The Bermuda Triangle Evidence and use of research

Trever Wack D Block Mrs. Griffin FCA’s 1. MLA documentation/works cited 2. THESIS STATEMENT 3. Evidence and use of research There is a place, it’s said where small boats, huge ships, and even powerful military vessels sail out into calm, clear weather†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and then just vanish†¦. without a trace (Lexington 1). This is the dreaded Bermuda triangle also referred to as the devil’s triangle (Bermuda Triangle 1). It is located off the southeastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean. The three points that create the triangle are Miami Florida, Bermuda, and San Juan Puerto Rico.It covers roughly 500,000 square miles (Obringer 1). Here, off the coast of Florida, is a vacation paradise: Clear water, white beaches, and warm weather, but legends warn this tropical beauty conceals a deadly secret. This unknown something, snatches people from the surface of the world, and vaporizes them as they were never here in the first place. There are few ideas as chilling as the thought that sometimes, in some places, for no reason, people simply disappear without a trace (Lexington 1).The Bermuda triangle is a well-known conspiracy resulting in the disappearance of flight 19, testimonies of the survivors, and known possible theories. The Bermuda triangle is well known today because of the disappearance of six Navy planes and their crew was on December 5, 1945 (Berlitz 21). The first five planes that disappeared, apparently simultaneously, were on a routine training mission with a flight plan designed to follow a triangular flight pattern. The pattern started at Naval Air Station at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Then 160 miles to the east, 40 miles to the north, and then southwest back to their base (Berlitz 21).No incident before or since has been more remarkable than this total disappearance of an entire training mission, along with the giant rescue plane, a Martin Mariner with a crew of 13, which inexplicably vanished during rescue operat ions (Berlitz 21-22). Flight 19 contained five officer pilots and nine enlisted crewmembers. The planes were navy Grumman TBM-3 avenger torpedo bombers, and each carried enough fuel to enable it to cruise over 1000 miles (Berlitz 22). The weather that day was said to be clear and sunny, and according to planes that flew earlier that day, this was ideal flying conditions.The flight time calculated for this specific mission was two hours. The planes started taking off at 2 PM and by 2:10 PM they were all airborne (Berlitz 22). In command was Lieut. Charles Taylor, with over 2500 hours of flying time, who led the planes to where they would make their practice runs on a so called â€Å"target hulk† (Berlitz 22). Both pilots and crews were experienced airmen and there was no reason to expect anything other than usual nature to happen during this mission of. But something did happen†¦. and with a vengeance (Berlitz 22).At around 3:30 PM flight 19 could no longer hear messages from the tower, but the tower could hear conversations between the planes. Some of these messages referred to possible fuel shortages, references to 75 mile per hour winds, references to being lost, and the unnerving observation that every Gyro and magnetic compass in all the planes were off – â€Å"going crazy,† as it was reported at the time –each showing a different reading (Berlitz 23). At this time the personnel of the base were in an understandable uproar as news spread that flight 19 had encountered an emergency.Rescue crafts where dispatched, the rescue team consisted of a crew of thirteen aboard a Martin Mariner flying boat patrol plane, from the banana river naval air station. Minutes after the Martin Mariner the tower received a message from Lieut. Come, one of the officers of the Martin Mariner, dispatched to the general area where flight 19 was presumed to be, that there were strong winds above 6,000 feet. This, however, was the last message receive d from the plane (Berlitz 24). There was an immediate message sent out to other rescue vessels stating that six planes instead of five are now missing.The Martin Mariner had disappeared as well. The original and search, initiated on the day of disappearance, was suspended because of darkness, although Coast Guard vessel continued to look for survivors during the night. The following day, Thursday, December 6th, 1945, would be one of history’s most intensive search efforts ever recorded. The search effort involved 240 planes and 67 additional planes from the aircraft carrier Solomons, 4 destroyers, several submarines, 18 Coast Guard vessels, and Royal Navy units in the Bahamas, along with hundreds of private planes, yachts, and boats (Berlitz 24-25).Unfortunately despite all the rescue efforts, nothing was found of either flight 19 or the Martin Mariner. Although there have been many disappearances after flight 19 and the Martin Mariner, there are only few that are as signific ant as the disappearance of flight 19. January 29, 1948: Star Tiger, four engine Tudor IV, lost radio contact 380 miles northeast of Bermuda, plane lost with 31 passengers and crew. January 17, 1949: Star Ariel, sister ship of the Star Tiger, London to Santiago, Chile, via Bermuda and Jamaica, radio communications lost 380 miles south-southwest of Bermuda on course to Kingston.Airplanes are not only thing that had disappeared in the Bermuda triangle, major ships and disappeared as well. On March 4, 1918: U. S. Navy supply ship U. S. S . Cyclops, 500 feet, 19,000 tons displacement, sailed March 4 from Barbados to Norfolk with 309 aboard, no bad weather, no radio messages, no wreckage ever found. These are some of the most known disappearances in the Bermuda triangle, but what about people who have experienced strange occurrences in the Bermuda triangle and still survived to tell their tale?In his book â€Å"invisible horizons†, Vincent Gaddis devotes a section to the Bermuda t riangle. Vincent recalls acquiring a letter from an ex-airman, named Dick Stern, containing surprising information. Mr. Stern indicated in his letter that towards the cessation of 1944 he was on a flight going to Italy. The flight consisted of a group of seven bombers, about 300 miles off Bermuda, his plane suddenly experienced such violent and destructive turbulence they are obligated to return to the Amalgamated States.When this transpired the weather was clear, but due to the critically damaging turbulence the plane turned over and pitched so violently that the crew was thrown to the ceiling. The plane suddenly lost altitude to a point where it was virtually coerced into the ocean (Berlitz 65). When Mr. Stern returned to base he described that there was only one other plane left who had returned to the base safely out of seven when they originally left. There had been no radio contact with the other planes and no trace of anything left from the disappearance was found (Berlitz 66 ).Some years after Mr. Stern and his wife were on a flight from Bermuda to Nassau, when, by coincidence, Mrs. Stern was talking about the previous incident, and suddenly the plane lost altitude quickly and the plane shook violently. The food that they were eating flew to the ceiling. The plane perpetuated to elevate and fall for a quarter of an hour (Berlitz 66). This occurrence may be an example of clear air turbulence, which if rigorous or continued, would possibly cause some planes to be ripped apart and scattered all over the sea.In any case Dick Stern has the distinction of having encountered the same arbitrary and powerful force transpire twice at virtually the same place in the triangle†¦. and lived to tell about it (Berlitz 66). But how is the Bermuda triangle consuming so many ships and planes? The following five conceptions are considered myths because they're not supported by much scientific proof. Some people have speculated that sea monsters live in this particular area of the ocean and are just waiting for sailors and pilots to come by so they can seize their next victim.Maybe all of those people who have vanished are actually living in a third dimension that people can't even imagine (The Bermuda Triangle 1). An antediluvian philosopher, Plato, told about a lost continent called Atlantis. The story of Atlantis describes a beautiful continent that was ahead of its time and that sadly and mysteriously vanished or got swallowed up by the ocean. No one knows if the story of the lost continent is true but it has been linked to the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Some believe that Atlantis is right below The Triangle.People believe that if you make your way to deep below the oceans surface you would find the missing continent of Atlantis. But how does this explain the disappearing boats and planes? Does the continent just suction them under? Or are travelers going there intentionally on an endeavor to find Atlantis (The Bermuda Triangle 2)? The Bermuda Triangle is one of only two areas in the world where true north and magnetic north are the same. True north is considered the North Pole and magnetic north is a little different. This is because of magnetic fields in our atmosphere that pull compass readings a little bit away from true north.Because the two north’s line up in the Bermuda Triangle, magnetic compasses go crazy when they're utilized in this area. It could cause ship captains and pilots to get lost—perhaps forever (The Bermuda Triangle 2). The Bermuda Triangle is located in a very tumultuous and stormy area. Most Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the perfidious triangle. Many ships that have vanished in the area have vanished just before an immensely colossal storm when the waters are especially dangerous and hard to navigate (The Bermuda Triangle 2).Imagine being a sailor and heading through the Bermuda Triangle – what an adventure! People may never know the truth about t his weird and abstrusely cryptic environment but it's pretty cool to contemplate the possibilities! The Bermuda triangle is a well-known conspiracy resulting in the evaporation of flight 19, statements from the survivors, and known possible theories. The Bermuda triangle is a mysterious place where flight 19 vanished and to this day we have no plausible reason of why. Not only did flight 19 disappear, many others have vanished without a trace or explanation.There are not many survivors today, but they are the lucky ones, the ones that are here to tell their tale. Most of the tales told will all have the same basic plot. That plot is that they fly, or sail, into clear weather, loose radio connectivity†¦and vanish. A lot of people have come up with some crazy explanations of why the Bermuda triangle snatches boats or planes. Some of these reasons are not plausible at all though! Some think that there is super nature controlling all, but who knows? Is there a Bermuda triangle? Or is it just a made up spoofed conspiracy?Works Cited â€Å"Bermuda Triangle. † Man, Myth & Magic, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown. 1974. Lexton, Daniel. â€Å"The Bermuda Triangle. † Skeptic 1. 2003. 96B. elibrary. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. Obringer, Lee Ann. â€Å"How the Bermuda Triangle Works. † 02 Aug 2006. Howstuffworks. com. Snow, Edward Rowe. â€Å"Supernatural Mysteries and Other Tales. † New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1974. Print. â€Å"The Bermuda Triangle: Exploring the Mystery of this Underwater Wonder. † Kidsworld Magazine. Spring 2011: pi 1. General One File. Web. 10 May 2012.

Great Gatsby Coming of Age Novel Essay

The novel the Great Gatsby isn’t your classical coming of age novel at least for the most part. This is because Nick Caraway is the only character who actually ends up changing by the end of the novel. Furthermore coming of age novels refer to a character(s) that pass the rite of passage in order to enter manhood or womanhood. Therefore this novel is about the growth of maturity. The story begins with Nick attending dinner at the Buchannan house. Nick was at first very impressed and fascinated with the beauty, glamour, and wealth of Daisy and Tom. This can be seen in the quote â€Å"Their house was even more elaborate than I expected† (Fitzgerald, pg.6). This point of view is oblivious and is unaware of the saying â€Å"it’s not what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside. However this point of view drastically changed by the end of the novel. By the end of the novel Nick can no longer even bare to stand the sight of Tom or Daisy, let alone shake their hands. This is best seen with the quote â€Å"What’s the matter, Nick? Do you object to shaking hands with me? Yes. You know what I think of you.† This is because Tom told Mr. Wilson to go and kill Gatsby because he had been the person driving the car. Furthermore he can’t stand Daisy because even though she loved Gatsby she retreated behind Tom and let Gatsby take the hit for her. This resulted in Gatsby’s death and later his funeral to which neither Daisy nor Tom attended. The strongest representation of Nick’s growing maturity is the fact that he realises that Tom and Daisy are both weak and gutless people. This understanding was only obtained when Nick looked for what was on the â€Å"inside†. The quote â€Å"They are careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is really powerful and Fitzgerald is warning others about people who are like this. The novel The Great Gatsby may not be a coming of age novel but it is a  pretty darn good book about growing in maturity, following your dreams, and fighting for love. Unfortunately Nick is the only character who actually realised this and learned from it.

Sustainable marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainable marketing plan - Essay Example The Oman Air played a significant contribution in making Muscat as a major traffic hub through initiating wide number of commercial, industrial and tourism activities. The network of airline services of Oman Air operates in Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Indian subcontinent. The growth and development history of Oman Air witnessed the commitment towards offering sustainable, reliable and quality services to the customers (Oman Air 2012). Target market Stakeholder analysis and profitability figures of Oman Air have revealed that company is primarily engaged in delivering luxurious airline services to business travelers. Oman Air seeks to target elite class customers, leisure travelers and tourists aspire to enhance their airline service experience. The services are primarily designed to attract and cater international business, pleasure travelers, and upscale customers. In other words, upper middle and high income groups’ customers serve the major target market of Oman Air. The customers seeking comfort, convenience, and value added services are targeted by the company. The middle and low income class customers are already being taken by the low cost carriers and other airline companies. The battle remain in the upper middle and affluent customers, therefore the company intends to target and formulates marketing strategy in order to gain control over this target audience. Oman Air is strived towards delivering consistent and reliable airline services to the target audience evidenced by the continuous increase in the air passenger traffic report of CAPA-Centre for Aviation & Oman Air. The constant increase in the air traffic passengers of Oman Air also indicates the ever increasing expectations of target audience. The target audience adopts for the Oman Air airline services in the expectation of getting more personalized and innovative airline services (Oman Air 2012). Goals for marketing campaign (20 points) The marketing campaign of the Oman Air strives to provide new dimension to the existing airline services of the company. The goals of the marketing campaign in terms of both the 3B’s (Brand, Buzz, and Behavior) and the 3BL (People, Planet, Profits) are: Goals in terms of Brand, Buzz, and Behavior 1) Improving appearance of Oman Air as remarkable, safety, bold and fresh airlines through adding or improving in-flight services features. 2) Fostering the brand image of Oman Air as responsive, prompt, fast, customer oriented, and having courteous attitude. 3) To keep pace with the technological advancement in order to introduce new business models. 4) Formulating promotional messages showing respect and courtesy towards other cultures and backgrounds. 5) To become a member of global premium airline service platform in the coming ten years. 6) To become airline of choice for pleasure travelers and premium customers across worldwide. 7) Offering differentiated and personalized services from all key touch points to strengthen bra nd personality. 8) Increasing presence in the global cities to emerge as a global player. 9) Positioning the airline services in more personalized manner in order to stimulate existing market share. 10) Investigate and introduce new comfort, convenience, and technology driven factors in airline services of Oman Air. 11) Providing a delightful flying experience in order to gain foothold in new geographical regions. Goals in terms of profit, people, planet 12) To increase the revenue growth from 35% to 40% by the end

Podcasts for Training in an Organisational Setting Research Proposal

Podcasts for Training in an Organisational Setting - Research Proposal Example Podcasting offers consumer appeal, ease of use, and accessibility. The term podcasting, for the purpose of this research, refers to a technological tool that is mobile and has the capacity for internet communication, multimedia playback, and storage. A primary example of such a device is the famous iPod by the Apple Company. Although other podcast-enabled devices are available on the market, iPod is currently the preferred podcasting device (Apple 2006). The advance of technology has an obvious impact on the processes we use in an organization or institution. The suggested research will examine the affects of using podcasts for training in an organizational setting to determine its benefits and drawbacks on the training procedure. The following section of the proposal discusses the perceived relevance of the intended research, as it outlines and challenges the ability of the podcasting method to quantifiably enhance training in a given subject area. The second section presents comparable research studies through the literature review which focuses on podcasting in a first part, on the physiological and psychological aspects of learning in a second part. The third section relates to the methodology to follow in order to reach the research objectives outlined in the first section of the proposal. The details of the methodology utilized to test and measure our experiments are presented in that segment. The perspective of training with information-age technology offers a wide range of possibilities in several fields including higher education, medical and healthcare, business and management. Research Question/Why is the Research Important (300 words) Proposed Question: What do employees at my organisation (Boston Scientific) perceive as the benefits of podcasting Researchers forecast between 30 and 57 million people living in the United States will access and use iPod technology by the year 2010 - This estimate gives a general outlook on the advance of podcast-like technology into our everyday lives (Mindlin 2005). The Podcasting technology has enjoyed and continues to enjoy phenomenal growth in our society, particularly in higher education (Campbell 2005). Several institutions of higher education including Drexel and Duke University have recently introduced podcasting as a supplementary learning tool (Duke 2006). These universities embraced the technology as a way to leverage and improve the quality of their training, and the learning benefits of the technology are manifest. Dr. Lucic from Duke University concluded that the iPod initiative at Duke not only encouraged students to "think on their own", but also increased their level of creativity in how to use the technology to facilitate the learning experience (Dalrymple 2006). The adoption of the podcasting technology in these various institutions of h

Analyzing Enterprise Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Enterprise Operations - Essay Example The complementary nature of the inter departments makes the analysis and integration amongst them, an essential study. Enterprise integration is an improvement concept, as are total quality and error-free performance and these concepts have proven to be very difficult to implement successfully because the desired degree of improvement is difficult to achieve (Nell, n.d.). As in case of all improvement strategies whether in small scale or a small scale, the change must be gradual. Expectations have to be satisfied in the long term basis as the human factor is the most significant aspect of the analysis and integration. On the other hand, some businesses have invested to overcome integration barriers, and have achieved their integration, cost, and quality goals and there was enormous improvement (Nell, n.d.). The result was an optimal process where the products were produced with the desired result of timely manufacturing, and cost reduction so immensely that eliminated the need to jus tify the old system. The organization – Automobile industry, in present times, is one of the most competitive industry which has escalated owing to the purchasing power of the urban mass. Today’s customer, when purchasing a car, is not only attracted by the money factor but is also swayed by performance, design , brand name and other factors, making the industry , immensely competitive. BMW is German automaker primarily involved in manufacturing cars for the luxury class. It manufacturers BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Sales and Marketing, Finance, Operations, Quality, Human Resource, Research and Development are some of the main departments that comprise the organization setup. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system has been installed for a smooth and effective flow of cross functional information. Sales and Marketing is one of the major contributors to the financial growth and profitability for the company. Under the Sales and Marketing department there are sub departments which are responsible to for specific jobs. For any sales person, the best way to learn about the business in to witness the direct sale of a car in the showroom. The showroom is furnished with the model cars and is connected to the central portal for the ERP. The location of the showroom is discussed in the department as the customers are limited to the upper strata of the society. The department is responsible to liaise with the operations and the management for the allotment and early delivery of the vehicle. The process – For high end car manufacturers like BMW, front end customer interaction is important. The rationale behind choosing the below process is to assess the journey of the line of interaction to the line of visibility that a customer embarks after he enters a BMW showroom. This is place where the initial relationship is established. One of the core process in the Sales and marketing department is the proper information flow of the booking o rders that are being assigned in the showroom. These orders comprise customized options by the customer (a new feature launched by the company where the customer can choose the interiors, accessories etc.) This is an important introductory concept as it gives the premium customers a flexibility to personalize the car. The specifications are entered in the system that is connected to t

Db Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Db - Essay Example The performance of an employee is essential to the profitability of a corporation. This is the reason why every company should develop an appraisal system that will recognize an employee’s contribution to the company. The first step in designing an appraisal system is to set the objectives of the system. The criteria and metrics for evaluating successful performance must be determined. The appraisers or reviewers and participants should also be chosen. The appraisal does not end in the measurement of the employees’ performance but there should also be a feedback mechanism so that a reward system can also be properly put in place. There are several techniques of appraising performance of employees. One technique is to use a numerical or scalar rating system. The managers are asked to score an individual against a number of objectives/attributes. Other companies do not only ask the managers to rate the employees but they also ask their co-workers and customers to rate the employee. Sometimes the employee is asked to rate himself too (Admin, 2010). Another common method of appraisal is the Management By Objectives (MBO) which is the process wherein managers and employees set objectives for the employee then periodically evaluate the performance of the employee and reward him according to the results.

History of The NFL Dallas Cowboys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of The NFL Dallas Cowboys - Essay Example H.R â€Å"Bum† Bright bought the team in 1984 from Murchison. The team produced bad results, and during the savings and loan crisis the team was taken over by FSLIC. Mr. Bright had little options to save the team hence Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989. The team has three stadiums since its formation as argued by Sullivan & Jeff (89). Cotton Bowl (originally know as Fair Park Bowl) was their first stadium, and they used it during their first 11 years in the NFL. The stadium got its name from the annual Cotton Bowl Classic college football bowl game (The event moved to the Cowboys Stadium since 2010). The stadium is their only stadium within Dallas city limits. In October 24, 1971, the team moved to Texas stadium where majority of the Cowboys history was made. Dallas Cowboys played in the stadium for 37 years. The team lost their final game in Texas Stadium on December, 20, 2008 to Baltimore Ravens before moving to their current stadium. Cowboys Stadium is the team’s current home stadium. The Stadium is also the first to be located outside Dallas County and is the largest domed stadium in the world. In their analysis Sullivan & Jeff say that Dallas Cowboys have won many championships during the 52 years since they began playing in the NFL (34). The team won their first championship (NFL Eastern Conference Championship) in 1966. They have won the Conference Championship (NFL Eastern and NFC) 10 times. In Division Championship, the Cowboys have performed well by clinching 21 titles. However, the team made their greatest achievement in 1971, when they won the Super Bowl for the first time with Tom Landry as the coach. They won the title again in 1977. When Jerry took over, he fired him and replaced him with Jimmy Johnson who also won the title twice (1992 and 1993). Jimmy was replaced by Barry Switzer who won their last Super Bowl in 1995. Since their formation, the team’s uniform has changed a lot but the blue color

American revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American revolution - Essay Example They considered the British ruling to be unfair. All the peace deals they stroke with them always backfired and the Americans got very little representation in parliament. Most colonists including the French and Indians wanted to move part ways with the British administration thus making the fight for independence in America inevitable. By 1665, the Gross national Product (GNP) of the North America’s economy had grown with a huge margin of close to 25 times the normal rate. This meant that the British colonists led a lavish lifestyle (Foner 45). This made the Americans uncomfortable because they were the ones subjected to heavy taxes. Such a difference in ideological bearing in terms of social status and governance forced the Americans to push for changes and dare the British colonists into war until they could realize their independence. The war had little impact on the religious sector in America. The traditional churches grew stronger than they were before the war. Since churches were good weapons of passing the message to authorities, by 1845, the Methodist Episcopal Church had grown to be one of the largest churches in America. In Mexico for instance, the introduction of formal education suppressed the Mexico’s Indian culture. On the contrary, the art industry improved because Indian and Christian romanticism was mixed to improve the Mural art. A historical journey for America’s independence involved lots of bloody battles, cruelty, perseverance and persistence. It was actually inevitable because the British colonial government was unfair and could often mistreat Americans. The later were subjected to a series of taxes and violation of Acts with the aim of benefiting the colonial masters. Even after revolution, it is evident most Americans restored their cultured with exception of a few minority groups like the Indians, who were suppressed by the introduction of formal

Frank Lyod Wright and Louis Sullivan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frank Lyod Wright and Louis Sullivan - Essay Example Louis Sullivan, one of the great architects of the last half of the 19th century, was a brilliant artist with both practical office experience and a year at the famed cole des Beaux-Arts in Paris before entering a partnership with Dankmar Adler in 1879. Credited with being the first to give an appropriate form to the steel skyscraper, he was a precursor of American modernism and managed to produce the only forward-looking design of the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago.1 Unfortunately and unfairly, this designer of dozens of lauded buildings, who helped reshape the manner of building structure and aesthetics, is primarily known today for one thing-his role as Frank Lloyd Wright's Sullivan's famous motto of "form follows function" influenced Wright immensely and was a major reason why Wright considered Sullivan his only influence. That the relationship was mutual is demonstrated by the events of 1889. In that year Wright married Catherine Lee Clark Tobin, and Sullivan loaned him the enormous sum of $5,000 to buy property in Oak Park, Illinois and build a house.4 His willingness to help Wright illustrates the mutual respect between the employer and employee at this time. Although one of his early works, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park can be considered a workshop, used by the architect to begin developing some intriguing concepts. The initial construction phase of 1889 "exhibits features that portend the mature Wright's philosophy of architecture: the emphasis on pure geometric forms, the broad, sheltering roof, the use of natural materials and the unity of building and site".5 These features blurred the distinctions between inside and outside, and marked a growing integration of landscape and construction. In addition, the interior was focused around the fireplace and astonishingly open in design, with none of the Victorian hierarchy of divided spaces evident. Wright continued designing houses in Oak Park on the side, and this conflict of interest led to Sullivan firing him in 1893.6 Never one to stop working, Wright simply opened his own office and specialized in domestic architecture. By 1902 he designed his first Prairie house, a style defined by horizontal orientation, rows of small windows, low-pitched roofs featuring overhanging eaves and an open interior plan with a central fireplace.7 With its definitive wood and stucco exterior, it also works in conjunction with the suburban setting. Its cruciform plan is designed so that the movement from one wing to the next is diagonal, and these 45 degree angles are featured in other parts of the house.8 This epoch construction, completely distinct from Sullivan's verticality, would not have been possible had he not been fired. Decades of both personal and professional trouble followed, but Wright weathered the strenuous difficulties and re-emerged in the 1950's. His most famous project from this final stage is undoubtedly the Wright, Frank Lloyd, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of 1956-1959. Completed after his death and considered Wright's "great swansong",9 it is an exercise in pushing concrete to the limits of plasticity. After entering the inverted swirl, visitors move to the top via elevators and proceed "downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp".10 This final monument vividly illustrates how far Wright progressed from the early stages of his career. However, the first Wright building to feature an internal spiral ramp was the V. C. Morris Gift Shop of 1949, designed concurrently to the Guggenheim project.11 Inside are display cases and shelves that follow

The Future Pedagogy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Future Pedagogy - Article Example Thus we see an explosion in the education system which had come out of its traditional boundaries. The world was earlier divided into nations and communities. The globalization of trade and commerce had a twin effect on education. As the world converted into a global village so did the communities by melting into each other and communication on a common scale became a necessity. English had already become the language of commerce, more by default than by design, and it was but natural that it also became the most used language of communication in social, technological, scientific and other fields. The pedagogy of the language became a foremost concern and many ways and means were developed and tried to teach English as a second language (ESL). The pedagogy, where the students or learners had to be trained through the use of computers and software, is already in place. It had been in common use for dissemination of knowledge of subjects other than the language. Yet knowledge of English as a language was required as the subjects were well covered in this language. There is, however, a gap in the pedagogy of language. It was still being taught in the traditional way. By far the biggest barrier in the way of Language Acquisition especially English as Second Language (ESL) is the cultural difference between those who use English as First Language and those who have other Language as their first Language. It will be demonstrated later in the paper that as culture and language are intertwined, the study of one without the knowledge of the other becomes fructuous. This is another problem that needs addressing and is presently being handled through mixed culture classes and interaction between sets of students with distinctive cultures. But is this enough? Is this the final solution? Is there a more superior yet easier method? Words and their meanings are often misleading.  

Human Resource Activities of Qantas Airways Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Activities of Qantas Airways Essay The Qantas Airways is the largest airline in Australia. Its Human Resource Management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, development, and learning. This report gives limelight to the Qantas airways HRM and its role in ensuring perfect operations of the company. It further discusses change management and job analysis and design. The company has undergone intensive change management such as cutting of prices and labor costs in order to ensure high productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce. Moreover, the HRM is also responsible of ensuring that right people are hired and given necessary training under job analysis and design. However, despite the roles that the company has entrusted the HRM, there have been heightened cases of accidents and strikes from dissatisfied workers alleging that they are paid meager salaries. This shows a HRM gap in delivering its responsibilities. Therefore, the report further argues that the HRM has failed in its change management and job design and analysis strategy. In order to correct the situation, the report further proposes that the HRM change its training and communication model. As a means to an end, the report discusses some of the implications emerging from the HRM problems and ends with a comprehensive summary. Description of Qantas and their HRM Activities The Qantas Airways is Australia’s largest airline. It has a solid history as it began its business years back by transporting passengers and mails. Today, the company has expanded its operations in almost 140 destinations across the globe. It is Australia’s largest employers with around 37,000 employees. The human resource management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, and development and learning. Under corporate level, the HRM is responsible for employees’ remuneration as well as benefits, the industrial relations of the airline with its competitors and development of the management. In the business segment level, the HR teams often collaborate with other business segments to ensure successful delivering of strategies that will ensure competitive advantage. Human resource has a major responsibility in the company and under shared services; the HRM is responsible of managing  workers records, supporting remuneration and recruitment process and managing employees’ compensation as well as coming up with strategic plans on staff travelling schedules and schemes (Belobaba, Odoni and Barnhart, 2009). Finally, under the learning and development level, the HRM comes up with training programs for employees to help them deliver their work effectively. HR Functions: Change Management and Job Analysis and Design at the Qantas Airways Discussion of Two HR functions in the Qantas Change Management The Qantas airline was formerly owned by the government hence did not perceive efficiency and profits as its prime goal (Rothkopf, 2009). After its privatisation in 1995, the HRM had to adopt various management practices in order to overcome the company’s external and internal influences. The HRM in their change management has emphasised on cutting costs and more so reduction of labour costs to guarantee heightened productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce (Marks, 2007). Cutting labour costs in the Qantas airways have involved strict measures from the HRM such as reducing wages and salaries through eliminating costly practices (Hernandez, 2011.). The Qantas airline HRM has undertaken immense changes in order to cope with diverse external and internal factors (Gillen and Morrison, 2005). Various factors led to changes in the HR management such as the need to have more profits in the company a nd the fact that the company was under government ownership. This means that the airline had maintained its authoritarian hierarchical structure, autocratic form of leadership, and strict procedures and rules (Hughes, 2012). In addition, the airline has been involved in a major change as far as training is concerned and in 2003, the HRM facilitated in the expansion of the company’s apprenticeship programme (Gunn, 1988). According to Kirkpatrick’s model of learning and training, training helps in ensuring affirmative results (Kearns, 2010). Job Analysis and Design Job design and analysis is the cornerstone of the Qantas HRM. Job analysis can be viewed as the hub of all human resource management activities that are needed for effective organizational functioning (Berman et al, 2009). Under job analysis, the HRM is responsible for planning, recruitment, selection, placement, and induction of workers (Berman et al, 2009). The procedures that are often supported by job analysis process include personnel selection, training, job evaluation as well as performance appraisal (Berman et al, 2009). In addition, the process of job analysis supports the Qantas organizational strategy in dealing with market competition and talent crisis. According to human resource theory, strategic HRM focuses on connecting all HR functions with organizational goals (Rothwell and Benscoter, 2012). The Qantas airline HRM in the process of job analysis determines various training needs of workers. Moreover, in job analysis process, the HRM determines on some of the things that affect behavior in the company. After job analysis process, the next step is job design, which aims at outlining and organizing duties, responsibilities, as well as tasks in a single unit in order to achieve particular objectives. Job design in the Qantas airways is essential in enabling effective feedback. In addition, training is an imperative part in job design in order to make sure that employees are conscious of their work demands. Training encompasses leadership training to employee orientation (Aulenbach, 2007). Development and training plays an imperative role in ensuring success of a company. Today, most organizations view training as an imperative role of human resource (Price, 2011). From research conducted, it is apparent that most organizations such as the Qantas airways are spending a lot of money on training with a belief that it will consequently give them a competitive advantage in both global and local market (Jackson, Schuler and Werner, 2011). According to human resource theory (Bacon et al, 2009), workers need maximum support from human resource function. In that case, the Qantas airways offer training to staff in order to motivate them as well as ensure competitive advantage in the company. Frances (2009) avows that training is imperative in ensuring imperative piloting skills. In 2009, the company opened approximately $10 million staff training centers in an effort to build on economies of scale. The HRM through job design help the workforce to make vital adjustments. Problem s and Implications Faced by Qantas Although the two major basic functions of HRM is to ensure successful change management and job analysis and design, the Qantas airline has undergone  through various challenges in these two areas. The HRM in their change management focused on cutting costs such as labor costs in order to increase productivity, ensure moderate workers’ salary and introduce flexible structures. However, they have failed in ensuring effective and non-biased change management. This is because, workers recently have been complaining of being paid meager salaries and even gone for strikes. Under change management, they should have ensured successful remuneration of employees. However, it is embarrassing to note that a reputable company like Qantas with such successful change management strategy has failed to take care of its employees. The unsolved salary issues have caused employee outcry and various scandals in the company. The pilots have been protesting over meager salaries and the union workers have continued to demonstrate over pay inequality arguing they are paid 25% less than their equals in Victoria (Hernandez, 2012). In a survey that was conducted in 2012, on three thousand Qantas employees, the workers expressed dissatisfaction with the management of the company mostly the HRM (McDonald, 2012). Serious staff challenges have continued threatening the company yet up to now the HRM is still reluctant to come up with a new change management model such as ADKAR model that will cater for the interests of workers and allow the company to focus activities on particular business results (Hiatt, 2006). Under Job analysis and design, it is apparent that the HRM made immense mistakes in choosing the right candidates. Despite heavy training programs that the HRM has invested in during job analysis and design process, it is only in 2008 that the company was involved in an in-flight incident, which caused ser ious injuries to passengers and death of 129 passengers due to specious commands (Frances, 2009). In addition, it is apparent that training has not had a positive impact in the company since in 2006, the Qantas Airways pilots failed to monitor their position hence ended up to the wrong runway. Moreover, in 2009, the company’s pilots failed to acknowledge and decided to overshoot their destinations by 150 miles (Frances, 2009). Frances (2009) alleges that captains in the company are not competent enough as they lacked knowledge on use of stick shaker and stall recovery thus causing serious accidents. It is hence clear that the HRM department leaves a lot to be desired as incidences have continued to intensify despite the company’s change management and job design and analysis strategy (Louise, 2011). With such a successful airline company, it is apparent that its HRM is ineffectual and has only led to losses than success. The company asserts that it is committed fully to developing its people, yet they do not seem to know how they can forge a beneficial relationship with its staff. There has been a lot of change in the company including cutting of costs, developing training programs, outsourcing working rules and regulations, collaborating with the unions yet the situation seem to be moving from bad to worse. It is apparent that the HRM has been incompetent in hiring the right personnel and dealing with employees. Implications to Stakeholders Various stakeholders include trade unions, government, shareholders, customers, community, business partners, employees, the media, and non-governmental organizations. They all have a major influence on the company’s performance and its strategy. The media coverage on wrong decisions in the Qantas have affected negatively on the company’s image. The problems discussed obviously imply that the HRM, shareholders, and business partners have been reluctant in solving the current crisis hence affecting the performance of the company. Because of the accidents reported, most consumers are not keen on using Qantas airline hence affecting profitability (BBC News, 2012). Additionally, the challenges in the company have also affected employees and consumers on grounds that they have lost confidence with the running of the company (Sandilands, 2011). The looming disagreement between Qantas and its pilots shows clearly that the HRM and business partners have failed in ensuring they contribute in effective management of the company. In addition, the Non-governmental organizations have failed in conflict resolution between the Qantas and its employees. It is apparent that the HRM, business partners, and non-governmental organizations involved have failed in coming up with rational solutions to ensure such current disputes do not develop into a major crisis. Instead of the company’s CEO, Alan Joyce holding productive talks, he has been busy making provocative comments in numerous heated exchanges. For instance, he condemned union members on issues regarding wages arguing that their talks and protests were baseless (Bamber, 2011). The union leaders in return criticized N senior managers and accused them of tarnishing the brand image of the company while they were awarding themselves hefty salaries. This hence implies that the  community as well as Union members have lost confidence on the company’s stakeholders and this in return has led to bad publicity and reduced profitability. Consequently, the media has given a wide coverage on the company’s latest controversies meaning that it is benefiting financially because of the developing story. It is upsetting to see Qantas’ employees go on strike due to poor management issues in a company owned by various stakeholders. The shareholders, business partners, the HRM, CEO, and Nongovernmental Organizations have a major role to play in ensuring issues in the company are resolved and the company goes back to its initial profitable situation. Therefore, they need to sit down and come up with a rational plan towards improvement (Bamber, 2011). Action plan and Recommendations With the increasing incidences, there is hence a need to come up with an action plan. First, all the stakeholders must meet to discuss on ways to solve the recent crisis. In the meeting, there will be change of communication and training model to more rational models that are employee oriented. The HRM will carry out the process and engage other stakeholders to give ideas on how salary and training issues ought to be handled. The change process will take place from 1st to 28th November in the company’s boardroom. To carry out the process, the employees will be interviewed in order to show some of the areas they would need change. The entire company’s workforce and managers will be given information concerning the changed plan. The recent problems involving HRM function has caused the company to suffer financially. The Qantas airline in their website asserts that, â€Å"Qantas is committed to providing meaningful jobs with competitive salaries and superior benefits† (Qantas, n.d). However, they have failed in fulfilling their promise as the strikes reported tell a different story. In addition, they allege that they â€Å"provide targeted, quality training to the Qantas group and assists in the development of skills† (Qantas, n.d). However, the accidents reported show a major gap in their training strategy. The HRM should revisit their training and communication model and make a change on it. It is time the company moved out of a market approach change strategy that only focus on making profits and focus on employee oriented approach that consider the interests of workers. With an effective training  model, there will be workshop and focus group sessions where employees air their grievances and come up with solutions to their problems (Frances, 2009). In addition, effective HRM communication should contribute successfully to teamwork, learning, innovation, safety, and productivity (Krizan et al, 2010). Moreover, the HRM should invest heavily on their pilot candidates and ensure that they get the right training. Coming up with a HR strategic oriented communication model is important in guaranteeing that employees are at par with requirements and needs of the company. This will help in discussing paramount issues affecting the running of the company. Once there is fit between communicat ion and training model in relation to the role of the HRM, the next step should be to come up with a tactical plan on how the HR will be managing their roles to ensure there are no more scandals. The HR needs to be involved fully in daily operations of the company to ensure alignment with needs of the employees. Moreover, the HRM should come up with performance management plan, which is imperative in following up on the performance of the staff members. The HRM should also be transparent in its strategy. This means that the company’s operational and strategic agenda should be communicated clearly to workers and must be accepted. This will ensure employees’ needs are met and there are no operational challenges. In addition, its mission should be shared with other shareholders to make sure they are on the right path to correcting the image of the company. Today’s HR models recognize on the fact that people do not leave their issues at home when they are going to work. For the company to be successful, it should focus on the needs of the workers whether personal or professional. This will motivate the workers to deliver quality work. In that case, there will be less accidents and remuneration problems in the company (Frances, 2009). In addition, in training sessions, the HR should focus on changing staff members’ attitude towards work and teach them on how to have a positive attitude. This will help in motivating workers and encouraging them to air their grievances through dialogue.

Brand Identity Prism Kapferer For Nike Running Shoes Marketing Essay

Brand Identity Prism Kapferer For Nike Running Shoes Marketing Essay According to Kapferers model, the brand identity prism for Nike running shoes has six dimensions which are physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture and self-image. First, physique is the physical aspects and the main purpose of the brand; tell consumers what the product is, what the product actually does and what the product carries value in the eye of customers (Krishnamurthi 2007). The physique of Nike running shoes is sport- running because that is what the running shoes being made for. It includes all the tangible things of Nike running shoes including Nike running shoes feature, look, color, design and quality which these add values to buyers as it wears for running. The second dimension is relationship. Customers can have a relationship with the brand because the brand often involve with transaction and exchange between people, particularly in the service and retail sector (Garg 2008). According Kapferer (2008), brands exist in the market because of communication, such as advertising and direct consumers communication. For our Nike running shoes prism, Nike maintains a good relationship with customers by creating memorable award-winning campaign such as Nike running marathon. Furthermore, Nike sponsors the athletes (focusing on individual athlete and their success) as well as sponsors the game, such as the Olympic game. The third dimension is reflection which means how the individual in the intended group of customers identify himself as a person in relation to the brand (Kochhar 2007). Therefore, every brand tries to design the product to meet the need for the targeted customer group as customer reflection is a good factor for being a strong brand image, so brands should control their customer reflection (Kapferer 2008). In this case, customers will be reflected Nike running shoes for dynamic lifestyle, for winning with cool fashion. Over time, Nike will use advertising to continue address our customer reflection, so as a result of buying Nike running shoes, customers will perceive their own identity to be dynamic and fashionable and certainly to win. The fourth dimension is personality which refers to when brands talks about its product and what kind of person it would be if it were a human being (Krishnamurthi 2007). Brand personality is described by using the features of customer personality which are directly related to the brand and is closely linked with self-image (Slideshare 2009). For our Nike prism, Nike brand personality may be that of confident, arrogant, aggressive and energetic. Examples of person it could be are Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer since these two tennis players have the personality of confident, arrogant, aggressive and energetic which these character can represent the Nike brand. Nike gives the attention to a specific sport, such as tennis, basketball and golf (Slideshare 2009). The fifth dimension is culture which is a set of values that the brand is inspired or originated from (Kapferer 2008). It can be said that brand is representative of its culture, including communication (Krishnamurthi 2007). For our Nike prism, Nike takes its culture from the American culture. Nike is a global brand that reveals its culture by which symbolizes the American way which is being individual and aggressive like Michael Jordan (Garg 2008). Nike has aggressive winner attitude that can be related to the American sport attitude. This culture will help Nike in the way to differentiate Nike from other competing brands, such as Adidas, as the brand culture indicates what values are included in the Nike products and services. In addition, Nike communicates with their people by relating it with cultural values by creating a provocative attitude by encouraging them to let loose (Just do it) (Slideshare 2009). Finally, the sixth dimension is self-image which means how the individual in the targeted group identify the brand in relation to himself and it is the internal version of reflection (Kapferer 2008). It is a certain attitude toward a certain brand. Customer self-image is important as customers are attracted to the brand in which they see their own traits (Kochhar 2007). For Nike prism, the person who identifies himself/herself as fun, smart and sport person will buy our Nike running shoes since customers buy shoes corresponding to their self-image. Nike shoes now have more fashionable running shoes rather than being only traditional running shoes, buyers of Nike running will try to prove themselves too that they are in-fashion, having their own style, as well as they are fit and sport person and feel fun and cool. When they wear Nike running shoes, they belong to a fashionable sport society. In conclusion, brand identity of Nike running shoes can be described by six dimensions of brand identity prism by Kapferer. Nike running shoes physique is sport (running) and Nikes relationships are campaign and sponsorship. Customer reflection for Nike are dynamic, winning and fashion, whereas, Nikes cultures are American and Just do it. Nikes brand personality can be represented by Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer and finally Nikes brand images are fun, smart and sport person. All of these six elements of brand identity prism help to understand the perceptions of the brand, Nike running shoes, in the customer minds which thus help to build a better brand image and position of the Nike running shoes at a better level. Word count: 1028

Coliform Bacteria: Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility

Coliform Bacteria: Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Abstract   Bacteriological contamination of muscles and digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and Labeo sp. reared in a pond supplied with domestic sewage was enumerated followed by determination of resistance of thermotolerent coliforms for antibiotics. Numbers of bacteria in muscles and digestive tract contents of fish reflected their densities in water. Muscles of both the fish species contained high numbers of total coliforms (TC) and fecal coliforms (FC). Escherichia Coli (E.coli) were never recovered from the muscles but from the digestive tract contents of the fish. Ranking of the total and fecal coliform contamination levels showed a decrease in the order digestive tract contents> muscles (p Keywords: Domestic sewage; Fish; Fecal coliforms; Escherichia coli; Water quality; Antibacterial resistance; Public health. Introduction All around the world, people both in rural and urban areas have been using domestic wastes to fertilize fish ponds (Strauss et al. 2000). In the majority of cases, domestic sewages are applied untreated or only partially treated through storage (Strauss 2000). Domestic wastewater, rich in nutrients, used in aquaculture supports the growth of plankton and other microorganisms which are consumed by the fish with little intake of other supplemented feed. Recycling of domestic sewage through aquaculture is an effective form of pollution control, which contributes to cost recovery and provides a source of low cost animal protein production. Domestic sewage transports a variety of human pathogenic microorganisms which may contaminate fish flesh when fish is grown in ponds receiving waste water (Niewolak and Tucholski 2000). Besides, municipal wastewater consists of huge amounts of incompletely metabolized antimicrobial drugs which can lead to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria as well as resistant plasmids (Wiggins et al. 1999). The prominently affected bacteria are members of enterobacteriaceae and related gram negative rods (Kelch and Lee 1978). One of the important concern of wastewater fisheries is the contamination of fishes by fecal coliforms (Fapohunda, MacMillan, Marshall and Waites 1994). Their presence in fish intended for human consumption may constitute a potential danger not only by causing disease but also because of the possible transfer of antibiotic resistance from aquatic bacteria to human-infecting bacteria from nonaquatic sources (Olayemi, Adedayo and Ojo 1991). Therefore, periodic and c omprehensive sanitary survey of wastewater fishery is required. For years, the group of fecal (also called thermotolerant) coliforms (FC) has been the most widely used as fecal contamination as their excreted load is similar or larger than that of pathogenic organisms, and their survival time in the environment longer than that of excreted bacteria and viruses (Strauss 1997). In the present study, an attempt has been made to determine the bacteriological contamination of muscles and digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and Labeo sp. reared in wastewater fed pond. Resistance to two very common antibiotics for random thermotolerent coliform isolates from muscle and digestive tract contents of both the fish was also determined. Materials and Methods Study Site A sewage fed pond of Bandipur, Rahara, North 24 Parganas, (22 °44N Latitude and 88 °24E Longitude) was taken into consideration for this study and to examine bacterial load of water and fish. Raw sewage was entirely of domestic origin, coming from Titagarh town of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Sampling and Dissection Fish samples were caught with a net and were immediately transferred to the laboratory in containers with pond water. They were dissected according to Buras et al. 1987. Muscles and digestive tract contents were isolated and placed in sterile glass vessels. The tissues were weighed under sterile conditions, ground in a mortar and suspended in sodium chloride (NaCl) physiological solution (10 ml of the solution for each 1 g of the muscle or digestive tract content). The suspensions were homogenized using Universal Laboratory Aid Type MPW-309 homogenizer, at 1000 rpm, for 10 minutes. The homogenates were then serially diluted (10-1 to 10-6 for muscles and 10-1 to 10-7 for digestive tract contents) and inoculated into culture media. Time lag from fish collection to the analyses did not exceed 6 hours. Water from sewage-supplied pond was sampled and analysed simultaneously with fish sampling. Samples were collected monthly from July 2009 to September 2009. Microbiological Analyses Total Coliforms Lauryl Tryptose (LT) Broth at 350C for 48 hr was used for three-tube most-probable-number (MPN) presumptive determinations of coliforms (APHA 1998). From all positive presumptive tubes, total coliforms were confirmed by the formation of gas in any amount in the Durham fermentation tubes of brilliant green lactose bile broth (BGLB) for 48 hr at 350C. Fecal Coliforms and E.coli All positive Lauryl Tryptose (LT) MPN tubes to tubes of Escherichia coli (EC) Broth followed by incubation at 44.50C for 48 hr constitute a positive fecal coliform test. The growth from positive EC tubes was then streaked onto Levine Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar plates and incubated at 35 °C for 18 to 24 h. Colonies from EMB Agar plates typical of E. coli were transferred to Nutrient agar (NA) slants from which GIMViC tests were performed where G-medium is the secondary EC broth, I -medium is Tryptone broth, M- and V-medium is Buffered Glucose broth, and C-medium is Simmons Citrate agar. MPN of E. coli was then computed based on the number of tubes found to contain isolates that produce GIMViC reaction patterns characteristic of E. coli (APHA 2001). Representatives of typical thermotolerent coliform isolates from fish samples were selected randomly by colony morphology on Eosin methylene blue agar and were streaked aseptically several times on freshly prepared nutrient agar plates to obtain pure isolates (Ogbonna, Sokari and Amaku 2008). Nutrient agar plates were then supplemented with ampicillin (50 µg ml-1) and tetracycline (25 µgml-1) and were used to evaluate antibiotic susceptibility patterns of 117 pure isolates (Miranda and Zemelman 2001). 32 isolates from muscles and 24 isolates from digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and 39 strains from muscles and 22 isolates from digestive tract contents of Labeo sp. were subjected to antibiotics sensitivity test. Statistical Analyses Means and standard errors (SE) were calculated. T test was performed between bacterial concentration of muscles and digestive tract contents of both the fish. A significance level of 5% was considered (Zar 2007). Results Bacterial loads in muscles and digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and Labeo sp. were exceptionally high. Total coliforms and fecal coliforms were commonly found in all analysed fish tissues. Escherichia Coli were not found in the muscles of either fish. Additionally, however, thermotolerant Escherichia coli were present in the digestive tract contents of both the fish (Table 2). Bacterial loads in the fish were significantly higher (p Antibiotic resistance pattern Of the 117 thermotolerent coliform isolates examined for antibiotic sensitivity, 82% (96 isolates out of 117) were tetracycline resistant and 65% (76 isolates out of 117) were ampicillin resistant. 58.11% (68 isolates out of 117) of the total isolates were resistant to both antibiotics where as 31% (36 isolates out of 117) were resistant to single antibiotic. From the single antibiotic resistant isolates, 24% were tetracycline resistant and 7% were ampicillin resistant (Figure 1). 56.41% isolates (22 isolates out of 39) from flesh and 22.72% (5 isolates out of 22) from digestive tract contents of Labeo sp. showed resistance to both antibiotics whereas 71.87% isolates from flesh (23 isolates out of 32) and 75% (18 isolates out of 24) from digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. showed resistance to both ampicillin and tetracycline (Figure 2). Discussion Comparison of fecal coliform counts of water of Bandipur sewage fed fish pond with WHO (World Health Organization) water quality criteria (WHO 1989) suggests considerable contamination of the first. Bacterial flora of fish reflects the bacteriological quality of the water from where the fish harvested (Geldrich and Clarke 1966). Strong correlation between the bacterial species present in the pond water and the fish regardless of the type of fish were also reported by Buras et al. 1987; Ogbondeminu 1993; Apun, Yusofand and Jugang 1999. Thus, in our study, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E.coli recovered from muscles and digestive tract contents of Oreochromis sp. and Labeo sp. may reflect bacteriological water quality of the Bandipur sewage fed pond. Fecal coliforms in fish muscles were recovered when values of FC in water were 3.86+3.63105 MPN 100 ml-1 which were much higher than those recommended by WHO (1989) in its health guidelines on wastewater use in aquaculture. Fecal coliforms in fish reflect the level of pollution of their environment, as the normal floras of fish do not include coliforms (Cohen and Shuval 1973). Presence of fecal coliforms indicates the presence of fecal material from warm-blooded animals. However, thermotolerent coliforms include the genera of fecal as well as non fecal origin. E. coli is a species of fecal coliform bacteria that is specific to fecal material from humans and other warm-blooded animals (Bhatia 2008). Environmental Protection Agency (1992) thus recommends E. coli as the best fecal indicator of health risk from water. No detectable penetration of E.coli in muscles of either fish was found at 1.34+0.95104 MPN 100 ml-1 of E.coli concentration in water of sewage fed pond (Table 1). Thus, th e fish flesh qualities at harvest were good on the basis of their E. coli counts. Safety precautions during fish processing are still needed to avoid cross-contamination due to high accumulation of microorganisms in the digestive tract of fish. In this study significantly higher numbers of bacteria (p A wide range of thermotolerent coliforms isolated from sewage fed fish showed resistance to both ampicillin and tetracycline. Multiple anitibiotic resistant faecal coliforms have been observed in wastewater across the world (Gallert et al. 2005). Antibiotic resistance among random bacterial isolates from different organs of fish captured from fecally contaminated water with a full range of resistance (00-100%) to different common antibiotics of therapeutic and prophylactic use among human beings and in various animal farms and fish farms was reported by several authors. (Rhodes et al. 2000; Miranda and Zemelman 2001; Pathak and Gopal 2005). Thus the source of the problem of antibiotic resistance bacteria in wastewater pond of Bandipur was fecally contaminated water. Among thermotolerent coliforms recovered from fish, resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline was found in 65% and 82% of the isolates, respectively. Occurrence of thermotolerent coliforms with high resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline reflect human influence in the environment (Andersen and Sandaa 1994). Domestic sewage enters into the pond environment of the sewage fed farm with huge antibiotics which are used as medicines, as growth promoters or as preventative maintenance and may have established a selective pressure due to a slow degradation of antimicrobials favouring further growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Petersen and Dalsgaard 2003). It may possible that these antibiotic resistant bacteria from wastewater may transfer their antibiotic resistant determinants to indigenous flora of fish, provoking their spread and prevalence in aquatic environment. In the present study bacteria resistant to both ampicillin and tetracycline from digestive tract contents were higher in Oreochromis sp. than in Labeo sp. It may be related to detritus feeding habit of Oreochromis sp. by which it is more exposed to wastes as well as antimicrobials than Labeo sp. which is a column feeder. Similar findings were reported by Miranda and Zemelman (2001) with demersal and pelagic fish. Antibiotic resistant fecal bacteria form domestic sewage may change nutritionally beneficial intestinal microflora with unexpected consequences on fish health. Our study indicates that fish flesh qualities were satisfactory in terms of E.coli counts. In spite of that flesh of both fish showed high numbers of antibiotic resistant thermotolerent coliforms which may include Klebsiella spp., Citrobactor spp. and Enterobacter spp. (non fecal origin) but till have immense ecological and public health implications specially if the resistance is plasmid mediated then there could be a problem associated with the transfer of resistance determinants to human pathogenic bacteria which may enter in human population through fish consumption. According to Walia et al. (2004) antibiotic resistance genes against ampicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline are known to be transferable to other bacteria. Thus, we can say that Wastewaters and fishes reside there are potent source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which in turn may transfer their resistance genes to nonresistant bacteria (Schwartz et al. 2003). Several studies indicate that the environmental conditions in wastewater may enhance the likelihood of gene transfer (Pote et al. 2003). Mach and Grimes (1982) demonstrated the high transfer frequencies of enteric bacteria in a wastewater. Additionally resistant bacteria may pose a risk of therapeutic problems to public health and fish population. So the study demands an elaborate investigation on the members of predominant multidrug resistant bacterial microflora associated with sewage fed fishery along with their plasmids profile as an evidence of conjugal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in human and animal food chain through fish consumption.

Smoking and The Human Body Essay -- essays research papers

Smoking is a bad habit which plagues the young, as well as the old. It is the largest source of preventable mortality in North America1. Not only does smoking lead to an early grave, but it can also influence one's daily life. Many studies have revealed links between smoking and reduced endurance capacity2. Nicotine, the addictive agent found in cigarettes, can also be used to control weight gain. Both of these factors can have considerable effect on the sporting world. There have been many studies done, indicating that if you smoked, you did less physical activity. It has also been shown that the more you smoke, the less activity you do. In one experiment done on smokers and non-smokers, the subjects were tested while running a marathon. The experimenters took a large group of mainly non-smokers and army conscripts and measured their performance. It was found that the distance covered in the race was inversely related to daily cigarette consumption3. That is, the more you smoked, the less distance you ran. The longer the participant in the race had been smoking, the worse he/she performed. For example, the average non-smoker could cover 2613 meters in 12 minutes, while a smoker of less than 2 years who smoked 21+ cigarettes a day could only cover 2284 meters. A smoker of more than 4 years who smoked 21+ cigarettes a day could only cover 2188 meters4. These results show how performance decreases the more a person smokes in their lifetime. An experiment performed by Robert C. Klesges et al. found that although smokers did fewer sports, and leisure time activities, they did the same amount of anaerobic activities5. The study also found that smokers had the same energy intake as non-smokers, indicating that eating habits were not a factor in the fitness levels. Smokers average 30-35 kcal per day less of high intensity activity than non-smokers6. This reduced aerobic physical activity can be attributed to the fact that smoking causes an increase in carboxyhemoglobin which decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, which would cause relative hypoxia in tissues and lead to reduced performance during maximal physical exertion7. Since smoking is so detrimental to the oxygen transport system, it effects endurance capacity more than any other element of fitness such as muscle strength or speed. This must be taken in consideration if an athlete wishe... ...scripts and 4,100 Joggers," Preventive Medicine v17 (1988), p89. 9 Winders, Suzan E. and Neil E. Grunberg. "Effects of nicotine on body weight, food consumption and body composition in male rats," Life Sciences v46 no.21 (1990), p1523. 10 Winders, Suzan E. and Neil E. Grunberg. "Effects of nicotine on body weight, food consumption and body composition in male rats," Life Sciences v46 no.21 (1990), pp1528-1529. 11 Klesges, Robert C. et al. "Smoking Status: effects on dietary intake, physical activity, and body fat of adult men," American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition v51 (May 1990), p786. 12 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1345. 13 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1345. 14 "Smoking To Stay Thin--The Body-Image Connection," OPHEA Journal Autumn, 1996, p17. 15 "Smoking To Stay Thin--The Body-Image Connection," OPHEA Journal Autumn, 1996, p17. 16 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1346. 5

NATO :: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO

Introduction: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a US-oriented defense alliance that was formed on August 24, 1949 through a treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949 by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the USA. The basic aim of this alliance was to protect European states from the possible aggression by USSR, which after the Second War looked determined to expand her frontiers. Later on the membership increased when Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, West Germany in 1955 and Spain in I982. France detached itself from the military command structure in 1966. The dismemberment of the USSR in December 1991 and the emergence of new independent republic in Europe changed the character and role of NAT0. The collapse of socialism in Europe and dissolution of Soviet Union removed the threat from communist states. According to the treaty all the member are committed to help one another in case of any milit ary attack against one or more nations. In addition the member countries use peaceful means to settle their disputes. The Treaty: The treaty of NATO consists of the following 14 articles: Article 1. The parties undertake, as set forth in the charter of the United Nations, to settle any 1nternational disputes in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice, are not endangered and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of forces in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.. Article 2: The patties will contribute towards the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded and by promoting conditions of stability and well being. They will seek to eliminate conflict and will encourage economic collaboration among them. Article 3: In order to achieve more effectively the objectives of this treaty, the parties separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack. Article 4. The parties will consult together whenever, in opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened. Article 5: The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more

Impact of Electric Vehicles Essays -- Environment, Energy, Global Clim

Today, energy security and global climate change are two major problems affecting people and the environment worldwide (IEA, 2010). These problems are highly integrated with each other and mitigating global climate change without affecting the energy security is becoming a significant challenge for many governments and policy makers in the twenty-first century (Brown & Sovacool, 2011). In recent years, energy security has become a major concern in many jurisdictions with increasing energy demand, rising energy costs, and energy production and supply issues (IEA, 2010). According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Energy security can be described as, â€Å"the uninterrupted physical availability at a price which is affordable, while respecting environment concerns† (IEA, 2011). The global demand for energy is rapidly growing with increasing human population, urbanization and modernization across the world (Asif & Muneer, 2008). In the past two decades, the global primary energy consumption had increased by 45 %, and it is expected to continue to grow by 39 % over the next two decades (BP, 2011). Today, fossil fuels – notably oil, gas and coal, are the major sources of primary energy to meet the world energy requirements. In 2008, nearly 81% of the global primary energy needs were met by fossil fuels, representing oil - 33.2 %; coal - 27%, and natural gas - 21.1% [ref]. The fossil fuels accounted for the greatest share of global primary energy supply and the rest is met by hydro, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. According to the World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2011 Golden Age of Gas (GAS) scenario, fossil fuel supplies will continue to be the dominant energy sources and account for more than half of the increase of ... ...ain consistency of the analysis. †¢ Equal allocation: In this approach, it is assumed that the generated wind electricity is equally allocated to all the EVs regardless of individual requirements. †¢ Demand allocation: In this approach, it is assumed that the generated wind electricity is allocated to each EV based on its respective demand, such that charging the EVs with higher demand is preferred to charging the EVs with lower demand. This research also considers the effect of introducing electric vehicles for weekday commuting purposes in passenger transportation and discusses the overall carbon impact of commuting; the results are extrapolated for various commuting distances. This research work used Prince Edward Island, specifically the city of Summerside, as a case study, but the general approach can be applied to other cities, provinces or regions.

Mannerist Portraits of the 16th Century

The sixteenth century was a period of intense political and military. The 1500s were also a period of religious change. The Italian painter Parmigianino was a pioneer of the mannerist style, which his work shows an essentially decorative emphasis and accomplished smoothness. They had a nickname for Parmigianino which was â€Å"little man from Parma†. At the age of 19 Parmigianino was commission to frescoes for the Parma Cathedral. Now the painting that I’ve chose from the Mannerist portraits of the 16th is Parmigianino’s Madonna and child with Angels, which is also Madonna of the Long Neck.Now the reason they call it Madonna of the long Neck is because how long her neck is in the painting. The Madonna, in particular, has an elongated neck and tilted head. Her movement flows into the spatial twist of the torso and legs, Mary dress, in contrast to the usual blue and red. Parmigianino’s painting exemplifies the elongation that the Mannerists gave their figure s. They made the stretching the human body in some ways the Mannerist artists seemed to be ahead of everyone else. This is one of the most popular subjects in Christian art.It has been painted by hundreds of painters over the centuries to be placed in a church or chapel as an altarpiece. Some of the effects that are in the picture is the faces are more realistic and not idealized. The baby Jesus is less of a small man and more like a child. An attempt at creating depth has been attempted to place two background angels and through the use of linear perspective in the throne. Modeling is clearly visible as the light source is coming from the left of the painting.Madonna drapery has larger and more naturalistic folds that shape her body. The way Madonna look had her head tilted and how her hand was on her chest in the picture was like she was in the royal family or had royal blood, and how the mannerism had a different style of painting the baby was bigger than the normal size baby. In the picture is see five angels looking at Madonna and the baby. They use Oil on panel, and if you pay attention to the floor there is a little man looking away from a scroll.As you can see that the painting is taking place in a room, but in the background you can see a background of outside, and they used like a brownish colors to make it look like the sun is going down or coming up. If you look at Madonna and the angels cheeks, they have all have red blush on their cheeks. If you look close you can see that Madonna’s stomach is sticking out a little because the scene of the painting makes it look like she just had a baby.

Research Essay

1. Dadaism- was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century. Many claim Dada began in Zurich, Switzerland in 1916, spreading to Berlin shortly thereafter but the height of New York Dada was the year before in 1915. To quote Dona Budd’s The Language of Art Knowledge. Dada was born out of negative reaction to the horrors of World War I. This international movement was begun by a group of artist and poets associated with the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich. Dada rejected reason and logic, prizing nonsense, irrationality and intuition. The origin of the name Dada is unclear; some believe that it is a nonsensical word. Others maintain that it originates from the Romanian artists Tristan Tzara’s and Marcel Janco’s frequent use of the words da, da, meaning yes, yes in the Romanian language. Another theory says that the name â€Å"Dada† came during a meeting of the group when a paper knife stuck into a French-German dictionary happened to point to ‘dada’, a French word for ‘hobbyhorse’. 2. Cubism- is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement pioneered by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, joined by Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Robert Delaunay, Henri Le Fauconnier, Fernand Là ©ger and Juan Gris that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. The term is broadly used in association with a wide variety of art produced in Paris (Montmartre, Montparnasse and Puteaux) during the 1910s and extending through the 1920s. Variants such as Futurism and Constructivism developed in other countries. A primary influence that led to Cubism was the representation of three-dimensional form in the late works of Paul Cà ©zanne, which were displayed in a retrospective at the 1907 Salon d’Automne. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. 3. Impressionism- is a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists. Their independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s, in spite of harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France. The name of the style derives from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, soleil levant(Impression, Sunrise), which provoked the critic Louis Leroy to coin the term in a satirical review published in the Parisian newspaper Le Charivari. Impressionist painting characteristics include relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles. The development of Impressionism in the visual arts was soon followed by analogous styles in other media that became know n as impressionist music and impressionist literature. 4. Expressionism- was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas. Expressionist artists sought to express meaning or emotional experience rather than physical reality. Expressionism was developed as an avant-garde style before the First World War. It remained popular during the Weimar Republic, particularly in Berlin. The style extended to a wide range of the arts, including painting, literature, theatre, dance, film, architecture and music.

Christianity in the Land of Santhals

There is considerable difference of opinion among Christians over the story of Creation. From the Catholic perspective God is ever present in some aspect. There are significant themes in the Bible, Moral Therapeutic Deism and â€Å"NOAH† that explicitly express distinct views of creation. The central idea in all three expressions is that God is in existence and created the world. However, the creation stories differ significantly regarding the purpose and reason of the world, more specifically human beings. The story of creation differs greatly throughout the Bible. The amount of altering views in the book of Genesis alone is astounding. Genesis is the study of beginning; the record of all creation along with sin. It is â€Å"mythic† in the way that it tries to make sense of the world. Genesis contains two creation stories. In chapter one and the beginning of chapter two, the first story expresses the stages of creation in six days, with each day expanding from the day before, until creation achieves its peak when God makes human beings in His image. In Genesis I, the world begins â€Å"in the beginning† of everything. From a void, God creates everything out of nothing. â€Å"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.† (Genesis 1:1-2) God created light and darkness on day one, the next day He created the atmosphere and divided it from the oceans, on day three God created land, water and vegetation, the next day He created the sun, moon and stars, on day five God created creatures to fill the sky and water, on day six He created creatures to fill the land, and on the last day of creation God rested from all His work. The second story of creation centers around the creation of a human being. God took dirt and breathed life to create the world and humanity. In this Genesis story, creation was more experimental. This can be seen through His creation of Adam and eventually Eve. God seems to be enthusiastic about the world. Similar to Genesis I, God created humanity out of His love and kindness. â€Å"And God saw that it was good.† (Genesis 1:4) He plants a garden and creates animals to entertain Adam and Eve demonstrating how deeply He cares for them and all future humanity. Furthermore, when God created man and woman in His own image, the Bible says, â€Å"And God saw everything that He made, and behold, it was very good.† (Genesis 1:31) God was fulfilled with His creation and looking at it gave Him a kind of bliss. The Genesis creation accounts set up a specific problem by stressing the goodness of everything that God has made and continuously deny that the world is broken from the start by a battle involving the forces of good and evil. Although Genesis does not precisely state how evil enters the supposed to be good world, it describes how Adam and Eve introduce the idea of disobedience to God into creation. God in turn created unnatural curses on the future of humanity. These curses, including men to toil in the field, women to be ruled by their husband and experience excruciating pain during child birth, and the inevitable death of all creation, were meant to punish Adam and Eve for their sinful actions. As time advanced and sin expanded, humans eventually deviated so far from good that they started trusting in and worshipping other so-called divine beings. The record of the beginning of humans gradually developed to correspond with the life of transgression, violence and these new convictions. This can be seen explicitly in the movie â€Å"NOAH†. In this movie, the opening scenes make it apparent that God created humans to be good. Because mankind was becoming too sinful, God called upon Noah to build an ark that can sustain the flood that He would create to wipe out the human race. â€Å"NOAH† is a cinematic train wreck that expresses the de-creation story put in action by God. Certain scenes in this movie express how the human race has become nothing but violent. The main character, Noah, even states that he, along with his family, has the darkness inside him. This can be seen through the savagery toward animals and the treatment of women and children throughout the movie. In Genesis, God set a moral standard by which the human beings must live. Although, in the Bible, we know that both humans and animals have become violent, â€Å"I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.† (Genesis 6:13), ‘Morality' in other animals is simply their instincts. This can add to the claim in the movie that animals are entirely innocent and require protection from the immoral actions of humanity. Genesis places human life in accordance with the life of animals. The first story places the creation of mankind on the same day, day six, as the creation of animals. In â€Å"NOAH† there is an essential division between humans and animals. Instead of saving the human race, God orders Noah to bring two of each species on earth onto the arc to save the animal species. He does this because there is the idea that animals acquire an innocence that human beings clearly do not. This stresses that God saw animal kind as innocent and, in a way, above humans. In the first Genesis story, God created human beings to fill the Earth and order it. â€Å"God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'† (Genesis 1:28) This verse describes God's purpose for the human race as being fruitful while subduing the Earth. Moral Therapeutic Deism proposes an elevated view of self. It is a very individualistic deism that has the idea that God wants humans to have â€Å"good† morals. The five beliefs of Moral Therapeutic Deism are that God exists and created the world, God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other, the central goal of life is to be happy and feel good about oneself, God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when He is needed to resolve a problem, and good people go to heaven when they die. The first belief is a direct contradiction to the Incarnation in Scripture. It holds the conviction that God made the world then pulled back from it turning away from human beings. The second belief also contradicts Scripture. Christ did not come to Earth to make unmoral men â€Å"good†. He did not come to us to reform us but to reclaim creation from the scourge of sin. Having a behaved people was not His objective. The third belief is a very self-interested idea because happiness means something different to every person. This claim that the end goal of a person's life should be to find happiness completely redefines the idea that God wants people to be nice, fair and kind considering that people can define these traits differently. In Scripture, God yearns for more than merely good behavior and occasional happiness. â€Å"Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.† (Matthew 5:19) The fourth belief also contradicts the Incarnation. God is involved in every aspect of our lives. The Kingdom of Heaven, along with God, is current and present. He is exceptionally active in the life and well-being of His creation. â€Å"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.† (Genesis 28:15) This idea that God created the world and humanity just to leave it alone can also be seen in the movie â€Å"NOAH†. Repeatedly throughout the movie, Tubal-Cain curses God and is angered by the lack of communication between God and humanity. Except for Noah, who regularly claims to see and hear signs from God, human beings felt that they were, in a way, left in the dark. This caused them to act out and eventually believe that they could do anything they wanted including savagery. The fifth belief is also considered false by Scripture. Heaven is about being present and in constant communication with God. People do not go to Heaven, Heaven comes down to us. â€Å"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven.† (John 3:13)

A popular play today Essay

J. B. Priestly’s 1945 play â€Å"An Inspector calls† is still a success today. A new production of it has opened in the West-end, a sure-sign of its popularity and the play’s success rate. Why is it still doing so well? A main theme of the play centres on the idea of different classes in society, something that has been evident to us all throughout history, and is therefore a very accessible theme for many people. This important theme is highlighted right at the beginning of the play when it is clear that Gerald Croft’s parents don’t entirely approve of his choice to marry Sheila Birling: â€Å"I have an idea that your mother – while she doesn’t object to my girl – feels you might have done better for yourself socially† When Gerald’s parents are brought up in conversation, also at the beginning, we hear the probable excuse for their absence: â€Å"It’s a pity Sir George croft and Lady Croft can’t be with us, but they’re abroad and so it can’t be helped† The difference in class between the Crofts and the Birlings can even be observed in the way Gerald speaks compared to how Mr. Birling speaks. Gerald seems to speak in a more upper-class way than Birling. For instance Gerald says things like â€Å"Oh – I say† and â€Å"Hear, hear! † and his speech is more educated and precise than Birling’s, whose speech is more relaxed. For instance Birling says things like â€Å"y’know eh? † and throughout the play Birling abbreviates words such as â€Å"them† to â€Å"’em â€Å", subtly suggesting a less-educated and precise character. This non-extreme conflict of class observed in the opening sets the scene for the whole play and by being subtle it achieves effect, by gently introducing the key element of the plot ahead early on without overshadowing events to come. This sub-consciously familiarises the audience with the main theme making what’s to come more affective and powerful. When the inspector tells of the girl’s suicide he presents it in a blunt, direct manner. This obviously affects and shocks the characters but also it has profound importance in capturing the audience’s attention. â€Å"This afternoon a young woman drank some disinfectant, and died, after several hours of agony, tonight, in the Infirmary† As soon as the inspector states this intensely dramatic line – made more dramatic by the position of the commas that add pauses, resulting in emphasis – the whole mood changes from the happy, family party atmosphere to a curiously uncomfortable and somewhat concerning mood. We have had the background and now the drama begins, still relatively early in the play, which is important as the attention of the audience has been captured relatively early in the plot. From this point on, the audience is continually wondering what the outcome is going to be. The play becomes a thriller – another way of maintaining intense interest and a significant part of the play’s success. Aside from the ‘Class’ and ‘Thriller’ aspects of the play, we also have a theme of revelation. The family are continually learning about each other and emphasis is places on appearance and reality. We witness a transition of a happy family turning into a family full of secrets and lies, adding intense drama that will keep an audience interested.

Retail Service Management Key Indicators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail Service Management Key Indicators - Essay Example Since the data sheet had already summarized the major monthly indicators (with little or no primary data sets), the analysis below concentrated on the examining the temporal patterns across the three months. For the purposes of tracking the repair order, mailing reminders and financial summaries across time, key indicators were analyzed across the months January through March. Since most of the data was categorical (by month), histogram polygons were constructed. To provide a frame of reference for the period under analyses, where relevant and necessary, average and standard deviation of the respective indicators were calculated. For purposes of clarity, results of only some of the most important indicators, namely active number of customers, number of customers lost, percent sales of Smart link, investment returns on each US $ 1 spent are presented and discussed. This is an important variable indicating the proportion of the various maintenance and repair jobs undertaken at the company. Accordingly, based on the data provided, frequency histogram was constructed to depict the proportion of the different maintenance tasks undertaken. ... 3. Retail revenue sales trend: Based on the graph already provided in the data sheet, discussion is provided on the contribution that Smart Link sales have made over the gross sales during the different days of the survey period. 4. Percentage share accounted by the different zip codes: The relative contribution made by the different zip codes for their share of the services and how these have changed from month to month has been analyzed. The mean per cent share of the different zip code was computed across the three months. Results: Repair order, mailing and financial summary results: Over the three months of reporting, a total of 4056 services were completed, with January accounting for the highest (37% of the services) and March, the least (30% of the services) (Figure 1). The mean number of active customers over the three months was 233954 (average standard deviation) with little variation across the months (Figure 2). The number of completed services ranged between 1210 (in March 2006) to 1490 (in January 2006). On an average there was only a 6 to 8 per cent loss of customers over the three months (Figure 2). Figure 1: Per cent services completed by Smart link from January to March 2006.Total customers serviced for the three months=4056. Figure 2: Frequency histogram of active and lost customers from January to March 2006 by Smart link. Two of the most important financial status parameters, namely, per cent of Smart link sales and the investment return for every dollar spent, increased from January to February but thereafter decreased in March 2006. For example, the investment returns increased from $215.52 in January to