Critique English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique English - Essay Example In the extreme, the males are more inclined to take their own lives five times more during their teenage years to their early twenties compared to the females. Speaking of living a privileged life, their lives does not seem to be privileged considering that the males are more likely to be abused physically by their parents, drops out of school and face unemployment. In their adult life, males are also more likely to be homeless, and to become dependent to alcohol and drugs. The females may be complaining about assault and violence but males are in fact twice as much more susceptible to it than females. When they work, their chance to get killed due to work related accident is nine times more than the female and they die six years earlier on the average. Worst, nobody seems to care. Their issues are often their own while the female can go blame society for their failures. For the female part, we already heard their predicament all too well yet their plights were as true as they were f irst raised eons ago. Yes, gender discrimination still exists and sexism is still prevalent despite the campaign against it. Stevie Cameron best demonstrated it by using our daughter as the character that would best personify our anxieties and hopes about the females. There, it was illustrated how unfair and discriminating the male dominated society is. Beginning at school where girls’ facilities are not given that much importance compared to boys such as the relegation of gymnastics to football. When they grew up, their moves are restricted both literally and figuratively. They cannot just walk to places wherever they want and during their adult life, their movements in their respective careers are also restricted by the glass ceiling. They are also subjected to sexist snide aspersions not only with remarks but also on downplaying issues that matter to them. These issues and concerns, I believe are more important than the predicament of the males. It is because the femalesâ €™ issues are rooted in discrimination which society relegates them as secondary citizen just because of their gender. This discrimination is a very serious issue and has overarching consequences to every aspect of their lives not just the simple â€Å"they are girls and we are boys’ issues†. This discrimination pervades in every sphere of our society that women has to contend just because of their female gender. Compared to the males where the issue they have to contend are the stress brought upon by the competitive patriarchal society and being such, are more tolerable than discrimination because competiveness is self-imposed. Their fall out, such as their higher probability in facing economic dislocation (unemployment, homelessness, etch) as well as the stereotyping of their intelligence are a result of their laxity towards education that dumb down their intellectual acumen. Whereas with the females, they are being restricted no matter how hard they try just bec ause of their gender. Worst, they inadvertently became victim of assault, sexual or otherwise, where a troubled man in Montreal took it to the extreme when he separated the women from the men and slaughtered them because he believed that women are the cause of his troubles. Men do not get these issues out of their gender. Many men have been victimized by assault also but it is not related to gender. For example, their increased probability to be attacked is a consequence of their reckless mobility. If you walk alone in unlit park or alley in a very

Ethics and Governance Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Governance Essay With reference to the Oxford English Dictionary (2012), ethics is described as the science of morals. It is also the agency of study with regards to the values of moral obligations of what is right or wrong. It also covers human behaviour. A company makes many decisions in a course of one day. It may include, launching new products, doing Public Relations, making sales, rewriting company policies and the recruitment or retrenchment of people, just to name a few. All business aims to do so ethically. To conduct business ethically, a business must first commit to adhering to laws and regulation (Timms, 2009). These are clearly defined, as they are in black and white. However, once the definition of what is ethical becomes contested, ethical dilemmas will arise. An ethical dilemma occurs when there is a situation which all alternate choices and behaviours have been deemed undesirable, and that there may be potential ethical consequences when one is unable to identify the right from the wrong. An example of an ethical dilemma is of follows, where one faces a conflict between his ethical code and his business aims. Cadbury, the chocolate producer, was offered a contract by Queen Victoria to send decorative tins of chocolates to every single one of her soldiers in the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa (Andrews, 1989). However, since he was against the war, which resulted in him deciding to resolve this conflict by completing the order without profit. According to Sir Adrian Cadbury (1987), his grandfather â€Å"made no profit out of what he saw as an unjust war. The additional work benefitted his employees, the royal presents consisting of tins of chocolates were sent to the soldiers, and it was a win-win situation. In a business, there are 3 levels of ethics: the ethics of the governing body, workplace ethics and individual ethics (Trevina Nelson, 2011). A governing body usually is made up of a board of directors, whose aim in the company is to make good corporate practices easier and more available for employees. They too must drive and motivate employees to strive for good performance, conformance and results. Workplace ethics are important, as it ensures a conducive and supportive environment to work in. There must be equal treatment among and within subgroups, open communication between levels, and information must be transparent and readily available. Individual ethics is affected by four complementary elements. Individuals must be able to identify ethical issues; recognise the values and priorities through their grasping of principles, rules, norms and theories; developing their individual sets of reasoning and perception; and improving the strength of one to act upon such decisions (Trevina Nelson, 2011). Before a difficult decision is made, the shareholder or the manager has to think a problem though. One way to do so is using Kidder’s Ethical Checkpoints (2006). He has 9 checkpoints which he feels will lead to an ethical decision being made. First, the manager needs to recognise that there is a moral issue. After determining the actor, he has to gather the relevant facts. Next, he tests for right-versus-wrong issues as well as paradigms. After applying resolution principles, he has to look for a third way before making the decision. After the decision is made, he has to revisit and reflect on the decision. After much research, I feel that Utilitarian approach is the most useful in guiding company decisions. I will explain why below. A decision is only ethical, according to the utilitarian principle, if it has the greatest net utility as compared to any other alternatives. As a decision maker, he must evaluate and weigh every option present to him. He must determine if there any positive or negative utilities arising from the option, before selecting the option that has the greatest net utility (Fuitzsche, 2005). It is very similar to the cost-benefit analysis used by stakeholders to consider the costs and benefits of a potential business decision. According to someone applying the utilitarian principle, a decision is only ethical if it has the greatest net utility and benefits the most people. An example of the utilitarian approach is when, during office hours, a company monitors their employee’s habits like tobacco consumption, as one man’s actions can affect the entire workplace. A prominent example is in Singapore, where there is the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act. This act aims to protect the public from the hazardous effects of second-hand smoke. (Smoking Prohibitions, 2012) By making sure that employees do not smoke around the office, there would potentially be less health problems, so lesser sick employees which mean improved productivity and greater yields. There are two types of utilitarianism, act and rule. Act utilitarianism targets problems in the short run while rule utilitarianism targets problems in the long run. While act utilitarianism looks at the total aftermath of a single act, rule utilitarianism looks at the repercussion over a series of acts (Fuitzsche, 2005). For example, bribing is frowned upon. An example of bribing occurred in NES China in 1998. NES’s government affairs co-ordinator proposed giving gifts to government officials to establish a working relationship to help get its application approved. The other members were horrified, as this was considered bribery and a criminal offence in their country (Joerg Xin, 2009). Under act utilitarianism, if bribing means that the company will get the business contract, thus allowing the employees to keep their jobs, it is ethical. However, under rule utilitarianism, this is not the case. Bribing, thou it will work in the short run by generating business, however, in the long run, potential customers will question if you got the job through bribing or because of your superior products you are selling. Therefore bribing does not provide the greatest utility (Fuitzsche, 2005). However, the utilitarian approach does have several limitations. Therefore other ethical theories have to be used together with the utilitarian approach in making company decisions. Firstly, there will be some people who will be at a disadvantage. A decision, according to the utilitarian principle, is only ethical if it has the greatest net utility. However, increasing net utility sometimes causes serious issues and affects people negatively. One notable historic example was the construction of the Great Wall of China (Construction of the Great Wall of China, 2006). Three hundred thousand prisoners and peasants were reportedly conscripted to help construct the great wall. It is said that ‘for every block laid down, one labourer lost his life.’ In terms of utilitarianism, a significant positive net utility was creates, as the great wall restricted the nomads and protected China. The Chinese citizens were safe for many years to come, at the expense of these three hundred thousand prisoners. Secondly, it is challenging estimating the results or effects of a business decision made. Also, a unit of currency gives more benefits to a poor person than to a rich person (Fuitzsche, 2005). In April 2012, all national servicemen in Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force received a $60 p ay raise (Chua, 2012). A Recruit, who once earned $420, now earns $480, while a Lieutenant, who once earned $1120, now earns $1180. This increment would mean more to a recruit, who had a 12% pay increment, as compared to the Lieutenant, who had a 5% pay increment. It shows that it provides more utility to the poorer recruit. Therefore calculating if a decision maximises utility is difficult. Thirdly, not only are the consequences of a decision made hard to foresee, some decisions have consequences which are not easily or unable to be measured. In August, Apple manufacturer Foxconn improved on the working condition of its factory in China, such as introducing more breaks, lowering overtime, doubling wages and having better maintenance of safety equipment. (Rushe, 2012) Louis Woo, special assistant to the chief executive of Foxconn also released a statement, lamenting that reduction of overtime meant that they ‘needed to hire more people and implement more automation, more investment on robotic enginee ring’ (Yip, 2012). These costs to the company are easy to determine. However, the gains in utility from these implementations are difficult to tell. Would productivity increase? Will employees be more loyal? Will turnover rate be significantly lesser? Consequences like these are hard to measure. Lastly, utility gained from these business transactions mean different things to different people (Fuitzsche, 2005). Some managers gain utility from maximising their employee’s happiness. Some managers calculate utility as one which will increase their material wealth. Below I will compare utilitarian ethical theory with egoism and moral rights approach, to show that while utilitarianism has it flaws, it is still the more useful ethical theory. The utilitarian and egoism ethical theories are rather similar. Decisions made using egoism ethical theory will often provide the most favourable outcome to oneself, no matter how others around are affected (Fuitzsche, 2005). The other parties may not be harmed or disadvantages, but to the decision maker, it is of no concern. The decision maker using egoism thinks about how the proposition would involve him (Collins, 2009). If the proposition adds onto his interest, it is right. If it does not, it is wrong. However, the decision maker using utilitarianism thinks about how the preposition involves everyone affected by it. If the preposition done is advantageous to the most number of people, it is right. If it is harmful to the most number, it is wrong. Egoism is very similar to the philosophy of Adam Smith (1790). Egoism according to Smith is an excellent market allocating tool, which benefits society if one cares for their interests in the long run. Egoism usually views things in the short run, which is similar to act utilitarianism, which evaluates what happens in that one incident. However, while utilitarian considerers the total positive net utility, egoism only considers the decision maker’s se lf-interest. Thus decisions made using egoism would be deemed as unethical. The rights a principle gives you assured moral or human rights because you are a human being. The moral rights approach stresses that human beings have essential rights and power of choice that cannot be taken away by an individual’s action. Gerald Cavanagh (1990) explains six rights that he affirms are basic to business work. They include life safety, honesty, privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech and lastly private property. One example is regarding Firestone and their tires. In America, 1978, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating the relation between Firestone’s Wilderness AT tires on Ford’s explore sport utility vehicle. The problem of Firestone’s tire separation was known internally at Firestone and by the automobile manufacturers; however, instead of recalling the tires, they kept it in the market, resulting in 150 preventable deaths and 500 injuries (Henn, 2009). As facts leaked out that were damaging to both companies, they became more aggressive in its defence. Firestone appeared to have violated several human rights. The firm knew that the tyres would create a hazard to humans. And by refusing to recall its products, it violated the right to truthfulness when the truth was extremely important. Even after the whole incident was resolved, public trust in Ford wavered. According to Henn (2009), a position of trust with the public that took many years and millions of dollars to build was severely damaged. According to the utilitarianism theory, an ethical decision is one that produces the most amounts of advantages to the majority of people (Trevina Nelson, 2011). However, according to the moral rights approach, an ethical decision is one that does not breach on the rights of another. The utilitarian approach is best for countries with high collectivism while moral rights approach is best for countries with high individualism. According to Hofstede (2007), most Asian countries scored below average on Individualism. Singapore is no different, so the utilitarian approach is more applicable in companies here. According to Johnson (2007), there is the five ‘I’ format with regards to making decisions. A problem must first be ‘identified’, before it can be ‘investigated’. Next, one has to be ‘innovative’ in coming out with many solutions. After this, a solution has to be ‘isolated’ and then ‘implemented’. Making an ethical decision is easier when one applies an ethical theory. A decision made using the utilitarian theory is ethical if it provides the greatest net utility, and produces the greatest benefit for the largest amount of people. Rules developed under utilitarianism can become a moral code to be used throughout the company. Thou it has its limitations, as it is difficult to measure utility, or figure out the consequences of a decision, and that it might not benefit everyone, but it is still better as compared to egoism or moral rights approach. Utilitarian is the most useful theory in guiding company decisions, and when used together with moral rights and egoism, it shows what it means to be ethical.

Functional Areas of Organization

Functional Areas of Organization INTRODUCTION: Organisations are built about a group of functions, each of which provides support for the operations of the business. Functional departments each serve a specific purpose with an organisation to achieve its objectives. The most common functional areas of an organisation discussed below. Information need is an individual or groups desire to locate and obtain information to satisfy a conscious or unconscious need. The information and need in information need are inseparable interconnection. Information needs are related to, but distinct from information requirements. An example is that a need is hunger, the requirement is food. In large organizations, each of the functional departments may be separate, whereas smaller organizations may have integrated departments. Different functional areas of an organization are: Sales Purchase Manufacturing Marketing Finance Human resource Administration Comparison Contrasting Sales The sales team deal with customers and generate orders. The technioques used to generate sales varies between organisation,but some of the most common are telephone,door-to-door sales,advertising,and direct sales through representatives. Purchase The purchasing department is responsible for monitoring how many products or stock is required at any one time and buying accordingly. Manufacturing Depending on the type of organisation, one of the functional departments may be manufacturing, who would deal with all of the processing of product service. Marketing The marketing department advertise and promote the products or service of the organisation. In some case, it may be integrated with the sales function. Finance The primary function of the finance department is to ensure that there is financial stability within an organisation and a steady cash flow to support day-to-day transactions. Human resource The role of human resources is to provide support to the employees of an organisation. The primary function is to ensure the welfare of staff, by giving advice, guidance and motivation to enable them to work productively. Administration The administration function is integral to almost all organisations. Administrative staff works in all departments within organisations. Purchase: The purchasing department may also be responsible for buying in consumable products, such as stationery, to support the other functional departments within the organisation. Sales: the sales department may also provide supporting functions to other departments, particularly if the organisation does not have a dedeicated marketing or customer service department. Manufacturing : Large national or multi-national organisations offering a diverse range of products or services would certainly need a manufacturing department to spearhead product developments. Marketing: The marketing department will be involved in the few activities. Such as designing developing promotional materials, organising marketing events, likely launches and campaigns. Developing websites Finance: The finance department is responsible for payment and transaction, investments, accounting procedures, budges and forecasting Human resource: Human resource departments are also responsible for overseeing the recruitment of staff and the payroll as well as resignations and redundancies. Administration: Organising meetings, taking minutes, audio and touch typing and letter writing are some of the day to day tasks an office administrator undertakes.

A Comparison of the Carbon Footprint of Retail Stores Patagonia, H&M, and The Wardrobe :: Global Warming Climate Change Carbon Emissions

Are you worried about global climate change? Have you ever wondered how you contribute to this problem? What about the impact of the clothes you buy? We have put together estimated information from three different types of stores to help you realize options you have as consumers to be more green. Patagonia is an example of an environmentally conscious and globally active store. The same is true for H&M but it aims to provide affordable, fashionable clothing at the same time. The Wardrobe in Davis, California is an example of a local store, community built and owned. It is important to consider the environmental impact of the stores you support and the clothes you buy. Local stores have the lowest impact because their transportation needs are less than those of stores part of a chain. However, although larger stores may emit more carbon simply because they are bigger, some are committed to cutting down on their carbon footprint. CARBON FOOTPRINTS Patagonia 303.66 tons CO2/yr H&M 261,376.75 tons CO2/yr The Wardrobe 54.13 tons CO2/yr Patagonia Patagonia's Carbon footprint of 303.66 tons of CO2 per year was calculated from estimating the lights in each store to 40.89 tons of CO2 (13%) from the electricity for 47 energy saver bulbs, and 182.85 tons of CO2 (61%) from electricity for 100 fluorescent tube lights, 71 tons of CO2 (23%) from the fuels burned for shipping to the stores from the distribution center, 8.23 tons of CO2 (3%) from the fuels burned for shipping clothes from the distribution center to the European stores by sea freight, and 1.3 tons of CO2 ( H&M H&M calculated it emitted 73,593.61 tons of CO2 to power its buildings (28%), 161,273.66 tons of CO2 for transportation of its clothing (62%), 23,517.81 tons of CO2 for business travel (9%), and 2,991.67 tons for fuel for its company cars (1%). The Wardrobe The Wardrobes footprint of 54.13 tons of CO2 per year was calculated using the 4.81 tons of CO2 (9%) from electricity for their four desktop computers, 0.99 tons CO2 (2%) from electricity for the 11 show lights kept lit 24 hours a day, everyday, 1.31 tons of CO2 (2%) from electricity for the 47 lights turned on during store hours equalling 52 hours a week, 6.

Blood Brothers – Development Task

For our coursework, we created several scenes and performed scripted pieces from the play ‘Blood Brothers' by Willy Russell. I shall discuss some of the main scenes we created/performed and what mediums and elements we used to improve them. The first scene I'll discuss is where Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons are arguing over who'll keep the twin. We used various mediums and elements of drama to help us put the scenes from page to stage. I have listed how we implemented elements of drama and what effects they gave below: Content- We produced this scene directly from page to stage, except we added thought tracking to it- two extra character characters that spoke their thoughts. We used the stage directions to produce movement and facial expressions which were the main content of the scene, including the dialog. Actions- We used various different actions both from the script and improvised. These ranged from Mrs Johnstone cleaning at the start, to Mrs Lyons waving her arms in argument. We did this to give the effect of emphasising Mrs Lyons' frustration and madness and to add more visual interest for the audience. It proved very effective as it made the scene more dramatic and evocative. Climax- The climax in our piece was near the end where Mrs Johnstone swears on the Bible to give a twin to Mrs Lyons. We built up tension which lead to this by increasing volume and the tone of frustration in our voices. Reece whom played Mrs Lyons used a more pleading tone whereas I used a more frustrated tone. We did this because we wanted to engage the audience throughout the scene with the build-up of tension and emotion. Contrasts- We created a clear contrast between the characters Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone as shown on the script. These contrasts where presented in social class, which we portrayed through our differently accented voices. Also the dialog of the script suggested their contrast as Mrs Lyons had more authorative lines. In order to develop the contrast in characters further, we also had different postures to connote the contrast of status. I had a more relaxed posture and Reece had a more formal withdrawn posture. We did this to create an interesting conflict in the scene for the audience. Symbols- The only symbolism we used in this scene was the Bible prop. In the script, Mrs Johnstone swears on the Bible. This symbolises a binding contract, especially for her character as she is very superstitious. We used lighting to mark the moment of this symbolism. Willy Russell may have used symbolism in this scene to add tension and interest for the audience as this reveals that an event is going to happen later on in the play. We could have added more symbols to the scene to create more tension. Now I shall explore what mediums of drama we used in this scene to take it from page to stage and develop it further: Costume- We didn't use a particular costume as it was easier to change to different scenes and characters. We maybe should have used costumes that represented their class to show a visual contrast between the two characters. Sound/Music- We didn't use any music in our scene as there wasn't any scripted, however we used a heart-beat sound effect to mark the moment of madness when Mrs Lyons was pleading. We could have used music when Mrs Lyons pleads for the twin to mark the moment and add emphasis on her character's madness more effectively. Space & Levels- We kept spread out on the stage to use space effectively, and we incorporated the use of levels to show a visual contrast in status of the two characters. Mrs Johnstone was generally lower than Mrs Lyons throughout the scene to connote her lower status. Voice- Our voice intonation of anger and frustration built up throughout the scene to add more interest and contrasting moods from the beginning of the scene to the end. This use of voice gave the effect of showing the emotions of our characters clearly for the audience. We rehearsed this scene by initially reading through the script as our characters and using voice intonation to add emotion to the lines as we read them out. We used the explorative strategy of thought-tracking to explore the inner-characters that weren't shown in the script. Then we used the stage directions to take it from page to stage and add movement and gestures. We then added our own improvised actions etc. to develop the scene further. We made the decision of having two additional characters that represent Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons' thoughts to reveal them more effectively to the audience. We also decided to use a heart-beat sound when Mrs Lyons pleaded to show the audience the madness of her character and signify it. I think that the performance of this scene went well as our characters came across as we and the playwright intended. We made our emotions clear for the audience as we portrayed them through our gestures, use of voice etcetera. However, to improve this we could have used music at specific points such as when Mrs Johnstone swears on the Bible so as to mark the moment and add even more emotion to it. We demonstrated that Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone had a good relationship initially, and how it deteriorated throughout the scene by using more infuriated expressions and vocal tones.

What are Behavioral Interview Questions and How Should You Answer Them

What are Behavioral Interview Questions and How Should You Answer Them When you hear the phrase â€Å"behavioral questions,† it might call up unpleasant memories of sitting outside the principal’s office, waiting anxiously while you come up with all the reasons it wasn’t your fault. But really, it’s just a type of question used by job interviewers to help suss out a candidate’s likely performance beyond the bullet points on the resume. This type of questions are among some of the hardest interview questions. Behavioral questions are discussion topics like, â€Å"Tell me about a time you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"How would you handle it if X happened?† They’re an important part of the job interview because they give the interviewer a sense of what you’re like in action. These questions tend to fall into a few different categories, so let’s explore those (with some samples of each).Communication QuestionsCommunication skills are an essential part of every job, whether you’ll be connecting with clients or vendors, internal employees, or customers. Everyone and his brother lists â€Å"strong communication skills† on his resume, but you should also arm yourself with some concrete examples of how you have communicated successfully in the workplace.Examplesâ€Å"Tell me a time when you had to communicate a complex situation to someone else. What did you do, and what was the result?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tell me about a time when you had to communicate bad news to a client or stakeholder. How did you handle it?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How would you persuade someone who doesn’t agree with your point of view?†Time Management and Prioritization QuestionsTime management is another biggie for interviewers. After all, your resume might have an amazing lineup of completed projects, but if it took you a year and a half to complete something that should have taken six months, that could be a red flag. They also want to know whether you’ll be able to prioritize tasks on the job.Examplesâ€Å"You have two deadlines on the same day. How do you decide which one to prioritize?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tell me about a long-term project you managed. How did you keep your team on deadline?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Describe your busiest time at work. How did you juggle all of the projects that were going on?†Personal Creativity and Accomplishment QuestionsThis is usually an attempt to get to know your motivations, or understand how you see yourself. It’s similar to the common â€Å"what are your strengths/weaknesses† questions that pop up in a majority of interviews.Examplesâ€Å"What has been your biggest professional accomplishment so far?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Describe a time when you had to be creative to get a task done.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Give an example of a time you had to think on your feet to overcome an obstacle.†Problem Solving QuestionsThis is perhaps the most common type of behavioral question in an interview, because it helps the interviewer really fill i n context for your resume. In any job, accomplishments are often the end result of problem solving, but the bullet points tell very little about what led up to that point.Examplesâ€Å"Tell me about a time when you saw a problem and took initiative to solve it.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Describe a situation where you faced conflict on a team. What did you do to resolve that?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What has been the biggest challenge in your career, and how did you deal with it?†Ahead of interview day, if you can come up with specific examples in each of these areas, you’ll be ready to impress with your quick thinking. You don’t need to come up with every possible instance of problem solving or workplace creativity- one or two anecdotes per area should cover you, and make you a model of candidate behavior. No principal’s office necessary!

Sociological Imagniation essays

Sociological Imagniation essays What is Sociology? Sociology enables us to understand the structure and dynamics of society, and their intricate connections to patterns of human behavior and individual life changes. It examines the ways in which the forms of social structure - groups, organizations, communities, social categories such as class, sex, age, or race, and various social institutions such as economic, political, or religious affect human attitudes, actions, and opportunities. Sociology also explores how both individuals and collectivities construct, maintain, and alter social organization in various ways. Sociology asks about the sources and consequences of change in social arrangements and institutions, and about the satisfactions and difficulties of planning, accomplishing, and adapting to such change. Sociological imagination is a special way to engage the world. To think sociologically is to realize that what we experience as personal problems are often widely shared by others like us. Many of our personal problems are actually social issues. What is the difference between trouble and issue? Troubles: Within the character of the individual and within the range of his or her immediate relationship with others. They have to deal with self and within those limited areas of social life of which he or she is directly and personally aware of. Issue: It has to do with matters that transcend the local or immediate relationships of the individual. They have to deal with different kind of environments that overlap and penetrate each other to form the larger structure of social and historic life. The difference between two is a critical issue for sociological imagination and a feature of all classic work in social science. Most issues cant be defined in terms of everyday environments of common men. Issues involve a crisis in institutional arrangements and often involve contradictions or opposition. The sociological imagination helps ...

Behind the Wheel Professor Ramos Blog

Behind the Wheel Spencer Bowling Photo by Scosche on Pexels.com          Eng 010 Learning to drive is one of the most important and fun things a teenager can learn to do. As a kid I was excited to go for a ride in the car so I could learn new things about driving and was fascinated to see all the stuff involved with operating a car. I remember all the kids my age asking their parents if they could practice driving a car. When I was about 15 I asked my parents if they could take me out to practice driving, I was surprised not only were my parents willing they were also eager to teach me how to drive. My Dad and I went up to Crafton Hills College, he took me to the top parking lot where no one was around and began showing me the different things I needed to know about safely driving, I’ll never forget my Dad had a new green GMC truck and I felt fortunate to begin driving on something new that had a ton of power. He began with the basics turning the truck on and checking the lights, he then told me to â€Å"go in reverse† and back out of one of the parking spaces we were in. From there he had me circle the lot and practice my turning. He would have me stop, turn on a blinker and try and park into one of the empty parking spaces. I struggled at first but after about five times of going up there I had gotten it down. About the fifth time up there he had me drive back home, I was nervous and kinda scared to be out on public streets for the first time, I remember him yelling at me to â€Å"Slow down, and stay in your lane!† He coached me through the rest of the way and we eventually arrived home safely. Next I started Driving School, it consisted of a small classroom with about 12 students. In class your given a small California Drive Guide and you go over things from how to stop on ice to how far back to stop from a railroad crossing. I eventually finished the course after a small test then you get your permit. After that I started my behind the wheel which its where you get to drive with an instructor. It was a Saturday morning at about 8:00 a.m. when my behind the wheel instructor showed up. He was an older man with short grey hair who drove an old black Oldsmobile, he picked me up and we were on our way. The instructor drove me through the city a couple of times then finally on the freeway. He pulled off to the side of the road then it was my turn to drive, he took me around the city, it was my first time getting use to stop lights. Then finally he led me to the freeway, I was very nervous but he told me â€Å"You are doing fine† and somehow my first time on the freeway s eemed kind of calm. He was a good teacher and I think because of him I was able to pass my driving test the first time. It seems like you really get used to driving after you’ve done it a few time by yourself.

Westen Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Westen Civilization - Essay Example The Merovingians were a group of people who ruled the Franks (which included present France) for three hundred years beginning in the fifth century. Like their Roman predecessors, the Merovingians wielded power based upon one’s birthright, the aristocratic were destined to remain that way and likewise, the peasants would continue to live in poverty. As such, it behooved the king to ally the powerful. It was an unusual society in that the wealthy were the ones who practiced and fought the wars. However, the wars and aristocratic lifestyles required a great deal of money for upkeep so the powerful enacted an extensive series of laws known as the Salic Laws. With this, enormous fines were levied that might seem excessive and even ludicrous today. For example, not answering a court’s summons today might result in a contempt charge and a few hundred dollars fine. The penalty for that under the Merovingians was in excess of $180,000! By the year 700, Merovingians had embraced Christianity and the children’s teachings were based upon that philosophy entirely. The one thing that led to the Merovingians’ downfall was their decision to appoint mayoral families to control the royal palace. In the early eighth century, one such set of mayors, the Carolingians, began to peacefully seize power from the Merovingians and the Franks in what is now France. Withstanding an invasion from Muslims and with the blessings of the Pope, Pippin III deposed the final Merovingians in 751. Thus, the Catholic Church began its systematic control of Western governments, which continued unabated for almost one thousand years. Yet is was the son of Pippin III who was to gain the most fame Charles I of the Carolingians, who possessed the more famous name Charlemagne (pp 268-75) lived from 742 until 814. Known as the Father of Europe, the

What is the link between resilience and complexity Essay

What is the link between resilience and complexity - Essay Example In the present world, changes are ever occurring, many of which come with difficulties of adapting to. Various difficulties in life have forced people to bounce back to their normal living styles even after the complexities of life. The bouncing back provides a definition of the resilience concept. In this paper, discussion is made on the inter-relation of resilience and complexity. Resilience thinking is elaborated to show its broad areas of application and the how it is taken in the social, as well as the political scenarios. Thus, resilience thinking is the solution to the problem of governance in this complex world. Resilience is a principal concept in regard to government policy understandings. Currently, resilience is viewed as the ideal policy. It is, therefore, evident that resilience is a key facet on governance; as it shapes thinking. This complex world is in dire need of a new approach of governing. It is vital to note that the world is viewed as complex. Thus, without complexity, there would be no need of resilience. This is based on the fact that resilience thinking is involved with risks as well as complex aspects that influence the life of man. The synergy between resilience thinking in regard to governance and the complexity of the world will be under analysis. Resilience has come to be recognized as central to international and domestic policy-making. It has come to be seen as the guiding principle of policy governance and a key political category of our time. For sustainable development, resilience has become a top priority, and an international development aid agenda, which is key to international security concerns since it is vital for disaster risk reduction. Resilience affects the way politics is conducted both at the domestic and international levels1. In this discussion, a range of issues and questions will be analysed in terms of resilience frameworks, from educational training in schools to the global ethics and from

Career Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Career Decision Making - Essay Example It’s within a holistic paradigm that career counseling must work to aid the individual in resolving their personal relationship conflicts to achieve a more holistic lifestyle, as this will allow them to more clearly advance with their career decision making. In these regards, it’s clear that the theoretical approach most relevant to this case study is Hansen’s integrative life planning approach. According to Hansen’s theory, there is a series of four assumptions that must be incorporated into life planning decisions (Niles, & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008). Hansen states that one of the central tasks individuals must accomplish is, â€Å"weaving our lives into a meaningful whole† (Hansen, as cited in Niles, & Harris-Bowlsbey, pg. 85). In these regards, it’s clear that Hansen’s integrative life planning approach considers not simply one’s direct choice in deciding on one career over another but also posits that any substantial life decis ion must be made in terms of the holistic effect it has on all aspects of the individual’s life. Hansen also indicates that an individual must consider their career goals in terms of life purpose and spirituality. When examining Douglas’ decision-making dilemma it’s clear that social aspects have hindered his ability to progress with his career decisions. In examining Douglas’ dilemma it seems clear that in deciding on one career choice will have a tremendous effect on another aspect of his life, namely the relationship with his parents. I think a highly relevant and notable point of discussion was when the counselor framed the career discussion in terms of the client’s siblings. While it’s clear that the client had been strongly influenced by his parents’ work ethic, working a series of jobs and seemingly having a very career-centric life, the emphasis on her siblings’ decisions contributes greatly to decisions that he might make in terms of career advancement, or purpose and meaning.

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

College Admission - Essay Example I want to join Purdue University to get a formal education in computer engineering and later on get a job in the industry. In today’s competitive job marketplace people seeking work must have at least a Bachelor’s degree to have a legitimate shot at getting a job. The unemployment rate in the United States is currently above 9%. I want to take advantage of the amazing education Purdue University provides its alumni to help change the world through innovation similarly to the way the late Steve Jobs was able to leave his mark on society. I want to invent or bring something into this world that serves a great and noble purpose. My personal and professional goals can only be attained if I am able to complete a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. My first goal upon graduation is to land my first job as IT professional. Educational credentials from University of Purdue will enable me to be considered for a job position with better chances than people that graduate from other universities or community colleges due to the reputation of Purdue University as one of the most prestigious higher educational establishments in the world. A second goal of mine, once I reach the job marketplace, is to save money for a few years in order to accumulate sufficient initial capital to start my own computer business. In future I want to become a successful entrepreneur. Once I join Purdue University I plan on taking advantage of every opportunity I get to expand my networking capabilities. There are thousands of students at Purdue that have similar aspirations. It is possible that my long term goal of starting a computer business can be accelerated if I am able to find suitable business partners for the venture. Having a team that has plenty of human capital can give my computer business a competitive advantage. Besides, Im sure Ill become a valuable addition to students community too in many

Sleepwalking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sleepwalking - Research Paper Example Sometimes it may also lead to nonsensical talking while a person is sleepwalking. The sleepwalker’s eyes are also known to be open but have no recognition to be really seeing, as they have a glassy unfocused look in them. This kind of activity is most commonly observed during either middle childhood or young adolescence. Fifteen percent of the children from the ages of 4-12 experience sleepwalking. It is noted that most of these children resolve this behavior during late adolescence. Moreover, 10% of these sleepwalkers start their sleepwalking behavior as teenagers. It is also noted that some sleepwalkers may inherit this behavior genetically (Moorcroft 228). Every person experiences non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. NREM has four stages and begins when a person starts to sleep. After the fourth stage, it goes to the REM sleep, which is when a person’s eyes are rapidly moving inside their closed eyes and so is experiencing dreams. The REM cycle is an important cycle as it is associated with producing hormones which aid in proper metabolism and growth of a person. Each of these cycles, that is the NREM’s four stages and REM, last for 90-100 minutes and then repeats all over till a person is awake (Coon, Mitterer, Talbot, and Vanchella 190). Sleepwalking however, occurs at some point in the third or fourth stage in either cycle. As this is a time when a person is deeply asleep, sleepwalking is barely witnessed in naps or when a person sleeps for a short amount of time. No memory of having experienced any particular behavior is remembered by the sleepwalker (Butkov and Teofilo 141). There are several causes of sleepwalking some of which can be associated with genetics. Sleepwalking is observed to be more frequent within identical twins. It also has a ten times increased probability to occur in someone whose first-degree relative has experienced sleepwalking. Then, there are psychological factors as well. It is more common in children as they experience greater amount of slow deep sleep and so makes them increasingly likely to suffer sleepwalking as compared to adults or teens. Different environmental factors can be associated with sleepwalking such as sleep deprivation, stress, fever, disorganized sleep schedules, magnesium deficiency, alcohol intoxication, or the usage of different drugs such as specific sedatives (medicines that trigger sleep), minor tranquilizers, stimulants, neuroleptics, antihistamines etc. Also, sleepwalking frequency is increased during menstruation or pregnancy. Certain medical conditions are associated with sleepwalking sometimes such as fever, Arrhythmias, Gastroesophageal reflux, night time seizures, night time asthma, obstructive sleep apneas, etc. Different psychiatric disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, multiple personality disorder, panic attacks are also connected to sleepwalking (Porth 596). There are some major symptoms of sleepwalkin g. Patients appear to be dazed and clumsy during their episodes and may appear to either be running around agitatedly or walking quietly around the room. Most often the sleepwalker’s eyes are noted to be open, with an unfocused glassy look as the person roams about the area. Prior to contrary belief, they do not extend their arms while sleepwalking. If questioned during the state, the responses are either slow ones with thoughts which are

HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY QUESTION ASSIGNMENT - 1

HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY QUESTION - Assignment Example Typical causes of infertility in female entail; autoimmune disorder, cancer, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, old age, intrauterine growth such as fibroids, clotting disorders, pelvic infection, poor nutrition and surgery to prevent pregnancy for example tubal ligation. The most common cause of infertility is impotence and hormonal imbalance. Treatment of infertility depends on the cause. Emotional causes can be prevented through education and counseling. If the cause of infertility is infections, then infection treatment can be considered an effective remedy. Various options have emerged regarding treatment of infertility. Medication such as hormonal injection can help restore the hormonal balance hence increasing chances of fertility. Artificial insemination entails inserting a donated sperm cell into the womb of a woman with an intention of treating infertility and allowing fertilization to take place (Lumley& Judith, 30). In vitro fertilization is a method of fertility treatment which involves combing sperm and egg outside the body and transferring the embryo into the uterus after fertilization. Surrogate pregnancy entail the transfer of an embryo made by combining both the male and female gamete into the womb of another woman in cases where the biological mother is unable to carry the pregnancy as a result of compli cations. Complication such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may emerge due to excessive stimulation of the ovaries as a treatment for infertility. The signs of the syndrome are to be detected earlier for effective treatment. Use of certain drugs to stimulate the ovary has been known to increase the risk of cancer. Egg removal during in vitro fertilization can result to injuries to other organs and sometimes pelvic infection. Other complications involve ectopic pregnancy and heterotopic pregnancy. Symptom in male includes presence of warts on the penis or the scrotum area while female may have the warts

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

College Admission - Essay Example I want to join Purdue University to get a formal education in computer engineering and later on get a job in the industry. In today’s competitive job marketplace people seeking work must have at least a Bachelor’s degree to have a legitimate shot at getting a job. The unemployment rate in the United States is currently above 9%. I want to take advantage of the amazing education Purdue University provides its alumni to help change the world through innovation similarly to the way the late Steve Jobs was able to leave his mark on society. I want to invent or bring something into this world that serves a great and noble purpose. My personal and professional goals can only be attained if I am able to complete a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. My first goal upon graduation is to land my first job as IT professional. Educational credentials from University of Purdue will enable me to be considered for a job position with better chances than people that graduate from other universities or community colleges due to the reputation of Purdue University as one of the most prestigious higher educational establishments in the world. A second goal of mine, once I reach the job marketplace, is to save money for a few years in order to accumulate sufficient initial capital to start my own computer business. In future I want to become a successful entrepreneur. Once I join Purdue University I plan on taking advantage of every opportunity I get to expand my networking capabilities. There are thousands of students at Purdue that have similar aspirations. It is possible that my long term goal of starting a computer business can be accelerated if I am able to find suitable business partners for the venture. Having a team that has plenty of human capital can give my computer business a competitive advantage. Besides, Im sure Ill become a valuable addition to students community too in many

HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY QUESTION ASSIGNMENT - 1

HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY QUESTION - Assignment Example Typical causes of infertility in female entail; autoimmune disorder, cancer, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, old age, intrauterine growth such as fibroids, clotting disorders, pelvic infection, poor nutrition and surgery to prevent pregnancy for example tubal ligation. The most common cause of infertility is impotence and hormonal imbalance. Treatment of infertility depends on the cause. Emotional causes can be prevented through education and counseling. If the cause of infertility is infections, then infection treatment can be considered an effective remedy. Various options have emerged regarding treatment of infertility. Medication such as hormonal injection can help restore the hormonal balance hence increasing chances of fertility. Artificial insemination entails inserting a donated sperm cell into the womb of a woman with an intention of treating infertility and allowing fertilization to take place (Lumley& Judith, 30). In vitro fertilization is a method of fertility treatment which involves combing sperm and egg outside the body and transferring the embryo into the uterus after fertilization. Surrogate pregnancy entail the transfer of an embryo made by combining both the male and female gamete into the womb of another woman in cases where the biological mother is unable to carry the pregnancy as a result of compli cations. Complication such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may emerge due to excessive stimulation of the ovaries as a treatment for infertility. The signs of the syndrome are to be detected earlier for effective treatment. Use of certain drugs to stimulate the ovary has been known to increase the risk of cancer. Egg removal during in vitro fertilization can result to injuries to other organs and sometimes pelvic infection. Other complications involve ectopic pregnancy and heterotopic pregnancy. Symptom in male includes presence of warts on the penis or the scrotum area while female may have the warts

The Power of Hoping and Believing Essay Example for Free

The Power of Hoping and Believing Essay Everyone has a shadow in their life. They may be academic failure, failure of marriage, and failure in one’s career. Normally it is the forbidden area which no one can access. Most of the shadows can be forgotten as time goes by. Some of them, like a scar in the heart, undoubtedly leave their mark. Everyone has different ways in facing life’s difficulties, such as escape or solve it. The power of hoping and believing is very strong. It is through these beliefs that changes and discoveries are made. It is due to the acts of hoping and believing that advancement and modern technology thrive on. When we have a great idea and if we hope and believe in it, chances are, we can discover something that could help make our world a better place to live in. Lauren Slater in the â€Å"Three Spheres,† writes, â€Å"Sometimes I wish time stayed solid, in separable chunks as distinct as the sound of the ticking clock on my mantle right now. In truth, though, we break all boundaries, hurtling forward through hope and backward on the trail made by memory. †(7) In the quote of Three Spheres, Lauren Slater naively wishes that time can stand still instead of escaping to go to Mount Vernon. It is because the memory in a specific period and the picture of Mount Vernon made her escape from the difficulties in her life. For me, I think it is the writer’s wish that time should stand still and be compartmentalized like a source of reference to probably make her statements and generalizations correct. But in truth, there is none. Because what may be true now can be proven wrong in the future. There are no compartments and we all move forward. We add on to the general knowledge and we just look back not for reference of something constant but only for memory’s sake. In addition, we always want to be time travelers that go back to our lovely memories. It is because we always consider the real word as cruel. A lot of people don’t want to face difficulties and suffering. Aside from that, no one knows what will happen in the next moment. The future is a secret. We don’t want to take the risk since the difficulty will come in the next minute. We humans always feel scared when we face something we don’t know. Many people are scared of the dark because they can’t see further. Death is a mystery since we don’t know exactly when and where it will happen. People always feel interested and scared about death. Death is a thing that we can’t get back from once we enter it. It seems to have no doors for us to learn about. The only way we can learn about death is from religion. A major thing that you would probably want to compartmentalize or stay on are your happy moments. In most cases, people who suffered a tragic loss of a loved one would wish that time stood still so that they can continue to be with their loved one. On some instances, a loved one, a good business venture or a prime economic stage that had gone bad would make people want to wish for the time to stand still and remain during their â€Å"good times†. Typically, we want to stay in the â€Å"good times† when we lack the confidence and the ability to solve our problems. However, as we all know, time is constantly moving and can only be compartmentalized for memory of how we thought or how we felt at that moment and can never be something there for us to continuously have those thought and feelings. Time moves on as life moves on. In psychology, a person stuck in a subject is a self- induced hypnotic. â€Å"I can do it! I can do it! † We always say this when we are facing difficulties. I kept saying this before I gave a speech. I understand it does not give you a great help, but believing in yourself is very important. As it is human nature to constantly want better conditions of living, we always think of ways to improve on what we have right now and we hope and believe that our ideas could be a great contribution to the betterment of our society. As can be seen in technology, our computer has evolved from a big desktop system to e-notebooks. From x-rays we now have ultra-sound, MRI and CT scan. From the movies and film industry the reel became, betamax, VHS, Laser Disc, Compact Discs, DVD, and USB and now we can even download movies through the internet. Visiting her old home, Mount Vernon, is the first step for Lauren Slater to face her cruel history. People can understand her reason for escaping her difficulties. Although we may sometimes want time to stand still, it is our nature to hope and believe for something better to come our way, and only look back at memories. If time really stood still then our world would be a boring place to live in because there will be nothing new and nothing to look forward to. Hoping and believing gives us life and energy to move forward and make our new day exciting, adventurous and worth living.

Image Pre-compensation for Ocular Aberrations

Image Pre-compensation for Ocular Aberrations Introduction Motivation On-screen image pre-compensation has good prospect with the increasing usage of various display screen devices in our daily life. Comparing to glasses, contact glasses and ocular surgery, on-screen image pre-compensation can be easily carried out by computer calculation without any irreversible change in the eyes, as long as the ocular aberration is known. Further, since neither contact lenses nor glasses are advised to be worn all of the time, on screen pre-compensation could even supplement glasses and contact lens use. It is known that compensation for higher aberrations can lead to super-sight, which is the neural limit of human eye. On-screen compensation also has the prospect of achieving this with customized screens in the foreseeable future. Image Processing Theories Human Visual System The human visual system is the combination of the optical system of the eye, and the neural processing of the light information received [Roorda (2011)], in which the latter is out of the concern of this research. The optical system of the eye is an intricate construction including the pupil, cornea, retina and lens (see Fig.1). The light come through the pupil is refracted by the lens and make an inverse image on the retina. During this process, any deficit would cause aberrations. For instance, myopia may result from the lens that the refraction is too high or that the distance from the lens and retina is too long. Fig.1 Cross-section of eye structure There is a limit resolution dominated by the neural receptor on the retina, which is below the diffraction limit. Although even for normal emmetropic eyes the sight is below neural limit and diffraction limit due to the minor deficit of eye structure. [Austin (2011)] For eyes with refractive issues, caused by cornea or lens from an ideal spherical shape, the aberrations would significantly dominate over this limit. Thus, in the following research, we shall omit the neural limitation. To increase the efficiency in the following, we can simply model the eye structure as such: a lens (regarding the cornea and the lens as a whole) with an adjustable size (pupil size) and an image plane (retina). Point Spread Function and image quality As is stated in the previous section the aberrations would come from any deficit of eye structure. In order to quantify the distortion in mathematical means, we introduce the Point Spread Function (PSF). Fundamentally, the PSF is defined as a function describes the response of an imaging system to a point source or point object. Note that the loss of light would not be considered in the PSF. Then, if we consider the PSF does not change across the field of view, which applies to the central 1-2 ° of visual angle [Reference!!!], the image can be expressed by the convolution of the PSF and the object in this area. (1) Where denotes the convolution algorithm. Note that the deconvolution method is based on the inverse operation of Eq.1, which will be introduce in Section 1.2.4. Fig.2 A contrast of PSF and MTF of an ideal emmetropic eyes (up) and a typical myopic eyes of -1.00 dioptre (down) Now we introduce two functions that can show the quality of the image: Optical Transfer Function (OTF) and the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). Either OTF or MTF specifies the response to a periodic sine-wave pattern passing through the lens system, as a function of its spatial frequency or period, and its orientation [WIKI]. The OTF is the Fourier transform of the PSF, and the MTF is the real magnitude of the OTF. In a 2d system, these two functions are defined as: (2) Where denotes the Fourier transform, and denote the phase space and Euclidian space, respectively. (3) Where means taking the absolute value. Zernike Polynomials The Zernike polynomials are a sequence of polynomials that are orthogonal over circular pupils. Some of the polynomials are related to classical aberrations. In optometry and ophthalmology, Zernike polynomials are the standard way to describe aberrations of the cornea or lens from an ideal spherical shape, which result in refraction errors [WIKI]. The definition of orthogonal Zernike Polynomials recommended in an ANSI standard is represented as: (4) Where m and n denote the radial degree and the azimuthal frequency, respectively. The radial polynomials are defined as: And the triangular functions: (6) Note that nm and nm must be even. The relationship between double index (m, n) and single index (i): Table.1 Eye aberrations presented by Zernike Polynomials Aberrations are expressed as the distortion of the wavefront as it passes through the eye. As is stated, Zernike polynomials are the standard way [Campbell (2003)] of quantifying this distortion. The aperture function (or pupil function) can link Zernike polynomials with the PSF: Where denotes complex aperture function (or pupil function). denotes the phase of the wavefront, and the i is the imaginary unit and denotes the amplitude function, which is usually one inside the circular pupil and zero on the outside. The PSF can be expressed as the square of Fourier transform of the complex aperture function: We now know that the PSF can be calculated with a known wavefront and the distortion of the wavefront caused by refractive error can be actually represented by several orders of Zernike Polynomials with different amplitudes, which can be precisely measured with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront analyser device. Deconvolution Method We introduce a way to pre-process the image to neutralize the aberration caused by eyes, which is also called image pre-compensation. Simplistically, to compensate them in advance to proactively counteract degradations resulting from the ocular aberrations of different users. Point Spread Function (PSF) is defined as a function describes the response of an imaging system to a point source or point object. The sinusoidal function is an eigenstate of the PSF (i.e. if the input image is a sinusoidal function, no matter what the PSF is, the output image would also be a sinusoidal function) The Image on the retina (or) can be linked with PSF by convolution as shown in Eq.1. Then we do Fourier transform on both side of the equation Note the convolution has changed to multiplication in the phase space. If we define a new OBJ as: The new image is This means If we can process the OBJ as defined, we will have the intended image in the observers eyes. To form the OBJ we introduce Minimum Mean Square Error filtering (or Wiener Filter) Where K is a constant. Computing Theories Fast Fourier Transform As is shown in previous sections, we use two algorithms that require an amount of calculation, which is Fourier transform (inverse Fourier transform) and convolution. Since computer images can be seen as 2-demension lattices, we will use 2d Discrete Fourier Transform: It is known that this process requires a significant amount of calculation. The conventional way of doing this would take a long time for regular PC. However, for research need, we will need to do this calculation in real-time. Thus, we introduce the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). A definition of FFT could be: An FFT is an algorithm computes the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of a sequence or its inverse. Fourier analysis converts a signal from its original domain (often time or space) to representation in the frequency domain and vice versa. An FFT rapidly computes such transformations by factorizing the DFT matrix into a product of sparse (mostly zero) factors. [Van Loan (1992)] Also, all convolution within our program will be calculated by means of the FFT through the following equation: (16) Fig.3 A contrast of the speed of two means of calculation with respect of data length. The purpose of doing so is to accelerate the speed of calculation, since the conventional way of calculating convolution is much slower than the FFT. This difference of speed is shown in Fig.3. Nyquist Limit As is stated, we need the image and the PSF to before doing the pre-compensation. The PSF is calculated by aperture function Eq.9. To simulate the pupil, we can use a circular apertureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. However, this circular pupil has some restrictions in computer simulation, which is the Nyquist limit. In signal processing if we If we want to reconstruct all Fourier components of a periodic waveform, there is a restriction that the sampling rate needs to be at least twice the highest waveform frequency. The Nyquist limit, also known as Nyquist frequency, is the highest frequency that can be coded at a given sampling rate in order to be able to fully reconstruct the signal, which is half of the sampling rate of a discrete signal processing system. [Cramà ©r Grenander (1959)] For our simulation the sampling rate n is represented as: Aliasing will occur when . Psychometric Theories In order to quantify the enhancement of the Deconvolution Method to the subjects, we need to measure the change of the thresholds of the eyes before and after the compensation. Specifically, in our research we need to find out the threshold of minimum contrast and size of an image that the subjects can correctly recognize. This requires the use of some psychometric theories. Adaptive Staircase Method The staircase method is a widely used method in psychophysics test. The point of staircase method is to adjust the intensity of stimuli according to the response of the participant. To illustrate this method we shall use an example introduced by Cronsweet (1962): Suppose the problem is to determine Ss absolute, intensive threshold for the sound of a click. The first stimulus that E delivers is a click of some arbitrary intensity. S responds either that he did or did not hear it. If S says yes (he did hear it), the next stimulus is made less intense, and if S says no, the second stimulus is made more intense. If S responds yes to the second stimulus, the third is made less intense, and if he says no, it is made more intense. This procedure is simply continued until some predetermined criterion or number of trials is reached. The results of a series of 30 trials are shown in Fig.4. The results may be recorded directly on graph-paper; doing so helps E keep the procedure straight. Fig. 4 An example trail by Cornsweet (1962) There are four important characteristic of adaptive staircase method (1) Starting value; (2) Step-size; (3) Stopping condition; and (4) Modification of step-sizes. [Cornsweet 1962] The starting value should be near the threshold value. As is shown in Fig.4, the starting point determines how many step until it reach a level that near the threshold. The test will be most efficient if the starting value is near to that threshold. The step-size is 1 db for the example test. Step-size should meet the requirement that it is neither too big that not able to measure the threshold accurately nor too small to slow down the test process. It is advised that the step-size would be the most effective when it is the size of the differential threshold. The result with the staircase method would be like Fig.4 in general when it hover around a certain level of intensity of stimuli. When reached this asymptotic level, the trails should be taken into account. An efficient way is to set a number of trails that need to be record and start to count after it reach the asymptotic level. Under some conditions, the step-size need to be changed during the test. For careful experimental design, the first stimulus in each of the staircases are at same intensity-level. [Cornsweet 1962] However, then the staring level would be too far from the final level. This can be avoided by using large steps at the start, and smaller steps when it approach the final level. For instance, this can be done by decrease the step from 3db to 1db at the third reversal. It should be stated that the adaptive staircase method is a very efficient way of measurement. For a given reliability of a computed threshold-value, the staircase-method requires the presentation of many fewer stimuli than any other psychophysical method. Related Work General image compensation has long been used since the invention of lens. The invention of the computer and portable display devices make it easier to perform on-screen image pre-compensation. On-screen compensation has the advantage of convenience in that it can easily be carried out with any display-screen device that can compute. In addition, acuity limits in the human vision on the fovea are found to be between 0.6 and 0.25 arc minutes [Schwiegerling 2000], which is better than the typical acuity of emmetropic eyes [Pamplona 2012]. This means that effective compensation may increase the performance of emmetropic eyes. Deconvolution Method On screen image pre-compensation is based on the idea that the aberrations can be neutralized by pre-compensating the object. Specifically, it requires dividing the Fourier transform of uncorrected image by the Fourier transform of the PSF (i.e. the OTF). A detailed derivation can be found at section1.2.4. Early research by Alonso and Barreto (2003) tested subjects with defocus aberration using this method. Their results showed an improvement in observers visual acuity compared to non-corrected images. However, in practical use, for example, defocus, the defocus magnitude (in dioptres) as well as the pupil size, wavelength and viewing distance (visual angle) is required to calculate and scale the PSF, which means measurement and substitution of these parameters are also required to deliver the intended compensation. Enhancement of Deconvolution Method Recent research has further improved the deconvolution method. Huang et al (2012) carried out work with dynamic image compensation. They fixed the viewing distance from the screen and measured the real-time pupil size with the help of a Tobii T60 eye tracker device. Then they compensated the image with this real-time pupil size data. The reliability and acuity were improved by this dynamic compensation. Unlike perfect eyes, for which bigger pupil size would lead to smaller diffraction limited PSF, for most eyes, a bigger pupil size would lead to an increase in aberrations. That is also why dynamic compensation is important. As is mentioned in previous section, the principle of pre-compensation is to divide the Fourier transform of the image by the Fourier transform of the OTF. In order to avoid near-zero values in the OTF, most of the research used Minimum Mean Square Error filtering (Wiener filter). However, the outcome usually suffers from an apparent loss of contrast. Recent research has revealed other ways to optimize the compensation to have higher contrast and sharper boundaries. The multi-domain approach was introduced by Alonso Jr et al. (2006). They claimed that there are unnecessary parts in pre-compensated image. Simplistically, there is compensation that is irrelevant with respect to the important information in the image. This work showed an improvement of acuity using this method with respect to recognising text. More recently, Montalto et al. (2015) applied the total variation method to process the pre-compensated image. The result is slightly better but still suffers from a trade-off between contrast and acuity. Fundamentally, the impaired human eye can be seen as a low-pass filter, and either an increase of image aliasing or a decrease of contrast is inevitable. Other Approaches The research described above can be seen as an enhancement and a supplement of the original method carried out by Alonso (2003). However, as is stated, there is a limit of image pre-compensation by the PSF deconvolution method. Others has studied other on-screen methods to achieve a better outcome. Huang et al. (2012) introduced a multilayer approach based on the drawback of normal on screen pre-compensation that was shown by Yellot and Yellot (2007). This method is based on the deconvolution method, but uses a double-layer display rather than normal display. According to Fig.2, if we have two separated displays, then we have two different MTF curve. Then, the near-zero gap in MTF can be filled. This approach has showed a demonstrable improvement of contrast and brightness in their simulation. However, it required a transparent front display that does not block the light from the rear display at all, which is not plausible in practical use. Later, Pamplona et al. (2012) investigated a light field theory approach and built a monochrome dual-stack-LCD display (also known as parallax barriers) prototype and a lenticular-based display prototype to form directional light. Huang et al. (2014) restated the potential of using light field theory on image compensation and built another prototype with a parallax barrier mask and higher resolution. The outcome of both methods were similar. They could produce colour images with only a little decrease in contrast and acuity. However, it should be stated that both methods were carried out with a fixed directional light field, which used a fixed camera to photograph the intended corrected image. It is obvious that is not feasible in practical use with moving observer. Adjustable directional light has not been implemented due to the limits imposed by diffraction and resolution. In addition, there are minor issues on the loss of brightness as well in these research. Overall, the most applicable way of on-screen image compensation is still deconvolution method. The light field method requires very precise eye tracking to inject the light into pupil, while deconvolution only requires the observer to keep a certain distance and to be in front of the pre-compensated image. Method Subjects Implementation We built a program for the test that can proceed the pre-compensation in real-time using deconvolution method. This program can pre-compensate any aberration that can be represented by Zernike polynomials The experiment is based on adaptive staircase method. During the experiment, the program shows optotype Landolt-C in four directions (i.e. up, down, left and right) which is randomly generated at each trail. The subjects choose the direction of the Landolt-C. Staircase: This research intend to find two thresholds: contrast and size. Though the We shall describe the staircase method for the contrast threshold. The experiment for size threshold is taken likewise. The four characteristic for our adaptive staircase method are: The start value is relatively large since the subject The step-size The experiment ends in N trials after it reached the final level For our research, we cannot determine an ideal starting value because the subjects have different type and intensity of aberration. Thus, we have to change the size-step to make our experiment efficient. The threshold is calculated using the record the last N trails of the experiment, which is determined by the following equation: Eq.() The program was design as such that Assumptions, Approximations and Limitations Assumption: About Subjects Limitation: Polychromatic issues, No. of Pixels, Staircase References Alonso, M., Barreto, A. B. (2003, September). Pre-compensation for high-order aberrations of the human eye using on-screen image deconvolution. In Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2003. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE (Vol. 1, pp. 556-559). IEEE. Alonso Jr, M., Barreto, A., Jacko, J. A., Adjouadi, M. (2006, October). A multi-domain approach for enhancing text display for users with visual aberrations. In Proceedings of the 8th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility (pp. 34-39). ACM. Campbell, C. E. (2003). A new method for describing the aberrations of the eye using Zernike polynomials. Optometry Vision Science, 80(1), 79-83. Cornsweet, T. N. (1962). The staircase-method in psychophysics. The American journal of psychology, 75(3), 485-491. Harvey, L. O. (1986). Efficient estimation of sensory thresholds. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, Computers, 18(6), 623-632. Huang, F. C., Wetzstein, G., Barsky, B. A., Raskar, R. (2014). Eyeglasses-free display: towards correcting visual aberrations with computational light field displays. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), 33(4), 59. Huang, J., Barreto, A., Adjouadi, M. (2012, August). Dynamic image pre-compensation for computer access by individuals with ocular aberrations. In 2012 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (pp. 3320-3323). IEEE. Montalto, C., Garcia-Dorado, I., Aliaga, D., Oliveira, M. M., Meng, F. (2015). A total variation approach for customizing imagery to improve visual acuity. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), 34(3), 28. Pamplona, V. F., Oliveira, M. M., Aliaga, D. G., Raskar, R. (2012). Tailored displays to compensate for visual aberrations. Roorda, A. (2011). Adaptive optics for studying visual function: a comprehensive review. Journal of vision, 11(5), 6-6. Schwiegerling, J. (2000). Theoretical limits to visual performance. Survey of ophthalmology, 45(2), 139-146. Yellott, J. I., Yellott, J. W. (2007, February). Correcting spurious resolution in defocused images. In Electronic Imaging 2007 (pp. 64920O-64920O). International Society for Optics and Photonics. Young, L. K., Love, G. D., Smithson, H. E. (2013). Different aberrations raise contrast thresholds for single-letter identification in line with their effect on cross-correlation-based confusability. Journal of vision, 13(7), 12-12. Van Loan, C. (1992). Computational frameworks for the fast Fourier transform (Vol. 10). Siam. Cramà ©r, H., Grenander, U. (1959). Probability and statistics: the Harald Cramà ©r volume. Almqvist Wiksell.   Ã‚  

Cloning Plants :: essays research papers

Cloning is asexual reproduction. Cuttings are taken from a mother plant in vegatative growth, and rooted in hydroponic medium to be grown as a separate plant. The offspring will be plants that are identical to the parent plant. Cloning preserves the character of your favorite plant. Cloning can make an ocean of green out of a single plant, so it is a powerful tool for growing large crops, and will fill a closet quickly with your favorite genetics. When you find the plant you want to be your "buddy" for the rest of your life, you can keep that plant's genetic character alive for decades and pass it on to your children's children. Propagate and share it with others, to keep a copy, should your own line die out. A clone can be taken from a clone at least 20 times, and probably more, so don't worry about myths of reduced vigor. Many reports indicate it's not a problem. Cloning will open you to the risk of a fungus or pests wiping out the whole crop, so it's important to pick plants that exhibit great resistance to fungus and pests. Pick the plant you feel will be the most reliable to reproduce in large scale, based on health, growth rate, resistance to pests, and potency. The quality of the high, and the type of buzz you get will be a very important determining factor. Take cuttings for clones before you move plants from vegetative grow area to the flowering area. Low branches are cut to increase air circulation under the green canopy. Rooted clones are moved to the vegetative growth area, and new clones are started in the cloning area using the low branch cuttings. Each cycle of growth will take from 4-8 weeks, so you can constantly be growing in 3 stages, and harvesting every 6-8 weeks. Some types of plants are more difficult to clone than others. Big Bud is reported to not clone very well. One of my favorite plants, Mr. Kona, is the most amazing pot I ever smoked, but it is hard as hell to clone. What a challenge! I noticed other varieties that were rooting much quicker, but it was the stone I was after! Once you find the psychoactive, almost hallucinogenic properties of some Indica/Sativa hybrids, you never want to smoke a pure Indica again. Indica is however, great medicinally, so I like to grow a few pure strains too.

Ford :: essays papers

Ford The Good Soldier, utilises a variety of literary techniques to construct meaning and propel imaginative power. Ford uses figurative language to initiate the polarity of â€Å"Convention and Passion†(1) and a divergent narrative style and structure to present cultural issues such as the quest for human knowledge and the imprisonment of society. â€Å"The long afternoon wore on† commences in the context of Nancy’s revelations. She has read the account of the Brand divorce case in the newspapers and is apprehending the manifestations of recently discovered phenomena. Ford employs a vocabulary that is mournful and dull to conjure up images of shadow and anguish. He uses words like â€Å"frightened,† â€Å"writhed,† â€Å"agony,† â€Å"pain† and â€Å"gloomy† to connote feelings of â€Å"affaissement.† These are juxtaposed with the vocabulary of the second half of the passage: â€Å"lover’s,† â€Å"flame ,† and â€Å"cheerful† which signifies the corruption of Nancy’s chastised mind. Knowledge of convention takes â€Å"all sweetness†¦out of life.† The lexicogrammar interplays the theme of â€Å"Convention and Passion† as being unable to exist congruently in â€Å"the law of the land† and cognition of human nature as futile, leading only to darkness. Ford expresses the degenerative nature of human passion in the metaphor: a tune in which major notes with their cheerful insistence wavered and melted into minor sounds as, beneath a bridge the highlights on dark waters melt and waver and disappear into black depths. The anagoge alludes to images of passion fading into darkness. An antithesis of light and dark, black and white, the certitude of Passion succumbing to Convention: Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly-deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too truthful are condemned Samuel Hynes, ‘The Epistemology of The Good Soldierâ⠂¬â„¢, The Good Soldier, Norton Critical Edition (1995. W.W. Norton & Company) to suicide and to madness. Nancy’s love must regress, as the etiquette of society must prosper. Fatally for those who were unable to conform to â€Å"the technicalities of English life† due to burgeoning eroticisms, â€Å"the end was plainly manifest.† Ford creates imagery of umbra and shadow elsewhere in the novel: â€Å"inevitably they pass away as the shadows across sundials.† Ford’s adumbrations of unillumination may also reflect the restrictions of human knowledge. Darkness reflects the tenuousness of human cognition. Dowell proposes earlier: what is there to guide us in the more subtle morality of all other personal contacts, associations, and activities?

Numerical Modeling

Numerical modeling of communicable disease is a device to understand the instrument of how disease blowouts and how it can be measured. we have studied numerically the dynamics of typhoid fever disease in this paper. We frame an unconditionally stable Non-Standard Finite Difference (NSFD) scheme for a mathematical model of Typhoid Fever Disease. The introduce numerical scheme is bounded, dynamically include and describe the positivity of the solution, which is one of the important requirements when modeling a prevalent disease. The comparison among the developed Non-Standard Finite Difference scheme, Euler method and Runge-Kutta method of order four (RK-4) shows the effectiveness of the proposed Non-Standard Finite Difference scheme. NSFD scheme shows convergence to the true equilibrium points of the model for any time steps used but Euler and RK-4 fail for large time steps. Key Words: Typhoid Disease, Dynamical System, Numerical Modeling, Convergence.Introduction Typhoid fever affects millions of people worldwide each year, where over 20 million cases are reported and kills approximately 200,000 annually. For instance, in Africa it is estimated that annually 400,000 cases happen and an incidence of 50 per 100,000 [5]. The mathematical modeling for transmission dynamics of typhoid fever disease is a capable approach to appreciate the behavior of disease in a population and on this basis, some capable measures can be modeled to prevent infection. Dynamical models for the transmission of disease objects in a human population, based on the Kermack and McKendrick SIR classical epidemic model [1–4], were proposed. These models deliver evaluations for the temporal advancement of infected nodes in a population [5–13]. In this paper we construct an unreservedly convergent numerical model for the transmission dynamics for typhoid fever disease which preserves all the essential properties of the continuous model. We considered the mathematical model of disease transmission in a population that has been discussed by Pitzer in [6]. Mathematical ModelA: Variables and ParametersS(t): Susceptible entities class at time t.P(t): Protected individual class at time t.I(t): Infected individuals class at time t.T(t): Treated class time t.?: The rate at which individuals recruited.?: Natural death rate. ?: Loss of protection rate.?: Rate of infection.?: Rate of treatment.?: Disease induced mortality rate.

Public School Essay

The Perfect Public School will be established with the vision to provide the quality education to the students of the Fateh Muhammad Jatoi and to enable them to compete at the national and international level. To achieve this vision the school will have the very well experienced and well groomed faculty that will provide the education on modern lines that will inculcate the students as well as their parents for the betterment of their children career development. The quality education that provide in our school is at low price as compared to our major competitors Beacon house, Frobels, roots and City school etc. The Perfect school is developed in order to facilitate the Pakistanis to get education as good and excellent as the students in Perfect school Pakistan. The Perfect school is located in Pakistan and is well renowned in all over the world for its Excellency in education field. Students from far flung countries go there with the aim to study and to get benefit from their quality education system. The Perfect school of Pakistan is also ranked among the top ten schools of the world. Moreover the Sindhi students also go abroad to study in this school and they score quite well as compared to other fellow students. The only difficulty that the Pakistani students face while going abroad is that they have to pay a huge sum of money for visa and passport requirements. The Perfect public school is going to be established to provide quality education as did other schools of Pakistan. The Perfect public school will be affiliated with the B. I. S. E Sukkur. The educational industry that provide these types of services includes the competitors like beacon house, Frobels, Roots and City school. These institutions are established with the purpose of providing the quality education but initially they have done their job quite well in providing excellent education, and with the passage of time they start diverting from their core mission of providing quality education. Now their focus shifts to provide the luxurious environments to the students and not to provide the quality education. The students living in the luxurious environments are used to enjoy the beauties or luxuries of life and are not willing to hard work, normally student involves in other activities which lead them to depression and illegal works. The Perfect staff is well trained to guide the student about their career development. The Perfect school is one of the prestigious students and established in the capital of Pakistan in F-10 Islamabad. The reason behind choosing this location that is capital of Pakistan is that we can get attention to the people. Secondly the people living in that part are very well aware of the educational needs and they fully know the importance of good education. Thirdly there are a reasonable number of foreigners living and they want to get their children to get a quality education. Fourthly there are mostly living the elite class of people in Islamabad and our business is mostly targeted to the elite class. The Perfect public school comprises of an elegant building, three grounds for outdoor sports activities of the students and one sports complex for indoor activities like table tennis, badminton, squash etc. The school will consist of almost 5-7 class rooms, 1 staff room and one principal office. The class rooms will be very well decorated and well furnished. The male and female staff will be hired for better education. As principal, I will regularly visit the classes, our progress towards implementing the strategies within the Business Plan, as well as the achievement of milestones and targets. Our values Success for every student. Diversity Ideal Customer The ideal customer for the Perfect Public School’s foreign language programs falls into one of two categories. The first is a middle class working person who feels the need to learn a foreign language either for a pressing work-related need, a desire to have more options in career, or a wish to travel to a foreign country and enjoy the experience more. These individuals, however, feel they cannot afford one-on-one tutoring, but are too social to be able to be content with a book, online program, or software to learn the language. They desire a classroom experience both as a structured approach to force them to make a commitment to the language learning and as a means to have extensive social interaction through the process. Market Description Perfect Public School targets customers with the following characteristics: 05 to 15 years of age Locals Male and Female Situation Analysis The Perfect Public School will be in the first year of business as a start-up operation. The School believes that the market demand for their services will be great and are convinced that a cohesive marketing strategy is required for The School. Market Summary The Perfect Public School possesses good information regarding their market and the target segments that they wish to serve. The School will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how The School can better serve them. Market Needs The Perfect Public School will provide the education with a source of knowledge. This market need is important as many parents’ are faced with the dilemma of using their limited income on education. Pricing: The Perfect Public School’s fees will be noticeably better than local schools. Market Trends The market trend for schools reinforces consolidation. Market Growth In 2012, the global educational system/industry as a whole was 897 Million industry. The education system is forecasted to continue its record growth. Pakistani society in particular has become increasingly reliant on education. This conclusion seems to be fairly intuitive as many individuals have a vested interest in living longer and more educated. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strength and weaknesses within  the area, and describes the opportunities and threats facing The Perfect Public School. Strengths †¢A unique, current business-environment-appropriate business model. †¢Excellent staff who are highly trained and very competent. †¢Games. Weaknesses †¢The lack of visibility and brand equity of a start-up business. †¢Lack of true experience. †¢Government intervention/regulation into education is possible. Opportunities †¢Outside pressure on students. †¢The constant growth of the number of students taking education. †¢Newly formed alliances of school systems. Threats. †¢The entry into the market by an established school. †¢Some event that cripples education. Competition Competition takes many different forms in the education industry. †¢Chain of schools: These are private national chains such as City School. Keys to Success The keys to success are: Male and female students. Low overhead and operating costs. Normal prices and services. Financial Objectives A double digit growth rate for the first three years. Reduce the variable costs associated with servicing each student order by 4% a year. Profitability by the end of year. Sales Forecast. Sales Forecast 2013 2014 2015 Sales Walk-in customers (students) 83,056 243,778 343,540 New & Old customers 76,994 976,543 1,234,654 Total Sales 360,050 1,720,321 2,078,194 Direct Cost of Sales 2001 2002 2003 Walk-in customers 111,664 453,705 514,559 New & Old customers 79,647 439,444 555,594 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales 191,311 893,149 1,070,154 Expense Forecast Marketing expenses are to be budgeted so they ramp up quarterly. These intervals are chosen because they are the common intervals that students who are getting several types of courses in same school. Controls. The purpose of the marketing plan is to serve as a guide to the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: Revenue: monthly and annual. Expenses: monthly and annual. Repeat business. Students’ satisfaction. Contingency Planning Difficulties and risks: Problems generating visibility. Difficulty developing sufficient talent. An entry into the education market from an already established, larger schools like City and Grammar School. Worst case risks include: Determining that the business cannot support itself. Having to lab equipment to cover liabilities. Competition.

Accounting II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Accounting II - Essay Example Due to the intense global competition factors other than price have become more important over the years. In order to retain customer companies have to provide excellent customer service and good product variety. If an important client requests a customized service or product and the company has the capabilities to comply, the firm must accommodate the customer to achieve customer retention. The stakeholders of corporations care more about the behavior of businesses. Corporate social responsibility has become a key strategic focus that is necessary to improve customer retention. At end of the 1990’s Nike Corporation lost a lot of clients due to the fact that they were involved in a sweetshop scheme oversees. Bad publicity and irresponsible acts such as the occurrence at Nike a decade ago are the types of incidents that can destroy the brand value of an enterprise. Another way to increase customer retention is to design products and services that provide greater value at a comp etitive price

Project managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Project managment - Assignment Example literature on this subject by David Anderson, Frank Brit and Donavon Favre under the title: The seven principles of Supply Chain Management, the concept gained more publicity and many scholars started producing tonnes of literature in this area. This new found interest in Supply Chain Management has allowed the concept to be extensively studied to the benefit of companies and customers across all industries. Some of the scholars who saw an opportunity after Anderson et al wrote their first piece in 1997 were Bowersox, Closs, & Cooper who in 2007 reviewed the decade old article and were in agreement that supply chains should be customer oriented. This pint of view represented the line of thought held by Anderson et al a decade earlier and opens a door into what the future holds for SCM. If over a decade earlier these scholars had seen the impact of SCM on customers and how the concept affected business, the it is fair to conclude that the article; The seven principles of Supply Chain Management was clearly ahead of itself. To address the unique customer demands within a supply chain, segmentation is necessary so that each cluster with identical characteristics is serviced in a peculiar manner that meets their uniqueness. EBay, one of the leading global online marketplaces, has adopted a unique model in its supply chain where for an extra cost, customers with need to urgent delivery are s upplied within the stipulated time and the purchased products discounted. This is an indicator of how a customised supply chain helps serve global clients to the benefit of all stakeholders. A discussion by Wang, Heng & Chau (2007) stressed on sharing information on demand trends especially for organizations with business relationships so that level of stock among these companies is kept at the bare minimum. This alignment of demand and planning is a useful tool throughout the supply chain because it helps related businesses obtain real time data on regions with deficit further