RAIL TRACK DESIGN FOR LINE SPEED IMPROVEMENT Essay

RAIL TRACK DESIGN FOR LINE SPEED IMPROVEMENT - Essay Example The design issue under consideration includes route surveying, track component identification, designing the rail curve and other design aspects that help in improving rail transport. Suggestion indicated can be implemented by any train organization seeking to improve or optimize there services (Mundrey, 1993). Rail tracks are used for the guidance of trains, and consist of two steel rails laid in parallel. The rails guide the train in motion without the need for steering. The rails are laid on sleepers. The sleeper are also referred to as the cross ties. The sleepers are embedded in the ballast and form the rail road track. The rails are fastened to the sleeper by the use of spikes, lag screws, bolts clips and pandrol clips. The type of fastening sleepers depends on the type of sleepers. For the concrete sleepers clips are used, for the wooden sleepers' spikes are used and for steel sleepers, bolts are commonly used. Convectional rail design involved route surveying and finding the most economical route for the rail line. The engineer worked on ways of designing the rail so as to surpass the geographical obstacles (Engineering Policy Group (EPG). 2009). Currently rail design encompasses many design aspects. These design aspect results from the need for greater speeds and heavy loads. Due to these factors, the most important consideration for the rail design are: Route surveying. This involves planning the rail routes so that it passes through the most economical route (Hickerson, 1967). Long term traffic levels; if the projection shows that in the long run the traffic will increase. Design consideration for expansion of the rail as well as incorporating trains with high speed and heavy should be taken into consideration. Environmental concern: the design should focus on an environmental friendly rail that does not damage the environment. Politics: Government influences and funding greatly affect the quality of the rail and also its long term benefits. Land issues; when designing for increased speed, huge curves are required; the constraining factor to this is the limitation of land. Economic factors: this determines the type of rail constructed. Well funded projects can archive most of the design requirements. Design of The track bed The rails are laid on a bed of stones, ballast is commonly used. The bed is comprised of the following major layers; The subsoil: this is the natural ground in which the rail is to be laid. The sub grade: this comprises of compacted soil. The compaction and removal of clay from this layer prevents the expansion and compression preventing the sinking of the rail which damages this track. The soils used in this layer must not expand or compress due to water absorption. Compression of the soil also helps is preventing the infiltration of water and clay. Blanket: this is a layer of stone dust or sand, it is mixed with impervious plastic. The layer prevents the upward infiltration of clay and water which may destroy the rails. Ballast: This is a layer of stone. The type of stone used and the grade of the ballast determine its load bearing

WiFi RealTime Location Tracking Systems Essay Example for Free

WiFi RealTime Location Tracking Systems Essay Wrireless networks has affected large and small companies alike. While Radia Frequency Identification (RFID) tags based networks have gained popularity over the years, there are also other wireless networks available that are being tested in order to provide same functionality and more. Wi-Fi and blue tooth are two of the examples of such networks. This short paper discusses the use of Wifi. Wi-Fi Networks WiFi generally comes under the umberalla of RFID. WiFi ID is actually an active RFID system that uses the air communication standard 802. 11. There are also other active RFID systems that use standards other than 802. 11 and operate on different frequencies. One of the important aspect of this scenerio is to understand thje difference between the RFID tags and Wifi tags. RFID Tags vs. WiFi Tags In order to use passive RFID tags, you need to have reader after every few feets to read the tag. For active RFID tags a radio sensor needs to be deployed that uses different technologies to sense the tags in order to determine the location of the tag. Antennas are also required. This means that you need to built an infrastructure to deploy both types of systems. Like Best Buy is doing. When you are using a WiFi based system that are aslo called Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), you only need to set up the WifFi network in the company and can use any underlying technology in order to make it work. RFID tags can also be used here, but adavnatge is that you dont need to set up the RFID network infratsurcture that you needed to incorporate before. In RFID tags, for short range identfication, High frequency tag is used and for short range identification, active UHF tags are used that operate on 900 MHz or 433 MHz. Both these type, as discussed require a complete insfrastructure to be built. However, WiFi operates on 2. 4 GHz. These 2. 4 GHz can be used in the network. For a company like BestBuy, choosing WiFi has an extra advantage that it will already have 802. 11 network infrastructures in place and this will save money for the company. The only things they need to buy are the WiFi tags. Applications The WiFi network infrastructure can provide many application to the companies like BestBuy and some of them include location-based network access, intelligent information management and wireless asset tracking. The WiFi tags can exactly point out the location of the tag. This can also mean that customer walking into the store can have the contents on his PDA according to the position where he is standing. Statistical reports can be generated n the basis of information of how much time a customer spends at a particular location and what consequences this can have using data mining techniques. Once the tagging has helped a customer locate items and a shopping list has been completed, the system can store this list for future reference to the particular customer. The underlying software can prepare a probable list of items for that particular customer. Another important application of WiFi tags can be theft prevention. For example, if a certain item is to be protected, the system will attach a flag to it whenever it is taken from the shelf and added to a cart. The system can then track the item until it reaches the check out line. If the item does not reach the check out line and leaves the store, it will be an indication of a theft and action can be taken against the customer. Therefore, the WiFi network can be employed for security of valuable assets as well. Therefore, WiFi tags can be used beyond item tracking systems such as inventory control systems to easily manage large inventory. References ABI Research. (2006, October 23). Active RFID and Wi-Fi in the RTLS Market: Asset Management for Automotive, Defense, Healthcare, and Transportation Vertical Markets. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. abiresearch. com/products/ market_research/Active_RFID_and_Wi-Fi_in_the_RTLS_Market Garfinkel,S. Rosenberg, B. (2005) RFID: Applications, Security, and Privacy, Addison Wesley Professional. Kowalke,M. (2006, October 23). RFID vs. WiFi for Hospital Inventory Tracking Systems. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://blog. tmcnet. com/ wireless-mobility/rfid-vs-wifi-for-hospital-inventory-tracking-systems. asp RFID Radio. (2007, July 17). Episode 005 Making Business Sense of Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. rfidradio. com/? p=12 Sullivan, L. (2005, October 17). InformationWeek. BEST BUYS SPIN ON RFID. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. informationweek. com/ story/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=172300921

The Character of Carol Kennicott in Main Street Essay example -- Main

The Character of Carol Kennicott in Main Street The protagonist in this story is Carol Kennicott. She is a young woman attending college in St. Paul Minnesota. She wants to go somewhere in her life. She has gone out and gotten a college education so that she won’t have to be a house wife. She has an outgoing personality and is continuously trying to change the things around her. She meets a man named William Kennicott. They fall in love and move to the small town of Gopher Prairie. While there Carol tries to change her home, as well as all of the other buildings in town. Carol is identified as the protagonist because she’s the main character and she has a conflict to overcome. Paragraph 2 The antagonist in this story is Carol’s personality. She is always trying to stay in love with William, but at the same time she can’t stand the thought of living in a small town where the people don’t change. It’s important to the antagonist that she change the world one small community at a time. All of the attempts made by Carol are failures because she’s moving too fast for the citizens of Gopher Prairie. Paragraph 3 The conflict in this story is best described as Carol vs. Herself. Carol wants to love Will and be a loyal wife. She wants to love his mother and be a mother herself. Carol has the desire and willingness to stay with Will, but at the same time the thought of changing the town and not adapting to their ways is always implanted in her mind. Carol wants to change the town to a more contemporary time. She has always had this thought, even during her stay at college. The reason she attended college is so that she wouldn’t have to live the cliched life of being a house wife, with darling children, and an adoring husband. Carol has a desire from both ends of this argument. She loves her husband, but small town life doesn’t suit her. This conflict is internal because Carol is always at war with her conscience. Paragraph 4 The climax of this story comes in the last two chapters. Carol has moved to Washington and is pursuing a career that will help change the city. Will comes out to visit and he brings photographs of Gopher Prairie and the surrounding fields. It becomes apparent at this point that Carol no longer wants to stay in Washington. She realizes that all the time she spent in Gopher Prairie she never gave th... ...s two opposing opinions to the reader. The reader is allowed to make his own assumptions and opinions on the different situations that arise. The narrator tells the reader of Carol’s aspirations of changing small town America. At the same time he is able to give Will’s feelings about Carol being a â€Å"normal† wife. The narrator is also able to express the feelings of the other characters who occupy the town. These thoughts are very insightful and make for a better understanding of Carol. Paragraph 12 Personification: â€Å"the trees by Sam’s hardware shop reached out as to consume the daylight.† Simile: â€Å"Kennicott was as fixed in routine as an isolated old man.† Paragraph 13 This novel was interesting but at the same time it failed to really catch my attention and intrigue me. I was under the assumption that it was risky and questioned peoples values. My only thought on this is that I’m reading it in 2001 and the novel was published in 1948. My views are drastically different from those of a country who put women on a lower standard than men. I would give this book a moderate rating because it didn’t catch my eye but at the same time had a decent point to prove.

Solomon Northups Twelve Years A Slave Essay -- Essays on Twelve Years

After reading Solomon Northup's Twelve Years A Slave, I was overwhelmed with his experience. He was born a free man in New York in 1808. In 1841 he was tricked, captured, and sold into slavery in Washington, D.C. Throughout his book, Solomon goes into details describing his life as a slave, which validates our critique of slavery. As abolitionists, it is our duty to do something about slavery. Although, as abolitionists, we have a history of disagreements among us, it time to put a stop to our arguments and start fighting for something we all believe in - to abolish slavery. While the growing cotton economy has made slavery more attractive than ever before to most southern people, slavery has to be abolished based on these reasons: first, because slaves are treated inhumanly; second, because it makes southern white society savage and cruel, and third, it turns southern whites into greedy and lazy people. One of the main reasons that slavery should be abolished is because masters treat their slaves inhumanly. Masters disregard the idea of family among slaves. Although they encourage slave marriage, they do so out of selfish reasons. Slaves who have families are likely to have kids, who will become property of the master after birth, and at the same time they are least likely to run away. In addition, the actual law does not provide any protection or recognition of slave marriage or family, which discourages the formation of family among slaves . Just like the law, masters do not take families into consideration and are reluctant to break slave families by sale. For example when Eliza was sold, she begged her new master to purchase her daughter as well. However, Freeman would not sell Emily, because "there were piles... ...e Declaration of the Independence. After reading Twelve Years A Slave, I was sad to find out about how people struggle; however, at the same time I was excited because it would open up people's eyes about the mistreatment of African-Americans. It provides examples of how slaves are treated on daily basis; it also shows how whites in the South are breaking the law, which fails to serve justice even if they are caught in the act. It also shows how people in the South are turning into a barbaric and uncivilized society. Therefore as abolitionists, we feel that unless slavery is abolished, the goal of this country to make all men free and equal has failed. So if our fight for freedom has failed, what is left of our country? Works Cited: Northup, Solomon. Twelve Years a Slave. 1853. Ed. Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1975.

Angels in America – Essay 2

Angels in America is a play written by Tony Kushner that chronicles the disintegrating relationships of two couples. The story is set in America in the 1980s against a background of gluttony, conservatism, politics, and controversial sexuality. It is this backdrop that provides  Angels in America  with its enormity and sets it apart from other love stories. In this play, the plot is largely driven by its themes, which are viewed from different characters' perspectives as the story unfolds. Throughout the play, Kushner introduces to readers, many weighty issues. Some of these issues include: homosexuality, religion, stereotypes, race/ethnicity, denial, betrayal, and identity; each character in the play questions and grapples with at least one of these subjects. As a reader, it was particularly interesting to watch the characters struggle with the issue of stereotypes. Living in New York City during the 21st century, the gay community has had and continues to be a prominent part of society. The gay people that I have crossed paths with do not seem to be shy or ashamed of their sexual orientation. They do not hide who they are attracted to and they do not view their orientation as a sign of weakness. Due to my exposure to this, it was baffling to witness Roy’s reaction upon hearing from his doctor that he has contracted AIDS. Roy states, â€Å"Now to someone who does not understand this, homosexual is what I am because I have sex with men. But really this is wrong. Homosexuals are not men who sleep with other men. Homosexuals are men who in fifteen years of trying cannot get a pissant antidiscrimination bill through City Council. Homosexuals are men who know nobody and who nobody know. Who have zero clout. Does this sound like me, Henry? † (Kushner, 51). Although Roy may desire another man, to him desire is irrelevant. Roy only identifies with other powerful people and in his eyes, gays are powerless. Roy believes his money and status protect him from the oppression gay men face. Roy is even convinced that he can use his money to buy immunity from AIDS. Another issue that is raised by Kushner is sanity. In the play there is a character named Harper who is addicted to Valium. Throughout the play, Harper struggles and questions what sanity is. Her vivid imagination causes her to travel between reality and fantasy quite often. At one point, towards the end of Part One, Harper â€Å"travels† to Antarctica in a dream. She believes that she has found her utopia and now she can finally live in peace. Harper’s imaginary friend, Mr. Lies joins her n her journey and explains, â€Å"This is a retreat, a vacuum, its virtue is that it lacks everything; deep-freeze for feelings. You can be numb and safe here, that’s what you came for. Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions† (Kushner, 108). Harper wants to remain in her created delusion forever; her manifested utopia is a result of her inability to face reality. Because Harper is too scared to leave the confines of her home, she has created a world inside her ow n mind so that she can live there and remain in paradise forever.

Sectarianism in Australia

Sectarianism in Australia Religion EssayExplain the significance of sectarianism in Australia. Religion EssayExplain the significance of sectarianism in Australia.Sectarianism has influenced how we as a society interact with each other. In Australia's recent socio-religious past there has been a dark time in which society was almost split in two. This split was due to sectarianism, it stemmed from an intense and deep seeded rivalry between those who identified themselves as belonging to the Protestant religion and those who identified themselves with the Roman Catholic church. Broadly speaking sectarianism refers to the hostility between different churches, which then manifests itself in wider society. Steven Blyth, in his historical overview of sectarianism, refer to is as a phenomenon of how those differences (religious beliefs) form the underlying basis of social intolerance, antagonism and hostility in the wider society. Sectarianism influenced areas of society such as employment, education and politics. However without sectarianism today the equal, multicultural society w e live in today would not exist, thus being a very significant religious event in Australian history.Crewkerne : St Peters Roman Catholic ChurchAustralian sectarianism was derived from the legacy of the 16th century events. In other words, Australian sectarianism is historically rooted in the divisive events between England and Ireland. Sectarianism reaches back to the very beginning of the Australian colony. Catholics saw themselves as a separate group in Australian society. In the next half century sectarianism was at its worst, however now it is near to non-existent.Politics was greatly affected by sectarianism. With the turn of the century and the advent of WW1 political sectarianism intensified. This was due to the question of loyalty to the war. Protestant denominations, represented by the liberal party, heavily supported Australia's involvement in the First World War. However the question of Catholic loyalty was revised with the campaign against conscription by the involvemen t of Catholic Archbishop Mannix. Sectarianism had a...

Con Conflict essays

Abortion - The Pro/Con Conflict essays Abortion, the Pro/Con Conflict Throughout the United States, the use of abortion is an ongoing controversy and a prominent issue in modern day society. Questions are constantly raised, whether one is Pro-Choice or Pro-Life. Whether it is a moral dilemma, or just simply wrong. Since the beginning of civilization the process of abortion has been practiced, however, by the mid 1800s, many people sought to criminalize the practice. By 1880 abortion had been banned in the United States, by way of protesting via state legislatures. Although abortions were outlawed, they were still being performed illicitly and illegally (Flanders, 5, 36). Women began fleeing to Europe and other foreign areas of the world, where abortion was still legal. By the 1960/s, abortion became a phenomenon, and many women began challenging the law, however none of them succeeded. In March of 1970, a woman by the name of Norma McCorvey sought out to have an abortion due to her meager standard of living. To hide her identity she changed her name to Jane Roe for the case, and filed suit in Dallas, Texas where Henry Wade was district attorney at the time. Eventually, Roe won the case, because the law was declared a violation to the right to personal liberty guarantee by the Fourteenth Amendment (Durrett, 14-15). Since then, abortion has been legal, however, around the mid 1980s conflict began to erupt once more. Protested marches, sit-ins, and violent crimes began to take place. When a person is Pro-Life, they feel that abortion is an injustice, and at many times they take the law into their own hands to prove their point. The activists believe their law is further than that of any state or nation, and that they are obeying to a higher law the law of God (Day, 77). At many times, the protestors gather around clinics where abortions are performed, and attempt to approach patients cars with threats, and/or physical har...

Collision of Two Monorails in Walt Disney World Resort

Collision of Two Monorails in Walt Disney World Resort Introduction At approximately 2.00 am 5th July, 2009, an accident occurred at the Walt Disney Resort. It involved a collision of two monorails that were moving on the Epcot beam, next to the Concourse station in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The accident took place after one of the monorails (the Pink monorail) reversed via an improperly aligned-beam, in effect hitting the Purple monorail (National Transportation Safety Board 2). Although the six passengers did not sustain any injuries, the operator was seriously injured and he later died.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Collision of Two Monorails in Walt Disney World Resort specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, the Purple monorail only had the operator as the sole occupant. He was rushed to hospital and upon examination, was discharged (National Transportation Safety Board 2). At the time of the accident the weather was very clear. The damage as a re sult of the monorail accident was estimated to have amounted to $ 24 million. Cause of the accident The federal investigators who were commissioned to initiate a probe into the probable cause of the monorail accident reported that lack of sufficient safety protocols may have contributed to the occurrence of the two monorails in Walt Disney Resort. These investigations were conducted for almost two-and-a-half years. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a 14-page report on the accident, in which a couple of employee errors were highlighted as the main causes of the accident (National Transportation Safety Board para. 1). This report appears to somewhat contradict with the investigations conducted by the federal government investigators, who noted faulted the lack of standard operating schedules at the Walt Disney World Resort, arguing that this could have played a significant role in establishing an unsafe environment, in effect causing the accident when the train reversed and hit the other one. How the monorail system in Disney World works There are two areas set aside to facilitate servicing of the monorails in Disney World. The first designated area is referred to as the Epcot, while the second designated area is referred to as Magic Kingdom Park. On the one hand, the Magic Kingdom Park service area is made up of two monorail beams. The two monorail beams run parallel, effectively forming a complete loop (National Transportation Safety Board 4). The Express beam is on the outside, while the Lagoon/Resort beam is on the inside. On the other hand, the Epcot service area is made up of the Epcot beam. The Epcot beam has also formed a complete loop.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When the accident took place, there were a total of five monorails operating at the Walt Disney Resort and they were identified the Purple, Pin k, Red, Coral, and Silver colors (National Transportation Safety Board 6). A spur beam acts as a link between the two service areas. Switch beam 9 lies at one end of the spur-beam, while switch-beam 8 lies at the other end. If you want a monorail to move from one beam to another, all you have to do is reposition them accordingly. The closure of the Magic Kingdom Park does prevent the monorails from undertaking their duties as there is a time allowance allocated to facilitate this. By and large, the Express beam monorails may operate for about an hour once the park has closed. After 3 hours following the closing of the park, the monorails on the Resort beam can no longer work, and this have to be returned for nightly maintenance at the mechanical facility via the Express beam. When this particular accident took place, three monorails were operating on the Epcot beam. They include the Purple, Pink, and Coral monorails. Because all the passengers had already disembarked from the Pink m onorail, it was directed to the Express beam first so that it could be serviced overnight. It is important to note that the Pink monorail could have only accessed the mechanical facility via the Express beam. At approximately, 1.53 am., the central coordinator of the monorail issues instructions to the Pink monorail operator to enable him get onto the Express beam and back to the mechanical facility. However, the Pink monorail did not stop until it had moved beyond the switch-beam 9. That is when the operator communicated with the central operator and told him that switch-beam 9 had been cleared. This prompted the central coordinator to get in touch with the shop panel operator so that he could line switch-beams 8 and 9 to the spur-line with power (National Transportation Safety board, 2009). Power was then switched from the Epcot beam to facilitate the switch-beam realignment. Upon conducting further investigations, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the shop p anel operator may have failed to position switch-beam 9 properly, and this could have led to the collision. The board also took issues with the monorail manager who is supposed to play the role of a central coordinator in determining the position of switch-beam 9 prior to authorizing the driver of the Pink monorail to reverse. The investigations further revealed that once the operators had switched off power to the beam, there was no prompt initiation of the switch-beam realignment. The shop panel operator received a call from the operator of the Silver monorail at 1:55 Am., so that he could be guided while entering the mechanical facility. At 1:56 Am., the shop panel operator received another call from the Red monorail operator who also wished to enter the facility but he was requested to first hold at a given location (Orlando Business Journal para. 4).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Collision of Two Monorails in Walt Disney World Resort specificall y for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During the interrogation, the shop panel operator told the investigator that the reason why he switched on power to the Epcot beam was because according to his understanding, there was proper alignment of the switch-beam. At 1:57 Am., the Pink monorail operator was given the clearance to reverse by the central coordinator, having been informed by the shop panel operator that Switch-beams 8 and 9 are on the spur-line with power (National Transportation Safety Board 6). When the operator of the Pink monorail started to reverse, switch-beams 9 and 8 were yet to be repositioned and as a result, he ended up colliding on the Epcot beam. It is important to note that the Pink monorail was previously travelling on the Epcot beam, and the Purple monorail was also following the same beam. Verdict of the investigators The National Transportation Safety Board has also taken issue with Walt Disney over the accidents on three fronts. According to the investigations, employees from the World Resort are not obliged to observe specific operating guide. This means that monorail drivers are not obliged to shift to the back cab first before they can drive in reverse. This way, they are in a position to drive the trains in a ‘forward-facing’ position (National Transportation Safety Board 8). Moreover, the investigator noted that the management at Disney World had not implemented a rule that would ensure that the central coordinator did not leave the central tower. At the tower, there is an emergency shutdown switch and a grid that shows the alignment of all the monorail beams and as such, the central operator would have been in a position to prevent the collision had he been at the control tower when the collision occurred. Finally, there were no procedures at the resort that demanded monorail shop operators to certify that indeed the beam had already been aligned once they had activated the switch command (National Transportation Safety Board 9). Although there are video monitors at the shop that enables the shop operators to view the positions of the switch beams, nonetheless, the shop operators informed the investigators that they mainly used the monitors when they needed to determine if there was any train on the beam prior to activating the switch, as opposed to certifying if there had been a realignment of the track once the command had been entered.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Investigations into the collision of two monorails at Walt Disney Resort confirmed that the accident took place due to the failure by poor operating procedures by the personnel in-charge of the monorail maintenance shop that is charged with the responsibility of controlling the switches at the track system. Also, investigations revealed that at the time of the accident, the central operator had left the central tower and as such, he could not have been able to manage the accident promptly. From the control tower, the monorail systems coordinator would have been in a better position to detect that there was an improper alignment of the track system, and this could have prevented the collision. National Transportation Safety Board.2009. Railroad Accident Brief. 2009. Web. https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx National Transportation Safety Board. 2011. NTSB releases final report on 2009Â  monorail collision at Walt Disney World. 2011. Web. Orlando Business Journal. 2011 . NTSB issues report on Disney monorail crash. Web.

Financial analysis of Morrisons and comparison with Tesco Coursework

Financial analysis of Morrisons and comparison with Tesco - Coursework Example Ratio analysis of an organization presents facts on a comparative basis and enables the drawing of inference regarding the performance of a firm (Khan & Jain, 2006). This analysis gives a useful indication of the performance of the organization. Financial ratios are often used by shareholders, bankers, trade creditors, analysts, management and the general public at large to measure the performance of the company in various aspects such as liquidity, profitability, debt and market position (Stoltz et al., 2007). However, these ratios often should be analyzed keeping in mind the accounting policies and the principles used by companies and is dependent on the industries under consideration (Siegel and Shim, 2006). The objective of this report is to analyze the performance of Morrison’s. In order to do this, ratios will be calculated for the company over a period of two years: 2009 and 2010. The ratios will be compared to Tesco which is a leading competitor in the same industry. F our categories of ratio will be calculated for both the companies: 1. Profitability 2. Liquidity 3. Efficiency 4. Gearing ratios Analysis Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios can be used to measure how good the company is using its assets and how well the company is controlling its costs to generate an acceptable rate of return (Gitman and McDaniel, 2008). The various profitability ratios are given below Gross Margin Gross margin can be defined as the ratio of gross profit to total sales. The graph below shows the trend of the same: As can be seen from the graph, the gross margin of Tesco is more than that of Morrison’s in the year of 2009. However, while the gross margin has increased for Morrison’s from 2009 to 2010 while the same has decreased for Tesco. One point to note here is the sales done by both the companies. While Tesco had sales of the order of ? 56,910m in 2010, Morrison’s had just ? 15,410m. This difference is an indication of the size of the two companies. It is evident that in terms of sales, Tesco is well ahead of Morrison’s. Profit Margin Profit margin of a company can be defined as: The graph below shows the trend for profit margin for both the companies: Here again, the margin is more for Tesco as compared to that of Morrison’s in 2009. While the profit margin has increased considerably from 2009 to 2010, the same has remained almost equal for Tesco. The higher profit margin of Tesco indicates that the company is having a better control over its costs as compared to Morrison’s (Investopedia). Just like the gross sales, the value of net profit of Tesco (? 2,336m) is almost four times that of Morrison’s (? 598m). Return on assets and investments While return on assets measure the amount of net income generated for each unit of assets, return on investment measures the amount of income generated from each unit of owners’ equity. Return on assets is an ideal tool for comparing compan ies within the same industry. RoA is an indication of both the profit margin as well as asset turnover (Needles et al., 2010). The graph on the side here shows the Return on Assets for both the organization. The RoA is almost equal for both the companies. This indicates that both the organizations have almost equal efficiency in utilizing their assets. The graph on the side here shows the Return on Investment for both the organizations. RoI is more for Tesco in 2009 which indicates better return on investor wealth. One issue being faced by Tesco is a reduction in the RoI from 2009 to 2010. This imply that the average profit generated from the amount of income generated from owner’

Gender Difference In Exercise Addiction And the Possible Roles of Lab Report

Gender Difference In Exercise Addiction And the Possible Roles of Eating Behaviour, Anxiety And Reason for Execise In Undergraduate Students - Lab Report Example This paper stresses that existing studies do not clearly differentiate between primary exercise dependence and problem exercise addiction as an associated feature, so predictions for exercise addiction may be possible. In case of female students who exercise, if there were no associated comorbid psychologic disorders, the personality profile and psychological morbidities do not differ from healthy controls. This study will recruit free living adult volunteers as participants and they do not have any bond with the investigator. Further this study does not involve any medical treatments, restrictions or biological sample collection. Therefore participants will not carry any serious risk. Participants are briefed about the survey and their written consent is taken just before they are given the questionnaires. They will be asked to give a personal code for confidential reasons. Their personal data will be handled confidentially throughout the survey and the final outcome of the research is explained. The participants will be told of the deadline for which the data collected will be used and they will also be made aware of the fact that they are free to withdraw their data at any time for any reason. They will be given a debriefing form which will also contain information on support services or websites they can go to for help if they have been in anyway affected by this or need more inform ation. The form will also have the researcher and supervisors contact details if needed.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The emaciated child from the horn of Africa on United Nation High Commission for Refugees is no exception is a good example of rhetorically driven advert. The advert is articulately structured to appeal to the audience for financial support. It is aimed at ensuring people contribute towards alleviation of poverty in the horn of Africa. The image of emaciated child is meant to have a certain appeal to the audience. The argument used is empathetic. The image used has a strong urge to the audience. The image shows of situation in the horn of Africa. It appeals to the audience to contribute whatever they have to save children who are usually vulnerable to drought situation. This image manages to convince the whole world on food situation in horn of Africa. The image used captures the audience interest and they are prompted to read the text. The strategy used is affective as seen from the contribution of various nations. In conclusion, rhetorical analysis when used on advertisement can he lp in identifying the strategy used by the author. Rhetorical analysis is profoundly used in literature. It is generally used to analyze the author intention to a particular audience. Mostly the content is used to teach a particular group of audience on particular values in a certain society. In order to understand the intention of a particular author it is good to have a detailed account of the information used in the story line. This paper seeks to discuss use of rhetorical analysis in literature. An example is children literature. Children literature is aimed at teaching and persuading them on particular issues such as basics of life. Most of the children literatures are environmentally focused. The real authors of children’s books are highly valued in the society and have higher level of ethics. The author is expected to provide a moral and ethical story line and the content is supposed to invoke a positive mentality. Generally, animals are used in the story line

OSHA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

OSHA - Term Paper Example This memorandum contains information regarding the effective ways of handling this problem and outlines the most appropriate strategy to be used. The most effective course of action recommended is the execution of laws regarding chemical exposure in the workplace and activation of occupational health and safety programs in different companies. Background Hazards in the workplace have through time affected workers in different industries. These hazards could either be chemical, physical, biological or psychological. For example in the construction industry, statistics show that the rate of fatalities among the construction workers in three times that of all other workers in the US. Construction workers are mainly affected by physical accidents such as falls and inadequacy of proper safety equipment (Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry 18). Even in the availability of safety equipment, the collapse of building due to lack of proper inspection or the f oundations also increases fatalities. Workers in the agricultural sector are commonly affected by biological and chemical hazards. This takes place during the application of pesticides on the plants, due to noise and exposure to the sun excessively. They are also susceptible to physical hazards caused by machinery used in the farm. In America, fatal agricultural injuries are mainly caused by the rolling over of tractors. The rate of accidents in the workplace has increased over the years mainly due to the current use of machinery which easily injures workers. Key Issues to be Addressed One of the major issues to be addressed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the absence of laws and regulations that ensure thorough inspection of the workplace in order to ensure that they are secure for individuals to work in. For example in the mining industry, inspections done on the land being mined are not enough to ensure that the mining field is not susceptible to fires cau sed by methane production (Mendeloff 58). The lands could also collapse in case of an earthquake and as such many fatalities are caused by such accidents. Equipment in different industries are inspect from time to time. However, the frequency of inspection should be increased to avoid losing more lives and more human capital to accidents in the work place. Another major issue to be addressed is the absence of occupation health and safety programs in different companies. This program is effective in training individuals on how to care for their safety and to avoid accidents in the workplace. Many companies avoid having this program as it involves the hiring of new employees thus increasing the cost of production. In the absence of the program, employees are not made aware of their employment rights and further than that they are not aware of how to act in case of accidents in the workplace. Employees further are not aware of what is expected of them in the work environment in relatio n to their safety and the general safety of the company. Solutions to these Issues A solution to the absence of laws and regulations is to design and enforce policies that address various problems faced by workers in different fields. For example, laws should be passed to ensure that frequent inspections are carried out in different industries depending on the frequency of accidents to take place in the particular area. Inspections

EIA Case 1, EIA SLP 1, EIA Case 2, EIA Case 3, EIA SLP 3, EIA Case 4, Essay

EIA Case 1, EIA SLP 1, EIA Case 2, EIA Case 3, EIA SLP 3, EIA Case 4, EIA SLP 4 - Essay Example Generally, more industrialized and economically developed societies have lower fertility than agricultural, less developed societies. Also, within countries, generally, more educated groups with higher incomes have lower fertility than less educated groups with lower incomes. Historically, as groups within countries have improved their living standards, and nations have become more economically developed, health conditions have improved, morbidity and mortality have declined, and fertility has declined due to the adoption of fertility-constraining behaviors, such as the limitation of sexual relations or marriage, practice of contraception, and resort to induced abortion." The biggest gap between those women who are in need of infertility treatment and those who actually receive it exists because, in addition to the aforementioned issues, some women just never take the steps to seek it. This can occur for a variety of reasons. According to Ramsey (2000, pg. 1), "A lot of times, when to seek the fertility treatments depends upon a woman's age and upon her doctor. But, if a woman will seriously take control of the situation - by first seeing a doctor, preferably an obstetrician (a doctor who specializes in the care of pregnant women), before she even starts trying to conceive, to make sure she is in optimum health - is an excellent starting point. This, of course, does not guarantee success right away. This simply acts as the springboard for the road to conception." Three causes of female infertility are functional causes, anatomic causes, and psychosocial problems. Functional problems can occur within a woman's highly complex hormonal system and cause infertility. Anatomic problems can occur within a woman's ovaries, uterus, tubes, cervix, or thyroid gland and cause infertility. The presence, either present or past, of sexually transmitted diseases in a woman's anatomy can cause infertility. Psychosocial problems can cause infertility because of stress, but more often than not, they actually occur as a result of infertility (World Health Organization, 2008). There are a number of factors that can cause or contribute to male infertility, which as previously mentioned, makes up 30-40% of all cases of infertility. These include disorders attributed to his varicocele, disorders of his semen, abnormal or immature sperm being produced, systemic disease, sexually transmitted or other genital diseases, testicular disorders, genetic disorders, immunologic disorders, endocrine disorders, the presence of drugs or chemicals in his system, erectile dysfunction, libido problems, ejaculatory problems, age, injury, and occupation (World Health Organization, 2008). EIA SLP 1: Policy and Advocacy This SLP will focus on infertility in the state of Texas. This state was chosen primarily because of its size and the belief that many options would be available to a wide range of women in the state. Therefore, choosing Texas might provide a wider standpoint from which to determine exactly what options are out there on the state level for women seeking infertility treatment. Of course, this is not known to be true as of this point, but will be determined at a later

OSHA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

OSHA - Term Paper Example This memorandum contains information regarding the effective ways of handling this problem and outlines the most appropriate strategy to be used. The most effective course of action recommended is the execution of laws regarding chemical exposure in the workplace and activation of occupational health and safety programs in different companies. Background Hazards in the workplace have through time affected workers in different industries. These hazards could either be chemical, physical, biological or psychological. For example in the construction industry, statistics show that the rate of fatalities among the construction workers in three times that of all other workers in the US. Construction workers are mainly affected by physical accidents such as falls and inadequacy of proper safety equipment (Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry 18). Even in the availability of safety equipment, the collapse of building due to lack of proper inspection or the f oundations also increases fatalities. Workers in the agricultural sector are commonly affected by biological and chemical hazards. This takes place during the application of pesticides on the plants, due to noise and exposure to the sun excessively. They are also susceptible to physical hazards caused by machinery used in the farm. In America, fatal agricultural injuries are mainly caused by the rolling over of tractors. The rate of accidents in the workplace has increased over the years mainly due to the current use of machinery which easily injures workers. Key Issues to be Addressed One of the major issues to be addressed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the absence of laws and regulations that ensure thorough inspection of the workplace in order to ensure that they are secure for individuals to work in. For example in the mining industry, inspections done on the land being mined are not enough to ensure that the mining field is not susceptible to fires cau sed by methane production (Mendeloff 58). The lands could also collapse in case of an earthquake and as such many fatalities are caused by such accidents. Equipment in different industries are inspect from time to time. However, the frequency of inspection should be increased to avoid losing more lives and more human capital to accidents in the work place. Another major issue to be addressed is the absence of occupation health and safety programs in different companies. This program is effective in training individuals on how to care for their safety and to avoid accidents in the workplace. Many companies avoid having this program as it involves the hiring of new employees thus increasing the cost of production. In the absence of the program, employees are not made aware of their employment rights and further than that they are not aware of how to act in case of accidents in the workplace. Employees further are not aware of what is expected of them in the work environment in relatio n to their safety and the general safety of the company. Solutions to these Issues A solution to the absence of laws and regulations is to design and enforce policies that address various problems faced by workers in different fields. For example, laws should be passed to ensure that frequent inspections are carried out in different industries depending on the frequency of accidents to take place in the particular area. Inspections

Alterations of Hematology and Cardiovascular Systems Case Study - 1

Alterations of Hematology and Cardiovascular Systems - Case Study Example For me transplantation is the last option and I will do everything possible to avoid it. In order to fully examine the extend of Mr. P’s heart condition, I will take him through the following medical tests namely; cardiac catheterization, pressure-volume loop analysis, X-ray and biopsy (Tung & Chang, 2009). I will use electrocardiogram to examine Mr. P heart rhythms at while he is at rest in order to understand how irregular they are. I will utilize a cardiac catheterization to measure pressure in Mr. P heart. Cardiac catheterization involves inserting a thin plastic tube via a blood vessel until it reaches the heart whereby a dye is introduced into the blood vessels and then conducting X-rays so as to evaluate the heart’s structure and function. At the same time, I may perform a pressure-volume loop test. This test evaluates the amount of blood flow put out by the heart during each beat. The results will help me pinpoint what type of cardiomyopathy Mr. P might have. I may also take chest X-rays to see if Mr. P’s heart is enlarged. Further I may take a biopsy of Mr. P’s heart muscle. In this method, I will use anesthesia to insert a small needle into Mr. P’s heart to remove a small bit of tissue for laboratory tests in order know the extent of disease. I will recommend the following treatment for Mr. P heart problem namely: a) ACE inhibitors and vasodilators. The purpose of this treatment is to enlarge blood vessels so that blood flows can smoothly which in essence helps the heart to functions more capably b) Beta blockers-this type of treatment enhances the pumping action of heart’s blood pumping chamber-the left ventricle c) digitalis- this kind of treatment increases the pumping action of the entire heart and d) diuretics – which help the body get rid of excess salt and water. One of the major roles of a nurse is to provide patients and family with relevant information

The Handsomest Drowned Man Essay Example for Free

The Handsomest Drowned Man Essay That was how they came to hold the most splendid funeral they could ever conceive of for an abandoned drowned man. Thesis  The author uses magical realism such as everyone worshiping a stranger this helps the reader understand reality because sometimes we treat the dead better than we do the living. The people of the town pampered him, treated him like a god and adjusted there lives around him even though he was dead. Conclusion The people of the town pampered the strange good looking dead man, treated him like a god and adjusted there lives around him even though he was dead. They treated the mysterious drowned man like royalty even though he was a stranger. Magical Realism They secretly compared him to their own men, thinking that for all their lives theirs were incapable of doing what he could do in one night, and they ended up dismissing them deep in their hearts as the weakest, meanest and most useless creatures on earth. The reader gains a better understanding about reality because it shows that sometime we base too much off looks The magical realism reveals the authors argument by showing more bluntly how we think better of the living than of the dead Later, when they covered his face with a handkerchief so that the light would not bother him, he looked so forever dead, so defenseless, so much like their men that the first furrows of tears opened in their hearts. This quote helps readers gain a better understanding of reality because they started thinking badly of the ones who were living. The author supports his argument because it shows how much the people care for this strange myth like man. It gains a better perspective of reality because they have treated him better than there own family and sometimes we dont appreciate our family The author argued in this quote because they held the best funeral they have ever held for a dead man they had only just come across!

Users select their destinations

Users select their destinations GROUP ASSIGNMENT PART Study the following case study and answer all the tasks listed. An automated ticket-issuing system sells rail tickets as you find in London underground and over ground railway stations. Users select their destinations and can be pay cash the exact amount or input a credit card and a personal identification number (PIN). The rail ticket is issued and their credit card account charged if the ticket was bought using a credit card. When the user presses the start button, a menu display of potential destinations is activated, along with a message to the user to select a destination. Once a destination has been selected, users are requested to pay cash or input their credit card. In the last case, its validity is checked and the user is then requested to input a personal identifier. When the credit transaction has been validated, the ticket is issued. ambiguities or omissions in the above scenario An automatic ticket issuing system sells rail tickets. Users select their destination, and input a credit card and a personal identification number. The rail ticket is issued and their credit card account charged with its cost. When the user presses the start button, a menu display of potential destinations is activated along with a message to the user to select a destination. Once a destination has been selected, users are requested to input their credit card. Its validity is checked and the user is then requested to input a personal identifier. When the credit transaction has been validated, the ticket is issued. Ambiguities and omissions include: Can a customer buy several tickets for the same destination together or must they be bought one at a time? Can customers cancel a request if a mistake has been made? How should the system respond if an invalid card is input? What happens if customers try to put their card in before selecting a destination (as they would in ATM machines)? Must the user press the start button again if they wish to buy another ticket to a different destination? Should the system only sell tickets between the station where the machine is situated and direct connections or should it include all possible destinations? What type of input device (touch screen vs. keyboard)? Ticket prices Room on train (assumes tickets have times on them) Train departure and arrival times. Do customers buy tickets for a specific train? Or for any trip along the route? (If the latter, then no way to tell if all the seats on a train are sold out, nor can you do seat assignments.) Seat assignments (see above) Print receipt? identified ambiguities in some appropriate way. Function Give customer a rail ticket, and charge credit account or take cash from customer and give the customer, a rail ticket. Description Determine customers destination, calculate the charge for the trip, and charge the customer the appropriate amount. If charge is complete, print the ticket, otherwise, print no ticket, and report error to customer. Inputs Destination, credit card number and PIN. Outputs Tickets, error messages Action Ask the customer for their destination, when input, calculate the total, and prompt to insert a credit card, prompt customer for PIN, prompt customer that the transaction is taking place, if successful print the ticket and return to start state, if unsuccessful, ask customer to swipe their card again and re-input the PIN. If unsuccessful again, prompt that the transaction has failed, and return to start state. Requires Destination, credit card number and PIN Pre-condition None Post-condition None Side effects Charge to the customers credit account user requirements definitions The user requirements for a system should describe the functional and nonfunctional requirements so that they are understandable by system users without any technical knowledge. When we write the user requirement we should not write with technical forms, table or diagrams. We should write in simple language with simple table, forms and diagrams. The actors in the system are the passenger, the counter clerk and the reservation system consisting of form processing, reservation, fare computation, ticket processing, ticket printing, collection of fare amount and posting as sub-systems. The passenger is a passive user-actor who initiates the process and obtains the ticket(s), a goal of measurable value. The counter clerk is an active user-actor, who triggers the system and has the role of issuing the tickets with the responsibility of collecting the correct fare amount from the passenger, which is a measurable value. Predesigned and deployed ticket reservation system at the back end is a system actor-user to ensure that ticket processing is done correctly and different system statuses are updated on issuing of tickets. This actor has an active role and responsibility at the back end. system requirements specifications System requirements Specifications are specified using the standard way of these forms. Function: Issuing Ticket Description: Issuing the ticket when the user select their desired tickets and make the correct payment. Inputs: Destination, child or Adult ,Pay by card or cash Output: Their desired ticket to be issued with their payment receipt Requires : Money Pre- Condition: Ticket will be validate between the user current place and the selected destination, Otherwise user will have to pay the penalty fare. a sequence diagram Scenario 1 This diagram shows about the user wants their ticket from the machine. It shows the interaction between user and ticket machine where user puts the requirement to the machine and the machine gives options back to the user. Scenario 2 This diagram shows the user chose the station and the machine give option back to user needs to choose from following option for e.g return ticket which class user wants to travel. After selecting options the user needs to pay for payment machine give option for eg cash or card. If the user choose card the ticket machine need to validate from card user. Scenario 3 This diagram represents a sequence activity when user buy a ticket using credit or debit card. When the user insert the card. The card is validated with the card issuer the validation of the card is returned to machine which then displays the result to the user. If the card is valid then the user need to enter the pin. The validity of the pin is checked. If the pin is wrong user need to try again. Once completed the user account is credited and the ticket along with the receipt to the user. Non-functional requirements The ticket system shall respond to user inputs to provide tickets and charge accounts in a timely manner. The system shall continue to function so long as roll of ticket paper is in the machine, and a network connection is provided for the destination database and credit transactions. Upon receipt of the destination from the user, the database shall be accessed to determine the distance from the units location, to the desired destination, and calculate the appropriate fee. The unit shall then prompt the user to input their card information, and the unit shall verify that the card is a credit card, is valid, and has sufficient credit to be charged. Upon successful verification, the unit shall print a ticket, and return to its ready state, for the next transaction to take place. The reliability this system relies on the durability of the physical user interface, the network connection in the area the system is placed, the size of the ticket rolls that the unit can accept, and the mecha nism for dispensing the tickets. The estimated time for a complete transaction would be about thirty seconds, giving twenty for the user interactions, five for validation and verification of the users account, and five for printing and dispensing the ticket. Use-cases Requirements validation process. Customer inserts her credit card into the ticket machine. card provider checks the card number. Then the machine asks for the pin-code. User enters the pin-code. Then the ticket machine requests database to validate the credit card. Ticket on processes. customer can use the ticket finaly. A semantic data model Impact if when the customer pays cash As the sequence diagram shows, the customer goes to ticket machine, and he is allowed to not have axact amount, the machine will confirm the amount, go through the check process and issues the ticket with receipt. References and Bibliography: Sommerville (2007), Computer Information Technology in Processors, 8th Edition, www.pearsoned.co.uk, Use Diagram (2010) Unified Approach and Unified Modeling Language. [Online].Available from: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0070583714/214723/144USECASEDIAGRAM.pdf [Accessed 13 Feb 2010]

Vietnam Retaliation In The U.S :: essays research papers

â€Å"Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.† - Gen William C Westmoreland, US Army (http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/13476.html)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that a war cannot be fought without the support of the people. Much so was this related to the Vietnam conflict. I say the â€Å"Vietnam Conflict† in that the United States never actually declared war on North Vietnam after its communist split-up in 1960. The conflict was based on the principles of containment stated in the Truman and Eisenhower Doctrines. These documents stated that military aid would be given to any nation willing to fight communism. This idea of â€Å"keeping communism in it’s place† without it spreading to new nations was called containment, a name given by President Harry Truman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In May of 1955, Vietnam, which was a French colony, was broken up by rebels led by Ho Chi Minh. Under the accords of the Geneva Convention, the French colony was broken into Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Communist China and Soviet Union while South Vietnam fought off communism with aid from the United States. These series of events added to the tensions felt in the Cold War, which lasted between the United States and the Soviet Union until 1989.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The year 1964 brought the United States into the conflict even more with President Johnson’s Operation â€Å"Rolling Thunder†, which bombed railroads, troop camps and other North Vietnamese targets. This also brought two battalions of 3,500 marines and opened the door to lead 540,000 men in Vietnam by 1967. This drastic call for troops to be deployed to Vietnam called on the Selective Service Act, which drafted men into the military who fit certain requirements. This combined with anti-war sentiments felt at home led to the opposition to the war I am to speak about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Conflict in Vietnam did not go unnoticed at home as well. Some Americans were eager to fight Communism in Vietnam. But, unlike most wars of American time, the action in Vietnam had a very split approval amongst Americans. Many believed that the conflict was the responsibility of South Vietnam, and not that of the United States. By the conflict’s escalation, however, the approval of the practice of containment in Vietnam dropped drastically as more Americans lost their lives to Viet-Cong guerillas. But some were optimistic, said here: â€Å"Writer James Reston commented that the anti-war demonstrations were not helping to bring peace to Vietnam. He said they were postponing it. He believed the demonstrations would make Ho Chi

The History of Ku Klux Klan :: essays research papers

It has been heard and talked about throughout history, that there was never such a thing as "The" Ku Klux Klan. There is traceable evidence of different movements and organizations that have used this name. The history of the K.K.K. corresponds with the history of race relations from our country. The Klan can be divided into five different eras: The Reconstruction, The End of the War (& Pulaski Six), The Klan Mobilization, The Reign of Terror, and The End of the First Era. Each stage was brought out by economic and social changes. Each stage also is at the same point in time as an escalation in racial standings. As it was started in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan has sent a sense of terror through people’s minds. A group of six white Southerners was the start of this organization. The history of violence of the K.K.K. is a result of the hatred and anger from the end of the Civil War. The reason for this hatred was because blacks had won their struggle for freedom of slavery. They fought to deny the civil rights for African Americans. They wanted the blacks to be forced into slavery once again. The K.K.K. tore apart reconstructing governments and established a reign of terror and violence throughout the whole war-torn South. The first era of the K.K.K. lasted about three or four years, than faded. The arose again after World War 1. The overall story starts with many generations of Americans learning hard lessons of life. These experiences led to fierce individualism, surprising inventiveness, and the thought that they could be whatever and go wherever they wanted to. Other things occurred alon g with these thoughts. "Frontier Justice" was an instant, private and violent method of settling differences without law officials. This was a large component to the motivation of the Ku Klux Klan. To some whites the freedom of slaves meant that their social and economic ways of life had been defeated. For some white Southerners, this was a nightmare that came true. The number of slaves living around the whites were seen as threats. Night patrols were a result of bloody slave revolts. These patrols consisted of white men that were empowered and authorized by law to look enforce a curfew for slaves, look for runaways and guard rural areas. This was done to prevent any black rebellions. These patrollers were given the right to whip any violators they caught.

Business connection The Key in perfect competition Managing costs Research Essay

Canada boasts of being among the world’s richest nations and of the western countries that have ultimate leverage over the economy, it is ranked in 10th place. It has an array of different industries characterized by a buzzing and quite rapid growth and development and production in the industries is entirely mechanized. Due to its trades it also happens to be a member of the G8 as well as Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Industries in Canada are high-tech and uphold state of the art technology and mechanization. Canada’s microeconomic issues Challenges however do come its way both internally and externally a good example being the world economic crisis of 2009 which saw to its financial stability regression and many employees losing their jobs since a majority of the industries could not sustain themselves let alone their large numbers of labor force. Previously the global economic downturn that had hit the US had led to a colossal fluctuation of market prices resulting in a massive decline of Canada’s profits. Despite the aforementioned global challenges, Canada like any other business has had its equal fair share of challenges. Sailing amongst the richest nations of the world, Canada has constantly overstretched its spending means leaving it with a huge burden of debts. According to the (Globe and Mail), it stands at a deficit of 3.3% of its GDP. Its lack of an economic slack makes it stand on the edge of a high inflation rate despite it being among the world’s countries with the least unemployed people. Canada has for a long time failed to embrace the art of international competition. Business connection: the key in perfection competition- managing costs Due to the trend in which the world has turned into a digital one with top notch technological systems being installed, and almost all operations going digital, leading to company’s marketing their merchandise on the internet. E-marketing is the most productive tool for any business that wants to thrive and stand way above its competitors and colossally out ways traditional methods of marketing. The largest proportion of the world’s population is now connected to the internet and in a bid to connect to large masses round the globe, e-marketing comes in handy as a business is able to have a wide presence ensuring it lures a wide variety of customers internationally which in the long run culminates into the company effectively managing its costs. Modern communication methods have been changing with time and it is therefore essential for the company to be up to speed with the changing technological advancements. According to (quirk biz), when correctly implemented, return on investment from e-marketing exceedingly outdo traditional methods of marketing not to mention it is at the forefront of redefinition for businesses to effectively interact with their customers. By adopting unique and state of the art e-marketing strategies, the company is able to effectively outshine its competitors. A company can also maximize on its desired profits by correctively identifying its target market and capitalizing on meeting and satisfying their needs so as to build on customer loyalty which reflects into high profit returns. This can be effectively done by emphasizing on the research of original research. That which lured customers to the company’s services and products should be used as a strength hence improved on in a bid to bait a large clientele of the company’s target market. (Lead forensics) advice on the need to carry out intelligence beforehand so as to clearly identify the needs of the purposed target audience thus the need to use current pop culture. In the spirit of beating competition and managing costs effectively, the company ought to rise a notch higher than its competitors by taking up unique strategies that outdo its competitors. Such as getting into video savvy. This is a plus to any business as it offers the company the platform to show case their unique attributes. Through this the company can also invest in animations for putting up their advertisements and is suitable for advertisements on both products and services and it would be guaranteed of effectively beating its competitors as its target clientele will always identify to the video ad. The demographic and lifestyle segmentation of target consumers helps the company in getting a clear picture of their clientele’s needs in terms of age, marital status, religious beliefs among others hence getting a clear mode of communication to them with an inclusive need of their lifestyles as well as cultures. By so doing, the company is able to enjoy a massive return on investments having cut on a lot of miscellaneous costs and expenses. It is also essential to bear in mind the customers purchasing attitudes and behavior thus capitalizing on the pros. investing on research on consumer behavior is quite instrumental as the company is able to get the niche in the industry and easily manipulate and take leverage over the market share. This can be efficiently and effectively done through a proper survey of the market and observing the target customer’s needs and preferences. The company can also invest in qualitative studies so as to get up to date with the industry and a clear understanding of the overview market share. A clear outline of a research plan should also be in calculated in the company’s research process. This is to make sure that the company is up to date with all possible avenues for doing business. All this withstanding, it is essential for the company to bear in mind the psychographics of its customers through a comprehensive research process so as to determine consumer behavior by looking into the attitudes of potential and kinetic clientele as well as pinpoint its customer’s purchasing behavior. It is possible for a company to build on customer loyalty hence customer retention and this can effectively be managed by capitalizing on the purchasing behavior of the customers hence improving on them or emphasizing on them so as to retain the customers and lure more aboard. A company can effectively manage its costs by research ing on the other places their customers or other customers shop for products and services same as its. This would give it insight on how operations are carried out in the other companies and serve as an eye opener on what woos the customers to them and in turn work on their strategies to lure back the customers, all this with an aim of being on top of their customers. The customer can also lure its customers by rewarding them for shopping at their outlets hence ensuring they come back another time. Quite a number of customers are sensitive on prices hence it is important for a company to work on its prices so as to enhance on customer retention. This can be done using the varieties of pricing techniques. Promotions are a plus in any given industry thus it is advisable that the company does promotions for its products from time to time and rewarding its loyal customers. This would out rightly beat its competitions as customers will constantly be reminded of the company’s merch andise. Effective public relations should not be overlooked as they also are a place in any business. Government’s intervention on trade regulations helps in creating a perfect atmosphere for doing trade among various businesses offering the same merchandise since competition is regulated and malicious strategies aimed at seeing to the downfall of a specific company cannot be initiated. Connection debate summary In summary, the debate connection is aimed at providing companies with the knowhow on market penetration as well as standing out from the rest with an intent of taking leverage over the market share hence beating competition from its rival companies. This in the long run aids the company in managing its costs through profits maximization. The connections debate’s pros The debate is aimed at aiding companies in taking a leverage over others in the same industries as theirs which is good in creating friendly competition. By adopting strategies mentioned in the debate, a company is assured of increasing on their return on investments as well as standing out from the rest. The connection debate’s cons Not all businesses uphold friendly business competition strategies as some can have the malicious intent of tarnishing a different company’s names so as to take entire leverage over the industry. Basing an argument from Canada’s economic state, the country has failed to efficiently diversify its target international trade partners and concentrated on only one trade partner the US which is a risky trend as its stability entirely relies on the US’ economy. In an event of the downfall of the US’ economy, then Canada’s economy is bound to fail. Referencebusbus Britany Lee fries. November, 2009. Environment: the type of economy and level of industrialization in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.canada-britanyleefries.blogspot.comIndex Mundi. August, 2014. Canada economy profile 2014. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com The heritage foundation & wall street journal. Canada: 2014 index economic freedom. Retrieved from http://www.herutage.org The Globe and Mail, 2013. Canada’s 7 deadly economic problems. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com Fred lazar, 1981. The new protectionism: non-tariff barriers and their effects on Canada. James Lorimar & amp; company. Elijah M. James, 2008. Chapter 11. Microeconomics. Published by Pearson education Canada Lead Forensics, June 2014. 3 winning ideas to beat your competitors at content. Retrieved from http://www.leadforensics.com Source document

Evaluate the idea that gender and sexuality are socially constructed Essay

In recent years sociologists have been studying the great extent to which gender roles are learned. Many behaviors that have traditionally been thought to be genetically determined male or female behaviors turn out to be learned behaviors and therefore subject to change in future generations. In a summary of gender role socialization studies, David Shaffer (1979) points out that by the age of two, children have generally learned to recognize â€Å"maleness† and â€Å"femaleness† on the basis of clothing and hair styles. By the age of three, children usually have learned to prefer sex-typed toys and recognize that girls become â€Å"mommies† and boys become â€Å"daddies†. By school-age, children realized that they are expected to engage in appropriate gender behavior and if they do not, they will meet with disapproval from other children and adults. Many sociologists have personally questioned the value of such early gender-role learning and raised questions about how this learning can inhibit later opportunities in terms of education and career selection (Howe, 1979). To understand how gender and sexuality are socially constructed we must look at the adaptive and functional nature of socialization. One can look at the content of socialization as adaptive for the individual and functional for the society. As adaptive for the individual, the content of socialization involves knowledge necessary for individual to adapt to the changing situation of their daily lives, while, as a function for society, the content of socialization involves the knowledge necessary for its members to maintain a society as an ongoing entity. Knowledge of social rules, appropriate emotional behavior, social situations, technical knowledge, one’s self-identity, and communicative abilities give individuals an ability to adjust their behaviors to one another in the different groups and situations in which they encounter each other. Such adjustments are necessary for the ongoing existence of a society. Only people know how to adjust their behaviors to each other can the group activities and relationships which make up a society be maintained. Only with a socialized adult population can anything such as a society be said to exist. The particular content of socialization becomes highly important in terms of the make-up of the society that one is observing. If the content of socialization were to change, people’s activities and motivations would change, and clearly the society would change. So, on a sociological quest the content of socialization is something to which the sociologist should and must pay attention (O’Brien, 2001). Charles H. Cooley (1964), a pioneer of American socialization studies, referred to an individual’s self-concept as a â€Å"looking-glass self†. Cooley implied that our self-conceptions reflect our interpretation of the relations to our behavior of those around us with whom we interact. According to Cooley, we not how others respond to our actions, which produces in us a feeling about ourselves, which influences how we perceive ourselves. For instance a person who drops something and overhears another’s remark about how clumsy he is, may come to think of himself as a clumsy individual. We come to think of ourselves in terms of our understanding of how others think about us. It is through interaction that we come to apply to ourselves such labels as â€Å"kind† or â€Å"mean†, â€Å"awkward† or â€Å"graceful†. To see oneself as beautiful is to interact with persons who see you as meeting the criteria of beauty. Whether one sees oneself as an ugly duckling or a beautiful swan depends upon the flock with which one swims. As a naturalistic and empirical quest for understanding the various aspects of social reality is that everyone both influences and is influenced by society, sociology is ultimately a quest for self understanding. Humans beings are not isolated entities; we are not hermits who live apart uninfluenced by one another. Rather, we are social beings who can only be fully understood when the social context of our actions are taken into account and carefully studied. In order to carry out the quest for sociological knowledge it is necessary to have an understanding of the types, uses and limitations of the various sociological tools or methods. The sociological quest can be the appropriate sociological map or theory (Shaffer, 1979). Now I want to look at social life as a process and structure in the social construction of gender and sexuality. Social life involves processes of socialization, culture, and deviance. Learning how to act in society via socialization, developing and sharing of orientations toward social life via culture, and the negative sanctioning of inappropriate behaviors via the labeling process of deviance are universal processes, which are necessary to social life, and found in all societies. Although their particular make-up will vary from society to society, these three processes exist in all human societies. But, in addition to these processes, there also exists in all societies some relatively permanent patterns of organized social life that sociologists refer to as social structures. It is within and through social structures that the processes of socialization, culture and deviance take place. Just as the processes of human life take place in the structure of the human body so, too, the processes of society take place within and are influenced by social structures (Macionis, 1997). The most basic social structure around and through which social life takes place are groups; groups range in size from relatively small informal groups such as families, to large bureaucracies and formal organizations such as businesses and governmental agencies. All groups are composed of members who have met certain criteria for membership, who play certain understood roles in the group, and who have a sense of group belonging, which is sometimes termed a â€Å"we-feeling† or a â€Å"consciousness-of –kind†. Groups, related to one another in terms of their performing similar social activities, together from the social structures called social institutions. For example all the groups primarily involved in educational activities together form a society’s educational institution. It is through and in groups, and the institutions that they compose that the basic social processes of a society take place. It is in social groups that the learning of socialization takes place that cultural roles are shared and acted upon, and that deviance is ascertained and punished. People know how to perform roles in groups because they have knowledge of how to act which they developed in the process of socialization, because they share cultural understandings with other group members with whom they interact, because they have an understanding of what is considered deviant and unacceptable behavior in the various groups to which they belong (O’Brien, 2001). When we consider how females and males differ, the first thing that usually comes to mind is sex, the biological characteristics that distinguish males and females. Primary sex characteristics consist of a vagina or a penis and other organs related to reproduction, secondary sex characteristics are the physical distinctions between males and females that are not directly connected with reproduction. Secondary sex characteristics become clearly evident at puberty, when males develop more muscles, a lower voice, and more hair and height while females form more fatty tissue, broader hips, and larger breasts. Gender is a social and not a biological characteristic. Gender consists of whatever traits a group considers proper for its males and females. This is what makes gender vary from one society to another. Sex refers to male or female, gender refers to masculinity or femininity, so sex you inherit and you learn your gender as you are socialized into specific behaviors and attitudes (Gilmore, 1990). The sociological significance of gender is that it is a device by which society controls its members. Gender sorts us on the basis of sex, into different life experiences. It open and closes doors to power, property, and even prestige. Like social class, gender is a structural feature of society. Biology plays a significant role in our lives. Each of us begins as a fertilized egg. The egg, or ovum, is contributed by our mother, the sperm that fertilizes the egg by our father. At the very moment the egg is fertilized, our sex is determined. Each of us receives twenty-three pairs of chromosomes from the ovum and twenty-three from the sperm. The egg has an X chromosome. If the sperm that fertilized the egg also has an X chromosome, we become female. If the sperm has a Y chromosome we become male. That’s the biology. Now the sociological question is, does this biological difference control our behavior? Does it make females more nurturing and submissive and males more aggressive and domineering? (Macionis, 1997) Almost all sociologists take the side of â€Å"nurture† in this â€Å"nature vs. nurture† controversy. The dominant sociological position is represented by the symbolic interactionists. They stress that the visible differences of sex do not come with meanings built into them. Rather each human group determines what these physical differences mean for them and on that basis assigns males and females to separate groups. It is here that people learn what is expected of them and are given different access to their society’s privileges. Most sociologists find compelling argument that if biology were the principal factor in human behavior all around the world we would find women to be one sort of person and men another. In fact, ideals of gender vary greatly from one culture to another and as a result, so do male-female behaviors. For example the Tahitians in the South Pacific show a remarkable contrast to our usual expectations of gender. They don’t give their children names that are identifiable as male or female, and they don’t divide their labor on the basis of gender. They expect both men and women to be passive, yielding and to ignore slights. Neither male nor females are competitive in trying to attain material possessions (Gilmore, 1990). Society also channels our behavior through gender socialization. By expecting different attitudes and behaviors from us because we are male or female, the human group nudges boys and girls in separate directions in life. This foundation of contrasting attitudes and behaviors is so thorough that, as adults most of us think, act and even feel according to our culture’s guidelines of what is appropriate for our sex. Our parents are the first significant others who teaches us our part in this symbolic division of the world. Their own gender orientations are so firmly established that they do much of this teaching without even being aware of what they are doing. This is illustrated by a classic study done by psychologists Susan Goldberg and Michael Lewis (1969). They asked mothers to bring their 6 month old infants into their laboratory to supposedly observe the infant’s development. Secretly these researchers also observed the mothers. They found that the mothers kept their daughters closer to them. They also touch and spoke more to their daughters. By the time the children were 13 months old, the girls stayed closer to their mothers during play, and they returned to them sooner and more often than did the boys. When they set up barriers to separate the children from their mothers, who were hiding toys, the girls were more likely to cry and motion for help, the boys ere likely to try to climb over the barrier. Goldberg and Lewis (1969) were able to conclude that in our society mothers unconsciously reward their daughters for being passive and dependent, their sons for being active and independent. These lessons continue throughout childhood. On the basis of their sex, children are given different kinds of toys. Preschool boys are allowed to roam farther from home than their preschool sisters, and they are subtly encouraged to participate in more rough and tumble play. Even get dirtier and to me more defiant. Such experiences in socialization lie at the heart of the sociological explanation of male/female differences (O’Brien, 2001). In today’s society mass media plays a vital role in gender and sexuality roles. Sociologist stress how this sorting process that begins in the family is reinforced as the child is exposed to other aspects of society. Especially important today are the mass media, forms of communication that are directed to large audiences. Powerful images of both sexes on television, music and the internet reinforce society’s expectation of gender. Television reinforces stereotypes of the sexes. On prime time television, male characters outnumber female characters by two to one. They also are more likely to be portrayed in higher status positions. Viewers get the message, for the more television that people watch; the more they tend to have restrictive ideas about women’s role in society. The expectations to the stereotypes are notable and a sign of changing times. Video games have some youths spending countless hours playing games. Even college students, especially males, relieve stress by escaping into video games. But more studies into the affect of these games on the ideas of gender are needed. Because the games are the cutting edge of society, they sometimes also reflect cutting edge changes in sex roles (Macionis, 1997). As women change their roles in society, the mass media reflects those changes. Although media images of women are passive, subordinate, or as mere background objects remain and still predominate, a new image has broken through. Exaggerating changes in society, this new image nonetheless reflects a changing role of women, from passive to active in life outside the home, from acquiescent to dominate in social relations. Books, magazines, DVD’s and video games are made available to a mass audience. And with new digital advances they have crossed the line form what we traditionally think of as games to something that more closely resembles interactive movies. Sociologically, what is significant is that the content of video games socializes their users. Gamers are exposed not only to action, but also to ideas as they play. Especially significant are gender images that communicate powerful messages, just as they do in other forms of mass media (O’Brien, 2001). Lara Croft, an adventure seeking archeologist and star of Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider 2, is the essence of the new gender image. Lara is smart, strong, and able to utterly vanquish foes. With both guns blazing, she is the cowboy of the twenty-first century, the term cowboy being purposely chosen, as Lara breaks gender roles and assumes what previously was the domain of men. The old remains powerfully encapsulated in the new. Lara is a fantasy girl for young men of the digital generation. No matter her foe, no matter her predicament, Lara always is outfitted in form fitting outfits, which reflect the mental images of the men who created this digital character. Their efforts have been so successful that boys and young men have bombarded corporate headquarters with questions about Lara’s personal life. Lara had caught young men’s fancy to such an extent that more than 100 web sites are devoted to her. The final reward of the game is to see Lara in a nightie one can question that regardless of tough girl images just how far stereotypes have been left behind (Macionis, 1997). Gender stratification gives males and females unequal access to power and prestige and property on the basis of sex. It is closely associated with class and caste stratification and is a related phenomenon of gender stratification. Some but not all societies have men and women as unequal with the latter being more seen. Sexual in equality is characteristic of societies that are stratified in other ways as well. Women have historically occupied a position of inferiority to men in the class structured societies of the Western world. Sexual inequality may sometimes be seen in societies that are not otherwise stratified, in such instances men and women are always physically as well as conceptually separated from one another. The rise of gender stratification often seems to be associated with the development of strongly centralized states. Because social stratification of any kind tends to make life oppressive for large segments of a population, the lower classes are usually placated by means of religion, which promises them a better existence in the hereafter. Gender inequality is not some accident; instead it is the institutions of each society that work together to maintain the group’s particular forms of inequality. Customs throughout history both justify and maintain these arrangements. Although men have resisted sharing their privileged positions with women, change has come (O’Brien, 2001). By playing a fuller role in the decision making processes of our social institutions, women are going against the stereotypes and role models that lock males into exclusively male activities and push females into roles that re considered feminine. As structural barriers fall and more activities are engendered, both males and females will be free to pursue activities that are more compatible with their abilities and desires as individuals. As they develop a new consciousness of themselves and their own potential, relationships between females and males will change. Certainly distinctions between the sexes will not disappear. There is no reason for biological differences to be translated into social inequalities. The reasonable goal is appreciation of sexual differences coupled with equality of opportunity which may lead to a transformed society.

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