Tuesday, October 29, 2019

RGB LEDs Colour Mixing Controller Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

RGB LEDs Colour Mixing Controller - Lab Report Example The major aim of designing a light emitting diode mixing controller is largely for managing and controlling light emitting diodes colour points. It is also responsible for maintaining the controlled light colours to produce desired lighting effects. Another aim is to reduce cases of failed colour lighting in producing the RGB effect. For these aims to be achieved, specific objectives are necessary. Firstly, identification of all required equipment such as LEDs and power sources with appropriate current feeding is made. Secondly, the main controller is broken down into stages such that each stage can produce an independent controller for the purposes of achieving desired lights at each stage. Lastly, every stage involved use of assurance techniques to ensure that required voltages were attained. Introduction Lighting systems have been identified as some of the most beautiful creations of electronic engineering. Achieving lighting effects depends on the equipment used, mostly, LEDs. Given that most lighting designs employ the single LED technology, RGB employees the use of three Light emitting diodes, each with a corresponding primary colour. Designing and implementing RGB LEDs controller is a complicated multistage process. Achieving accuracy has been identified as one of the greatest milestones in practical electronic engineering design (Box 2010).

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Extracting DNA From Living Samples

Extracting DNA From Living Samples Karen Stevenson Introduction Collecting DNA samples from animals is often difficult and stressful for the animal, so non-invasive methods of collection are needed. Extracting DNA from animals usually involves one of three methods: Destructive sampling involves the organism having to be killed to get the tissues needed for genetic analysis.  Non-destructive or invasive methods require a tissue biopsy or blood sample. These are the most ethically acceptable and humane ways to extract DNA from living organisms as they do not destroy the animal or its habitat and often any DNA from feathers, hair, skin, droppings, etc. can be used, although DNA samples do degrade over time which will subsequently decrease the accuracy of test results. Freeland (2005) discusses a number of processes for DNA preservation including the method we used in the class experiment which is described in this report. High quality DNA shows up in bright contrasting bands on the electrophoresis gel but poor quality DNA displays a blurred or smudged look. Gender will show up as either one or two separate bands. Unlike in mammals where the heterogametic male (XY) will show up as two bands and the homogametic female (XX) will show up on the gel as one band, with birds, this is the opposite and the male is the homogametic and his ZZ genotype shows up as one distinct band while the heterogametic female ZW genotype shows up as two distinct bands on the gel. It is very difficult to determine the gender of very young chicks because there are no visible dimorphisms yet and poultry producers need to determine the sexes well before the animals begin to mature. Modern molecular genetic methods mean we can profile for individual genomes from very small amounts of DNA, whereas historically much larger samples were needed to get accurate results. In this experiment we followed procedures outlined by Hogan, Loke Sherman (2012) in our Prac manual to extract DNA from three tissue types of a domestic chicken to determine the sex of the sample and also to compare the quality and amount of DNA from the three samples. Materials and Methods Tissue Samples. Feathers, muscle tissue and blood samples were supplied by the technicians in the lab. The tissues were taken from a domestic chicken Gallus gallus domesticus. DNA Extraction from Blood, Feather and Muscle Samples We extracted our Our DNA with the Quiagen DNA purification kit DNeasy Blood Tissue Kit (2012). PCR is a faster and more sensitive method of amplifying DNA than cloning, and it produces similar results. We used bird sexing primers to build up the gender-specific loci CHD1W and CHD1Z, which allowed us to determine the gender of the chicken from a method developed by Fridolfsson and Ellegren (1999) using universal avian sexing primers 2250F and 2718R. The class results were collected and graphed so that our individual results could be compared. Negative control, male and female controls were used to conclude whether our hypothesis that Blood and tissue samples would yield a better quality of DNA than feather even though these methods are more invasive than extracting DNA from the blood spot in a feather shaft. In this experiment we extracted DNA from a blood clot in the feather as in the Horvath, Martinez-Cruz, Negro and Goday (2005) procedure, which showed that this was more successful than using material from the tip and this blood clot sample took longer to deteriorate than the tip sample. We did not know how old the feathers were, nor the age of the bird. DNA extraction procedures work by lysing cells, which causes the cell membrane to break free from the cell. Proteinase K can be added to detach the proteins and RNA can be removed with the RNAse. The DNA is then precipitated out using ethanol and further improved using PCR methods and visualized using the electrophoresis procedure. The Section containing the blood spot was cut out using a sharp pair of scissors and cut into tiny pieces and added to 180 µL of Buffer ATL before digestion with Proteinase K (180 µL pipetted into a sterile 1.5 mL microfuge tube) was then incubated at 56ËÅ ¡C for 30 minutes (briefly mixed in the vortex every 10 minutes), after which the cells had been lysed. To precipitate the DNA we added 200 µL of 95% ethanol (AR grade) and mixed in the vortex for a further 15 seconds. The lysed DNA was then pipetted into the DNeasy Mini spin column and centrifuged at 8000 rpm (6000 x g) for 1 minute, binding the DNA to the membrane in the spin column, ready for washing. The spin column was placed in a new microfuge collection tube in which 500 µL Buffer AW1 was pipetted, centrifuged for 1 minute at 6000 x g (8000rpm) and the flow-through was discarded. Again the DNeasy spin column was placed into a new collection tube, 500 µL of Buffer AW2 added and centrifuged for 3 minutes at maxi mum speed (13 – 14,000 rpm), removed from the flow-through (which was discarded in hazardous waste receptacle), placed back into the collection tube and centrifuged again at maximum speed for a further minute to remove any ethanol. The spin column was then removed from the tube (which was discarded). After placing the spin column into a clean 1.5mL collection tube it was labelled appropriately and 100 µL of Buffer AE was pipetted straight onto the centre of the DNeasy membrane and incubated at room temperature for 1 minute, centrifuged for 1 minute at 6000 x g (8000 rpm) to elute it. The DNA was now pelleted in the bottom of the tube, so the spin column was discarded and the pellet stored in its tube in a cold box at -20ËÅ ¡C. Electrophoresis Method During electrophoresis, the negatively charged DNA fragments travelled towards the positive cathode causing the smaller protein fragments to move quicker than larger particles. The DNA was visualized as bright bands on the gel, which had been stained with GelRed which is a chemical used to increase mutation rates, multiplies the product and is assumed to be carcinogenic. The agar gel and TAE buffer had been prepared earlier in the microwave and allowing the gel to cool to 50 °C. GelRed was carefully added to 150mL of gel for a final concentration of 0.5 µL mL-1.The casting tray was carefully put into the gel tank with the black moulding gates at both ends. The comb was inserted after the gel had been poured into the tray inserted, then left for 30 minutes at room temperature to set. 10 µL of the DNA chicken feather sample we extracted previously was mixed with the 6x loading dye into a fresh microfuge tube. Wearing rubber gloves, we removed the black casting plates and the comb and then added the TAE buffer until the entire gel was submerged by 5mm. The first and last wells had molecular weight markers ÃŽ »HindIIIand 2-log ladder added and our DNA samples were pipetted into an empty well, noting the position. We applied the cover and connected to the power unit and ran it for 60 minutes at 120V. The DNA proceeded to float from the negative cathode (black cable) to the positive anode (red cable). When finished, we removed the gel tray and transferred it on a plastic container to the Gel Doc System for visualizing the images. PCR method We used the Polymerase Chain Reaction method to expand the DNA so that it could be viewed using electrophoresis. The PCR procedure involved cycles of heating then cooling the DNA which enabled the helix to unwind and bind. We prepared the Mastermix negative and positive controls using 40 µL of the PCR Mastermix and 10 µL of the DNA sample mixed into a 0.2mL PCR tube. Each group had individually calculated amounts using the chart in the Prac manual. We prepared tubes for male control, female control and one negative control (these were provided by the lab). We then placed the tubes into a thermo-cycler and initiated the program which had been perfected to augment the CHD1W and CHD1Z genes using the primers. When this was done, the DNA was then put on a 1% agar gel comb (that had been microwaved and cooled to 50ËÅ ¡C) in a 1 x SB buffer solution for 20 minutes. Wearing gloves, we added 15 µL of 3 x GelRed solution to 150mL of agar gel. We prepared the DNA samples by mixing 10 µL of PCR with 2 µL of 6x loading dye, pipetted it into the gel combined with 5 µL of a 100bp molecular weight marker. The sample was pipetted into an empty well in the gel, location documented and after closing and securing the lid, the electrophoresis unit was run at 300V for 20 minutes. When the gel had finished running the power was turned off, gel removed carefully and put into a plastic container and transported to the Gel Doc unit. The bands were then visualised using the Gel Doc System. Results The class groups successfully extracted DNA from all three types of tissue. Due to incorrect or absent labelling of DNA samples, we were unable to use some of the gel images in our report. Figure 1 shows the Gel electrophoresis from a co-operative class Muscle and Blood DNA extraction using Qiagen 2012, DNeasy Blood Tissue Kit, with blood showing up in more distinctive bands, muscle failing to show clear bands and feather samples extracted (on a separate gel image) displayed poorly using electrophoresis. Hogan, Loke Sherman (2012) explain how the DNA concentrations are measured by comparing the brightness of the sample to the 2log Molecular Weight Marker over the amount of DNA pipetted into the well. Figure 1: Blood muscle DNA extraction using (Qiagen 2012, DNeasy Blood Tissue Kit) Figure 2: Feather DNA extraction using (Qiagen 2012, DNeasy Blood Tissue Kit) After extraction and visualization using electrophoresis, our samples were diluted give comparable concentrations. If the band was too faint or not even visible we left it undiluted but most of muscle and blood samples were dilute. Figure 2 shows the Gel electrophoresis from our feather DNA extraction sample with no discernible results. This was expected. Table 1: Mean nucleic acid concentrations muscle, blood and feather DNA extraction using nanodrop technique From table 1, results show us the average DNA concentration of the three tissue types and reveals that compared to feather, muscle samples provided the best quality of extracted DNA, followed closely by the blood samples. Our test yielded 5 muscle samples, 6 feather samples and 8 blood samples as well as the 2 unspecified class samples. Because 1 feather sample and 1 blood sample failed to clearly show any visible DNA (see figures 1 2), they influence the averages. In the face of this, however, the resulting average sample DNA concentrations reveal that muscle still produced the highest class of extracted DNA in comparison to the blood samples. The feather sample still showed the poorest DNA quality, which related with our expected outcomes. Ladder Male control Female control Negative control Jack’s sample DNA Sample DNA Karen Feather DNA Sample Negative control Female control Male control Ladder Figure 3 shows the Gel electrophoresis from our feather DNA extraction sample with the male, female and negative controls. DNA had been amplified from the extraction and visualized using electrophoresis to determine the sex of the bird that our sample was taken from. Results successfully indicate that sexes were able to be determined. Our PCR result matched the expected result and we determined our sample to be ZW female and Jack’s sample to be ZZ male. This experiment matched the Fridolfsson and Ellegren (1999) procedure except that we used a 1% agar gel to visualize the DNA fragments via electrophoresis and Fridolfsson and Ellegren used a 3% gel as well as our use of a commercial kit (Quiagen 2012). Discussion The quality of DNA extracted varied between our different tissue samples although all we were able to amplify all of them using the non-invasive technique PCR. Extracting DNA from a blood clot of a feather is an option when alternative methods (blood or muscle) are not suitable. The destructive muscle samples provided a better class and measure of DNA in comparison to the feather samples, however destructive methods of DNA extraction necessitate the slaughter of the organism and is not typically ethically acceptable particularly when endangered species are involved. Invasive blood sampling provided a high quality of DNA in terms of results and should be used in preference to destructive methods if non-invasive methods are not possible. The disadvantage of blood sampling is that if the procedure is done in the field, it necessitates the capture of the organism to extract the blood sample as well as the storage while out in the field as DNA deteriorates over time. Although DNA from fea ther samples gives a lower quality than the other two methods discussed, they are usually easier to obtain in the field because capture, plucking and release are far less invasive that taking blood or killing the animal for muscle tissue (Mundy et al. 1997) and usually can be collected from nests or off the ground without having to involve capturing the animal at all. This experiment was conducted over a number of weeks. DNA deteriorates over time and storage is therefore very important. Freeland (2005) discusses the importance of preserving DNA to circumvent DNA molecules from re-arranging and so affect the results when amplified by the PCR technique. We froze the DNA at -20 °C to preserve the samples in between both practical sessions. While performing the practical sessions, our DNA was generally kept at room temperature which could possibly have caused some deterioration but this is not very likely to cause large variations of DNA quality as all our samples were exposed to the same conditions. Cold-boxes were used to store the DNA samples but all products including the DNA were kept at room temperature for the duration of both practical’s and this could easily have been avoided by asking the students to me mindful of the importance of preserving the DNA in order to get better quality DNA for extraction. References Freeland, J (2005).  Molecular Ecology. Wiley. Chichester. Fridolfsson, A and Ellegren, H. (1999). A simple and universal method for molecular sexing of non-ratite birds. Journal of Avian Biology. 30, 116 – 121. Hogan, F., Loke, S., and Sherman, C. (2012)  SLE254 Genetics: Practical Manual 2012~ Sex Determination of the Domestic Chicken (Gallus Gallus).Deakin University. Burwood. 1-46. Horvath, M. Martinez-Cruz, B. Negro, J. Kalmar, L and Goday, J. (2005). An overlooked DNA source for non-invasive genetic analysis in birds. Journal of Avian Biology. 36, 84-88. Mundy, N. Unitt, P., and Woodruff, D. (1997). Skin from feet of museum specimens as a non-destructive source of DNA for avian genotyping. Auk 114, 126-129. Qiagen. (2012).  Sample Assay Technologies: DNeasy Blood Tissue Kit.Retrieved September, 11th2012 Taberlet, P. Waits, L. and Luikart, G. (1999). Noninvasive genetic sampling: look before you leap. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 14, 323 – 327.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Correlation between 8th grade mathematic CMT scores and mathematic CAPT

Correlation between 8th grade mathematic CMT scores and mathematic CAPT scores Introduction: Standardized testing, specifically â€Å"high-stakes testing†, has become a topic of debate for many years. â€Å"High-stakes testing† is associated with states that require successful performance on a standardized test for graduation, an â€Å"exit exam†. Is this the trend in public education? As an educator in Connecticut, should I expect â€Å"high-stakes testing† in the future? The State of Connecticut Legislature created a statue (Section 10-14n) that mandates statewide standardized testing for students in 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th grade. The tests assess performance tasks and a set of specific skills, which are aligned with the Connecticut Common Core of Learning and National Standards. Students are evaluated against that set of specific skills, not each other (Connecticut Mastery Test Program Overview 14). In 4th, 6th and 8th grade, students take the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) is administered in 10th grade. The movement for standardized testing began in 1985 with the CMT and the testing trend continued with CAPT in 1994. The State of Connecticut touts the purposes of the tests are to monitor student progress, identify students for remediation, to promote accountability and equitability between/within school districts and to improve instruction/curriculum. Until 2001, the tests were not supposed to b e used as tool for promotion or graduation. In the 2001, school districts were mandated to create a specific set of criteria for graduation, with CAPT as one component but not the sole component (Connecticut Assessment Performance Test Overview 8). If the trend continues, Connecticut will have â€Å"... ...ment of Education. 2003. Connecticut Assessment Performance Test Program Overview. Dec. 2004 ct.us/public/der/s-t/testing/capt/2004_capt_program_overview.pdf>. Connecticut State Department of Education. 2003. Connecticut Mastery Test Program Overview. Dec. 2004 /s-t/testing/ cmt/cmt_program_overview_may_2004.pdf>. Connecticut State Department of Education. 2003. Strategic School Profile. Dec. 2004 . McMillan, James H. The Relationship Between Instructional ad Classroom Assessment Practices of Elementary Teachers and Student Scores on High-Stakes Test. Jan. 2003. Virginia Commonwealth University. Dec. 2004 storage_01/0000000b/80/28/04/d0.pdf>.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Air Transat Analysis Essay

Introduction: Air Transat is a Canadian airline based in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded in 1987, and is owned by Transat A.T. Inc. According to Air Transat’s website, their mission statement is: â€Å"Air Transat is Canada’s leading holiday travel airline. Every year, it carries some 3 million passengers to nearly 60 destinations in 25 countries aboard its fleet of Airbus wide-body jets. The company employs approximately 2,000 people. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries. Air Transat was named World’s Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax annual World Airline Awards, held in July 2012.† â€Å"Transat A.T. Inc. is an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries. A holiday travel specialist, Transat operates mainly in Canada and Europe, as well as in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Mediterranean Basin. Montreal-based Transat is also active in air transportation, destination services and distribution. (TSX: TRZ.B, TRZ.A)† Air Transat presents its products and services by stating that is a leading holiday travel airline that is owned and operated by Transat A.T. Inc. The types of customers served are international passengers within the 60 destinations that they operate in. Air Transat geographically covers 60 destinations in 25 countries. One of the ways Air Transat is distinguished from its competitors within the industry is by being give the world’s Best Leisure Airline two years ago in July 2012. Nothing has been mentioned about customer needs in their mission statement as well as they type of customers they are targeting. We could assume that Air  Transat is seeking holiday-oriented customer rather than business oriented customers for example. This mission statement shows no insight on how the firm will continue to compete with its competitors. According to Air Transat’s website, their vision statement is: â€Å"At Transat, we recognize the prime importance of the environment, host communities, cultural diversity, and our relationships with our employees, customers and partners. At Air Transat too†¦ Then, Air Transat is committed to reducing its ecological footprint, and has adopted an environmental policy.† This vision statement does not focus on the future they see in their vision with host communities, diversity, employees, customers, and partners. However, it focuses on the environment. It has done that by creating an environmental policy, which is committed to doing the following according to Air Transat’s website: 1. Complying with all applicable municipal, provincial, federal, and international legal requirements, exceeding compliance wherever practical and possible. 2. Certifying our environmental systems and performance to the highest standards, such as ISO14001, IENVa, LEED, ICI ON RECYCLE and Fly-360-Green. 3. Conserving natural resources, such as energy and water, and preventing pollution in our operations, buildings, and supply chains through source reduction, re-use, recycling and control. 4. Continuously improving our environmental performance by setting and reviewing objectives and targets, and by training and involving our employees and stakeholders whose activities have a significant environmental impact. 5. Collaborating with all of our key stakeholders (employees, suppliers, communities, governments and industry groups) regarding environmental, sustainable development, and corporate social responsibility initiatives and issues. Surprisingly, I did not find a strategic objectives statement on Air Transat’s website. There were no statements regarding how they will put their mission statement into action, or how their goals will be achieved.  However, there is a page that lists and summarizes all Air Transat’s awards, rewards, and recognition. PEST analysis: The definition of PEST analysis according to businessdictionary.com is: â€Å"A type of situation analysis in which political-legal (government stability, spending, taxation), economic (inflation, interest rates, unemployment), socio-cultural (demographics, education, income distribution), and technological (knowledge generation, conversion of discoveries into products, rates of obsolescence) factors are examined to chart an organization’s long-term plans.† POLITICAL ECONOMIC SOCIO-CULTURAL TECHNOLOGICAL Fuel taxation, and landing taxation Fear of terrorist attacks after 9/11. New European union regulations have led to higher levels of competition on European routes. Increase in the price of oil Increase in transportation costs Increase in disposable income due to rise in incomes and lower interest rates (people have more money to spend on leisure trips) Change in consumer behavior resulting from the aging population in Canada may affect the number of leisure trips taken Increased popularity in travelling abroad – Carbon dioxide emission – Emirates airlines launching double decker aircrafts (A380), serving 25 destinations – Wireless internet being launched in aircrafts – Frequent flyer programs The increase in the price of oil and the rate at which it is increasing is a global issue. For Air Transat, this means an increase in cost and expenditure. Since oil is essential in this industry, there is not much that Air Transat can do. The increase in the price of oil could cause force Air Transat to increase their prices for flight tickets. In more extreme cases, Air Transat may not be able to increase the prices for certain routes, and be forced to terminate their services to these routes. Air Transat could benefit from the change in consumer behavior resulting from the aging population in Canada by targeting the elderly population through advertising and promotions. For example, they could offer retirement packages, and certain promotions for specific destinations or at specific seasons of the year. Air Transat would need to conduct extensive market research about this matter to take into consideration that most retired people are on a fixed income or might not be healthy enough to fly etc. With the increased use of technology, wireless Internet is not only important for business traveler but also for leisure travelers. Even though it is not that common for aircrafts to offer wireless Internet during their flight, it being launched. Air Transat should consider offering this service, as it might be an attractive feature for many travelers. Porter’s Five Forces: According to investopedia.com, the definition of Porter’s Five forces is: â€Å"Named after Michael E. Porter, this model identifies and analyzes 5 competitive forces that shape every industry, and helps determine an industry’s weaknesses and strengths. 1. Competition in the industry 2. Potential of new entrants into industry 3. Power of suppliers 4. Power of customers 5. Threat of substitute products† The threat of new entry into the airline industry is very weak due to a few factors including very large capital required, major airports are highly congested, slow growth rates and with many reputable airlines already, brand loyalty may not be easy to establish due to the competition. This force is likely to remain weak. Competitive Rivalry is ranked as high because there are a high number of airlines operating both domestically and internationally with very competitive prices that Air Transat will need to constantly try to match. The fixed cost is very high such as the cost of oil, which cannot be controlled to a great extent. There is also a low product differentiation meaning that even though Air Transat is a leisure airline, there are still many other airlines that offer service to the same destinations at similar prices. Most airlines offer some type of frequent flyer program, which causes passengers who are members of these programs to be loyal to their airlines. This force could become even higher due to the increased competition. Bargaining power of suppliers is Moderate. Airlines are usually in a long-term contract with airline manufacturers, which also limit drastic increases in prices during that contract but because there are only two airline manufacturers; Boeing, and Airbus. They have a lot of power to make changes that Air Transat would be bound to accept. Labor my also be an issue because positions such as pilots, aerospace engineers, managers, and marketers may require high salaries and may not be easily found in the market. However, the salaries for labor in the airline industry are standardized over similar airlines. This force is likely to stay the same. Bargaining power of buyers is weak. Individual flyers, travel agencies, and online portals can all easily switch to different airlines due to low switching costs. However, the pool of customers is very large ranging from individual customers to large organizations. This force is likely to become weaker over time. Threat of substitutes is moderate within the airline industry because there are numerous airlines that offer service to the same destinations as Air Transat with similar prices, which does not limit the chance of customers switching to different airlines. However, that kind of standardization over the industry does not make other airlines more attractive than Air Transat. Threat of substitutes outside the industry is low because many destinations cannot be reached in a timely manner without flying, specially international ones. Flying is faster and safer than road, rail, or marine. I believe this force will become weaker over time. New Opportunities: Since Air Transat is well established in Canada, they have the chance to grow internationally beyond Europe. They can also take advantage of the current growth in the aging population in Canada by targeting that market and researching different ways to attract older customers. They could create a frequent flyer program specially designed for seniors. With Air Transat’s sold reputation, they could also have contracts with European organizations to provide them services. Air Transat could take advantages of the new developments in technology by providing wireless internet on their aircrafts and also by launching a new type of aircraft for European destinations such as the double decker plane that Emirates airlines launched. Threats: The main threat is the price of oil increasing is the highest cost for airlines now. A sudden spike in the price of oil could have negative impacts on Air Transat causing it to terminate service to one of their 60 destinations. There are other threats such as safety concerns due to the fear of terrorist attack, changes in government regulations and environmental issues. The airline/aviation industry overall is a great industry to be in for existing airlines, but a very hard one to get into for new airlines. Air Transat has a lot of potential to grow in the European market, and even  farther. Citations: Air Transat Environmental Policy. In Resp.Transat. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.resp.transat.com/_pdf/en/airtransat.environmental.policy.pdf?v=2. Emirates A30 News & Events. In Emirates. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.emirates.com/english/flying/our_fleet/emirates_a380/news_and_events/news_and_events.aspx External environment theory. In Business case studies. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/external-environment/pest-analysis.html#axzz2sW4YAx8I. Pest Analysis. In Business dictionary. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/PEST-analysis.html. Porter’s 5 Forces. In Investopedia. Retrieved Febuary 8, 2014, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/porter.asp. Porter’s Five Forces. In Mind tools. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm Porter’s Five Forces. In Sites google. Retrieved Febuary 8, 2014, from https://sites.google.com/site/admn703ai/the-team Profile. In Air Transat. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.airtransat.ca/en/About-us/Profile?ID=35&type=voyageur&tmpl=GEN.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Critical Review of Greasy Lake

When I began reading â€Å"Greasy Lake† by T. Coraghessan Boyle, I thought these boys were exhibiting typical behavior of young-adult men and their behavior led them to trouble. Boyle kept my interest by anticipation and disgust at the boys of the boy’s behavior in this story. The narrator, who is the main character of the story, often describes himself and his friends as â€Å"bad characters† and this becomes more convincing in the story. Boyle also used Greasy Lake at not only the setting for this story but also as a character. He described the lake as â€Å"fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn with beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires. † Greasy Lake is used as a symbol for the youth culture itself in the story and is littered by alcohol, sex and violence. When the boys first came across the greasy man at the lake, their attitudes change for a moment, all three of them are scared. When they began to fight with the man, the narrator grabbed the tire iron out of fear. Once the three of them beat him up and knock him unconscious, I think this only increased their already arrogant attitudes. When they attempt to rape the greasy man’s lady companion, I think that shows how truly pathetic each of them are, acting like â€Å"deranged brothers†. In a very disturbing way, the boys were asserting a primal physical dominance over the woman. I think Boyle’s was sending a message that there are consequences for our actions. Even though kids tend to think they’re big and bad and have it all figured out, these once cocky boys quickly became horrified once they had to face the consequences of their actions. I personally enjoyed reading â€Å"Greasy Lake† very much. The language in the story Boyle used is crude and literal, but it goes with the theme of â€Å"badness† portrayed by his characters. Boyle emphasizes the corruption of the lake by using it as a not only the setting, but also as tool to compare the narrator and the youth of the time. In the beginning, the narrator is as corrupted as the lake; though born pure and â€Å"clear† he becomes tainted by the â€Å"beer† and wildness of his culture. By ending with the beaten narrator and his friend refusing drugs and driving home, Boyle left me with a sense of for the boys that they are not really â€Å"bad characters† after all. The narrator has realized the consequences of his actions, and that he can no longer act invincible.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Climate Change The Complex Issue of Global Warming

Climate Change The Complex Issue of Global Warming Introduction Global warming has emerged as one of the most important and complex global issues facing the international community. This phenomenon has led to climate change that has caused many negative impacts to the environment. The international community has come to a realization that it must pay greater attention to this problem. This paper will examine the complex issue of global warming by reviewing some important questions on the topic including the greenhouse effect, atmospheric carbon dioxide and the significant environment damages of increased carbon emissions.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Climate Change: The Complex Issue of Global Warming specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Greenhouse Effect and CO2 Global warming has been largely attributed to the greenhouse effect. By definition, the greenhouse effect is the process through which the atmosphere absorbs infrared radiation emitted from the Earthâ₠¬â„¢s surface once it is heated directly by the sun during the day. This heat energy is then used to warm the planet. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) play an important role in controlling temperatures on the Earth. These gases fulfill this role by preventing all the sun’s radiation from escaping from the earth through convection (Jacobson 316). The GHGs selectively absorb radiation in the infrared region and then release this heat energy in all directions. By trapping some of the Sun’s heat energy, the greenhouse effect ensures that the temperatures remain high even when the sun is not shinning directly on the Earths surface. The natural greenhouse effect ensures that the Earths average near-surface air temperature is 150 (Jacobson 316). Without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature would be -150 and this is too cold to support most life. In addition to the natural greenhouse effect, human activities have also increased this effect. The greenhouse effect attributed to activities by human beings is referred to as the anthropogenic greenhouse effect and it has led to undesirable increases of global temperature on the Earth. There are a number of main GHGs responsible for the greenhouse effect. Water vapor is the main contributor to the greenhouse effect on the planet due to its ability to absorb infrared radiation. The second major contributor is carbon dioxide and this gas contributes between 10 and 25% of the greenhouse effect depending on the region (Jacobson 317). Methane gas, which occurs naturally or though the fermentation of organic matter, is the third major contributor of the greenhouse effect. The Ozone layer, which is a naturally occurring gas that is mostly concentrated in the stratosphere, is the fourth major naturally occurring greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide, primarily produced from agricultural activities, is also an important greenhouse gas. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has experienced significant increase from the 280 parts per million (ppm) levels of 1860. The IPCC reports that the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been steadily increasing over the past few decades (1). The concentration in ppm in 1998 was 365 while in 2007 it had risen to 379ppm. Readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory indicate that the current rate is 393ppm (IPCC 1).Advertising Looking for assessment on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While natural atmospheric changes have contributed to an increase in the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere, scientists agree that human activities have caused the greater increase (Dimitrov 801). Fossil fuel use has been the major cause of the increase in carbon dioxide levels. Fossil fuels have been used as the primary energy source for the industrialization process carried out from the last century. Cement production is also noted as a significant contributor to the carbon dioxide in the e nvironment. Carbon dioxide concentration has also risen due to the extensive deforestation that has taken place since 1860 (Dimitrov 802). Trees act as carbon sinks and reduce the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. Extensive deforestation has meant that the only a small amount of CO2 is absorbed by trees leading to the rise in atmospheric CO2. Environmental Damages of CO2 Emissions A number of major adverse effects to the environment are predicted if the CO2 emissions are not significantly reduced. The rise in CO2 will lead to increased temperatures on the Earth and this will increase the frequency of heat waves. Heat waves are devastating since they might lead to major fires that destroy natural habitats and even populated areas. Heat waves will also increase the demand on the available water resources (Fung and Lopez 119). The global warming attributed to carbon emissions will also increase flooding as the frequency of storms increases and sea levels rise due to the melting of ice at the Polar Regions. Fung and Lopez assert that climate change caused by CO2 will affect the quality of surface water. Some areas will experience increased flushing of nutrients and the increased storm intensity might lead to additional pollution of water (Fung and Lopez 119). The biodiversity on the Earth will also be negatively impacted by climate change. Some species will not be able to adapt the changing climate leading to their extinction. Analysis In my opinion, we do not need to wait for more evidence about the future of climate change before acting. The available evidence already strongly suggests that climate change is occurring due to the increase in greenhouse gases all over the world. Human activities are responsible for the extra CO2 emissions that have led to global warming.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Climate Change: The Complex Issue of Global Warming specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The freq uency of the adverse environmental effects attributed to global warming has already increased. Failure to take action to mitigate climate change over the last few decades has led to an increase in the detrimental effects of global warming. While there is no single solution to fix the problem, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions to the environment is an effective method. The global community should start acting now in order to reduce carbon emissions and therefore mitigate the problems caused by climate change. Dimitrov, Radoslav. â€Å"Inside UN Climate Change Negotiations: The Copenhagen Conference.† Review of Policy Research 27.6 (2010): 795-821. Web. Fung, Fai and Lopez Ana. Modelling the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources. NY: John Wiley Sons, 2011. Print. IPPC. Human and Natural Drivers of Climate Change. Jan. 2013. Web. Jacobson, Mark. Atmospheric Pollution: History, Science, and Regulation. Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print.

Monday, October 21, 2019

dead stars essays

dead stars essays The story is focused in the life of Alfredo Salazar, who is the son of Don Julian and the brother of Carmen, who is a lawyer and engaged to Esparanza to whom he is deeply in love with until he met Julia Salas who made him confused about his love for his fianc. Alfredo met Julia in Judge Del Valles house, a friend of his father, who is his sister-in-law. He was puzzled with her smile every time he addresses her and he was charmed with her speaking voice. The daily routine of Alfredo and his father every Sunday morning after the mass is to go to the judges house that made Alfredo and Julia closer and know each better. He forgot that for several Sundays, he had not waited for Esperanza to come out of the church and he was already beginning to lie about his neighboring stuff. This is the beginning of his attraction to Julia. Esperanza did not enter in the picture because she was not prone to unprovoked jealousies that made Alfredo entertain the feeling towards Julia. When Don Julian invited the judge to Tanda, where he has a coconut plantation, a house, and a beach, they had this goodbye conversation because Julias parents want her to spend Holy week with them. The line The end of the impossible dream! meaning they have to be apart soon, pro ves that Alfredo is really in love with her. The time when Alfredo felt a violent commotion in his heart that he did not feel for Esperanza when he saw her is already a big problem because he will be soon married. He was already lying with his feelings but he still keeps his word to Esperanza. At the end of chapter two, the conversation is cut when Esperanza went out weeping with what his fianc had said. This situation made Alfredo think of what must be done. In chapter three, the paragraph started about Alfredo going to Santa Cruz, where he would defend a case and how it would disturb him because Julias lake town is ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Grammar Tips Using the Present Tense - Get Proofed!

Grammar Tips Using the Present Tense - Get Proofed! Grammar Tips: Using the Present Tense â€Å"Carpe diem† is a Latin phrase often translated as â€Å"seize the day.† It’s used to urge people to appreciate the present moment instead of thinking about the past or future too much. And in that spirit, we’ve written this blog post about using the present tense. Carp diem, meanwhile, means Be a fish for the day. After all, you certainly won’t be â€Å"seizing the day† if you spend all your time worrying about errors in your writing. So, do yourself a favor and seize this grammatical advice instead. Simple Present The simplest form of the present tense is, appropriately, called the â€Å"simple present† tense. This is possibly the most common grammatical tense in English, as we use it to describe: Current facts (e.g., I live in Chicago.) General truths (e.g., Many people live in Chicago.) Things that happen regularly (e.g., The bus arrives in Chicago at 8am.) Things due to happen at a fixed time in the future (e.g., The festival begins in July.) The base verb form is usually correct in the simple present tense. However, the verb form changes slightly in when writing in the singular third person. For example: First Person: I live in Chicago. Second Person: You live in Chicago. Third Person: He/she lives in Chicago. As above, when using the third-person singular, an extra â€Å"s† is added to the base verb. Present Continuous The present continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing or incomplete action. It is formed by combining â€Å"am,† â€Å"is,† or â€Å"are† with a present participle. For example: I am learning Latin. They are going to the beach. She is dancing on the ceiling. All of these examples emphasize an ongoing or incomplete process. But they’re also things that have an endpoint or where progress can be made, not steady states of affairs (e.g., I live in Chicago) or general truths (e.g., Rain is wet) that don’t change over time. Present Perfect The present perfect tense is used for actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past: We have visited New York twice. It can also be used to describe actions that began in the past and continue into the present (or that happened in the past and continue to be true in the present): She has lived here since she was young. In both cases, the present perfect tense combines â€Å"has† or â€Å"have† with a past participle.   Most past participles, including â€Å"visited† and â€Å"lived† above, are formed by adding â€Å"-ed† to the end of a base verb. However, keep an eye out for irregular verbs that don’t follow this pattern. For instance: The leaves have fallen from the trees. In this case, since â€Å"fall† is an irregular verb, we use the past participle â€Å"fallen† (not â€Å"falled†). Present Perfect Continuous Finally, we have the present perfect continuous tense, which combines elements of the present perfect and present continuous tenses. As such, it’s used to describe ongoing actions that began in the past. We indicate this by combining â€Å"has been† or â€Å"have been† with a present participle: I have been waiting for the last half hour. Here, for example, â€Å"have been waiting† describes an ongoing process of waiting, but with an emphasis on how long the speaker has been there. This makes it distinct from the present perfect â€Å"I am waiting.† Hopefully that clears up how different present tense forms are used. If you want to make sure your writing is error free, though, embrace the spirit of â€Å"carpe diem† and have your work proofread today.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Personal statement for admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal statement for admission - Essay Example My father disowned me at birth due to ethnic differences so I had to be brought up by a single parent. There was a lot of ethnic chaos in my country at the time which forced me to miss the first stages of education but that did not kill my dream and passion for learning. My mother used to tell me that I will be an academic guru since I have always demonstrated insatiable thirst for education. When other children were playing with toys, I was always drawing images on the ground or doing mathematical problems. My book and my pen were my most favorite friends. This hasn’t changed much since I still posses the same education enthusiasm I had years ago when I was a small child. Sometimes the ethnic war became very intensive that I had to spend three days in hideouts without food to avoid getting killed. Learning in this environment was very challenging. It was practically impossible to move through the streets with northern and southern communities fighting and killing one another. Deafening sounds of bombs and grenades was a common phenomenon. However life took a positive twist of events when my grandfather came to my rescue and took me the whole family to France. Life in France was a better but problems still ensued. Many of my relatives did not have permanent jobs thus we always struggled to get good food and shelter. Attending prestigious learning institutions was a dream beyond our ability thus I had to attend an average performing school. My mother died in a road accident leaving me as an orphan. These traumatic experiences greatly affected my learning in school. The only hope I had was my inherent ability to handle difficult situations. These fatefu l events were a learning experience that trained me to be more tolerant, liberal and open minded. My passion for education earned me respect from my neighbors who agreed to assist me in paying for school

Friday, October 18, 2019

Beijing Olympics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beijing Olympics - Case Study Example Interesting fact is that Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics instead of local firms in order showcase the brilliance of Chinese culture, technological superiority and infrastructure to rest of the world (Foss and Walkosz, 2008 & Fram, 2008). During the Olympic, Olympic organizing committee took help of public relations firm Hill & Knowlton (WPP Group) to handle its public relationship activities (Clifford, 2008). For last many decades, Chinese government is facing problem from Tibet support groups who are protesting against the encroachment of China in their country. China had experienced bad publicity stint due to widespread publicity of the protest of Tibet support groups before the inauguration of Olympic. Pro-Tibet supporters showed their protest in various cities of western world such as Paris, London, and San Francisco and also interrupted in activities like Olympic torch relay before the Olympic. In some cases, Chinese embassies were attacked by Tibet support groups. Sensitivity of the issue forced Chinese government to think about hiring an international public-relation (PR) who can handle the situation professionally (Ballas & Kanoff, 2008). Preuss (2008) has highlighted the fact that, although China had plenty of domestic PR organizations but Chinese government was not confident enough to take help of these mediocre PR companies to represent the country in the world stage. Chinese government took Olympic game as the stage to showcase their efficiency in terms of infrastructure, technology, marketing etc to western worlds hence in such context, taking help of domestic firms might malign their reputation (Preuss, 2008). Assess the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics Olympic is an international event where more than 100 countries participate and China was first time hosting Olympic during 2008. Hence it was the perfect timing for protester to show their protest and bring their agenda for free Tibet in front of representative of international countries. Research scholars such as Fram (2008) and Ballas & Kanoff (2008) have pointed out that Tibet support groups have strategically planned the protest program in order highlight their agenda in front of international countries and gain their support on the agenda. The leaders of protesting groups had created a communication plan and training program for fellow protesters for teaching them how to give interview or even rappel (Clifford, 2008). During the course of Olympic, protesters have changed their agenda from protesting the right of Beijing to organize Olympic to human right violation of Chinese government in different parts of China and China’s investments in Sudan (Clifford, 2008). Kalaya’

Open Source Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Open Source - Essay Example e accounts and financial records of such businesses, with the aim of determining how well the organizations are run, and how accurate the financial records of the business are prepared and stored. In an accounting and auditing environment, there is a variety of software that requires to be applied. While some of those software are tailor-made specifically for the accounting purposes, others are general purpose software, which can also be applied by other computer users, to undertake various activities that are not related to accounting. The basic software that must be applied in an accounting and auditing environment are the Windows XP operating system and the Microsoft office suit (Amushie, 12). These software provides the basis for which the computer is operated, and the basis for which records are made and kept, for the operating system and the Microsoft office suit, respectively. It is through the Windows XP operating system that an interface is created in the computer, through which the user of the computer can navigate variously. On the other hand, the Microsoft office suit comprises of various applications such as the Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Acces s, which are programs that are used to prepare and store records, while also being applied to undertake various arithmetic functions, especially for the Microsoft Excel (Grauer and Maryann, 33). Both the Microsoft Office suit and the Windows XP are found in different versions of software. There are some versions of both Microsoft Office suit that are proprietary and others that are open source. Similarly, Windows XP operating system has some of its versions that are proprietary and others which are open source. While the Windows XP Service Pack 3 is a proprietary software, the Windows XP ReactOSÂ ® is a version of the windows XP operating system that is open source (Gross, 9). Similarly, Microsoft office suite has Microsoft Office 2007 as a proprietary software, and another version called the

Mergers and Acquisitions Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mergers and Acquisitions Case Study - Essay Example The acquisition may generate monopoly gains whereby the purchasing a rival firm might minimize competition and enhance industry profits (Faulkner, Teerikangas and Joseph 2012, p.502). On August 17, 2010, SABMiller declared its intention to take its bid for Foster’s Group Ltd directly to the company’s shareholders. On December 16, 2011, SABMiller, one of leading brewers globally with more than 200 beer brands and over 70,000 workers in more than 75 countries, acquired Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) representing the Australian beverage business of Foster’s Group Limited. The court approval of the transaction preceded the entity's shareholders meeting, whereby the deal received the green light by 99.1% of current shareholders. The completion of the transaction scheme of arrangement can be regarded as a notable success given that SABMiller’s earlier proposal (June 2011) to acquire Foster’s Group for $4.90 per share became hostile in August 2011. In the approved transaction, Foster’s Group’s ordinary shareholders gained total cash consideration of A$5.40 per share, which represented an enterprise value of about Australia $11.7billion. In addition, to completing the acquisition of the firm, SABMiller also entered into a strategic alliance with Castle in Africa. Some of the means of gaining control of a public company entail a public offer (takeover bid) detailing gaining control of a listed public company. Recommended takeover can also be undertaken by: scheme and launching a dual listed company structure (Ahlstrom and Bruton 2010, p.190). A scheme demands a proposal to be tabled by the target to its shareholder and approved by the court. Court’s approval is critical as it... This paper stresses that the acquisition was not difficult to integrate, and it is improbable that SABMiller would dispose the acquired firm. The paper has established that the acquisition heralded benefits to the SABMiller’s shareholders given that the acquisition aligned with the firm’s strategic priorities, and handed the firm with a leading position in the stable and profitable Australia beer industry. SABMiller expects Foster’s to become a critical part of its business via the application of its commercial capabilities and global scale, as well as by building on the initiatives put in place by Foster’s management. The acquisition of Foster’s is anticipated to be EPS enhancing for SABMiller within the first full year of ownership, and herald economic returns that may exceed the project WACC by year 5. These results align with takeovers being highly motivated by maximization of shareholder wealth. Public mergers and acquisition within Australia a re guided by the overriding market activity and requires the regulation of recommended and hostile bids. The regulation encompasses undertaking of due diligence; procedures for announcing and launching an offer. This report makes a conclusion that the acquisition of Foster’s Group Limited by SABMiller appears to be propelled by the objective of leveraging the synergies within the acquisition process. In order to keep up with growth and changes within the globalized economy, any entity has to pursue the path of growth that contains diverse challenges and issues and overcome them to become a success story. SABMiller, through its indirectly wholly-owned Australian subsidiary, acquisition of Foster’s can be regarded as a case mirroring a company following the path of success.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Arnott's biscuit Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arnott's biscuit Australia - Essay Example to a market analysis for South Africa and suggest a suitable expansion strategy for Arnott’s biscuits as it moves into the market, based on their operation al strategy and strengths. The proposed expansion should roll out in several stages; the first of these could be establishment of packaging and distribution facilities in the region with the original products exported to South Arica from company bakeries in Australia. This will allow them to continue with minimal risk of jeopardizing the quality or essence of their product while forming connections with the local industry and community and capturing a suitable market base before the product can be manufactured directly from sources in the region. Arnott’s is known for its strict policies on the standard of raw material they use and their efficient modern production facilities. For the first stage they will require physical assets in form of packaging and storage facilities; distribution and transport vehicles and a labor force which can be comprised mainly of unskilled workers. A well developed infrastructure would be one of their requirements to be provided by the governing and civil bodies. Otherwise Arnotts will not need any special resources (equipment or raw material) to start their expansion process in South Africa. In order to be fully aware of the any challenges or opportunities they will find during the implementation of the expansion strategy, organizations have to do in depth analysis of the region or country they are considering as a viable option. PESTL analysis is a macroeconomic tool which helps organizations in making strategic management decisions; these decisions should be made after considering the internal factors which are in play for the organization. A PESTL analysis and SWOT analysis of the organization are presented in the paper to show the feasibility of the expansion strategy for Arnott’s biscuits. South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional

Sitcom morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sitcom morality - Essay Example A number of cultural trends that are taken for granted today had their genesis in the 1950s. It was a time when large suburban developments took root, education became a national priority and television was introduced to the American public. It was a very â€Å"buttoned down,† conservative era, known for its suppression of social movements, such as the ones fought for civil rights and counter-culture music. Both, however, exploded in the 1960s, becoming the calling cards of that decade. â€Å"Leave It to Beaver† portrayed an iconic family, headed by a typical suburban couple, Ward and June Cleaver. Their two sons were Wally and his younger brother Theodore (Beaver). Presented from a child’s point of view, the show was filled with moral instruction and tips on the â€Å"proper† way to live one’s life. The value of a good education was a constant theme, reflecting the mores of the era. If anything, the family in â€Å"Married With Children† depicted the very opposite of the 1950s view, as the show consistently poked fun at conservative concepts of morality. Headed by Al and Peggy Bundy, with children Kelly and Bud, the sitcom openly mocked mainstream institutions like education, and became the very definition for the perceived immorality of the 1980s. While the dissimilarities between the two sitcoms are legion, they were also alike in a number of ways. Although not nearly as supportive as the Cleavers, the Bundys were known for sticking together to deal with outside threats to the family, despite their incessant internal bickering. Although infidelity is certainly bandied about in â€Å"Married,† neither Al nor Peggy is ever unfaithful, something that would have been all but unthinkable in the iconic â€Å"Beaver† setting. While the concept of the nuclear family was on the upswing in the 1950s, by the ‘80s and ‘90s it was definitely under assault. The proportion of traditional two-parent households declined significantly

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Arnott's biscuit Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arnott's biscuit Australia - Essay Example to a market analysis for South Africa and suggest a suitable expansion strategy for Arnott’s biscuits as it moves into the market, based on their operation al strategy and strengths. The proposed expansion should roll out in several stages; the first of these could be establishment of packaging and distribution facilities in the region with the original products exported to South Arica from company bakeries in Australia. This will allow them to continue with minimal risk of jeopardizing the quality or essence of their product while forming connections with the local industry and community and capturing a suitable market base before the product can be manufactured directly from sources in the region. Arnott’s is known for its strict policies on the standard of raw material they use and their efficient modern production facilities. For the first stage they will require physical assets in form of packaging and storage facilities; distribution and transport vehicles and a labor force which can be comprised mainly of unskilled workers. A well developed infrastructure would be one of their requirements to be provided by the governing and civil bodies. Otherwise Arnotts will not need any special resources (equipment or raw material) to start their expansion process in South Africa. In order to be fully aware of the any challenges or opportunities they will find during the implementation of the expansion strategy, organizations have to do in depth analysis of the region or country they are considering as a viable option. PESTL analysis is a macroeconomic tool which helps organizations in making strategic management decisions; these decisions should be made after considering the internal factors which are in play for the organization. A PESTL analysis and SWOT analysis of the organization are presented in the paper to show the feasibility of the expansion strategy for Arnott’s biscuits. South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Millennium project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Millennium project - Essay Example The Dome was not only envisaged to be a unique landmark but a huge tourist attraction that would reflect the financial success of the project. The Millennium Dome was a pet project of the labour government of UK. It was initiated by John Major of conservative party and taken over in 1997 when Tony Blair of labour party, came to power. Blair made the Millennium Dome as the most favoured project that would herald the success of labour party and subsequently that of Blair’s vision of putting Britain’s architectural marvel on the world map as the most celebrated building of the millennium. Blair had claimed that Dome would be ‘a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity’ (BBC, 2001). The circular Dome is constructed over an area of 186 acre on Greenwich Peninsula with twelve 100m high support towers that signify Greenwich Mean Time or twelve months of the year. The diameter of the dome is 365 days corresponding to the days in a year (CMS committee, 1997). It is one of the largest Domes of the world. It is the most famous landmark of London that celebrates millennium. Richard Rogers was the chief architect and Buro Harold, the engineer who realized the dream of constructing the world’s most recognizable architectural delight. Millennium Dome is not exactly a dome but resembles a canopy because of the pillars that support the whole structure. The huge space under the canopy is designed to hold mammoth events and festivals for people. It was opened to public on 1 January 2000 with large number of attractions and exhibits which were sponsored by hoards of corporate giants and continued throughout the year. The year long exhibition was supposed to showcase the talent of Britain in the myriad areas of art and culture. The Millennium Dome Show was held 999 times during the entire year. Despite best efforts by the Millennium commission to rope in corporate bodies to make it a success, the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Theories relating to the grief process

Theories relating to the grief process Most theories of grieving derive from the works of Sigmund Freud and Eric Lindemanns understanding of mourning and include two assumptions: A / Grieving is time limited. The process should be completed or resolved after a year or two. B / The main task of grieving is to achieve decathexis (one should detach oneself from emotional ties to the deceased so as to be able to form new relationships.). Horacek, (1991). There are two complex processes taking place within this topic that we call Grief. Firstly there is the emotional side (grief) and can take on many obvious and subtle forms. Secondly there is the process or grieving stage as it is more commonly indentified. It is within this second stage that the bereaved is called upon and to allow them selves to make a raft of choices and decisions such as the funeral arrangements or when at some point do they allow themselves to decide what to keep as mementos and what not to. Often these sides can become entwined into one and the bereaved may end up in a state of confusion and stagnant response. This may lead to a third state in which the bereaved becomes dysfunctional within their grief processing and literally becomes stuck in whatever position or state they are in and cannot allow themselves release from that state and to move forward. Grief does not exist within the world of death only. Grief may come from many physical and psychological changes that are totally unrelated to death. Loss of a limb; incapacitation of body use as a result of an accident; loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend; loss of a marriage; bankruptcy; loss of a personal business. I could list more but the point is to say that grief covers an extremely wide and complex area of understanding and acceptance. For the purposes of this essay, I will concentrate upon the subject of death and how does one handle the situations of that death. I will cover various models as they relate to a child (0 11) and to that of an adolescent. Then, we will look at those of an older person and also take into account the elderly. How do the various models of grief and the process of grieving change with age? Are there stages of recovery or is the recovery a process that may never be finally finished? Either way, grief and grieving is a personal experience and will vary among ages, culture and background. It would become too involved for the purpose of this topic to introduce culture and background, so I will therefore keep this essay to the more general form of models of grief and their relationship to those of age. Does a child have the capacity to experience grief and to mourn as do adults? Bowlby (1963), and Fusman (1964), sees a child as capable of suffering major bereavement particularly with a close family member and probably with other close significant losses as well. In that reference, there were no given age ranges so I will take the point of a child being of 0 11 yrs of age. Lindemanns seminal study in 1944 on the Symptomatology and Management of acute grief is similar to Freuds understanding. But how does that apply to a child? Whilst Bowlby recognised a similarity to Freuds point of view, he also recognised that a young child is capable of suffering major bereavement as mentioned. But these responses can come from many influences. Obviously, they are different to those of an adult but none the less they (adults) do have an influence upon the childs perception and response to their ability to handle grief and grieving. It is suggested that a child will copy to the best of their ability, the grieving patterns of their remaining significant parent or even that of an older sibling (Bowlby, 1980; Kubler-Ross, 1983; Schumacher, 1984). Other factors can also have an influence on the childs response such as the nature and intensity of their attachment to the deceased; their developmental level; the capacity to understand what has happened (the conceptualisation of death and what explanations are given to them); and the nature and circumstances of the death. It is reasonable to assume that a child can experience a bereavement response, probably in an attenuated form death of a grandparent, parent, uncle, teacher, playmate, family pet or even the loss of a favourite toy. Ambivalence and dependence are core themes of a childs relationship with family members and a childs grief may be influenced by this aspect of their attachment to the deceased. Childrens conception of death closely parallel Piagets (1952) successive levels of cognitive development (Berlinsky Biller, 1982). For example, during the sensorimotor period (birth 2yrs), the childs concept of death is non-existent or incomplete (Kane, 1979). Most workers agree that the younger childs response, particularly to the death of a parent, is likely to be indistinguishable from that of separation response. For a child of 2 or younger, they do not have the concepts of time, finality or of death itself but they may show, if for instance their mother dies, typical phases of denial, protest, despair, and eventually detachment (Kastenbaum, 1967; Berlinsky Biller, 1982). During Piagets pre occupational period (2 6yrs), a childs cognitive development is dominated by magical thinking and egocentrism. Consequentially at this stage, they believe that death can be either avoided or reversed (Melear, 1973; Anthony, 1971; Stillion Wass, 1979). Furman (1963) believes that from 2 2 Â ½ years onwards a child is able to conceptualise death to some degree and to mourn. Melear found that children within this age group viewed the dead as having feelings existing in a life like state. Because of their thinking, the child may feel responsible for causing the death and consequently feel shame and guilt. Progressively, through the period of concrete operations (6 7yrs through to 11 or 12 years), children begin to understand the reality of death but do not realise that death is universal and that those around them, including their loved ones, will die some day (Berlinskey Biller, 1982). Anthony, (1971) suggested that children conceptualise death in concrete terms and view death as distant from themselves. Gradually, from ages 9 or 10, children acquire a more mature understanding of death; that death is irreversible in nature and that they themselves will eventually experience it (Anthony, 1971; Melear, 1973; Stillion Wass, 1979). A child will experience the developmental nature of death associations which progress from no understanding toward an abstract and realistic understanding of the concept of death (McCown, 1988). Within the years of adolescence, the persons understanding of death and what has happened; closely approximates that of an adult and their grief may take on similar forms. But because they are in that realm halfway between childhood and adulthood, their responses may fit neither mould. If they cry, they may be accused of being babyish. Equally, if they dont, they may seem cold and uninvolved. With so many conflicting areas and so many stressful situations of this age group, they may neither express their emotions directly nor verbalise them. They may instead, act out within their personal environment, indicating their need for care, their anger, their guilt and their longing. Although privy to increased knowledge about death through instant communication and increasing exposure to death, adolescents do not have the social or emotional maturity to fully incorporate and process those experiences into a coherent world view (Rowling, 2002). Adolescents tend to be more extreme in their risk taking and it seems to be the closer to the edge that they go, the greater the thrill of cheating death. Living life to the fullest inherently has some risks. Consciously or otherwise, they may pursue this ambiguity more than others, due to their cognitive development and the need for excitement (Spear, 2000). Emotional reactions to a loss can be devastating to the adolescent, whether the loss is the perceived detachment from parents, actual losses that are literal deaths such as the suicide of a friend; or metaphorical deaths such as the breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Meshot Leitner (1993), have observed that the extent of grief is often much stronger in teenagers than in adults. There is evidence that adolescents are constantly grappling with life and death contrasts as a normal part of their development (Noppe Noppe, 1991). These years help to construct a personal stamp with their understanding of death as they are engaging in both life affirmation and death acknowledgement. They are questioning and assuming different belief systems regarding death and the after life prior to settling onto a more permanent value system as well as incorporating the very reality of personal mortality into their evolving sense of identity. Adolescent grief experience is profoundly personal in nature. Although they grieve more intensely than adults (Christ et al. 2002; Oltjenbruns, 1996), their grief may be expressed in short outbursts, or there may be concentrated efforts to control emotions. They can often believe that their experiences are completely unique unto themselves (Elkind, 1967). The adolescent grief pattern may follow a life long developmental trajectory. That is, the loss may be continued to be felt throughout their life span as they graduate from college, their work, marriage and so on. This can be accentuated as they grow older than the parent, sibling or friend who has died (Silverman, 2000). Adolescents are more sophisticated than children in their understanding and response to death, but neither is their mourning adult like. The overall nature of the adolescents response is intimately tied to their developmental issues. The consideration of ones own death, as part of the treads of the totality of the life cycle, cannot be a comfortable notion for an adolescent to accept. Creating a unified sense of identity must be reconciled with this consideration. Adolescents encounter this dilemma in the context of a system of values, philosophy of life and particular spiritual or religious beliefs. Sterling and Van Horn (1989) found that adolescents who were at the peak of their struggle with identity formation, had the highest levels of death anxiety. With regard to personal characteristics or the adolescent, self esteem was found to be important in adolescents response to loss. Balk (1990) and Hogan and Greenfield (1991) found that adolescents with lowered self concept scores s howed more problems with their grief. More adolescent males than females die suddenly and violently, via accidents, homicides and suicides (Corr et al., 2003). However, no one knows if, as a consequence, teenage males grieve more than females over the loss of their same sex best friend. Parallels between the socialization of males into hiding emotions, being independent and displaying aggressive behaviour when upset are reflected in adolescent males grief reactions (Adams, 2001). Bereaved adolescent girls may express more adjustment difficulties (Servaty Hayslip, 2001), but this may be consistent with the latitude afforded women to talk of their feelings. Reaching out to others seems to be easier for females than males (Noppe et al., 2003). As mentioned earlier and in closing of this section, the myriad of adolescent tasks serve as a framework for how the adolescent is affected by grief and their response to loss is intimately tied to their developmental issues. Adolescents do not grieve in the same way as do adults and their grief processes may be more intermittent, intense and overwhelming. We began this essay with the generally accepted theory of mourning from the work done by Freud and Lindemann as cited by Horacek (1991). Whilst Freud did not officially modify his theory, he did modify it in a letter written to Swiss psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger in 1929. In this letter he reflected on the death of his daughter in 1920 from influenza and the death of his grandson in 1923. He stated that although we know that after such a loss the acute stage of mourning will subside, we also know we shall remain inconsolable and will never find a substitute. Freud realised that some losses can never be fully resolved and that grieving can continue indefinitely for such potentially high grief deaths such as the loss of a child or a grandchild. Gorer (1965), described eight styles of grieving that fall into three categories based on the length of the grieving process. The first category includes grieving styles that demonstrating little or no mourning, such as the denial of mourning, the absence of mourning, anticipatory grieving and hiding grief. The second category is time limited mourning, which includes a period of intense grief followed by a return to the pre grief status. His third category is unlimited mourning, a continuing grief that does not radically interfere radically with everyday living; mummification, in which the mourner makes a room or a whole house as a shrine for the deceased; and despair, a never ending, deeply painful process. Adults view death through the lens of wisdom gained through the myriad of life experiences associated with expanded interactions with different people, work settings and family relationships. Whilst studies on parental and sibling grieving challenge the assumption that grieving is time bounded and that decathexis can and should be accomplished. In his interviews of some 155 families, Knapp (1986, 1987), found six significant similarities in the way in which families responded to the deaths of their children. The sixth was what he called shadow grief, a lingering, emotional dullness of affect that continues indefinitely, indicating that grief such as this is never totally resolved. He called shadow grief a form of chronic grief that moderately inhibits normal activity, yet it is an abnormal form of mourning that it was quite normal, perhaps even routine. In support of this finding, Lund (1989) stated that there is considerable evidence that some aspects of bereavement and subsequent r eadjustments may continue throughout a persons life and it might be appropriate to question the use of conceptualizing grief as a process which culminates in resolution, because there may never be a full resolution. Though death separates the mourner from the deceased, a relationship with the deceased continues. It is largely agreed that particularly with adults and the more elderly, the bereaved should regain everyday functioning within a two to three year period, but, also, that grief may never come to an end and can still be considered normal. Fulton (1978), produced a model that began to reflect the complicated reality of the grieving process. He put forward that in a high grief situation, three sets of reactions can be delineated: 1. Initial reactions. These can include numbness, shock and disbelief. These reactions could last for days, weeks or even months. 2. Grief tasks. These reactions may include such tasks as dealing with anger, guilt, emptiness, depression, ambivalent relationships and life reviewing. Working through these tasks can take months or years and in some cases can continue indefinitely. 3. Adjusting to the loss and continuing grieving. In addition, this model recognises that the three sets of reactions overlap and can recur and that the mourner could deal with one specific grief task such as resolving excess guilt and then face another grief task months later. Most important, this model recognises that the basic loss does not disappear like a wound that heals in time, but rather that the loss continues like an amputation or dismemberment. Likening grieving to amputation denotes the mourner must continually adapt and adjust to the loss. Although the griever can reach a new everyday functioning status, the loss and its concomitant reactions, for example shadow grief, continue indefinitely. In final conclusion, both the grief and grieving process is complicated and has many variable aspects to how one deals with the bereavement. Probably the most obvious is that the ability to handle bereavement lies in the cognitive developmental stage of the bereaved. This is probably more pronounced within the child and adolescent stages of life due to the aspects already discussed earlier. It is also of note that the elderly are more likely to experience multiple losses, such as the deaths of a spouse, friends, or relatives or the loss of roles, health, or income, over relatively short periods of time. At the same time, many older grievers are quite resilient and exhibit strong and effective coping abilities (Lund, 1989). An aspect of grief that was only briefly touched upon, was that of anticipatory grief. Such would occur during the period of extended terminal illness. Whether this type of grief assists the survivor or not, has not been really established. In some cases it can lea d also to confusion and subsequently, to a dysfunctional grief. In dealing with and assisting the bereaved caregivers need to be aware of the need to adjust their understanding of the grieving process relative to the age, gender and the situation with which the bereaved is finding them selves. Grieving is a complex emotional and active process and there are no simple answers nor are there simple repairs.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Industrial Engineering :: essays papers

Industrial Engineering Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, equipment, information, and energy in the most efficient manner possible. Efficiency is one of an engineers major concerns. Being able to complete the job, solve the problem, and put the solution in process are all very important, but making the process efficient allows less waste and more profit. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to specify, predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems. Their jobs are also concerned with performance, reliability, cost efficiency, quality control, plant design, and management of human resources. Materials engineering and computer engineering are two of the modern examples of industrial engineering. Industrial engineers have the challenge of incorporating today’s leading technological advances with the production of them in manufacturing facilities. Their purpose is to maximize output, while minimizing the costs for materials and production. This is why industrial engineers must have knowledge of product development, materials processing, optimization, queuing theory, production techniques, and engineering economy. Industrial engineers must have adequate skills in computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. Robots are now providing more assistance than ever for industrial engineers. Industrial engineering can spread into a wide area of fields. An industrial engineer’s knowledge is useful in designing better systems to care for patients in hospitals, reduce air pollution, and for approaching large-scale challenges in enterprises(usually with a team of other engineers.) Industrial engineers will work with biological engineers to improve the environment, reduce wastes, and conserve Industrial Engineering :: essays papers Industrial Engineering Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, equipment, information, and energy in the most efficient manner possible. Efficiency is one of an engineers major concerns. Being able to complete the job, solve the problem, and put the solution in process are all very important, but making the process efficient allows less waste and more profit. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to specify, predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems. Their jobs are also concerned with performance, reliability, cost efficiency, quality control, plant design, and management of human resources. Materials engineering and computer engineering are two of the modern examples of industrial engineering. Industrial engineers have the challenge of incorporating today’s leading technological advances with the production of them in manufacturing facilities. Their purpose is to maximize output, while minimizing the costs for materials and production. This is why industrial engineers must have knowledge of product development, materials processing, optimization, queuing theory, production techniques, and engineering economy. Industrial engineers must have adequate skills in computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. Robots are now providing more assistance than ever for industrial engineers. Industrial engineering can spread into a wide area of fields. An industrial engineer’s knowledge is useful in designing better systems to care for patients in hospitals, reduce air pollution, and for approaching large-scale challenges in enterprises(usually with a team of other engineers.) Industrial engineers will work with biological engineers to improve the environment, reduce wastes, and conserve

Saturday, October 12, 2019

History of Brown vs. Board Through Art :: Race Racial Segregation American History

History Through Art Brown vs. Board was a landmark case that changed America’s education forever. Some of these changes produced many opinions among the different states. One county even shut their public schools down for five years and posted signs blaming it on the Government. I am shocked that picture wasn’t in the exhibition at the Krannert Art Museum. Many of the featured artists have found their calling in capturing some aspects of the racial issue especially the equal education facet. The forms of painting and photography will remain in our world for many years and will help educate future generations on how those in our time coped with the feelings that racism brought to many of us. The exhibit in the museum stimulated my curiosity in the social realm of the decision in that courtroom. People began to see their futures differently. One painting that struck me as inspirational was Brett Cook-Dizney’s self-portrait. The colors he used were mainly bright. This usage of bright tones forced me to think about the reason he used them. Brett Cook-Dizney arranged the colors around his figure in such a way that the tones seemed to give the portrait a glow. He had many achievements that surrounded his painting that caused me to figure out why he used those bright colors; he was a bright young man. The painting had taken him three years to portray his feelings through his artistic approach. He had graduated high school in 1986, thirty years after Brown vs. Board. His work showed that there were still issues in racial equality in the school. Cook- Dizney’s self-portrait seemed to be a way to show the world how he wanted to be seen as opposed to how his teachers and peers saw him. In art he could paint himself in his true light. Cook-Dizney noticed that he had a shot at a bright future and owed much of it to the decision of Brown vs. Board. This court result offered him a chance to pursue a better education. You can see this in his work. He took his own critical approach to his self-image and made the viewer see him his way. This is an effective action for even the amateur art appreciator. After looking at this painting for a few minutes, you can feel the way he feels about the person he is and hopes to be. Brett Cook-Dizney had a couple more note-worthy paintings on display.

Friday, October 11, 2019

No Smoking Allowed On the Job or Off Case Study Analysis Essay

Should employers have the right to ban or restrict smoking by their employees at the workplace? Why do you think so? As is the case with OSHA, employees have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. Since smoking impedes on that right, I do believe that employers have the right to ban or restrict employee smoking at the workplace. Second hand smoke is a serious issue, one that is often overlooked by smokers. Nonsmokers have the right to not be exposed to something that they choose not to engage in. It is unfair for employees to be exposed to health risks that they are not personally subjecting themselves to. Additionally, there is some responsibility on the workplace to ensure that added level of a safe and healthy environment. Since exposure to smoke is a health hazard, choosing to restrict or ban it cannot be seen as a violation of personal rights. 2.Should employers have the right to restrict or ban smoking by employees off the job, as Weyco did? Why do you think so? I was torn on this situation as I am a firm believer in personal rights. But considering the added health costs the employer must ensue for their smoking employees, shouldn’t they have the right to say no! I do think that employers should have the right to restrict or ban smoking off the job if it meets certain criteria. For starters, employees must be given ample notification or if the rule is already in place, be notified in advance of applying to the organization. Next, it is important that existing employees affected by the change, as was the case at Weyco, be given the tools and opportunity to quit. I feel 15 months was an ample amount of time, given the tools the organization supplied, to make lifestyle changes if one chose to. Finally, I think there should be ongoing support to educate and assist with the process. There are definitely certain industries that I believe should invoke this. A good example of this would be healthcare providers. Do you know how many times I see the nurse who is going to be assisting me at the hospital or clinic outside smoking cigarettes? I’ve actually seen oncologists smoking outside the hospital – people who fight for lives that have been affected medically by smoking†¦it enrages me. Thus, I do believe that hospitals should only employ nonsmokers. I must admit when I have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to work, it infuriates me. I guess you might get a very different answer to these questions if you asked a smoker. 3.Should the government regulate smoking at work? If so, what would be the best public policy? Why do you think so? The simple solution to the problem would be to allow the government to regulate smoking at work. By offering public policy that mandated certain industries have to employ smoke free employees, banning all indoor smoking at work, igniting strict parameters on those industries allowed to have smokers, and continuing to penalize employees from a health insurance perspective – the government could greatly help deter or control costs surrounding this awful habit. A possible consideration would be to make smokers fully pay for their own health insurance. If they saw the added cost they have on their employer maybe they would rethink their options. 4.Should multinational firms have a single corporate policy on smoking in the workplace, or vary their policies depending on local laws and norms of behavior in various countries where they do business? Again, this is a question I was thoroughly torn on. Having taken many global business courses, I recognize the importance of doing business according to the local laws and norms. In my opinion the health hazards imposed by smoking and exposure to second hand smoke remain constant regardless of location, local law or behavioral norms. However, it becomes difficult to do business in countries where you invoke rules and regulations that go against what the social norms are. Unfortunately I think if you go against the grain in other countries you are more likely to hit resistance and be unable to find employees to work for you. Although, I also believe to be fair to US employees, national locations should be treated the same. My organization is owned by a Dutch based company and they often invoke policies that seem odd here in the US, but they blanket all decisions across all locations. I can’t decide which makes more sense. My business hat says no they should not have a single policy but my human resources hat says yes they should.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Learning English Essay

As an international student, learning English was a big challenge. For one thing, I grew up speaking my native language most of the time, and I only speak English when just necessary, such as talking to American or English strangers. This is why I found it hard to learn English, and there is still room for many improvements. At first I thought that once I studied English, I would learn quickly. But I found out it was hard because my tongue got used to speaking my native language. The hardest part was mastering the subject-verb agreement. Every time I speak, I struggle with evaluating whether the subject and the verb match. Sometimes I use verb with s when I refer to plural subjects. I also had difficulty understanding sentences that have very long subjects. For instance, A mountain range that sits between two larger mountains overlooking the valley is/are very beautiful. When my friend or anyone I talk to use this kind of sentence, I easily get lost from what he means to say. Thus, sometimes I misinterpret what he says. I guess the learning process took longer for me. But I am thankful that my experiences were training ground for the changes that took place. Also, the formalized learning from the classroom helped me a lot to learn another language (Smith). Little by little, I learned the right pronunciations of words. My teacher and my classmates and friends correct me when I wrongly pronounce a word or my sentence is grammatically incorrect. Reading has also helped greatly. I tried to understand what I read, and apply what I learned. I have also read short stories and I studied the way sentences are constructed. Learning from reading is advantageous. Aside from learning grammar, spelling, and understanding meaning from the books I read, reading has also opened my eyes to the many things that remained undiscovered to me. I can say that until the present time, I’m still learning. It has helped me greatly in dealing with day to day issues in the United States. Work Cited Smith, Mark K. 2003. â€Å"Learning Theory. † 26 February 2009 .

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Fast Food Industry in U.S Essay

A variety of different regulations have been set for people that are concerned with tobacco either on a personal level or commercially. Tobacco is associated with damages and thus it has been attacked by medical authorities and social observers. The fast food industry is no exception since it has also contributed to different damages to people’s health. Obesity is just one of the many ailments caused by fast food joints. FDA has made sure that regulations are set and implemented to protect people from damages that tobacco cause. FDA and Tobacco Regulation have some policies that prevent the families from smoking (McGrew, 2008). There is a control act for Tobacco that requires changes to be made to the labeling and advertising of various tobacco products. This act regulates all the advertising to ensure that information passed to people through advertisements is controlled. I think strict regulations should be put in place for the fast food industry. All fast food joints should ensure that their menus have healthier diets. Through advertising, advice can be given to people about their eating so that people can make informed choices on healthy foods. Just like the Tobacco control act, fast foods should post their menus or readable signs of the contents of various foods in terms of how many calories, saturated fat and carbohydrate a diet contain (Tom Paulson, 2008). This menu board can be placed in a readable place inside the restaurant so that when a person makes a choice of food, he or she can be aware of what is being consumed. Tobacco has been subjected to a regulatory control on its production. King James expressed his opinion towards Tobacco production and consumption. He said that tobacco was loathsome to people eyes, it was hateful to people’s nose, it brought harm to the brain and it was a big danger to people’s lung. This statement explains the most specific damages that Tobacco causes to the entire body. The above statement by the King also applies to fast foods. Meat consumption is viewed just as dangerous as Tobacco is to the public health. The people that can be held accountable legally for unhealthy lifestyles are meat producers and the fast food outlets. The fast food industry should be legally accountable for obesity. Living longer does not mean leaving healthier. There has been a great shift between what people eat and where they get their food from. Economic and public health continues to suffer the consequences brought by obesity and a question is raised who can be held accountable. This question is similar to the issue related to illnesses caused by tobacco which is another public health problem. There are different lawsuits brought against fast food industries like McDonald just like tobacco industries was earlier faced by the same disparaging reaction (Michelle M. Mello, 2007). The responsibility of the harm smoking causes was squarely laid on the tobacco industry by the public. These claims were solved by some tight regulations which have ensured the control of tobacco products to date. Fast food offer bad foods but the biggest problem is that a number of people seem not to disregard this fact despite knowing it. The industry tends to do just fine because their unhealthy foods continue to be consumed. For this reason they do not find the need for implementing policies but on the contrary this should be a prime reason as to why they should regulate the industry in a similar way to tobacco industries. My suggestion would be if people must eat these fast foods then they should know the best and the worst so that the role of making the choice can be left on the customer not the vendor. Why fast food industries should have similar policies to tobacco industry is because it has the same damages to the public health. Fast foods have faced claims from different customers in regard to the products produced. Consumption of these products has caused: obesity which has lead to diabetes, heart diseases due to excess fats, high blood pressure, high cholesterol intake and other health effects. The public have claimed that some fast food industries have engaged in advertising that is deceiving, low quality sales and promotions. Fast food has also been accused of producing food that is unreasonably unsafe, and lacking to inform customers on the dangers of these products. There is a rising level of obesity in the world today and the cause is found in the way our food is being grown, processed and packaged (Brownell, 2009). Fast food industry should adapt the marketing and the tactics in lobbying that are used by the tobacco industries. The tobacco industry used legal, political and business strategies tactic due to the concern that the industry had to the public health. Fast foods should employ these same regulations that the tobacco giants employed. The public should be informed about the link that exists between various fast food products and diseases. The doubts that the public has regarding to fast food products should be cleared through intensive marketing especially to the target consumers and in the fast food case it’s the children, adolescents and young adults. Just like tobacco is addictive fast foods can also cause an addiction especially to people who dislike cooking at home or mostly live alone in their homes. The industry should embrace regulations since a great concern has been raised about fast food and how they are advertising their products and selling unhealthy food to school children. Food industry should take up only the good policies that the tobacco industry used and leave the deceptive path. References Brownell, K. (2009, April 8). Food Industry Pursues the strategy of Big Tobacco. anvironment 360 . McGrew, J. L. (2008). History of Tobacco Regulation. Washington D. C. Michelle M. Mello, E. B. (2007). The Fast Food Industry and Legal Accountability. The McLawsuit . Tom Paulson, P. R. (2008, December 31). Fast food chains must post fat, calories. Retrieved March 2012, 2012, from County’s new rules aim at healthier eating: http://www. seattlepi. com/local/article/Fast-food-chains-must-post-fat-calori.