A Rose for Emily and The Gilded Six-Bits free essay sample

Takes a look at the treatment of blacks at the time A Rose for Emily and The Gilded Six-Bits were written and then compares the characters in the two novels. This paper compares William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and Zora Neale Hurstons The Gilded Six-Bits. The author examines the treatment of black characters in the two novels and how their depiction differs. The author offers a brief overview of Black history and how it was accepted in society to provide a more in depth understanding of the depiction of black characters in the above novels. Before I begin a comparison of the black characters that are found in the two novels A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Gilded Six-Bits by Zora Neale Hurston I would like to present a background for the development of the black history. Without a substantial understanding of their thought processes and assimilation within society it will become impossible to understand the intricacies that make the characters act in the manner that they do. We will write a custom essay sample on A Rose for Emily and The Gilded Six-Bits or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

The Implementation Issues and Strategic Advantages of Lean Systems

The Implementation Issues and Strategic Advantages of Lean Systems Introduction The global manufacturing sector has undergone a notable transformation over the past years as evidenced by the growth in different manufacturing industries. The growth has been spurred by the profitability potential of the sector. Different companies have been established in the services and the industrial manufacturing sectors in the pursuit to exploit the sectors’ profitability. Uniq Limited is a medium sized company that has been established in the manufacturing sector.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Implementation Issues and Strategic Advantages of Lean Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm was established in 1998 and it specializes in the manufacture of fast moving apparels and footwear products. A workforce of 120 employees facilitates the company’s operations. Uniq Limited has experienced a positive performance in its profitability since its inception. Mah aevan (2010, p. 5) defines operations management as ‘a systematic approach to addressing issues in the transformation process that converts inputs into useful, revenue-generating outputs’. Operations management further underscores the importance of understanding and addressing problems and issues that arise in the manufacturing process. Thus, it calls for the adoption of effective solutions to operational issues faced. Mahaevan (2010) further affirms that the core aim of operations management is to minimize the cost and maximize revenue through effective planning and operations control. Despite the positive profitability trend, Uniq Limited is not free from challenges. One of the major challenges that the company faces arises from the increase in the intensity of competition. The high rate of globalization coupled with the emergence of e-commerce has led to a remarkable increment in consumer power. Currently, consumers are demanding value for their money, which means th at they are demanding more for less. One of the techniques that Uniq Limited has identified in its quest to achieve competitiveness entails implementation of a lean system. This paper entails a critical discussion on the implementation and strategic advantages associated with the integration of lean systems at Uniq Limited. Operations function at Uniq Limited Uniq Limited is focused on optimizing the level of customer satisfaction by offering customers high-quality apparel and footwear products. Thus, the company considers the operations function as one of the central operations management functions. To achieve maximize on the level of customer satisfaction, the company has integrated a comprehensive set of inputs and transformation process. Uniq Limited considers a set of inputs to meet the customers’ product needs. The inputs include raw materials, labor, time, money, capital equipment, and information. The transformation process enables the company to add value to the inpu ts. The company outsources the raw materials from low-cost countries to minimize the cost of the final product.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Implementation and strategic issues of lean systems The integration of the lean system in the operations function will improve the company’s capacity to satisfy customers and to maximize profitability. The lean concept arises from the need to reduce the amount of duration that elapses between when the customer places an order and the actual delivery of the order. Black (2008, p. 56) argues that lean production involves ‘a new production approach that focuses on different aspects such as time reduction, quality, flexibility, and teamwork’. To benefit from the lean production approach, organizations must entrench lean systems that minimize resource utilization in the production process and that maximize the output. Charron, Harrington, and Voehl (2014) assert that the lean system is demand driven and focuses on ensuring that an organization achieves continuous improvement. Therefore, an organization only produces what the market requires. This aspect underscores the importance of integrating effective lean systems in the pursuit of competitive advantage. In the process of implementing the lean system, Uniq Limited management should take into account the following components as the core building blocks. Product design The first aspect that the organization should take into consideration entails the product design. Under the product design, the company should ensure that the standard parts that workers are required to use in the production process are specified. The organization should establish modular designs, which entails building smaller subsystems that should operate independently. Additionally, the organization should ensure that the lean system integrates a comprehen sive quality system. This aspect will ensure that the final product adheres to the company’s quality specifications. Process design The firm should ensure that the manufacturing process is well designed. To achieve this goal, the firm should consider several aspects. The core issues entail designing small lot sizes, setting up the required time reduction, and developing the manufacturing cells. The manufacturing cells entail establishing specific and efficient production centers. Thus, Uniq Limited should establish manufacturing centers for its footwear and apparel product categories. Establishing the manufacturing cells is critical in the organizations pursuit to maximize equipment utilization. Moreover, the cost of training workers is reduced because of the ease with which the organization can integrate the cross-employee training technique.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Implementation Issues and Strategic Advantages of Lean System s specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employing the cross training technique is critical is essential in ensuring that the organization maximizes its human capital. For example, in the event of employee absenteeism, the firm can be able to conduct the production employee by implementing cross-departmental task delegation. The design process component should further be comprised of a quality improvement process. The reason for integrating a quality improvement process is to improve the ease with which the organization identifies quality defects in the production process. Subsequently, Uniq Limited will be able to improve the overall quality of the final product continuously. To improve the contribution of the lean system to the firm, Uniq Limited should ensure that the production process is flexible. This move will provide the firm with an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments easily to cater for market changes (Cudney, Furterer, Dietri ch 2013). The Process design component should further entrench a balanced system. The balanced system should take into account two main aspects. First, the organization should ensure that the production cycle time is aligned with the customers demand. Secondly, the production process should be based on an effectively designed work shift system. Thus, the production workload should be equitably distributed amongst the various workstations. Equitable distribution of workload is fundamental to ensuring that employees in some workstations are not overworked. Thus, the likelihood of an error occurring in the production process due to fatigue is minimized. Moreover, balancing the workload is critical in promoting employee productivity. Huthwaite (2007) asserts that a balanced working system promotes employee productivity. In the process of developing the process design, Uniq Limited should take into account inventory storage. The firm should ensure that the production process does not req uire long inventory storage duration. On the contrary, the inventory storage duration should be reduced as much as possible. Slack, Alistair, and Betts (2012) argue that minimizing the inventory storage duration enables an origination to limit the inventory carrying or holding duration. Nevertheless, the firm should maintain inventory buffers to eliminate delays in the production process due to resource shortage.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Personnel and organizational components Despite the incorporation of effective product and process designs, the contribution of the lean system to an organization’s performance is subject to the level of employee commitment. Thus, Uniq Limited should consider its workforce as its most critical asset in implementing the lean system. To make the lean system functional, the firm should ensure that the employees are adequately trained and motivated. The training process should not only be limited to operations function. On the contrary, the training should be broad by focusing on areas such as problem-solving, statistical process control and quality improvement. Furthermore, the firm should consider integrating the cross-training approach to promote flexibility and line balancing in the production process. The rationale for training employees is to eradicate the talent gap that might hinder the efficiency with which the firm responds to the customers’ demands. Slack, Alist air, and Betts (2012, p, 87) assert that lean manufacturing systems ‘require highly skilled and educated employees to inspect, repair, and design the layout of the automated production technology’. This approach will enable the firm to minimize the duration that employees require to undertake the assigned production activities. In addition to training, the organization should ensure that the employees are motivated. This goal can be attained by giving employees an opportunity to make decisions related to the firms’ production process. In this case, Uniq Limited should give its workforce an opportunity to develop product designs to be considered for production purposes. This aspect will play a fundamental role in making employees develop the perception of being valued in the organization’s continuous improvement process. In line with its commitment to satisfy the customers’ demand, Uniq Limited has integrated the project approach. Thus, the firm†™s production activities are project based. The firm adopted the project-based approach because it specializes in the production of fast fashion. Thus, a specific production process must be completed within the set timeframe. Successful employee development will further be subject to the level of employee interaction. Thus, the firm should consider integrating the two-way communication approach. However, to promote two-way communication, the company should ensure that an effective leadership style is adopted. Mahaevan (2010) asserts that the leadership style has a direct influence on the employees’ commitment to job tasks. Manufacturing planning and control The last element that Uniq Limited should focus on in the implementation of the lean system entails manufacturing planning and control. Successful implementation of this building block depends on how effective the management team is committed to implementing different elements. The first element involves level loading, w hich entails the determination of the most appropriate sequence to adopt in the production process. The apparel and footwear production process at Uniq Limited is interdependent and moves from across different stages. Thus, the firm should consider the firm should integrate the push manufacturing system. This system is critical in eliminating errors. In its quest to ensure that the lean system contributes to improvement in the effectiveness of the project-based approach, Uniq Limited should foster the development of two-way communication within the firm. The two-way communication should not only be limited to workers. On the contrary, it should exist between the organization’s managers and lower level employees. The significance of establishing effective communication in the lean system is to promote efficient workflow between the various workstations. Subsequently, workers in the respective workstations appreciate the importance of collaborating in the production process. Th us, the likelihood of successful production is increased. Implementation of technology To integrate the lean system in its operation successfully, Uniq Limited should consider automating some of its operation functions. The implementation of technology is critical in minimizing the cost of operation. For example, the firms should consider automating the inventory management and employee training process. This aspect will minimize the amount of time and resources required to develop employees. On the other hand, automating the inventory management process will aid in reducing the cycle time. Alternatively, the product designing and quality control process should be automated to minimize errors in the final product. Strategic advantages of lean systems Uniq Limited is likely to benefit considerably by implementing the lean system. Some of the strategic benefits that the firm might acquire are expounded herein. Increased productivity Effective implementation of the lean system requires an organization to develop a well skilled and knowledgeable workforce. To achieve this goal, organizations intending to integrate the lean systems have an obligation to design and implement a comprehensive employees’ training program (Slack, Alistair, Betts 2012). By developing a competent and skilled workforce, Uniq Limited will benefit from increased employee productivity. For example, the firm’s employees will be promoting the firm’s ability to undertake continuous product improvement. High product quality Implementation of the lean system will increase the company’s competitiveness in the changing business environment. The integration of the lean system in the production process underscores the importance of teamwork in executing different operations functions. Through teamwork, the firm’s employees will have an opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas on how to undertake the assigned production tasks effectively and efficiently. Thus, the c hance of the team members developing feasible solutions on matters associated with product quality will be improved remarkably. Therefore, the firm will deliver high-quality products to the target customers. Reduced costs Lean systems are based on minimal utilization of resources and maximization of output. For example, the lean system underscores the importance of operating using a lean workforce. Thus, the cost of operation arising from a large salaries and wage budget is reduced. Moreover, optimizing the resources available will enable the firm to minimize the occurrence of wastage in the production process. The reduction of operations and manufacturing costs increases the likelihood of an organization maximizing its profitability. A lean system further leads to the reduction in the overall cost of operation by limiting the inventory levels and the carrying cost (Slack, Alistair, Betts 2012). Conclusion Uniq Limited decision to implement the lean system in its operations functio n can contribute to remarkable improvement in the firm’s performance. The improvement in the firm’s competitiveness will arise from the strategic benefits associated with the lean systems. Some of the core benefits include increased productivity, reduced cost of operation, and production of high-quality products. However, the firm must ensure that the lean system is implemented effectively by taking into account the fundamental building blocks. Reference List Black, J 2008, Lean production; implementing a world-class system, Industrial Press, New York. Charron, R, Harrington, J Voehl, F 2014, The lean management systems Handbook, CRC Press, New Jersey. Cudney, E, Furterer, S Dietrich, D 2013, Lean systems; applications and case studies in manufacturing, service and health care, CRC Press, New York. Huthwaite, B 2007, The lean design solution; a practical guide to streamlining product  design and development, Institute for Lean Design, Mackinac Island. Mahaevan, B 2 010, Operations management; theory and practice, Pearson, Upper Saddle River. Slack, N, Alistair, B Betts, J 2012, Operations and process management, principles and practices for strategic impact, Pearson, Harlow.

A research on the Concept of Homophobia and its Motives Paper

A on the Concept of Homophobia and its Motives - Research Paper Example Homosexuality has been regarded as being immoral, perverse and vulgar since time immemorial. Homophobia is similarly as old and still persists in present times. Homophobia stems from intolerance, ignorance and fear. It developed from prejudice and eventually intensified to panic. Ironically, religious groups do support and exercise homophobic attitudes which is against the ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’ principle. The acute nature of homophobia has gotten to a point where this issue needs societal redress. The following research analyzes the concept of homophobia and the motives behind it in order to determine how to control the vice. Problem Statement Our society has over the past several decades gone through social transformation. There have been assertions of new beliefs regarding human relationships, minority rights, individual freedom and global involvement. Even with such developments, homosexuality has always been a source of conflicts. In spite of the several homosexual groups that act as activists for the rights of this minority group, these groups have not been able to considerably eliminate the vice that is homophobia. Negative and aggressive conduct towards individuals who are homosexual and those in support of homosexuality sets a challenge to the society which needs immediate redress. Objectives The main objective of this paper is to analyze the concept of homophobia. The paper also tries to determine motives behind homophobia and recommends on way forwards in combating homophobia. History of Homophobia Byrne (10) defines homophobia to be the fear of homosexuality as well as of those who practice it. In the 19th century, a lot of the negative attitude towards homosexuals had already developed. By the time the 20th century and the World Wars had come, the attitude had advanced to a great extent. Homosexuals started being viewed as a totally different class of humans that were not the same as the rest of society. They were seen as a class that interrupts the society on a moral, legal and ethical level. As they were sent out oversees during World War I, a lot of homosexuals were able to come together. However, at the end of World War II, men and women who were homosexuals started living as a community separately from heterosexuals. They isolated themselves from the heterosexual individuals. As a result the homosexuals were declared to be psychotic and anti-social individuals that were destructive because of their sexual preferences (Byrne 12). In the 1950s and 19 60s, homosexuals were often ridiculed and hassled by a lot of individuals including the police. Soon after, homosexuals started fighting back against homophobia through formation of civil rights movements. They did this by calling for those that were â€Å"in the closet† to come out in publicly. The number of homosexual organizations increased from 50 to 800 as the closeted homosexuals publicly came out after realizing that there were groups and individuals who supported them. The 1980s were problematic years for the homosexuals. The Roman Catholic Pope called them evil and they were banned from fighting in wars. They were blamed for the existence of HIV/AIDS infections even though homosexuality began far much before AIDS emerged in the 80s. In fact, the

IMRD RESEARCH PAPER (McDonalds) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IMRD (McDonalds) - Research Paper Example This is because at different level, participants had different age. There were four study levels according to our designed questionnaire. It came out clearly that across the year of study; more participants were from the junior level. From the result analysis we got, there were 11 freshmen, 11 Sophomore, 25 junior, 12 senior and 1 staff. The information from the population of the participants was further summarized in figure I below; The results that we obtained were also devided in terms of Gender. There were many females than males. The actual statistics were 27 males and 33 females. This collectively represents a total of 60 participants. There was diversified answers regarding the feeling participants had on the change in the variety of food in McDonalds over a year. the questionaire used four variables to rate this answers. They include; Decreased, Stayed the same, Increased and Increased a lot. The results obtained rated a mixed reaction toward the question as follows; 4 people answered decreased, 23 stayed the same, 31 increased and 2 increased a lot. This statistics could be summarised below. The response concerning the action taken by McDonald to change its image and promote healthy food was rejected most participants. The answer provided by the 60 participants across different study level was no. Concerning the price of food in McDonald store, the most voted response was that it was cheap. The analysis of this answers rating given was that; no one responded on very cheap, 45 said cheap, 11 said normal, 4 said expensive and no one said very expensive. The answer provided for the question regarding the quality of food prepared by McDonald’s also attracted mixed responses among the participants. 35 participants rated extremely low, 20 said low, 5 said neutral no participant responded on high and very high. The response was gathered from students across the study level. Furthermore, there was mixed response on the question that was

Analysis of Women Victimization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Women Victimization - Assignment Example This dismal of women of color by white women stands as a roadblock to the connection between women. More so, such assumption about black women exposes all women to various degrees and forms of patriarchal oppression in society, some of which as women they share and some of which they do not. The issue of sexism among native women activists is of much concern. It is important that we eliminate the problem of sexism, as they tend to marginalize women in society. Feminism and activism contribute a lot to feminist politics since they question the legitimacy of the United States as an appropriate form of governance. For instance, many racial justice organizations in America rally against hate crimes resulting from the September 11 attack under the name â€Å"we are Africans too†. Issues such as sexism and feminism should unite all women because it forms the basis of their history. Ironically, this is not the case, as native women do not refer to themselves as feminists because they argue that the word feminism is a white concept that should be recognized with white women. Therefore, they assume that the claim of feminism as white then implies that native feminist politics is similar to the feminist politics of other communities. These perceptions have for a long time divided women thus, making it hard for them to work together and fight issues such as patriarchal oppression that affect them in society. Women such as Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, and Tahita Jenkins followed what they believed was true and were not coerced to interact with other women because of their race or color. According to Plato, women should not be discriminated or oppressed because all people are equal, whether female or male. For instance, Plato asserts that while women are caring and rearing children, men should take care of other duties.   

Pros And Cons Of Electric Power Engineering Environmental Sciences Essay

Pros And Cons Of Electric Power Engineering Environmental Sciences Essay Electric power has becoming a necessity in our daily lives. As the use of fossil fuels are slowly running out and phasing out, the use of environmentally friendly energy is now becoming popular and cheaper too. Electrical power is then transmitted after an electric charge has been generated and converted into electricity. It is then distributed to substations then to the homes at a level of voltage, which is safe for us to use. And that is how scientists and engineers have made electricity such as a success to date. Electric power is the use of electric energy to do work. Through electric power, machines are run, and through the running of machines electricity can be generated. Electric power is used in all industries and therefore become an essential tool in our lives. No-one is certain as to where the future of transmission and distribution of electric power lies, but scientists are certain that the energy sources of the future definitely lie in the emission-free sources. Over the years of electric power production various energy sources have been used to produce electric power across the world. These energy sources have been used according to its availability in that specific area, the cost to build and maintain the station, how it will be transmitted and distributed and lastly its affect on the environment. Engineers are trying to find an alternative of clean and cost effective energy to produce electric power. These are some of the electric power used from the past, to date. Hydro-electric power Hydroelectric power is the conversion of energy from free falling water into electrical energy. It uses the water stored in dams. The water flows through a tunnel pipe to the power plants hydraulic turbine. As water rushes through the turbine, it spins the turbine, which drives the electric generator.[1,2] [see figure 3.1 and 3.2]. Pro: It costs less to operate than fossil-fueled stations. There are no emissions produced. Cons: There is generally a deterioration of fish spawning in the areas when dams are used. This process of producing hydro electric power is limited to availability of water and suitable locations for dams and reservoirs [1,2,3] Nuclear power Nuclear power uses a device called nuclear reactor to produce enormous amount of heat by fissioning the nuclei of atoms of a heavy element like Uranium. The heat converts water into steam, which drives the turbine that runs the electric generator. After the steam has turned the turbine, it is left to be condensed in the cooling towers and then later recycled in the plant [4]. Pros: It is carbon-free electricity as it hardly emits any carbon dioxide. It requires much less fuel than fossil-fueled stations to produce an equal amount of electricity. Cons: It produces tons of radioactive waste annually, which is a health hazard to all living organisms. Uranium mining scars the land and pollutes the water supplies as all types of mining do [4,5,6]. Geothermal power Geothermal energy is generated wherever water comes into contact with hot rocks below the Earths surface. The rocks give off heat that makes the water hot enough to turn it into steam. The energy is captured by tapping into earths crust through a process called hydrothermal convection, where a cooler water seeps into the Earths crust, is heated up and then rises to the surfaces. When the water is heated it turns into steam. The steam is then captured and used to drive electric generators [7]. Pros: It releases no harmful emissions as it is a natural source of energy. It is far more efficient than heating and cooling and can move 3-5 times more energy Cons: Geothermal heat pumps have higher up-front costs. Theres a risk that while trying to drill into earths crust, it might trigger seismic activity fracture rock stability, thus resulting in the collapsing of infrastructures.[7,8] And now it is rumored that the use of biofuels might be the energy source for the future as they are the third generation biofuels (made from algae and other microbes). Despite the type of energy source used, the bottom line is they all have to create enough force to turbine a turn a turbine that will then run a generator. The generator has a rotating electromagnet called a rotor and a stator. A separate generator called an excitor powers the rotor creating a magnetic field that produces an electric charge in the stator. The charge is transmitted as electricity [1,7].[see Figure 3.3 and figure 3.4] Electric power transmission There are mainly two ways electric power can be transmitted either overhead or underground. As electric current moves along transmission lines, the lines resist the current flow. The resistance within the lines causes the current to lose energy. Power stations therefore limit energy losses by transmitting electricity at high voltages. As the voltage is increased, the amount of current needed to transmit a particular amount of electric power decreases. Because there is less energy lost due to the resistance. Electric current may either be DC or AC. Direct current flows in only one direction. Alternating current is therefore easier to transmit than direct current [1].[see Figure 5]. The history behind the way electric power is transmitted today. In 1878, Thomas Edison [see Figure 6:] developed and sold commercially viable replacement for gas lighting and heating locally generated and generated direct current electricity. He opened the worlds first public electricity supply in the late 1881.this system was powered from a water wheel , which drove a Siemens alternator that supplied a number of arc lamps with electricity within the town as well as shops and premises. As the years went by Edison opened more power stations in various parts o the world. All his methods of supplying electricity were using direct current (DC). Later on that year it was discovered that there was a demand for electricity, so Edison decided to increase the voltage so that the high demand for electricity could be supplied, and also because the increase in voltage reduced the resistive losses in the cable. But it was after a series of fatal accidents that he also realized that increasing the voltage increases the danger from direct contact and also incre ases the required insulation thickness. Furthermore some loads were difficult or impossible to make for higher voltages. Nikola Tesla, who worked for Edison for a short period of time and appreciated electricity in a way that Edison did not, devised a alternative system using alternating current. Tesla realized that while doubling the voltage would halve the current and reduce losses by three quarters, only an alternating current system allowed the transformation between voltage levels in different part of the systems. This allowed efficient high voltages for distribution where their risks could be easily migrated by good design while still allowing fairly safe voltages to be supplied to the loads. He went on to develop alternative for DC appliances. In 1888, Tesla worked with George Westinghouse, who owned a patent for type of transformer that could deal with high voltages and was easy to make. They both built a power system for a gold mine in Colorado. Almarian Decker finally inve nted the whole system of the three-power generating in California. Edison was force to sell his deal with General Electric to Teslas new system. Thus Teslas alternating current system remains the primary means of delivering electric power to consumers throughout the world. While high-voltage direct current is increasingly being used to transmit large quantities of electricity over long distances.[9] Electrical power distribution Some large industries require high voltage current and receive it directly from transmission lines. But high voltages are unsafe in homes, offices and most factories. The voltage must therefore be decreased before the electricity is distributed to them. High voltages are carried by the transmission line to sub transmission substations near the substations to 12500 to 138000 volts. The voltage is then further reduced at the distribution substations to 2,000 to 34,000 volts. Distribution lines may carry this medium voltage current voltage to commercial, industrial or institutional users. Distribution lines may also carry electric power to distribution transformers on poles , on the grounds , or in under ground vaults. Distribution transformers are what reduce the voltage to the levels needed by most users. Wires from the transformers run to homes, stores, offices, and other users. Nearly all consumers receive electric power at a level of 110-240 volts. And we use it to run our daily li ves [1] [see Figure 7:] . Conclusion Electricity has evolved over the years for it to be where it is today. The electric power demand continues to grow. Power companies as well as engineers must plan carefully for expansion to meet the ever-increasing demand. However, construction of new power plants is costly and takes several years. Many planned nuclear power have been cancelled due to the soaring construction costs and public concern over safety and nuclear waste [see Figure 8 ] :. Extensive research is being carried out into nuclear fusion, but it may take decades to succeed. If the consumption of fossil fuels continues as at present, then the supply will eventually run out. However, many scientists believe that energy from the sun, earth, wind and oceans can be used more extensively to produce electric power cheaply and efficiently in the future [1]. References : electric power. The World Book Encyclopedia. International edition. 6th vol. 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992 pp 159. Hydro electric power. The World Book Encyclopedia. International Edition. 6th vol. 1995,1994,1993,1992 .pp 159. United States geological Survey. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 09,2010, from Water Science for Schools: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html nuclear power stations. The World Book Encyclopedia. International edition. 6th vol.1995,1994,1993,1992.pp159. Pros and Cons of nuclear power http://www.greenenergyhelpfiles.com Pros and Cons of nuclear power http:// timeforchange.org. Geothermal energy. The World Book Encyclopedia. International edition. 6th vol.1995, 1994, 1993,1992.pp 245. Department of energy-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).2008. Geothermal (Ground-Source) Heat Pumps: Market status, Barriers to Adoption, and Actions to Overcome Barrers. Report ORNL/TM-2008/232. http://en.wikipedia.org./wiki/electric_power_industry.

Diversity Essay :: College Admissions Essays

Diversity Essay â€Å"Mom! Tell him to get off me!† cried my sister in Farsi to my mother. My mother ran into the room and pulled me, kicking and screaming, off of my older sister. My sister had come home from her first day of school, and was by this time crying. After issuing her punishment and telling me never to hit my sister again, my mother demanded to know why I was so upset. â€Å"She went to school today, Mom, and she won’t teach me English!† I sobbed. Of course, it was foolish of me to think that my sister could teach me a new language after her first day of school, but I was too young and frustrated to know any better. My frustration was caused by living in a foreign land and not knowing the language, and was amplified by our poverty. I did not have many toys and could not play with other children my age because of the language barrier. I was only two-and-a-half years old when my family moved to America from Iran to avoid the onslaught of the Iran-Iraq war. I was too young to remember any details, but the war stories I have heard are horrifying. Children were used as human sacrifices to deactivate landmines and sent to the battlefields with keys that would â€Å"allow them access to Heaven.† My parents envisioned a future for my sister and I somewhere that would shield us from such atrocities and allow us to advance our lives, even at the expense of their own. The strength that they displayed in sacrificing their own lives for our opportunities has been an inspirational force throughout my life. My mother worked at a laundry service in an apartment complex, and because we had no car or babysitter, I had to wake up mornings and walk with her to work. Several residents noticed me sitting impatiently in the cramped workspace and tried to entertain me in any way that they could. One of the residents, a tall man with funny-looking glasses, was a magician who gave me a copy of a children’s book. I could tell from the pictures that it was a book about a penguin, but I could not yet read its contents. I appreciated the gift, and because I liked this man who would show me card tricks and make funny voices, I was inspired to learn to read it.

The Solutions of Energy Shortage in Pakistan

Energy Shortage now is a global crisis for many countries in the world including Pakistan. Pakistan, one of the high rapid development developing countries now is in the worst energy crisis in its history (Kazmi, 2013). The high speed increasing of its economy and population absolutely demand a large energy supply, but the problem is that the storage of the energy of the country now can hardly supply the whole country’s energy usage. As AOL News said â€Å"Car owns wait for hours to get petrol and gas, cities and villages are lack of electricity for many hours per day, homes can hardly cook without gas.†The situation is becoming more and more serious in the whole country. Actually, Pakistan’s energy shortage crisis can be tracked back to the 1990s ( Kugelman, 2013); and in the 1970s, the energy crisis was averted once because of the Mangla and Tarbela dams. However, the strong economic growth needs a large mount of energy; no matter how indigenous energy resource s do Pakistan have, it is hard to satisfy the soared consumption of energy. For figuring out the good solutions of energy crisis in Pakistan, we’d better to know the effects and causes of the crisis.It is very obviously to see that the impact of the energy crisis in Pakistan is terrible for almost everywhere during the country: economic, educational, political and etc. As Chung (2013) mentioned, because the lack of electricity, numerous business and factories have to reduce 20 to 25% of their productivity, and the consequence of this can be really bad such as citizens are losing jobs, children are losing their education opportunities and factories are losing their foreign markets and clients, even worse, it may lead economic slowdown or economic contraction on Pakistan.On the other hand, Pakistan relies on the compressed natural gas (CNG) most and this is an important cause that leads the energy shortage crisis directly on Pakistan. Because the population is increasing so fas t, no matter how much gas the government has purchased in, it’s still hard to supply CNG for the whole country, also the negative impact of this is that there’s a inflation on the price of CNG. Besides, according to Leung (2013), the government plays an important role in this crisis.The poor managements of the government makes a lot of problems in Pakistan such as the government realized the problem but it didn’t take any action to solve the problem, the worse is, the government even made the problems worse. Government always spent money on wrong ways but not to spend the most of money on solving the energy crisis; at last, it seems that government can only make a ration of energy and owe much more money, but this obviously cannot solve the problem and it will keep increasing burden on the citizens.Hence, for solving the serious energy shortage problem, what could be the possible solutions and what solutions can truly solve the problem permanently or temporarily ? One thing now can be sure is that for solving the energy crisis, Pakistan will require political will, additional funding, and new power-generation sources etc. (Kugelman, 2013). One short-term solution as Kugelman (2013) pointed out that Pakistan could request a new loan from International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, except how much will this solution work, it seems that Pakistan now is not willing to get help from IMF at least after the spring’s elections.In other words, because of the possible political influence from IMF, it’s hard for Pakistan to get new fund from IMF as for now. It means even get loan from IMF is good solution in the additional fund way, it’s not a happy solution for the government’s political will. However, actually for the Pakistan’s situation, even the government doesn’t ask IMF for fund help, it’s still necessary and better to get economic help as soon as possible because even the government itself canno t pay all power bills.New fund can also help Pakistan to import more energy for supplying the demand for a while. Except the new fund, shifting the energy resource to another one is also a good solution for Pakistan. For this, coal energy seems like the best choice to instead of CNG for Pakistan. Considering Pakistan’s economy situation, like Ebrahim (2012) mentioned, many experts think coal is the alternative for Pakistan because Pakistan cannot afford to be romantic.Hydropower depends on water so it’s seasonally, oil is too expensive, only importing abundant coal is viable because coal is much more cheaper than oil and it’s non-seasonally. However, although coal energy is a long-term solution for Pakistan to solve the energy problem, it is also a long-term damage for the global environment (Chung, 2013). In this way, Pakistan needs to consider how to balance the solution of the current problem and the cause of the potential crisis in the future. Hopefully coal energy won’t be a dilemma for Pakistan in the future.Meanwhile, besides coal energy, another long-term solution for Pakistan now is to develop more sugar plants to supply electricity. According to Kazmi (2013), Pakistan has the potential to get electricity from sugar plants across the country especially in rural areas. Sugar mills only use low bagasse to heat boilers; moreover, sugar can also produce ethanol for motor gasoline. This means, if Pakistan starts to use large sugar to be an energy row-material, then it will be helpful for Pakistan to contain oil imports and CNG (Kazmi, 2013).The advantages of sugar are obviously; it can provide Pakistan another new chance to change the situation in a good way, and maybe the only problem for this solution for Pakistan is how to get more places for planting sugar. In general, like Kugelman (2013) mentioned, Pakistan’s energy problems are deep and complex, and sometimes the crisis is not only about Pakistan itself, other coun tries could be involved in the problems; thus, for getting better understand of the problem and better solutions for the problem, we still need to find more information. However, as for now about Pakistan, the energy shortage crisis is becoming worse and worse.The impacts of the crisis are negative: people in Pakistan now have a very hard and challenging life, economy may suspend or even reverse, government can hardly control the situation etc. So far, due to Pakistan’s complex situation, sugar seems like the best solution for Pakistan to solve the problem, it’s cheap and easy to get, it can provide both gas and electricity energy for the whole country, and it can help government to balance the imports and the fund during the crisis. Hopefully, Pakistan could solve the energy shortage crisis and change its hard situation peacefully and quickly.

From the Great Wall to the Pyramids

The Great Wall of China and the Egyptian Pyramids are both Manmade Wonders of the World and belong to two of the oldest civilizations. Ancient Egypt and ancient China both have history that date back over 4,000 years ago, and though the two civilizations co-existed simultaneously with one another, there were little contact between the two. Yet apart from some underlying differences, there are many similarities between the two cultures as is highlighted when examining the Analects and The Book of the Dead.On the surface, the social behavior and values emphasized in the Analects and The Book of the Dead resemble one another; however, upon closer examination it becomes apparent that the origin and purpose behind the actions different greatly. The purpose of the two literatures contrast due to the lifestyles and beliefs that were held during each of the corresponding civilizations. Though the texts preach similar values and achieve similar results in terms of human behavior, the factor t hat ignited the creation of these two historical pieces differ tremendously.The Analects was written by Confucius, also known as Kong Zi, who resided during the Era of Warring State, which was a sub-period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. This was a time of disunity and power struggle where the empire was divided into areas controlled feudal lords who desired to expand their land by conquering weaker neighboring states. In the midst of this, philosophies of humanity and order began to blossom, as people began to grow tiresome of the constant wars and chaos. Confucius emphasizes that, â€Å"If they [riches and honor] cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held†(p. ). These philosophies flourished as people began wanting reforms towards a harmonious life. Confucianism contributed to the downfall of the Zhou Dynasty, bringing in new values and social behaviors to the civilization. The Book of the Dead, on the other hand, formed due to the Egyptians emphasis of the afterlife. The Ancient Egyptian society was centered on the Nile River that provided fertile soil for the Egyptians to be able to survive. They believed that this â€Å"gift† from the Nile was from the gods when the people found favor with them.To maintain the positive relationship with the Gods, and to insure a favorable afterlife, The Book of the Dead was created as a guide for the dead to pass over to the next life. A contrast can be drawn in what stemmed the creation for each of these texts. The Analects was created to bring about change in the Chinese Civilization while the Book of the Dead was designed to further the positive relationship Egyptian people had with the Gods. . Though the two texts have varying origins, similar values are emphasized throughout the two historical texts and the civilization as a whole.The Egyptian word â€Å"maat† is an important term in the Egyptian society and is seen throughout the Book of the Dead. It signifies not just truth, but also balance, justice, and order. The people are required â€Å"live on maat, and feed on maat† (p. 3), which further reveals that the people’s life revolve around order and truth. In a similar fashion, Confucius also emphasizes the revolving order of truth, education, and justice. In the Analects, Confucius instructs man to â€Å"recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness†, an obvious dedication to not only justice and equality, but also sympathy.Further, Confucius reinforces that â€Å"the object of the superior man is truth, not food. † Similarly, the same parallel exists between the justice and equality aspect of the Analects and the â€Å"maat†, the order and truth, found in the Book of the Dead. Thus, the values conveyed in the Book of the Dead, for motivational purposes for a â€Å"good† afterlife, mirror the ones found in the Analects, as the common Chinese civilization also take to heart said values for t he benefit of society overall and to improve their current circumstances.Therefore, although there is a difference in origin and intention abiding by such values, it is hard to avoid the fact that the common values and social rules revolving around both civilizations’ societies closely resemble one another. Though the messages revealed in the two historical texts are similar, how the same objective is delivered differs, which in turn also affects the people’s lifestyle. The Book of the Dead provides of list of actions that must and must not be done, as it serves as a checklist of things the Egyptians must do before death such as, â€Å"I have not caused pain, I have cause no man to hunger, I have made no one weep.. (p. 1). The Analects instead provides words of wisdom and guidance for the people when making the decision like, â€Å"What you do not want done to yourself, do not to do others† (p. 1). This empowers the people to make the decision and to find what it right and wrong. Another factor that further emphasis the difference in what motivates the people to conduct good behavior is education. Confucianism seeks to emphasize the importance of education and provide the genesis of the concept of morality.In other words, the priority and heavy emphasis given to education by Confucianism exists to enable the education of right from wrong, and it is their belief that only through such truth and knowledge can one be conscious of choosing right over wrong. As an extension of that philosophy, Confucianism also argues that to know the ethics between right and wrong is essentially useless without applying and acting upon it. In contrast, the Book of the Dead doesn’t emphasize such an innate and acute developed sense of morality and ethics, and instead, dictates several rules of what to do and what not to do.The mystery or education needed to identify right from wrong is not necessary, and practically doesn’t exist, and instead a s imple adherence to discipline and obedience is the true test of their morality. In other words, the Egyptians did not place an emphasis of conscience or the development of ethics and morality, but instead places a greater emphasis on structured obedience, abiding by the rules stated in the Book of the Dead. All in all, it is no surprise that the two ancient civilizations live completely dissimilar lifestyles with contrasting beliefs, as they were isolated from one another.As the two began developing their culture, it is interesting to point out that their values and favored social conduct behavior ultimately became quite parallel. The emphasis in harmony, truth, and social order would not be prevalent in other societies, yet are in both the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chinese civilizations. And yet, it is no doubt that their beliefs of the afterlife and motivation for following such conduct differs tremendously and is what gives each civilization their unique culture.

A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient Variables

A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient Variables Free Online Research Papers Abstract: A relational database was developed tracking demographic and examination information for patients undergoing PET/CT studies. Methods: A worksheet was first developed to capture patient and study information which was then entered into a relational database. Reports were designed to provide administrative and clinical information. Results: Approximately 2000 patients and three years of data have been recorded in the database. Reports have been used for administrative and research purposes. Conclusion: The database provided reports used to justify staffing, expenditures, and growth. It has also provided research data as well as clinical feedback used to improve the care and management of our patients. Introduction: In July 2003, the Medical College of Georgia installed a PET/CT scanner in its Radiation Therapy Outpatient Center. The scanner is used to perform a variety of diagnostic and oncology-related procedures. In order to be able to retroactively derive research data, a means of tracking patients as well as their individual studies was needed. Although a previously existing diagnostic PET scanner was in use, only radiopharmaceutical records were kept. In the radiation therapy PET/CT environment we felt it important to record additional information obtained from the in-depth patient history and physical. Materials and Methods: A worksheet was developed which allows the technologist to record a current medical history. It was designed by the nuclear medicine physician, the on-site radio pharmacist, and the lead PET technologist. Worksheet entries directly correspond to the database fields to simplify data input for the technologist. If funding becomes available for a computer in the incubation area, the technologist will be able to enter the history directly into the database. Worksheets are filled out by the nuclear medicine technical staff but in order to reduce errors, only the certified PET technologists perform data entry. Data has been collected since the inception of the PET/CT unit in August, 2003. The database currently holds approximately 2000 patients each of whom has had from 1 to 6 PET/CT examinations. Because of the complexity of the information to be recorded, it was determined that a relational database rather than a spreadsheet would be the most effective tool. A relational database promotes accuracy and flexibility and also simplifies data input. Rather than the free text fields used in spreadsheets, extensive use was made of drop boxes and radio buttons as shown in figure 1 which provide selection from fixed, pre-established choices. Because a patient can and often does have multiple examinations, one table was established for the patient and a related table for procedures. There is also a table of examination types. Using the relational capability of the database, every procedure is linked to a specific patient and exam type, both of which are selected from drop boxes. Tables were also developed for referring physicians and exam indications. Because information is linked rather than entered as free text, accuracy is improved and consistency is ensured. Current departmental research interests focus on several patient populations including pediatric lymphoma, cervical and gynecological cancer, and patients requiring treatment planning. Specific database fields were selected to allow future correlations of disease and risk factors. In addition, fields were provided related to patient demographics in order to provide regional coverage documentation for the Certificate of Need. As shown in figure 2, pre administrative reports include monthly procedure counts (figure 3), Veteran’s Administration patient volume, patient demographics for the Certificate of Need, and patient referral volume by physician (figure 4). For research purposes, study data in reports can be filtered by examination indications, type of exam, or patient sex, race, age, or risk factors. Results: The database is useful in providing financial reports. These reports are used to correlate contract billing and to monitor coding accuracy. Reports are also useful in looking at volumes in order to monitor productivity and develop future budgets. Database reports organize research data on patients and their studies including demographics, history, and risk factors. The tools associated with a relational database provide statistics useful in the publication of case studies, preparation of lectures, and tracking of research data. Discussion: The database was designed and structured to provide flexibility in the use and presentation of information. One of the advantages of a properly designed database is that the presentation of information can be readily customized. Those entering information into the database as well as the individuals who will be using the results and reports should be involved in the design process. After obtaining all potentially useful information in the proper format, reports can be customized to fit the needs of administrators and researchers. The approach used in the development and use of this database is adaptable to other types of institutions. The focus should be predicting the information required by the specific users as well as simplifying data entry. Well-designed database structure and screens can save time and reduce or eliminate many input errors, thus enhancing productivity and accuracy. Once accurate information is collected in a well-designed format, it is relatively simple for someone proficient with databases to produce customized reports. This is especially important because users often have changing needs and interests over time. Below are examples of reports which administrators and clinicians at our institution have found useful: Veteran Patient Volume The reimbursement department uses this data to track billing cycles. Physician Referral Base This information is useful in focusing marketing efforts by identifying areas for development. Pediatric Lymphomas Following pediatric patients over a period of years will help determine improved clinical pathways for disease management. Gynecological Cancers The gynecological clinic is one of our largest referral bases. This information will be used to differentiate needs for customized scanning such as â€Å"dual point† scanning post surgery. Patient Logs and Volumes Reports provide monthly and yearly patient volume data in both textual and graphical format. Accurate volume information allows us to project staffing needs and schedule system maintenance. The printout also provides a hardcopy back-up of invaluable data. Radiation Treatment Planning By tracking the protocol used for each patient, outcomes are improved by retrospectively analyzing clinical patient management. Conclusion: This database has provided hospital administration with accurate and timely reports to justify staffing, expenditures, and growth. It has provided our physicians with a plethora of research data and has provided our technologists with a method of correlative thinking in the care and management of our patients. As volume increases, the need for accurate, easily accessible information becomes more important. The database is being continually modified and new reports are being developed to enhance management and research functions. Use of a PET/CT tracking database should prove helpful to other facilities to exploit the potential of this technology. References: 1. Gardner WD. Breast Cancer Database Provides Faster Access To Patient Records. InformationWeek Web site. 2005. Available at: informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NBXENMVY3EP5AQSNDBGCKHSCJUMEKJVN?articleID=174400322. Accessed April 28, 2007. 2. Johnson S, Paul T, Khenia A. Generic Database Design for Patient Management Information. American Medical Informatics Association Web site. Available at: amia.org/pubs/symposia/D004062.PDF. Accessed April 28, 2007. 3. Friedman C, Hripcsak G, Johnson SB, Cimino JJ, Clayton PD. A Generalized Relational Scheme for an Integrated Clinical Patient Database. Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care. Washington, D.C. 1990. 4. Essin DJ, Lincoln TL. Implementing a Low-cost Computer-based Patient Record: A controlled vocabulary reduces database design complexity. In: Gardner R, ed. Nineteenth Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus, 1995:431-5. Research Papers on A Comprehensive PET-CT Database for Tracking Patient VariablesArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Project Managment Office SystemRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanResearch Process Part OneThe Fifth HorsemanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicOpen Architechture a white paper

How Eliezer's relations with his father changes throughout the novel Essay

How Eliezer's relations with his father changes throughout the novel - Essay Example This lack of connection is evident when Wiesel dismissed his son’s idea to take his religion studies to greater or further exploration, claiming that he was too young. However, all these changes when the family forcefully taken to a concentration camp, Auschwitz, during the Nazi period. The hard and unpleasant they experience changes Eliezer’s attitude against his father. They begin to take care of each other and he begins to view his father as a role model, someone he truly admires and fears to lose. When the order is issued to separate women and children (to the left) from fathers (to the right), Elizer joins his father who would have stayed alone had Elizer not joined him, despite his young age (Smith 117). The father and son develop a strong bond following the horrors of war and conditions they are subjected to a t the concentration camps. The value their relationship and the once strained connections becomes that of understanding, love and care. As the situation gets worse, Elie feels strongly about not losing his father and upon the New Year, their relationship is completely transformed to that of closeness and protection (Bloom 106). They even figure ting out together and contemplate the future or no future together, as never before. He would not leave his father to die in the snow and kept on encouraging him that he will soon lie on the

Chinese banking system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese banking system - Essay Example In the banking sector, Chinese financial system is by and large dominated by the large but underdeveloped banking system, which is mainly controlled by the four largest state-owned banks with a lot of non-performing loans. These state-owned banks will a lot of power by using the money injected into their business from the large foreign currency reserves to give out loans to selective borrowers, in particular, state-owned banks and to selective investment projects. But with the on going privatization in the banking sector, this will permit the entry into the sector of more domestic and foreign banks that will be of great importance since it will stimulate the banking sector and bring in more competitiveness and root out all the NPL.Chinese Financial markets have been characterized by speculation and insider information and have not been very successful in the effective allocation of resources as the banking sector. China has two main financial markets, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange all established in 1990 and have been growing at a tremendous rate. But these markets have not been working at the rate which can bring in some improvements in the Chinese financial market sector. This is all due to encumbrances and poor regulation at the level of the regulatory environment particularly in the corporate and trading laws, legal protection of investors, and as well as institutions governing the enforcement of contracts that have all been poorly developed.