ethiopia Identifying Risks

Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Rural Ethiopia Identifying Risks Identification of risks Though the Ethiopian people experienced a lot of conflicts and famine, another problem is apparent as they also die of AIDS (Coppola, 2011). The number of women who are infected with HIV/AIDS is high even for those who are in marriage relations (Assefa, Taye, YamÄ hÃŒ ²barÄ wi á ¹ ­enÄ t madrak (Ethiopia), 2008, p. 107). The risk is high to get infected for people of different social groups, in different areas, for different genders and age groups. This means that the risk of becoming infected is high and every person should know about the risk and ways the disease is transmitted to prevent it. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Rural Ethiopia: Identifying Risks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As claimed by Massow (2001), the number of officially reported cases of HIV and AIDS in Ethiopia does not really coincide with the actual situation because there are much more people with this diagnosis who do not even know about their problem, symptoms, the ways of transmission. This disease can be really harmful in terms of people’s health and the economic factors related to it because if people are infected, they may die and the workforce becomes unavailable for this country while people from other countries would not like to work their due to the high mortality rate. â€Å"AIDS-affected households will experience a loss o labour and skills, a reduction in their asset base and changes in household priorities to meet short-term food needs rather than engage in potentially risky medium-term investments† (International Livestock Research Institute, 2008, p. 3). Besides, the patients in hospitals may come from different areas. As some patients come from far away, from other settlements, and have to wait for hours for the examination rooms to open and the laboratory staff and volunteers as well as health care workers to start examining patients, the examination rooms start their work earlier (Ethiopian Medical Association, 1978, p. 52). So, it is necessary to inform people about the disease and ways it is transmitted to prevent it and help those who are already infected to live with this disease and not infect their family members. However, there are different risks occurring for the volunteers and people who would like to help. As such, it is necessary to divide the risks and outline the way they should be dealt with. One of the risks to be dealt with is the workload the health care workers already have outside the project which means that they may be unwilling to take part in the project. The second risk is the cultural and social factors because it is considered inappropriate to tell teenagers about such things as HIV whereas they are at risk as well. Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third risk includes challenging, disrupting relations between men and women. The fourth risk includes religious barriers that can be regarded as cultural though the power of religion if often underestimated, especially for rural areas. Companies participating in the project may refuse to provide condoms at a discount, if any; this means that some charity funds should be considered as a backup plan in case some problems with provision of condoms. Another risk concerns the people in charge of distributing condoms making a personal profit from them. Besides, health care workers/core group/sex workers may stop their HIV prevention work when not being monitored. In addition, falsification of records by HCW/Core group is also possible. Dealin with the risks Monitoring and control are essential for the project and for effective results. So, these are important ways to deal with the risks identified. Reference List Assefa, Taye, YamÄ hÃŒ ²barÄ wi á ¹ ­enÄ t madrak (Ethiopia), 2008. Diges t of Ethiopias national policies, strategies and programs. Addis Ababa: African Books Collective. Coppola, Damon P., 2011. Introduction to international disaster management. 2nd ed. Burlington: Elsevier. Ethiopian Medical Association, 1978. Ethiopian Medical Journal, 16-17. Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Medical Association. International Livestock Research Institute, 2008. Dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in value chain development in rural Ethiopia and responses through market-led agricultural initiatives. Addis Ababa: ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Rural Ethiopia: Identifying Risks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Massow, Fra Von, 2001. Access to health and education services in Ethiopia: supply, demand, and government policy. Oxford: Oxfam.

Definition and Examples of Lexicogrammar

Definition and Examples of Lexicogrammar Lexicogrammar is a term used in systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to emphasize the interdependence ofand continuity betweenvocabulary (lexis) and syntax (grammar). The term lexicogrammar (literally, lexicon plus grammar) was introduced by linguist M.A.K. Halliday. Adjective: lexicogrammatical. Also, called lexical grammar. The advent of corpus linguistics, notes Michael Pearce, has made the identification of lexicogrammatical patterns much easier than it once was (Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies, 2007). Examples and Observations Vocabulary and grammatical structures are interdependent; so much so that it is possible to say with some justification that words have their own grammar. This interdependency of lexis and grammar is evident everywhere in language. For example, lexical verbs have valency patterns: some verbs can be used with a direct object (I made some oven gloves), or with both a direct object and an indirect object (The government awarded them a pay rise), others need no object at all (The Colonel was laughing).  (Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007)The heart of language is the abstract level of coding that is the lexicogrammar. (I see no reason why we should not retain the term grammar in this, its traditional sense; the purpose of introducing the more cumbersome term lexicogrammar is simply to make explicit the point that vocabulary is also a part of it, along with syntax and morphology).  (M.A.K. Halliday, Systemic Background, 1985. On Langu age and Linguistics. Continuum, 2003) [A]ccording to systemic functional theory, lexicogrammar is diversified into a metafunctional spectrum, extended in delicacy from grammar to lexis, and ordered into a series of ranked units.  (M.A.K. Halliday, Hallidays Introduction to Functional Grammar, 4th ed., revised by Christian M.I.M. Matthiessen. Routledge, 2013)[L]exico-grammar is now very fashionable, but it does not integrate the two types of pattern as its name might suggestit is fundamentally grammar with a certain amount of attention to lexical patterns within the grammatical frameworks; it is not in any sense an attempt to build together a grammar and lexis on an equal basis...Lexico-grammar is still firmly a kind of grammar, laced, or perhaps spiked with some lexis. (John Sinclair, Trust the Text: Language, Corpus and Discourse, edited with Ronald Carter. Routledge, 2004) Lexicogrammar and Semantics Just as lexis and grammar are considered to form a single stratum, Halliday considers that the lexicogrammar is not a separate system or module apart from semantics, but is rather an underlying component of the meaning-making system of a language. The stratum of semantics is thus not thought of as an abstract or logical structure, but rather as the medium through which humans use language to interact in their social and cultural context. A consequence of this is that the language, and in particular the lexicogrammar, is structured by the expressive and communicative functions it has evolved to convey.   (Christopher Gledhill, A Lexicogrammar Approach to Checking Quality: Looking at One or Two Cases of Comparative Translation. Perspectives on Translation Quality, ed. by Ilse Depraetere. Walter de Gruyter, 2011) Lexicogrammar and Corpus Linguistics Generalizations on the structure of language tell us little about how people actually use the language, and consequently how a language really is. The patterns of structural and lexical behaviour are not revealed by the linguists introspection or from a few examples chosen to fit the pattern. This is the conclusion that increasingly is being drawn from a growing body of linguistic research on large computer corpora or databases. It is only when we come to investigate a language from samples of millions of words of running text that we can really begin to understand how words and structures behave and interact...A theory of language or a model of a particular language . . . has to account for use as attested by corpus linguistic research. If such a theory purports to give rise to language description, it must have the potential to incorporate the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of lexicogrammatical behaviour and the cryptotypical phenomena which are uncovered by the observation of languag e use on a significantly larger scale.  (Gordon H. Tucker, The Lexicogrammar of Adjectives: A Systemic Functional Approach to Lexis. Continuum, 1998) Alternate Spellings: lexico-grammar

Financial Concerns Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Concerns Report - Essay Example The ethnicity grant groups include the African American, Asian, Cuban, and Arab groups (http://www.usscholarshipguide.org). Further, the above United States scholarship guide website shows that the organization offers scholarship grants to non-ethnic groups. The successful scholarship applicants include the individuals who are afflicted with physical ailments. Under successful scholarship grantees include individuals who are deaf, mute, and mute college scholarship applicants. The Federal and state governments offer scholarship grants to encourage individuals to pursue their dreams. The grants include the Pell grant. U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell offers the grant to help the United States Department of Education’s thrust to increase college enrollments. The successful grants are those who pass the established financial need benchmark. The United States Congress established the financial need benchmark. The Pell Grant falls under the Higher Education Act of 1965. During 2012 alon e, the maximum Pell Grant was about $ 5,400. The government offers Federal supplemental educational opportunity grants. The grant is offered to both United States citizens and eligible non-residents. The highest scholarship figure given to the student is estimated to below the $5,000 per year figure. Third, the above United States scholarship guide website reference shows that government offers grants that take into consideration the college applicants’ academic competitiveness. The grant is offered to Pell grantee college applicants having a minimum average grade of 3.0 and a first year average grade of 4.0. The scholarship amount is $750 per year. Likewise, the above United States scholarship guide website reference indicates that government offers grants that are based on the college applicants’ merits. The merit –based grants include the Robert Byrd scholarship program. The National Science Scholars Program is another merit grant. Another merit-based grant i s the leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership grant. Financial aid debt that individuals incur while seeking postsecondary education According to the College Board agency, different student groups generated different financial aid debt while seeking postsecondary education. Starting in 1981, the college loan amounts started to increase in relation to the grants given to college students. During 2001, the loan grant amount is estimated at $ 44 billion while the Grant amount is estimated at only $ 12 billion. During 2005, the loan grant amount is estimated at $ 64 billion while the Grant amount is estimated at only $ 20 billion. During 2007, the loan grant amount is estimated at $ 74 billion while the Grant amount is estimated at only $ 33 billion (Smart, 2011). Retention related to financial concerns There are several issues pertaining to the retention of college scholarships. First, retention is based on the college students’ prior academic grades. Students who do not r etain their passing grades within the required school period are removed from the college scholarship grants. Second, students who devote all their time and energy to achieving the benchmark grades, ensure their retention in the college scholarship programs. Further, the students who establish and implement effective study habits will get higher scholastic grades, achieving the college students’ desire to graduate with the help of the college financial assistance program, when compared to students who do not have effective study

Student Stress - speech presentation (mainly based on the poster) Essay

Student Stress - speech presentation (mainly based on the poster) - Essay Example Stress works in cycles wherein we reach back at the point from where we started therefore stress is probably never ending phenomenon if it is not properly addressed. Stress is therefore for us like a never ending vicious circle which we encounter in everyday life and carry it also in our professional and daily routine life. Stress can have different effects on us and every one of us probably experience some of the effects of this on us. Most common physiological effects include headaches and loose motions, sleeplessness as well as increase in our anger levels. On the physiological side, we often experience loss of interest in our daily activities, aggression as well as showing irritability. On our social front, we find it difficult to socialize and communicate ourselves with our parents as well as our friends, poor performance in the shape of poor grades and a kind of social aloofness which continuously distance us from rest of the world. In order to overcome such situations, we, the students, therefore require support from our parents and teachers, exercise regularly so that our mood remain pleasant as well as increase our rapport with whom we can trust and express our deepest

Taiwan and the One Country, Two Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taiwan and the One Country, Two Systems - Essay Example After the Second World War, the Republic of China, led by their leader by then, was the governing polity in the island. Following the Chinese civil war in 1949, the government of the Republic of China withdrew their control of Taiwan. In 1952, Japan officially renounced all territorial rights in San Francisco Peace Treaty. The KMT ruled Taiwan as a single party state for four decades, until democracy was realized in the 1980s. These reforms which were instigated by Chiang Ching-Kuo who was then the leader in the mainland China were continued by his predecessor Lee Teng-hui, which eventually led to the first presidential election in the island in 1996. Until today, the island is a democracy with a presidential system of governance. History and creation of â€Å"one country, two systems† policy (Deng Xiaoping) â€Å"One country, two systems â€Å"translated as â€Å"one China, two systems† is a constitutional principle that was established by Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping was an executive leader of the People’s Republic of China. His purpose in formulating this principle was major to reunify China during the early 1980s. This leader gave suggestions for the establishment of only one China, but different regions such as Macau, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to retain their capitalist political and economic systems while the rest of China to remain on a socialist system. Under this principle, Macau, Taiwan, and Hong Kong regions should go on with their legal, political, financial or economic affairs including how they relate to other foreign states.

Summary of Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts 7 Assignment

Summary of Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts 7 - Assignment Example In most of the accounting measurements, the observable marketplace-determined amount is used nevertheless; the accountants use the estimations of future cash flows in accounting measurements very often. The present value measurements are not required when the price of an asset or liability s observed in a marketplace because marketplace assessment of present value if already embodied in these prices. The present value formula determines the time value of money and contributes to the foundations of economics and corporate finance. In accounting measurement, the use of present value is intended to capture the economic difference between sets of cash flows. For example, the price of unlike assets may appear similar when it is measured through undiscounted cash flow method however, present value helps to distinguish between the unlike assets by providing more relevant information through the incorporation of uncertainty in the estimation of future cash flows. Present value can be compute d by using cash flows and interest rates and for financial reporting purpose it must represent any observable measurement attribute of asset or liability otherwise the limited information to the users of financial statements may mislead the users. The five components of present value include an estimation of the future cash flows, expected variations in the amount or timing of cash flows, time value of money, price for bearing the inherent uncertainty in the asset or liability and other factors like illiquidity and market imperfections. When present value is used at initial recognition and fresh-start measurements, its objective is to measure the fair value. The market‘s pricing mechanism facilitates the marketplace participants because it ensures that like items do not appear different and unlike items do not appear alike. The accountants typically accepts actual exchange prices as fair value in the measurement of transactions when the exchange of cash happens near to the dat e of transaction however, using a measurement becomes necessary when the stated price is not the actual representative of fair value. In other words, when the transaction of an asset or a liability is not accompanied by a cash transaction, the accountants look for the techniques for the initial measurement of the asset or liability. However, the measurement objective in both the cases remains same. Since the Board could not identify the logic for using a different view in fresh-start measurements therefore, the principles for the initial recognition also apply to fresh-start measurement. It is also possible that an entity’s best estimate of presence value of future cash flows is not equal to the fair value. Some reasons have been identified because of which the entity may pay cash flows different from the expected cash flows in the marketplace. The primary reason is the perceived advantage or disadvantage of the entity relative to others in the marketplace. Although the expec tations of the management of entity can be informative and useful however, the final arbiter of values of assets and liabilities is the marketplace. Therefore, sometimes the entity pays the market’ prices regardless of its expectations and sometimes it completely relies on its own expectations. The inherent uncertainties in the estimated cash flows should be reflected in the accounting measurements that used the present value technique; or else, the assets or liabilities with different risks may

The Hypertension as High Blood Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Hypertension as High Blood Problem - Essay Example According to the paper as it is widely accepted that smoking may cause High Blood Pressure and heart disease, giving up smoking should be her first priority. There are a variety of methods to achieve this and she should be made aware of them. She will have to take measures in respect of her diet to reduce the amount of salt that she consumes and should be aware of the salt content of the packaged food she uses. The same care should be undertaken with her intake of fat. She should also be advised to reduce her alcohol consumption to an acceptable level. She should make get regular exercise to assist in the loss of weight which will also assist in the reduction of cholesterol and high blood pressure. Stress is a major factor in high blood pressure and she will have to make an undertaking to control her stress levels. Her physician will give her medications help in reducing her cholesterol and also Diuretics to reduce salt and fluid from her kidneys. She will need to have regular blood tests and have her blood pressure measured on a regular basis to ensure that all aspects of her disease are kept at acceptable levels.

The impact of the internet on the fashion industry Essay

The impact of the internet on the fashion industry - Essay Example Many online users have now use so called option "Choiceboard" where the visitors of the web sites can design the products they would like to purchase; apart from external design visitors of the web site have now the possibility to choose among the prices and delivery options. 1 These options allow the customers wherever they reside to order goods and products at London or in Paris, without actually visiting these cities. Moreover, residents of various countries have received the possibility to view latest trends in the design of the apparel and new collections in various nations of the world. In short new technology has increased the exposure of fashion companies as well as designers to the public. New creative ideas are exchanged between the nations with rapid, hitherto unknown speed, which certainly facilitate and simplify the work of the designers. Internet also offers new opportunities to those people who study at the fashion courses as well as those who would like to keep themselves abreast of the trends in the design of the fashion. 2For instance such web sites as WGSN -EDU provides students and academic staff with the access to the latest information on design trends, fashion shows, textiles and new fashion products from all over the world. One of the leading internet fashion web sites Worth Global Style Network provides its subscribers with numerous options vital for those who are interested in the latest changes in fashion. Subscription for 3000 USD per year provided the customers with the possibility to watch various fashion shows around the world and evaluate various marketing strategies of fashion houses of Scandinavia as well as to see high quality photos of the youth from Los Angeles. Whereas it might have taken several days to obtain this information several decades ago, it can be done much quicker with the help of internet. Moreover the founders of WGSN were able to provide the visitors of their web site with latest samples of fabrics, apparel and show displays. Moreover apart from the photos from officially held fashion shows the company also provided the customers with photos of so called "cool hunters" independent photographers who visited discos and clubs and could take the shots of the public at these pre mises. The service of the company has facilitated the life in fashion industry. Some of the subscribers (most of whom consisted of famous and large fashion houses) have spent more than half million dollars in subscription fees, yet this money was well spent. The service of the web site helps to reduce the time spent on business trips, which have became less expensive and more efficient due to the fact that the web site provides detailed and informative advice on what to visit in a particular geographical area, where the most interesting sites for fashion specialists are located as well as what date should be chosen for the visiting of the area. Moreover it has reduced the time of the meetings at the offices as no longer the junior design assistants are held in ignorance about current trends, they can see everything and even more than their managers who are traveling around the globe. 3 Whereas fashion companies can subscribe to this web site, academic staff and students can get

The Hypertension as High Blood Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Hypertension as High Blood Problem - Essay Example According to the paper as it is widely accepted that smoking may cause High Blood Pressure and heart disease, giving up smoking should be her first priority. There are a variety of methods to achieve this and she should be made aware of them. She will have to take measures in respect of her diet to reduce the amount of salt that she consumes and should be aware of the salt content of the packaged food she uses. The same care should be undertaken with her intake of fat. She should also be advised to reduce her alcohol consumption to an acceptable level. She should make get regular exercise to assist in the loss of weight which will also assist in the reduction of cholesterol and high blood pressure. Stress is a major factor in high blood pressure and she will have to make an undertaking to control her stress levels. Her physician will give her medications help in reducing her cholesterol and also Diuretics to reduce salt and fluid from her kidneys. She will need to have regular blood tests and have her blood pressure measured on a regular basis to ensure that all aspects of her disease are kept at acceptable levels.

Energy Resources Essay Example for Free

Energy Resources Essay Trade – offs for the energy resources Large scale hydroelectric power This taps the abundant energy resource presented to humanity by Nature in the form of water streams flowing under potential energy gradient presented by natural topography. This energy resource is practically free, practically renewable and exploiting this form of energy hurts the environs to the minimal extent. We can term it as green energy. This form of energy is very advantageous of economic development in remote and hilly terrain, where it is not easy to transport other forms of energy. This has disadvantages and limitations too. Construction of large dam required for large hydroelectric power in many cases leads to rehabilitation of a large population. A large dam (water mass) may lead to unduly high pressure on the tectonic plates and cause earth quakes with disastrous consequences. Besides, such plants have to be constructed in remote and hilly terrains, which is not an easy task in itself. Operation of the plant is made difficult by the silt that comes with the flowing water during rainy season. Passive solar power This converts solar energy into useful form of energy say heat which can be utilized for room heating, water heating etc. This is renewable or non exhaustive form of energy. This is highly eco friendly or green form of energy. This is distributed form of energy in the sense that this is consumed where it is produced, therefore, issues pertaining to energy transportation is not at all there. The features for exploiting can be designed in a building during construction or even retrofitted afterwards. What we get is heat only, which is not very useful form of energy. This is highly localized and can not be transported. This is not useful during night. It is not so easy to incorporate features for exploiting this form of energy in an existing building. This is not at all useful for those regions devoid of ample sunlight. Active solar power This converts solar energy into electrical energy by using photovoltaic cells. This is also renewable or non – exhaustive form of energy. This is green or eco friendly form of energy. This can be stored using batteries. This is also highly distributed form of energy as an active solar panel can be made of each household. This is working even when sun is not there i.e. during night or cloudy hours as the electrical energy can be stored in batteries. The disadvantages are very low conversion efficiency of solar energy into electrical energy. Small scale of solar power plants; large scale plants are yet become a reality and therefore, limited applications. Besides, toxic materials are required for construction of photovoltaic cells required for active solar power. Wind Power This converts energy of naturally flowing air current or wind into electricity. This is also renewable or non – exhaustive form of energy. This is green or eco friendly as it causes no harm to nature. This is available on large and industrial as well as small domestic scales. This can be very useful for development of regions devoid of other energy resources. This energy resource is not easily predictable or controllable. This is prone to seasonal variation as wind pattern follows a seasonal variation. The wind turbine is noisy.

Testing of Aggregates Analysis

Testing of Aggregates Analysis Numerous test has been developed that test toughness and abrasion resistance and durability and soundness of aggregates. This report analyses the testing of Aggregates using three Main tests to analyse the degradation of aggregates so best performance is observed in construction, asphalt, concrete or any other field. The aggregates must be abrasion resistant and weather durable to provide good base in pavements for roads. Detailed description of these tests is provided with their respective results. The results are then examined to see which of the following three test are more accurate to check the durability and abrasion of the rocks. Based on the Laboratory results and the Literature reviews, Los Angeles Abrasion test results are used more than others. Although most of the DOTs and construction companies use all three test prior to use of the materials. Soundness test has poor repeatability so it is often not considered as primary test. This research was conducted at Englobe Corp laboratory located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was performed under the direction of Mr. Mark Downie. The laboratory supervision was provided by Mr. Daniel McMorran. The quality of the aggregates in the construction materials, asphalt concrete is determined by various tests out of which Los Angeles, Micro Deval and Soundness are most widely used in construction industry. Los Angles Abrasion test and Micro Deval test involve the spinning of aggregates in a close vessel where there are spun in a medium of water or air. The vessel is filled with contact charges (Iron sphere) for a specific amount of time. The analysis of particle degradation using mechanical test can be classified in two class, fragmentation and wearing. The sample that has more wide range of grain size ( e.g. 1250 gm of ) indicates fragmentation and has a well graded distribution curve whereas the sample that has poor range of grain size( 5000gm ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) indicates wearing with a bad graded distribution curve. Soundness test involves testing the durability of the aggregates using sodium sulphate or magnesium sulphate solution. Samples of different grain sizes are washed and dried and kept in salt solution for 16 hours and then kept in oven to dry. This cycle is repeated for seven days and then the sample is weighed to see the loss of sample. This test usually received poor rating for its inconsistent repeatability and correlations. Standard Testing methods Los Angeles Abrasion Test AASHTO T96 ( ASTM C131) Micro Deval Test AASHTO T327 (ASTM D6928) Sodium and Magnesium Sulfate Soundness AASHTO T 104 (ASTM C88) As Per American Standard of Testing Materials following pass-fail criteria were used: LA abrasion: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40% Micro Deval: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18% Sodium Sulphate Soundness: Passed if à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤12% If the aggregates passed the above criteria, then they are durable.   Los Angeles Abrasion test involves the test to measure the degradation of the aggregates by creating actions like impact, abrasion, grinding and constant wear and tear inside a rotating steel drum. The steel drum spins for a specific time with a specific number of steel balls of specific weight to create an abrasion of aggregates. The number of steel balls and the amount of aggregates put in the steel drum depend upon the grading of the test sample. The steel sphere carries the aggregates and the steel balls creating a grinding effect and then drops it to the other side making a crushing effect. This cycle is repeated again and after certain number of revolution the sample is sieved too see the amount retained from the degradation and too see the percentage loss. Apparatus Los Angeles Machine with wall thickness of at least 12mm. The inside diameter should be 711 ±5mm and the length of 508 ±5mm. The rotating drum should be closed from all ends and should be set at a rotating speed of 30 ±3 rpm. ( ASTM C131) Sieve with 1.7mm (No.12) passing. An accurate scale with no more than 0.1% error of the test load. The charges or the steel balls. The number of steel balls used in the test depend on the gradation of the sample to be tested. The steel balls should have diameter between 46.038mm and 47.625, with mass between 400g and 440g each. A constant weight check should always be performed on the charges because this test is very aggressive and could lead in loss of weight of the charges. Table 1: Mass of Steel balls for LA Abrasion Test Grading Number of Spheres Mass of the charges, gm A 12 5000 ±25 B 11 4580 ±25 C 8 3330 ±20 D 6 2500 ±15 Table 2: Grading of the Test Sample for LA Abrasion Test Sieve Sizes (Square Opening) Mass of the aggregates, g Passing Through Screen Retained on Screen Grading A B C D 37.5 mm (11/2 in.) 25.0 mm (1 in.) 1250 ±25 25.0 mm (1 in.) 19.0 mm (3/4 in.) 1250 ±25 19.0 mm (3/4 in.) 12.5 mm (1/2 in.) 1250 ±25 2500 ±10 12.5 mm (1/2 in.) 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 1250 ±25 2500 ±10 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 6.3 mm (1/4 in.) 2500 ±10 6.3 mm (1/4 in.) 4.75 mm (No.4) 2500 ±10 4.75 mm (No.4) 2.36 mm (No.8) 5000 ±10 Total, g 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 Select the appropriate Grading according to the amount of aggregate available for test. It is recommended to go from higher to lower grade to gain accurate results. Wash and oven dry the sample at 110 ±5 °C (230 °F) to constant mass and then separate into individual sizes per their respective weights. Put the aggregates and the sample in the rotating drum. Close the Los Angeles Abrasion machine tightly and let it run for 500 revolutions at 30 to 33 rpm. After the drum stops take all the sample out and remove the steel balls from it. Now take the crushed aggregates and sieve it on 1.7 mm (No.12) sieve. Weigh the sample retained on the sieve and calculate the percentage loss. Micro Deval Micro-Deval is a test that involves measure of resistance of aggregates towards abrasion and test durability of the sample towards grinding of steel balls (ASTM D7428). The medium that is used here is water of room temperature. The sample and charges (steel balls) are kept in the Micro-Deval tank and then the apparatus is filled with water. The apparatus is rotated so that the aggregates undergo grinding and abrasion. The use of this test is mainly towards the aggregates that degrade more in presence of water than air. This test also gives a measure of how soft or shaley the sample is. The materials that give a high percentage loss degrade more during mixing or handling in industries. (ASTM D7428) Apparatus Micro-Deval Abrasion Tank with volume of 5.03 L and external diameter of 202mm and the internal height shall be from 170 mm to 177 mm. The stainless-steel tank comes with a rubber sealing to make it water-tight. The inner and outer surface of the tank should be smooth and ridge free. (ASTM D6928) Micro-Deval Abrasion machine is a rolling machine with an adjustable speed which rolls the tank at 100 ±5 rpm. Steel charges of diameter 9.5 ±.5mm are requires. The total mass of steel balls needed is 5000 ±5g. Sieves with 5mm and 1.25mm sizes are also required. An accurate scale with no more than 0.1% error of the test load. Table 3: Mass of Aggregates for Micro-Deval Test. Passing Retained Mass 20 mm 16 mm 375 g 16 mm 14 mm 375 g 14 mm 10 mm 750 g Take washed and oven dried sample so it loses the dust on it. Prepare a representative sample of 1500 ±5g put it in the Micro-Deval tank. Add 5000 ±5g of steel charges in it and 2.0 ±.05L of tap water in the Micro-Deval tank. Let this sit for 1 hour. After the sample, has been soaked tighten it up and put it on the Micro-Deval rolling machine to roll for 2 hours ±1 minute. After the machine stops rolling pour the sample on a stack of 5 mm and 1.25 mm sieve. Wash the remains of the sample in the tank on the sieve. Oven dry the sample at 110 ±5 °C and weigh it later. Calculate the percentage loss using the calculation sheet. Soundness Soundness test is a very crucial test in paving industries especially when making massive highways, bridges and dams. This test measure the amount of degradation caused by weathering freeze-thaw cycles. The aggregates that pass this test are more durable to be used and dont cause premature distress in pavements (http://www.pavementinteractive.org/article/durability-and-soundness/). The aggregates are kept in a sodium sulphate or a magnesium sulphate bath. The solutions is at a saturated state and causes salt crystals to be formed on the aggregates. This test is usually carried out for seven days which involves simultaneous wet-dry cycles. When the sample is submerged in the salt solution bath, salt crystals are formed in minute pores of the aggregates and causes internal forces that eventually lead crack in the aggregates. This gives us a replicated demonstration of how the substance will behave in natural habitat. This test has very poor repeatability so it is never considered as pr imary test to measure the degradation of the aggregates. Apparatus Sieves of different sizes- 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾16 in., 3à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 in., No. 50, 1à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾2 in., 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 in., No. 30, 3à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾4 in., 1 in., No. 16, No. 8, No. 4. Metal baskets made of wire mesh or stainless steel that allows the aggregates to freely contact the solution and permit free drainage of the loss of sample. Temperature regulator to ensure that the temperature of the sulphate bath is constant at specified one. Balances with the accuracy of 0.1% are must for this test. Hydrometers are also needed for this test to measure the specific gravity within  ±0.001. Procedure Prepare the sodium sulphate solution that has specific gravity between 1.154 and 1.171. COARSE AGFREGATES Mass of the Sample Sieve Size Mass 2 in. (50 mm) 3000g 1.5 in. (37.5 mm) 2000g 1.0 in. 1000g 0.75 in. 500g 0.5 in. 670g 0.375 in. 330g No.4 300g Prepare Sample as per the table displayed above. The sample should be washed and dried at 110 ±5 °C. Mix the 2 inch and 1.5 inch retained material and place the 5000g sample in a container. Mix the 1 inch and 0.75 inch retained and place the 1500g sample in a separate container and mark the container by making a groove on it with a particular symbol so it does not get mixed up with the other containers. This way it is also more efficient to identify them when changing the cycles. Mix the 0.5 inch and the 0.375 inch retained samples and put the 1000g sample together in a container. After the test samples are ready place them in the solution prepared for 16 to 18 hours and then let them drain for 15 minutes. Let the sample oven dry at 110 ±5 °C for 4 hours and then let them cool down until they reach 20  °C to 25 °C. Again, immerse it in the solution and repeat this cycle 5 times. After the 5 cycles are done the aggregates are to be washed thoroughly so that all the salt on the surface is removed and then oven dried at 110 ±5  °C. Table 4: Sieve Sizes to be used to Measure Loss Aggregate Size Sieve Used >1.5 inch 1.25 inch 1.5 to 0.75 inch 5/8 inch 0.75 inch to 0.375 inch 5/16 inch 0.375 inch to No.4 No.5 Use the above given table to respective sieve the aggregates used in the test. Utmost care must be taken to sieve samples from each container separately. Take the sample that is retained on the sieve and weigh it to note it. The difference in the mass of the aggregates before and after the experiment gives us the amount lost due to the disintegration of the sample. To compare the results of the following three, test a study was examined in which 20 Lab results were considered. These tests were performed by Montana Department of Transportation either in the Montana State University soil laboratory or Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Helena materials laboratory. The samples were obtained from various random pits and quarries across Montana by MDT personnel. (Western Transport Institute) To get a very good relation and a study between these test, 5 repeats were done on the Micro-Deval test and at least 3 repeats were done for L.A Abrasion test. This also provided a good study of the repeatability of the tests. There was no repeat test done on the soundness test since it has a very poor repeatability. Repeatability To analyse the repeatability of the tests, repeated Micro-Deval and Los Angeles Abrasion test were done on the same sample. The Coefficient of Variation was calculated to examine the variation in the test results for the same sample. There was no COV calculated for the Sodium Sulphate Soundness test because only one test result was provided by MDT. The Coefficient of variation is standardized measurement calculate by diving the standard deviation of a set of results by the average mean and then multiplying it by hundred to get a percentage value. By analyzing and comparing this value we can predict the repeatability of the test. If the COV is a lower number, then the test is less variable and hence it has a good repeatability. The COV calculated for L.A abrasion test came out to be 6.5% with standard deviation of 1.5 loss percentage. Similarly, the COV for Micro-Deval test came out to be 6.5% for a standard deviation of 0.7 percentage loss. Since both the Coefficient of variations are less than 10%, both the tests are considered to have good repeatability. Another evidence to support the repeatability of the test is that there is no significant difference in the COV of Micro-Deval and L.A abrasion which are 6.6% and 6.5% respectively. As per the comparative bar graph plotted below, majority of the coefficient of the variation fall between 5% to 15%. The COV of Lab number 861553 rocketed to 26.9% because the result was very small accounting to be 2.1% average loss. So, a small change in small result make a large COV. Figure 1: Graphical Representation of Coefficient of Variation for L.A Abrasion and Micro-Deval Tests. COMPARTITIVE RESULTS As per the specifications provided by American Standard for Testing Materials the aggregates are classified as durable if the loss percentage is less than the cut-off percentage and they are non-durable if the loss percentage of the aggregates is more than the cut-off percentage. The cut-off percentage that we have used for L.A Abrasion, Micro-Deval and Sodium Sulphate Soundness Tests are as follows: LA abrasion: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40% Micro Deval: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18% Sodium Sulphate Soundness: Passed if à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤12% To create a direct comparison in between these tests normalized value for each test is calculated. Normalized value is used for a direct comparison between Micro-Deval, L.A Abrasion and Sodium Sulphate Soundness test. Normalized value is average loss percentage divided by the cut-off for that test. (MDT paper) The ideal Normalized value is 1.0. If the calculated normalized value is greater than 1.0 it means that the test did not pass and the aggregate tested are not durable and if the value is less than 1.0 it means that the aggregates are durable and the test passed. To draw a direct comparison in between two, test a two-dimensional scattered graph is plotted with four quadrants. The top right (North-East) quadrant depicts the are where both the test failed and the aggregates are not durable. The top left (North-West) quadrant depicts the area where the test plotted on the X-axis passed but the one on Y-axis failed. The bottom right (South-East) quadrant indicates the area where the test plotted on the Y-axis passed but the test that was plotted on X-axis failed. The bottom left (South-West) quadrant depicts the region where both the tests passed and the aggregates are durable. The data points plotted in the top-right (NE) and bottom-left (SW) quadrants indicate that the tests are consistent as the aggregates were either durable for pass/pass or not durable for fail/fail. On the other hand, the data points plotted in the top-left (NW) and bottom-right (SE) quadrant indicate discontinuity and lack of coherence since one of the test would indicate that the aggregates passed the cut-off and are durable while the other would indicate that they didnt pass are not durable for use. L.A abrasion vs Micro-Deval. Figure 2. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of L.A Abrasion and Micro-Deval Tests. The above shown graphical representation is the plot of comparison between the Micro-Deval and the L.A Abrasion test on 20 different samples that were tested by Montana Department of Transportation. The blue dotted line that runs at 45 ° along the centre of the graph indicates symmetry and a perfect correlation. The data points close to the line indicate a good co-relation between the test. There was only one result that had failed both the test and was considered to be non-durable which accounted 5% of the materials tested. There were five results (25% of the samples tested) that fall in the awkward category and had lack of coherence since, according to L.A abrasion test it passed as was considered durable but according to the Micro-Deval test it was considered to be non-durable. The relations between these two test is quite strong as 70% of the samples tested i.e. 15 out of 20 passed the test and fall in the bottom-left quadrant which indicates that the samples were durable accor ding to both the test. Sodium Sulphate Soundness Test Vs L.A Abrasion Test. Figure 3. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of Sodium Sulphate Soundness and Micro-Deval Tests. Sodium Sulphate Soundness Test Vs Micro-Deval Test. Figure 4. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of Sodium Sulphate Soundness and L.A Abrasion Tests. The co-op report guidelines suggest separating the Results and Discussion sections. I think that it is usually easier to present a discussion immediately after the results. But, you may choose to use the structure that makes the most sense for your report. Gregates typically encountered on Montana highway projects, and to determine if the MicroDeval test provides better, timelier, and more repeatable information about the quality of an aggregate than the Sodium Sulfate test. The laboratory testing program was structured to examine how well three aggregate durability test methods correlate for a sampling of Montana soils. Aggregate durability tests were conducted on 32 different soils using the Micro-Deval, L.A. Abrasion, and Sodium Sulfate tests. Multiple Micro-Deval and L.A. Abrasion tests were conducted on some of the soil samples to investigate the same-lab repeatability of the test methods. The methods differ in their treatment of the aggregate during testing; and consequently, each method produces a unique value of percent loss, which is used to distinguish between durable aggregate and non-durable aggregate. For the purposes of this study, the following percent loss pass-fail standards were used for each test: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mic ro-Deval: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18%; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ L.A. Abrasion: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40%; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sodium Sulfate: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 12%. Because of the differences in percent loss criteria for each method, results from the suite of laboratory tests were normalized to facilitate direct comparisons between the three methods. Normalized results were obtained by taking the average percent loss for a particular soil and dividing it by the cutoff for that test. Table 16 summarizes the comparisons between each test using data collected during this study. Based on the metrics identified in the table, the MicroDeval and Sodium Sulfate tests had the best correlation, while the Micro-Deval/L.A. Abrasion and the L.A. Abrasion/Sodium Sulfate correlations were significant, but not as strong. Table 16. Summary Comparison of Test Methods Test Methods R2 Pass/Fail Agreement (%) Inconsistent Durability Determina tion* (%) M-D versus NaSO4 0.72 92.9 7.1 M-D versus L.A. 0.46 85.2 14.8 L.A. versus NaSO4 0.28 84.0 16.0 Perfect Correlation 1.0 100.0 0.0 *Note: Column 4 refers to the percentage of samples that passed one of the tests but failed the other test. This inconsistency is identified as a data point that plots in one of the cross-hatched zones identified in Figures 3, 4, and 5. Conclusions and Recommendations Western Transportation Institute 35 The percentages of inconsistent durability determinations (pass or fail inconsistencies) listed in column 4 of Table 16 are indicative of a discontinuity between tests and are probably the most important metric for the comparison study. In this case, one test characterized the material as durable aggregate, while the other test characterized the same material as non-durable aggregate. Qualitatively, the authors believe that an excellent correlation between two test methods is obtained when the percentage of inconsistent results is less than about 5%, values between 5 to 10% signify a good correlation, values between 10 to 20% signify a fair to poor correlation, and values above 20% signify a poor or unreliable correlation between tests. Multiple tests conducted on samples obtained from the same sources indicate similar values of same-lab repeatability for both the Micro-Deval and L.A. Abrasion tests. The coefficients of variation for the multiple tests were less than 10% for both methods. Considering the natural variability that occurs within an aggregate source, the measured variations were low, indicating good repeatability of the test methods. This conclusion has also been supported by others (Jayawickrama et al., 2006; Tarefder et al., 2003; and Hunt, 2001). Repeatability of the Sodium Sulfate test was not examined in this study. The relationship between Micro-Deval test results and field performance was not examined in this study; however, evaluations by Fowler et al. (2006), Rangaraju et al. (2005), Tarefder et al. (20 03) and Wu et al. (1998) indicate that Micro-Deval test results relate well with field performance. An excellent correlation between rutting performance and Micro-Deval test results were observed by White et al. (2006). They sug There are many reference styles available to choose from. It is not very critical which one you use, as long as you are consistent throughout the report. The APA reference style is an appropriate choice. You can quickly generation citations for your reference list using the online citation generator from RefME (RefME, 2016). Always review the text the generator has populated in the form for you as it is not always accurate. Entries in the reference list are sorted alphabetically. Some examples of common references for the reference list and in-text citations are shown below. Websites Robertson, J. (2016, August 8). Man solves Rubiks cube while free-falling. Retrieved August 9, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/learning-to-solve-a-rubik-s-cube-while-free-falling-1.3712116 RefME. (2016). FREE APA citation generator format. Retrieved July 30, 2016, from https://www.refme.com/ca/citation-generator/apa/ In-text Citation: (Robertson, 2016) In-text Citation: (RefME, 2016) Books Felder, R. M., Brent, R. (2016). Teaching and learning stem: A practical guide. United States: John Wiley Sons. In-line Citation: (Felder Brent, 2016) Journal Articles Lombardo, S. J. (2010). Teaching technical writing in a lab course in chemical engineering. Chemical Engineering Education, 44(1), 58-62. In-line Citation: (Lombardo, 2010)

Inevitability of Change Revealed in Cry, the Beloved Country Essay

Inevitability of Change Revealed in Cry, the Beloved Country  Ã‚   Things grow old and die.   Change is inevitable:   a candle will eventually burn out, trees will fall to the ground, and mountains will crumble to the sea.   This inescapable process is clearly illustrated by the character Stephen Kumalo in the book Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton.   The Kumalo seen in the beginning of the book is a completely different person from what he is in the end.   He is initially very kind and caring, but by the end of the book, he is a far less naà ¯ve person, one who is able to lie even to his own brother.   The events that transpire and the changes they cause in the protagonist, Stephen Kumalo, clearly show that Cry, the Beloved Country is a book concerned with the effect external events can have on a man caught in the middle of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book begins in a small South African village called Ndotsheni, where Kumalo is the pastor of the only church.   Like all pastors, Kumalo is a kind, religious, tolerant, and caring man.   In chapter 2, very early on, Kumalo is demonstrably very conscious of other people’s feelings, as is shown by what he says to his wife: I am sorry I hurt you, he said.   I shall go and pray in the church. (p. 10) When he gets into an argument with his wife and unintentionally hurts her feelings, he is quick to apologize and, as an attempt to make up for what he has done, goes into the church and presumably begs the Lord for forgiveness.   Only a man with true compassion and love would go to such great lengths to make up for a wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In chapter 4 of Cry, the Beloved Country, Kumalo makes a journey ... ...g of the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kumalo never would have considered, even for a moment, lying or hurting anyone or anything before he came to Johannesburg.   During his stay there, he is transformed from a gentle minister to a deceiving, insecure, hateful, frightened man.   The reasons for this change are not because of him, but because of things that happened to him and around him, and were completely out of his control.   Had his sister not been in need of help, he surely would never have gone to Johannesburg, but he could not hope to have prevented his sister’s illness when he knew nothing of it until it had already happened.   The subsequent events cause changes in Kumalo that he could not have foreseen or prevented, nor could anyone else in his position.   Change, welcome or not, will come to everyone and everything      

Allies Mitt Essay -- essays research papers

Allie's Mitt , Catcher In The Rye. Allie's mitt was a very important symbol in Catcher In The Rye, the mitt had poems written all over it. Allie was Holden's little brother, he got leukemia and died in Maine. Allie's mitt symbolizes the innocence that Holden yearns for , Allie's innocence was preserved in the mitt. Allie died when he was young, he was still innocent. By dying young Allie stayed out of the phony, adult world. In some ways Holden wants to be Allie. Holden wanted to preserve his own innocence but he could not. A baseball mitt is a common part of childhood, so it has the "power" to preserve innocence. The most interesting part about Allie's mitt are the poems, a grown up would not be writing poems and reading them during the game, he would be competitive, and all he would want is to win. Allie was to innocent he did not care about winning he just wanted to play baseball. Allie's death was tragic but maybe it is the death that Holden wanted for himself , he wanted to preserve his innocence. One example of Allie's innocence is " He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody" Holden valued the mitt he only showed it to one person outside his family, Jane , "She was the only one, outside my family, that I ever showed Allie's baseball mitt to, with all the poems written on it. She'd never met Allie or... Allies Mitt Essay -- essays research papers Allie's Mitt , Catcher In The Rye. Allie's mitt was a very important symbol in Catcher In The Rye, the mitt had poems written all over it. Allie was Holden's little brother, he got leukemia and died in Maine. Allie's mitt symbolizes the innocence that Holden yearns for , Allie's innocence was preserved in the mitt. Allie died when he was young, he was still innocent. By dying young Allie stayed out of the phony, adult world. In some ways Holden wants to be Allie. Holden wanted to preserve his own innocence but he could not. A baseball mitt is a common part of childhood, so it has the "power" to preserve innocence. The most interesting part about Allie's mitt are the poems, a grown up would not be writing poems and reading them during the game, he would be competitive, and all he would want is to win. Allie was to innocent he did not care about winning he just wanted to play baseball. Allie's death was tragic but maybe it is the death that Holden wanted for himself , he wanted to preserve his innocence. One example of Allie's innocence is " He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody" Holden valued the mitt he only showed it to one person outside his family, Jane , "She was the only one, outside my family, that I ever showed Allie's baseball mitt to, with all the poems written on it. She'd never met Allie or...

Praise Song for my Mother by Grace Nichols Analysis Essay

What are the poet’s feelings about family and how does she convey these ideas? Grace Nichols writes Praise Song for my mother as ode, or letter, as a celebration of her mother. Having moved from Guyana to the UK, the ‘ode’ is in a Caribbean style, praising her mother for all that she has done. Nichols writes about what family is, and what it means to her, and the poem seems to be positive, in adoration of her mother, but there are also other standpoints that say the poem could have a deeper, negative meaning. Nichols conveys the powerful, protective love that she receives from her mother in the poem in a variety of ways. She writes that she was ‘water to [her], deep and bold and fathoming’. As water is a necessity to live, she creates the image that her mother was a necessity to her life, and that she ‘couldn’t live without her’. She uses many of these metaphors, using the term ‘You were’ to convey the different roles her mother played in her life, that although she was just a woman, she was to her, the ‘moon’s eye’ and the ‘sunrise’. The use of the past tense in ‘you were’ shows that her mother may have passed away, and that this is not only a celebration of her mother, but also a celebration of her mother’s life, and that the poem is a sort of mourning of her mother. However, this can also be interpreted as the memories of her childhood, when she lived in Guyana with her family, written in the past tense, to convey her feelings in the past. The fact that this poem is written in 14 lines, as a sonnet, shows the ode of love from Nichols to her mother, and the loving bond in family. Nichols could also be trying to convey the message that family is about growing, and allowing the children to develop and learn. Although this at first sight, a poem of positivity, and ‘praise’ for her mother, there could be a more negative, possibly sarcastic side to the poem. The phrase ‘you were water to me’ initially seems positive, but when paired with ‘deep and bold and fathoming’, makes the reader think that there was possible ‘too much water’, and that Nichols’ mother was possibly overprotective or that she enveloped Nichols in her care. The words ‘deep’ and ‘bold’ make you think of the ocean, and possibly that she was drowning in it. In addition, Nichols writes ‘go to your wide futures, you said’. This initially strikes the reader as a message of hope from Nichols’ mother, that she wanted her children to go out into the world and grow. The fact that ‘futures’ is plural, shows that there is essentially a ‘world of oppurtunities’ available, rather than a controlled, decided future. However, this may have been written as a sarcastic ‘you said’, showing that Nichols’ mother expected too much of them, and that life is actually much harder than going ‘out to your wide futures’. This resentment may be a product of Nichols’ mother being overprotective, and not allowing her to learn on her own, and being overprotective. It may also mean that her mother may have essentially abandoned her, and left her to her own actions after she left to England. However, given the circumstances, it is most likely written as possibly a memory of the last thing her mother said to her, before passing away, or before their relationship became too distant. In this way, there are many differing interpretations for this message. Nichols seems to be conveying the message that family is a sort of nutrition, or nourishment. She uses lots of metaphorical language such as ‘You were water’ and ‘you were sunrise’ to make family seem like a very positive factor. She also writes ‘the fried plantain smell replenishing replenishing’, with the repetition of ‘replenishing’ making the reader focus on the word. The lack of punctuation in the phrase, and also the lack of punctuation throughout the whole poem possible harks back to Nichols’ less educated childhood. The words ‘replenishing’, ‘water’ and ‘sunrise’ creates the image of the mother fulfilling all the bare necessities for the Nichols’, and shows the different roles that Nichols’ mother played in her life. The poem itself is very orderly for the first three stanzas, with same sized lines, but the fourth stanza is one line longer, this line being longer still, and then the fifth stanza being one line only. This poem could possibly portray a ladder or staircase, symbolising the ‘steps’ to adulthood and success. As the poem is about Nichols’ mother, this could be creating the image that her mother was the aid to her success. This is all the picture of how family is a sort of nutrition and aid to life. Overall, Grace Nichols provides many different standpoints on the importance of family in ‘Praise Song for my Mother’. Although it is written as a positive poem of ‘celebration’ of her mother, there could also be more negative standpoints and alternative views, highlighting possible sarcasm in the poem. In conclusion, Nichols seems to generally have very positive views on family and uses lots of metaphorical language to create the image that her mother was ‘everything’ to her’. She also uses literary techniques to showcase her memories of childhood, and the importance of family in her upbringing.

The Story of an Hour and a Sorrowful Woman: the Plight of Women

The Story of an Hour and A Sorrowful Woman: the plight of women From time to time, marriage is not always bring happiness to a couple, also makes a couple to be imprisoners with the commitment. The marital bonds of intimacy, respect, and trust must be developed, nurtured and enforced. When this fails, most couples are given a chance to make important changes. In a sorrowful woman, character of a woman is center around the idea of marriage, motherhood and housewife. As the author begins actually with an epigram emphasizing with the ironic of the plot â€Å"once upon a time, there was a wife and mother one too many†.The secluded woman had already the fulfillment of being married and having a child, but was now at the point of not wanting that kind of life anymore. The woman is unhappy with her marriage and isolates herself from her family. She is being so sad and depressing. The loneliness and solitude was that she had wanted out of her family member role throughout the story. S he was placed to bed the first night and was given a sleeping draught that was guaranteed to put her to rest swiftly after informing her husband that she wanted to be away and out of the sight of him and their little boy.She could not any longer fulfill her role of being a mother to her child. She did not know how to be a loving mother to him anymore. For many days straight the wife remained there alone and only appears to wonder throughout the house aimlessly a few short times when the house was vacant. She seems to be a very selfish and self-centered person who cares only for herself. It seems like the end of her world. I mean she doesn’t want to improve or fix her relationship with her husband and also she ends up her duty with her child. In contrast, I see that the woman, Mrs.Mallard, in the story of an hour has a different moment from the wife in sorrowful woman story. She is a normal housewife who depends on her husband. The news of her husband's death gives her freedom and sets her free from restraints, marriage and a lifetime of dependency. After she knew about her husband’s death, she locks herself in her room. She thinks about what life is going to be like from now on.. She concealed her happiness. In the story, As Mrs. Mallard is sitting in her chair whispering over and over â€Å"Free body and Sole free†.This shows her experience of a freedom. For probably the first time in a long time she feels truly happy, happy that she is now free from her husband and the life they once shared together. Her death is due to shattered dreams brought on with shock. The doctors announce that she had died of heart disease â€Å"- of joy that kills†. This concluding line is probably the most interesting. The reader knows, through the limited omniscient narrator, the true sentiments of Mrs. Mallard and the irony lays in the fact that she could not endure the confines of her superficial marriage.From these two authors, from different time pe riods, A sorrowful woman and The story of an hour are both similar pieces of literary work in that both stories offers a revealing glimpse of extremely unhappy marriages. They are so unhappy with the lives they lead. For female protagonist in â€Å"A sorrowful woman†, her marriage was a torment. Both of women are imprisoned in their own marriages and even more so in their own minds, which eventually lead them to death. It shows that marriage does not always bring happiness they expect like a fairytale.

Amazon.Com Case Studies

Name: PRASHANTH BALAKRISHNAN Student ID: 071090070 Course: BIS 541/03 –MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS Program: CEMBA Commonwealth Executive Master of Business and Administration TMA 1: â€Å"Amazon. com†- A Business History Tutor: Prasanan P. T. Kannan Submission Date: 07. March. 2009 [pic] TABLE OF CONTENTS ChapterTitlePage 1. 0Executive Summary 2. 0Problem Statement1 3. 0Analysis of Causes 3. 1 Amazon’s Debt 2-3 3. 2 Competition3-4 3. 3 Expansion4-6 4. 0Decision Criteria and Alternative Solutions 4. 1 Reduce expenditure in inventories and better management7 in supply chain 4. Presenting a competitive edge to competitors7 4. 3 Expansionto Asia8 5. Recommended Solutions 5. 1 Technology Integration and R&D9 5. 2 Strategic Cost Analysis9 5. 3 Differentiation9 5. 4 Inventory10 5. 5 Visionary & Informative10-11 5. 6 Keep customers in the loop on everything11 5. 7 Shipping & Delivery11 5. 8 Expansion to Asia Region11-12 5. 9 Word-of mouth advertisement12 6. 0 Expand the product lines13 6. 0Appendices14-16 7. 0References17 Executive Summary The study comprises of Amazon. om which started its history by selling books and now one of the online market leaders globally not only for books but products from various categories. Company started with a mission to be Earth’s most customer centric company. In order to become the largest and convenience online store for all, there are major problems or threat being faced by Amazon. com in succeeding its mission. The major problems are Amazon facing high amount of debt, it’s less initiative in not expanding to other developed countries, and also competition from other online retailers and one tough opponent is Barnes & Nobles. Many plans of actions can be taken and some of it is; Amazon. com should decrease long–term debt by increasing expenditure on research and development, increasing word-to-mouth advertisement and good customer service. Amazon. com should also expand the five most common languages in Asian region. Focus marketing strategies on customer feedback to find out what Asian customers tend to buy and willing to spend on. Strategize new plan on improving sites to be informative and attractive as much as possible so Amazon. com should also adapt to the best technology where it can sustain as a strong innovator in ever increasing retailer market. Amazon. com also must strive to give customers the best service in shipping and delivery as it’s an important aspect in online business to out beat its entire competitors on this online industry. Problem Statement The main problem faced by Amazon. com now being an online retailer can be divided to three in overall. Amazon. com is in confronting huge debt behind their successful screen. Amazon. com is lack of expansion to other regions or Asia which be said as another big market for a huge online bookseller as Amazon. com. Another problem is the competition being faced by them with one of the tough opponent as Barnes&Nobles. Analysis of the Problem Amazon. com’s in Debt 3. 1 Amazon’s Debt One of major causes of Amazon’s huge debt is its large expenditure. In order to keep its advantageous position, Amazon has no choice but to continue to spend astronomical amounts of money on sales & marketing, research & development and general & administrative costs. (Table 1 & Table 2) â€Å"One misstep, and its love affair withy investors and sources of capital could be over. (Kimberly Weisul, 1999) †¢ Competitors Although Amazon won the battle soon after entering the online cd and music market, there are some competitions in other product lines that may be too immensely strong to beat. For example, in March of 1999, Amazon introduced an auction service. After a few months effort, its auction business performed slightly, indicating how difficult it is to challenge the giant’s eBay and Yahoo! Auctions. |Auction Sites |27-Sep-99 |Multiplier needed to equal eBay listings | |Amazon Auctions |4. 0% |15. 3 | |eBay |73. 60% |   | |Yahoo! Auctions |21. 60% |3. 4 | Source: Auction Web sites and C. E Unterberg Towbin †¢ Consumer Behavior Amazon. com is widely regarded as having one of the best management team of any internet company. However, there are some outside forces that are not easy to manipulate. Security; as the number of Internet crimes increases, customers are becoming aware of the possible danger involved in the process of on-line shopping. This security problem may not be difficult to improve since security technology is innovated quickly, but to convince customer of this is not as easy ? Etailers vs. retailers Another factor is hard to manage customer purchasing habits. Most consumers still prefer the capability of seeing a product before buying it. Additionally, the number of people buying personal computers and that of the Internet population wil l directly affect Amazon’s sale. . 2 Competition †¢ Michael Porter’s Model ? Supplier ; Amazon started to build its own distribution centers in different locations and moving the products directly form the factory rather than from other distributors such that Amazon can lower its marginal costs. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999) ? Consumers ; Amazon. com continues to spend a lot of money in advertisement to reach customers as well as to increase customer awareness of eCommerce in general and brand name in particular. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999) ? Substitutes; The Substitute of eCommerce, the traditional retailers, is still more attractive than the Etailers. For example, we as consumers more than likely would rather go to the bookstore and browse through a book before we buy it. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999 ) 3. 3 Expansion †¢ Lack of Spanish website version (Latino and Hispanic Americans are the fastest-growing online ethnic group) †¢ Amazon. com is very less popular or it can said there are people without knowing the existence of Amazon. om †¢ Website is not more expanded with more languages options where currently there are options only for Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and China (www. amazon. com) Competition with Barnes& Nobles Amazon. com Weakness ? Difficulties of handling large number of customers ? Limited operating history ? Security awareness ? Low margins in the sector ? Risk of introduction of wrong new categories which could damage company’s bra nd ? Company’s offered free shipping might affect future financial outcome ? Certain products (high volume/weight) have high shipping costs which could confront with local offline retailers Threats ? eBay, Barnes & Nobles, and Wal-Mart ? Population segment not targeted to on-line sales due to their lack of internet access ? Weak economic performance of Germany and France in the last year ? Competition will increase due to the low barriers to entry in the market: offline companies are coming online ? Heavy investments in Partnerships (Dustin Nadeau & Donatas Sumyla. April 2006) Barnes and Nobles and Amazon. com are competing, but both stores and other online stores recognize what works and are studying one another – often duplicating one another’s business strategies. This has resulted in them having more similarities than differences and it helps the consumers find similarities across the Web such as; †¢ When a description of an item is given, Amazon and Barnes and Nobles both place the shopping cart option prominently displayed to the upper, right portion of the screen. This makes it very efficient and useable for the viewer and they do not have to search around the page for this button. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ In pricing, both Amazon. com and Barnesandnobles. com display the average price or their items above their own discounted rates so that the users feel as though they are saving money. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ Both sites are â€Å"Flexible†, there is an option of buying things at a later date and placing them in the shopping cart temporarily. This option is called the wish list and it is displayed just beneath the â€Å"Add to Cart† button. Users can access this saved information and acce ss it on their next visit. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ Both sites offer â€Å"Security† that provides safe shopping, privacy and efficiency by requiring customers to join as members at a certain point during a transaction. Membership is free and requires an email address, full name, home address and phone number. It allowing customers to maintain an order status and helps provide a history of what they bought. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢   Both sites are very â€Å"Scalable†, allowing for a huge selection of items to be added to the product catalog or taken away. A Field size is accommodated in the database. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) 4. 0 Alternative Solutions 4. 1 Reduce expenditure in inventories and better management in supply chain ? Use increased income to pay down long-term debt ? Keep operating costs low (efficiencies of scales) ? Increase expenditure on Research & Development arena ? Strategic cost analysis ( WOU , MIS notes) ? Determining Differentiation ( WOU , MIS notes) 4. 2 Presenting a competitive edge to competitors †¢ Create more expertise in marketing and more product launches compared to competitors; †¢ Do a more through research on the customers needs and come up with something new that has its own brand and establishes as only Amazon. om could have the product. (Sujan Sarkar. April 23, 2007) †¢ A new Strategy on only books should be brought up in order to outcome one tough opponent as Barnes & Nobles. For example, Amazon. com’s booth’s can be set up in country sides where there is no access for Internet and give knowledge to country people that there also business through online. This is because; giving more exposure and awareness to people might be a business opportun ity as well. †¢ Product review information; Customers would have n a clear description, synopsis and other customer’s review on the book as it gives a clear rating of the book and there won’t be any sort of disappointments for them after purchase. 4. 3 Expansion to Asia †¢ Create different website versions based on the five most common language in Asian region †¢ Focus marketing strategies on customer feedback to find out what Asian customers tend to buy. †¢ Word of mouth advertisement (Onder Savas Devrim Dirik. January 9, 2003) †¢ Continue expanding its product lines 5. 0 Recommended Solution & Implementation 5. Technology Integration and R&D Amazon. com should increase expenditure in the research and development arena. We believe that Amazon should prepare itself for additional telecommunications implementations such as high speed internet and network security. These types of implementation, though representative of considerable R&D costs, ar e probably most significant factors that etailers must prepare for near future. As users, connections increase in speed, any delays on the part of the etailer they are connecting to will become obvious and less tolerable. Amazon can stay ahead of the pack by preparing a unique and comfortable interface for the users. 5. 2 Strategic Cost Analysis Amazon. com should also use Strategic cost analysis process where identify the firm’s value chain, diagnose the key elements that drive the costs of each value activity, identify competitors value chains, develop a strategy to lower relative costs by controlling cost drivers, ensure that any cost reduction does not erode differentiation in service and test the cost reductions if its sustainable in the end of the analysis. . 3 Differentiation They should also consider by costs by determining Differentiation where the process goes as determine who the real buyer is, identify buyer’s value chain and put in rank order the buyer’s reason to purchase, asses the current potential sources of diffentiation, identify the cost of these resources, design a value chain to maximize value relative costs, test for sustainiablity and reduce costs in activi ties that do not affect the chosen forms of differentiation. 5. Inventory; There are programs built to be extremely user-friendly, and most offer great support along the way of usage for online businesses to maintain the book database. Amazon should invest in software to best highlight and maintain the data on the site and importantly back up systems. Keep inventory accurate and up to date; This is also an important aspect that Amazon can out beat its competitors with as this is first step towards building a long-term relationship with that customer. Inventory of the books stock-out and sold out will be kept up to date on the site. 5. 5 Visionary & Informative A picture is worth a thousand words; Uploading pictures by decreasing explanations or descriptions could attract customer’s attraction and curiosity in exploring the book. Somehow it boosts up sales compared to other online booksellers who give attention in words. Product Review Information; In case of books, editorial reviews are provided by the company and it applies for all books. Customers can also rate each other’s review. A rating is placed against each review so that customers can decide whether to read or not based on that. Most online booksellers do not include this but they display the customer’s satisfaction on the delivery service provided by them which is less important to boost up sales. People out there want to pay you for your books; Amazon should use own merchant service account or a service offered by a listing site, make sure that customers can buy books quickly and painlessly with a credit card while you have them on the brink of finalizing said purchase. Don’t judge a book by its cover; First impressions are lasting impressions. When a customer receives the book they’ve ordered, make sure the first thing they see is a product and package that you are proud to have supplied by using use clean, new boxes without writing (or envelopes for low-cost paperbacks) for shipments. Customers will be expecting an excellent service but if its vice versa then they are chances for them to switch to other online retailers. 5. 6 Keep customers in the loop on everything; Amazon should update the status of order to customers on the order made and also keep them in loop by e-mail the listing service directly with questions about their orders and keep updating the latest events and new stocks of books through emails. 5. 7 Shipping & Delivery Follow-up; After shipping out an item to the customer, Amazon should send them an e-mail a day or two after expecting that they’ll receive their package, asking them if they’ve received it and are satisfied, and reminding them that there customer rep are there to help should they have any questions about their order. This is also a great time to remind them that you have similar items in stock or to offer them a coupon towards future purchases. 5. 8 Expansion to Asia Region Amazon should strive to expand its expertise to Asia region as well as high potentials are there which huge population. Education is becoming one important aspect in Asia and lack of important reference books are always a problem in many parts of Asia. It should diversify its marketing capability in Asia too to capture the market. Amazon is very less popular in Asia regions. Amazon. om should take Asia to consider for its business expansion. Amazon could also diversify its marketing and research ability to expand mostly to the developed countries of other territory. In order to grow big and always sustain in the market and competition, Amazon should takes this sort of steps to expand. International Sites; Amazon. com has got an added advantage of international sites on Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and China. All about what the customers have to do to browse the site with their language is by clicking to their national site. For example, if you clink Japan, immediately the whole website will change its descriptions and instructions into Japanese language. This is not at all applicable for a customer in Malaysia or any other regions of Asia. It should expand and add more languages options in its site to accumulate its customers. Giving customers what they want is also one strategy not all online business can do but if this can be proven in Amazon’s case then it have all the potential to be the one. 5. 9 Word-of mouth advertisement Amazon also should increase its word-of mouth advertisement. This might seem odd for an industry leader to rely upon such a quaint tactics as this, but we truly believe that in the world of Internet this is a powerful tool. We are quick to visit sites that our friends identify as being fabulous, and Amazon might capitalize on this by rewarding its customers who can reel in a new prospects. 6. 0 Expand the product lines Amazon should expand its product lines. Given’s Amazon’s vision and its unique position in the etailer industry, the cost associated with entering new markets is significantly lower than that of its competitors. There is no reasons to let this advantage slip away unused. Conclusion In order to stay focus on business Amazon. com has various ways and strategies that can be implemented with proper organizations communication networks. Financial reports should be reviewed annually and quarterly if necessary to come up with decisions whether to boost up sales or to maintain on a certain criteria for the wellness of business. Amazon. com also should have a frequent customer feedback program where they could exchange view on the services and products most desired to be acquired online by customers. Top level management meetings should be initiated to assure goals are achieved. A proper corrective action should be determined after the first year if annual objectives weren’t accomplished. However there are difficulties and competitions to overcome, and how companies attack these difficulties will separate the winners form the losers. Appendix |AMAZON. COM, INC. HISTORICAL INCOME STATEMENTS | |(in millions, except per share data)(quarterly information unaudited) | |Amazon. com Investor Relations | | | | | | | |Calendar Years Ended – December 31, | | |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 |2004 |2003 |2002 | |Media |   | $ 5,350 | $ 4,630 | $ 3,582 | $ 3,046 | $ 2,589 | $ | | | | | | | | |2,270 | |Other |   | 448 | 326 | 263 | 222 | 130 | | | | | | | | | |110 | |International |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Media |   | 5,734 | 4,612 | 3,485 | 2,885 | 2,513 | | | | | | | | | |1,780 | |Other |   | 94| 57| 20| | | | | | | | | |8 |2 |- | |Consolidated |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Media |   | 11,084 | 9,242 | 7,067 | 5,931 | 5,102 | | | | | | | | | |4,050 | |Other |   | 542 | 383 | 283 | 230 | 132 | | | | | | | | | |110 | Table 2- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) |Total U. S. Home, Work and University Locations, Unique Visitors (000) | |Source: comScore Media Metrix | |Rank |Property |Unique Visitors |Rank |Property |Unique Visitors | | | |(000) | | |  (000) | |   |Total Internet : Total Audience |191,863 |   |   |   | |1 |Google Sites |151,010 |26 |Target Corporation |28,628 | |2 |Yahoo! Sites |146,131 |27 |Time Warner – Excluding AOL |27,209 | |3 |Microsoft Sites |125,568 |28 |Weatherbug Property |26,944 | |4 |AOL LLC |108,441 |29 |Bank of America |26,322 | |5 |Fox Interactive Media |90,510 |30 |United Online, Inc |26,048 | |6 |Ask Network |74,742 |31 |Gorilla Nation |25,585 | |7 |eBay |72,160 |32 |AT&T, Inc. 25,574 | |8 |Amazon Sites |64,768 |33 |Answers. com Sites |25,563 | |9 |Wikipedia Foundation Sites |62,737 |34 |Demand Media |25,447 | |10 |FACEBOOK. COM |57,232 |35 |CareerBuilder LLC |24,750 | |11 |Glam Media |55,293 |36 |Everyday Health |24,717 | |12 |Turner Network |54,877 |37 |Shopzilla. com Sites |24,097 | |13 |Apple Inc. 54,194 |38 |Photobucket. com LLC |23,928 | |14 |CBS Corporation |53,539 |39 |WordPress |23,730 | |15 |New York Times Digital |49,110 |40 |Real. com Network |23,359 | |16 |Viacom Digital |46,510 |41 |Expedia Inc |22,703 | |17 |Weather Channel, The |40,056 |42 |JPMorgan Chase Property |22,399 | |18 |craigslist, inc. 39,437 |43 |Mons ter Worldwide |22,244 | |19 |AT&T Interactive Network |38,184 |44 |Gannett Sites |21,829 | |20 |Adobe Sites |35,315 |45 |WorldNow – ABC Owned Sites |21,586 | |21 |Comcast Corporation |33,940 |46 |WebMD Health |21,185 | |22 |Wal-Mart |33,513 |47 |iVillage. com: The Womens Network |21,002 | |23 |Superpages. com Network |32,558 |48 |NBC Universal |20,974 | |24 |Verizon Communications Corporation |32,412 |49 |WhitePages |19,351 | |25 |Disney Online |30,345 |50 |ESPN |19,266 | Table 3; Media Matrix; http://www. comscore. com References 1] Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999 http://www. rhsmith. umd. du/faculty/jbailey/ents630/amazon. pdf 2] Dustin Nadeau & Donatas Sumyla. April 2006- Amazon. Com Inc 2004. (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 3] Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001 – E-Transaction: Shopping Carts Comparison (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 4] Paul Larson. February 14, Amazon. com – Motley Fool Research, Stock Report http://www. fool. com/search/index. aspx? go=1&site=USMF &q=amazon. com (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 5] Onder Savas Devrim Dirik. January 9, 2003 – Informat? on Management (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 6] Strategic Analysis of Amazon. com (Accessed Feb 19, 2009) 7] www. wikinvest. com/wiki/E-Commerce, (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 8] www. ikinvest. com/stock/Amazon. com_(AMZN), (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 9] www. wikinvest. com/stock/Barnes_%26_Noble_(BKS), (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 10] Sujan Sarkar. April 23, 2007 – Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble: www. santarosa. edu/~ssarkar/cs66sp07/fprj/abn. htm (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 11] Table 1- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) 12] Table 2- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) 13] Table 3; Media Matrix; http://www. comscore. com (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) ———————– AMAZON Supplier New Entrance Substitute Consumers