Monday, September 30, 2019

Chemistry Experiment: Bubble Blowing

Bubble quality Is most positively affected by the mixture of sugar and dish detergent due to the sticky consistency of sugar when emerged in liquid. Procedure: First of all, three cups were labeled according to their solution.Then, a teaspoon of dish soap and two-thirds of a cup of water was added and mixed to make cup#l . Next, a half teaspoon of table sugar was added to the same control solution and was named cup #2, as well as half a teaspoon of table salt to cup #3. After that, a straw was used to blow bubbles, by being dipped into each solution separately and blown through. Finally, data was recorded.Control Sugar salt Appearance of Solution Colorless – More translucent than control – Cloudy Bubble Size – Generally small; occasionally medium – Consistently medium-sized; bigger than control – Medium to large Ease of Bubble Blowing – Easy to blow – Must be gentle – Moderately easy Some strength and speed needed – Diffi cult – Must be gentle and slow *Relative Time Before Bubbles Popped – 5-10 seconds 15-20 seconds – 10-15 seconds * Time started when bubble left straw and popped, under any circumstances, such as touching objects.Analysis: The effects of adding table salt and sugar are positive, In comparison to the control. Both of the added ingredients made the overall bubble quality stronger. The refusing to pop for about 15-20 seconds. This is most likely because when sugar dissolves, it becomes sticky; therefore, it would make a tackier bond with the dish soap than the control. On the other hand, although very slow and gentle blows were deed to produce adequate bubbles with the salt solution, it was much stronger than the control; its relative time before the bubbles popped was about 10-15 seconds, whilst the control only lasted around 5-10 seconds.Hence, if one were to pick out the strongest solution, the table sugar mixture would be the best. Conclusion: The previous hypo thesis that, bubble quality improves with the addition of sugar, has been proven true. To improve this experiment, an increase in amount of the table salt and sugar should be made. This will create a more drastic and clear difference. Also, a bigger area of space would allow the bubbles to freely move and give more accurate times on their survival.Another hypothesis regarding bubble making is that adding both, salt and sugar, to dish soap will boost the bubble quality. By taking in both strong qualities of the sugar solution's strength and the salt's size, this solution will be better than both the salt and sugar mixtures alone. In order to do this, one teaspoon of each ingredient, salt and sugar, should be added to a two- thirds cup of water. Stir well, and blow with adjustments to speed and strength, with a straw.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Baidu SWOT analysis Essay

Baidu, Inc. (BIDU) – Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review provides you an in-depth strategic SWOT analysis of the company’s businesses and operations. The profile has been compiled by GlobalData to bring to you a clear and an unbiased view of the company’s key strengths and weaknesses and the potential opportunities and threats. The profile helps you formulate strategies that augment your business by enabling you to understand your partners, customers and competitors better. The profile contains critical company information including: – Business description – A detailed description of the company’s operations and business divisions. – Corporate strategy – Analyst’s summarization of the company’s business strategy. – SWOT Analysis – A detailed analysis of the company’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. – Company history – Progression of key events associated w ith the company. – Major products and services – A list of major products, services and brands of the company. – Key competitors – A list of key competitors to the company. – Key employees – A list of the key executives of the company. – Executive biographies – A brief summary of the executives’ employment history. – Key operational heads – A list of personnel heading key departments/functions. – Important locations and subsidiaries – A list and contact details of key locations and subsidiaries of the company. – Detailed financial ratios for the past five years – The latest financial ratios derived from the annual financial statements published by the company with 5 years history. – Interim ratios for the last five interim periods – The latest financial ratios derived from the quarterly/semiannual financial statements published by the company for 5 interims history. Highlights Baidu, Inc. (Baidu), formerly Baidu.com, Inc., is a Chinese-language Internet search provider. It offers Chinese -language search engine, and focuses on  online marketing operations. The company also offers Baidu Union, a network of third-party websites and software applications. Baidu designs and delivers online marketing services to its P4P customer base, which demands Baidu’s customized online marketing solutions. The company offers its products and services through a network of computers running on customized software developed in-house. The company’s technology list includes Web Search Technology, P4P Technology, Targetizement Technology and Large-Scale Systems Technology. Baidu, Inc. Key Recent Developments Jul 26, 2012: Baidu-I2R Research Centre Officially Opens In Singapore Key benefits of buying this profile include: You get detailed information about the company and its operations to identify potential customers and suppliers. – The profile analyzes the company’s business structure, operations, major products and services, prospects, locations and subsidiaries, key executives and their biographies and key competitors. Understand and respond to your competitors’ business structure and strategies, and capitalize on their weaknesses. Stay up to date on the major developments affecting the company. – The company’s core strengths and weaknesses and areas of development or decline are analyzed and presented in the profile objectively. Recent developments in the company covered in the profile help you track important events. Equip yourself with information that enables you to sharpen your strategies and transform your operations profitably. – Opportunities that the company can explore and exploit are sized up and its growth potential assessed in the profile. Competitive and/or technological threats are highlighted. Scout for potential investments and acquisition targets, with detailed insight into the companies’ strategic, financial and operational performance. – Financial ratio presented for major public companies in the profile include the revenue trends, profitability, growth, margins and returns, liquidity and leverage, financial position and efficiency ratios. Gain key insights into the company for academic or business research. – Key elements such as  SWOT analysis, corporate strategy and financial ratios and charts are incorporated in the profile to assist your academic or business research needs. Note: Some sections may be missing if data is unavailable for the company

Saturday, September 28, 2019

An Inverted Tooth Chain Engineering Essay

An Inverted Tooth Chain Engineering Essay An inverted-tooth chain operates quietly and smoothly and is also known as a silent chain. Silent chain consists of a series of toothed link plates assembled on joint components in a way that allows free flexing between each pitch. The teeth on the link plates mesh with a sprocket, similar to the way a rack meshes with a gear. The great majority of silent chain is used in drives. Silent chains are made up of stacked rows of load carrying link plates. Increasing the number of rows of links increases the chain width, tensile strength, and load carrying capacity. Using this feature, manufacturers make silent chains ranging from less than a 1 in. wide to more than 20 in. wide, with power capacities ranging from a fraction of a horsepower to more than 2000 hp. A chain is a reliable machine component, which transmits power by means of tensile forces, and is used primarily for power transmission and conveyance systems. The function and uses of chain are similar to a belt. There are many ki nds of chain. It is convenient to sort types of chain by either material of composition or method of construction. There are five types of chains: Cast iron chain Cast steel chain Forged chain Steel chain Plastic chain Demand for the first three chain types is now decreasing; they are only used in some special situations. For example, cast iron chain is part of water-treatment equipment; forged chain is used in overhead conveyors for automobile factories. History: Chains have been used for centuries to drive machines and move materials on conveyors and elevators. In 225 B C, Philo described a chain- driven water lift. Leonard da Vinci sketched the chain designs in the 1500s. Some are similar to modern bar link, leaf, and silent chains. Cog chain was developed in the early 1800s to transmit power or motion between the shafts of treadmills to water elevators, weaving looms and harvesting machinery. This chain was used to mechanize farm implements, but it broke easily and was difficult to repair in the field. Cast detachable chain was introduced in 1873 and overcome many of the problems of cog chain. This chain was made of simple identical cast links that were easily coupled and uncoupled by hand. This basic detachable chain design is one of the early chain concepts that have been unchanged nowadays also. After few years cast detachable chain was introduced, a chain made of all steel parts was introduced for driving bicycles. A patent for roller chain was issued in 1880. By early 1900s, roller chains drove the wheels of safety bicycles, as well as automobiles, trucks, and the propellers of the Wright Brothers airplane that flew at Kitty Hawk. Two major factors combined to make the roller chain industry were automation and standardization. Automation helped manufacturers meet the demand for the large amounts of high quality that were used on machines made by other industries. Standard dimensions and capacities ensured that roller chains would fit and operate as th e designer planned. The result was that the industry soon became as the precision roller chain industry.

Friday, September 27, 2019

I'll attach it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I'll attach it - Essay Example Saudi Arabia has a GDP growth rate of 5.1 %, compared to the world 8.6 % and 7.4 % in 2011 and 2010 respectively. The total GDP (in US$ billions) of all 22 Arab League members by 2012 was $71,707.3 calculated at the government official exchange rates. The GDP in (US$) Saudi Arabia 727.3, U.A.E 358.9, Egypt 256.7, Iraq 212.5, Algeria 207.8, Qatar 183.4, Kuwait 173.4, Morocco 107.1, Libya 81.92, Oman 76.46, Syria 64.7. Sudan 59.94, Tunisia 45.61, Lebanon 41.35, Yemen 35.64, Jordan 31.21, Bahrain 27.03, Palestine N/A, Mauritania 4.199, Somalia 2.372, Djibouti 1.354, and lastly Comoros 0.600 (Central Intelligence Agency).The GDP dollar estimates that have been presented here have been calculated at government official exchange rates. In 2012 the total GDP for the United States was $16.02 trillion, Japan $5.88 trillion, Germany $3.383 trillion, France $2.579 trillion, and the United Kingdom was $2.443 trillion (CIA). On the other hand, the total GDP of the Arab League members by 2012 was $71,707.3. This is less compared to the individual GDP of the aforementioned countries. This means that these countries have a higher GDP compared to the 22 Arab League nations. This contradicts the misconception that most Arab countries are rich because of the oil proceeds. None of the Arab League country has a GDP higher than France, Germany, USA, Japan, and the UK. Palestine has GDP growth of $10 billion and a GDP per capita of $1924 and $876 for West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively (Abed 59). Between 1967 and 1990, the economy of West Bank and Gaza Strip was characterized by increase in individual income, reduction in the economy’s capacity to absorb its labour force, produce goods, and upgrade technologically.   The total GDP reduced from 34% to 13% between 1968 and 1993 (Aranson, 7-8). Viewed as the driver for any economy seeking to develop and upgrade, the industry

Thursday, September 26, 2019

An investigation into how enterprise and entrepreneurship can be Dissertation - 1

An investigation into how enterprise and entrepreneurship can be embedded into art & design curriculum in Saudi Arabian universi - Dissertation Example This is furthered by understanding how the design is taught at KSA universities and how the formalities with the UK approach compare to KSA, specifically because of the foundational and cultural differences which are attributed to both. By examining these various objectives, there is the ability to build a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurship relates to design study and how it can be improved for new aspects in educational systems. The methodology that is based on primary sources with the questionnaire will be followed by secondary resources. The main focus will be to fill in any gaps that would question the relationship between entrepreneurship and the design studies which are currently being implemented. The secondary studies will examine a wide variety of areas, including journals and books for current theories with education. This will be furthered with looking into the trends and statistics through websites and newer publications, specifically to identify the trends and the government expectations. The changes which are currently being made are consistent with expectations that are related to the government policies in various regions of the world. Combining this as a main aspect of the study can then close the gaps with the questionnaire while developing a well – rounded approach to the study for a deeper understanding of the various issues that are surrounding entrepreneurship and design studies. Research Structure The research structure will consist of two questionnaires, one which is given to the students of KSA, DeMont University and Leicester University. The questionnaire for students will consist of 15 questions related to the design studies and to the entrepreneur designs. The students will be chosen at random after determining if they are design majors in their main area of study. There will be an average of 20 students chosen from each university, with 60 questionnaires that will be given to each of the universities. This will be d one to look at the diversity of opinions and samples and to look at the potential of entrepreneurial relationships when examining this from the perspective of design students. To proceed with this, the universities will be contacted in reference to the study. This will be followed with the random sample of students being gathered either from the university or by random sampling with data bases with the questionnaires following. The second component to the methodology will be based on questionnaires handed to the teachers of design studies in all three universities. This will also take place after retrieving permission from the universities in relation to the questionnaires. The questionnaires will be given to all instructors that are teaching in design studies, specifically because of the direct relationship to entrepreneurship and this form of study. It is expected that there will be an average of 10-20 questionnaires which are given to the teachers which have a relationship to thi s particular subject with their teaching styles. To carry out with this portion of the methodology, a consent form will be sent to chosen universities. If it is agreed that the study can include the universities, then the procedures will continue. If not, a substitute university will be found within the same region until consent is reached. The questionnaires which are analyzed will then move through an analysis and comparison of responses. Most questions will be formed with the ability to retrieve

Wedding.com Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wedding.com Case Analysis - Essay Example There are four major aspects that Jessica needs to re-evaluate in website design and market strategy: Effective Website layout; SWOT analysis; brand creation; and effective marketing with focus on Porter’s 4Ps. The wedding website needs to be vibrant and colourful so that it sends the message of great romance. While interactive and e-commerce features should be intrinsic part of the website, Jessica needs to incorporate more pictures of the happy couples in the honeymoon destinations to attract prospective brides and grooms. Honeymoon packages at discounted price should become one of the important features of the website. It should also cater to various other requirements of the couple as well as for those who need to get wedding gifts. The website needs to showcase the products and services to attract the future customers and meet their individual demand through customised features of the interactive website. Jessica needs to research the details regarding the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the wedding events come across and then incorporate them into her website. The brand creation has been another successful strategy that would bring in committed customers. ‘Brand building is needed because products are the same’ (Kotler, 2005). Market strategies try to promote their goods and services by creating brands that guarantees the customers of getting high quality goods and services at a price that a customer is willing to pay for. Today the concept of market has changed so much so that instead of customer going to the ‘product’, the product ‘comes’ to the customer. In other words, virtual markets have facilitated the availability of the product much easier with the concept of ‘home delivery’ becoming a reality. Though the localized market still has scope but the unlimited potential of the internet market must be tapped in order to remain afloat in the fast

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

U2 Are you listening Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U2 Are you listening - Coursework Example Agents can place customers on hold only when they have to consult for a solution to challenging customer inquiries. When taking a message, the agents should forward the message to the floor supervisor in charge, who presents it to the appropriate department or individual. The technique used to measure an individual’s telephone skills is through monitoring. Since all calls are recorded, the supervisors randomly select an individual’s recording, after which they analyze the skills to determine whether they meet the organizational expectations. The interviewee evaluates his performance by gauging reactions from the customer. The interviewee believes that the training offered by the company is vital for improving their customer service skills. The habit he has developed over time is to be patient when listening to customer inquiries. Patience is necessary for calming some of the irate customers, which eventually makes them confident with the services the company offers. To conclude, it would be essential to consider training call-center employees in order to improve their telephone skills. Additionally, monitoring their performance is not only necessary for optimizing individual performance but also assists in enhancing service delivery (Coen, 2001). These invaluable elements help in implementing and evaluating the organization’s quality assurance practices. A recommendation that would benefit the company is that they should consider training the call center agents frequently. This deliberation will allow the employees to refresh their telephone skills and to evaluate their individual performance (Coen, 2001). It might also be beneficial if the supervisors or managers could identify the imperfections of each agent through the recordings. The identification will enable them to determine the best way to assist the affected person, which will be beneficial to the entire

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your Essay

Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your area of interest - Essay Example 1048). The most common (30%) nosocomial infection is catheter-associated UTI, or CAUTI. The strongest factor in determining whether or not CAUTI will occur is the actual duration of catheterization. Other factors that can contribute to the development of CAUTI include age, diabetes mellitus, female sex, and elevated serum creatinine levels. Most patients with CAUTI do not show any symptoms, so treatment typically does not occur while the catheter is in place (Wazait, et.al., 2004). The recent surge in resistant antimicrobials has complicated the use of systemic antibiotics. Typically, no rationale based on evidence is in existence to support the use of prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the occurrence of CAUTI after catheters have been removed. "A recent national multidisciplinary survey of healthcare professionals (by the present authors) showed a vast diversity in the practice (unpublished data). The aim of the present pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to assess if a short course of ciprofloxacin starting at the time of catheter removal reduced the UTI rate after removal (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1048). It took a total of four months to recruit enough patients to take part in the study. These patients were taken from both medical and surgical wards in the authors' hospital. In order to qualify for the study, patients had to have been catheterized for 2-7 days. There were a number of exclusion criteria including the following: recent genitourinary surgery, the receipt of antibiotics within the preceding 48 hours, the inability to consent to the study, impaired renal function, pregnancy or breastfeeding, epilepsy, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a history showing disorders of quinolone-related tendon disorders, or quinolone allergies (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Age, sex, reason for catheterization, and comorbidity were among the background data collected from the patients participating in the study. Ethical committee approval on the local level was obtained for the study. Eligible patients provided written consent to take place in the study. "Patients were assigned randomly to receive a 48-h course of either ciprofloxacin (400 mg 12-hourly) or placebo tablets starting 2 h before catheter removal. Randomization was confirmed by a computer-generated list. The ciprofloxacin and placebo were packaged into identical containers by an independent pharmacy, and all staff involved at any stage of the double-blind trial were unaware of the medication given to the patients" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Just before the start of the medication, a catheter specimen of urine (CSU) was taken from each patient. "At the follow-up 7 and 14 days after catheter removal, patients completed a questionnaire for UTI symptoms, and mid-stream urine (MSU samples were collected. Patients who could not be seen in hospital were followed up by a home visit" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Standard collection and laboratory procedures to keep the samples pure and separate before, during, and after testing were followed in order to ensure accurate results (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Of the original 52 patients that were scheduled to take place in the trial, four had been excluded for one or more of the reasons listed above. 25 of the remaining 48 patients received ciprofloxacin, and 23 of them

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Final Exam Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Exam Part 2 - Essay Example The emergence of Conflict Resolution as an academic discipline was, actually, a culmination of multi-disciplinary studies in social sciences in an effort to find ways and means of averting the occurrence of another world war, after the Second World War (Ramsbotham, Wooodhouse, & Miall, 2011). As it can be seen, therefore, from the understanding of the concept, Conflict Resolution, and the reason that led to the emergence of this discipline as a fully-fledged academic discipline, the main importance of Conflict Resolution is to keep and to maintain peace among warring parties with differences that cannot effectively be solved through the court systems. Conflict resolution seeks to ensure that people co-exist peacefully with one another. Importance of culture in the field of conflict and resolution, and its relation with the idea of peace building Culture is deeply rooted in our past experiences, and as such, it can be viewed as a derivative of our experiences (Avruch, 20). Culture, th erefore, having been fashioned by our past experiences has great experience in our world view. Our world view is determined to a big extent by our cultures, and therefore, culture is quite important in conflict resolution. Culture can sometimes be used as an ideology to accelerate or to cause conflicts (Avruch, 16). In such a situation where a conflict arise due to misuse of culture for egocentric gains, the most effective way to resolve such a conflict is to analyze the cultural ideology that is used to cause the conflict, and after the analysis, you lay bare the inadequacies and the fallacies in the ideology. This will help a great deal in resolving the conflict. Culture can also be used to cause what Galtung calls, cultural violence (Galtung, 39). This happens when one uses their culture to justify their violent acts against other people. This will definitely lead to conflicts. Resolving such a conflict requires an analysis of the culture that is used to justify violence against other people, and after the analysis, the false ideas inherent in the culture should be exposed and logically critiqued. Cultural knowledge, therefore, is quite important in the field of Conflict resolution for it helps us in solving conflicts and maintaining peace. It is therefore related with the idea of peace building. Importance of the Nested Theory of Conflict in the field of Conflict Resolution Nested theory of conflict was propounded by Maire Dugan (Dugan, 14). Dugan propounded the theory after realising that some of the commonly used methods in conflict resolutions did not offer effective solutions, but rather, simplistic solutions that did not take into consideration the root causes of the problems. Dugan, therefore, came up with a nested model of conflict that is based on the structural nature of the conflicts. In the nested model, Dugan identified three levels of conflict. These levels are, issue specific level, relational level, structural subsystem level, and structural system level. The levels are interrelated and are arranged in such a way that the narrow types or levels of conflict are nested within the broader level. For instance, the level of issue specific is nested in all the other three levels, while structural sub-system level is nested only in the structural system level only. The issue-specific category of conflict is the simple issue based conflicts. Relational conflicts are conflicts that have their roots in our relation patterns on our attitudes towards

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Why Germany Lost the World War Two Essay Example for Free

Why Germany Lost the World War Two Essay After WW I Germany had many economic and political problems that allowed Adolph Hitler to become ruler of Germany. After Hitler appointed himself chancellor he started rebuilding the German military. After years of no international response to breaking the Treaty of Versailles Germany attacked Poland. From 1939 to 1941 Germany had won many victories; however 1941 was a turning point in the war. By the end of 1941 Germany would continuously lose land to the allies with the exception of the Battle of the Bulge. The main reasons for Germanys defeat were that they were fighting the war in too many fronts, poor leadership and the invasion of Russia. Firstly, Germany is surrounded by nations capable of fighting Germany. Always has been that way. Oppositions were clever enough to realize Germany was strong enough to fight one mighty opponent, but might be in deep trouble if they had to fight two or more at the same time. Hitler realized that too. But he didnt have a choice. He tried to get what he wanted little by little. Until the Allies realized there was no end to it. Hitler then grabbed Poland in a deal with the USSR: they split the country. That gave him time to fight only in the west. This worked but didn’t include the conquest of Britain. Conquering England would be nice, but not vital. The USSR was seen highly dangerous at that time as well. So Hitler decided to strike first before Stalin did it and that made it a multiple front war. At first the Germans seemed to be winning, but fighting on three fronts (defense in the west, some forces in Africa and the major offensive against the USSR) was too much. The western front was an air war with Brittan. The eastern front was with the Soviet Union. A southern front could also be included in Italy and Africa. Germany had a war on multiple fronts just like in WW I. If Germany had invaded Brittan or never started a war with the Soviet Union there would have been only a single front to fight at one time. Therefore, Germany fighting on multiple fronts was definitely one of the reasons to why Germany was defeated in the World War2. Also if Italy was a stronger ally they could have stopped the allied invasion in the south. Having multiple fronts is not the only reason Germany lost the war, leadership also played a major role. Secondly, Adolf Hitler was not a very strong military commander. Hitler possessed many powerful leadership skills that won victories for Germany, but he often blundered into making military mistakes. Also, it must always be remembered that he was personally responsible for the death of tens of millions of people. It is difficult to call someone a great leader who causes such devastation among the nations of the world. His need to have personal operation of the German military crippled its effectiveness. Hitler was a superb politician however his military tactics and inability to listen to his generals caused many major battles to be lost. When invading France Hitler should have stopped the British Expeditionary Force from evacuating at Dunkirk. Hitler should have captured the BEF and continued his blitzkrieg right into Britain. Another tactical error was attacking Stalingrad not Moscow. He also wasted a large amount of resources on making the ME-262 a light bomber while it was already proven to the best fighter, even against other jet propelled planes. Adolf Hitler also wasted an immense amount of resources. As a result, Hitler’s poor military leadership certainly impacted their success in the Wold War 2. Thirdly, In 1942 Hitler made the vital mistake of spreading his forces out in Russia rather than concentrating them in a smaller area and because of this Germany failed to overwhelm and seize Stalingrad, this was to be the Start of Hitlers and Germanys downfall. This caused an extreme rise in Russian morale and from suddenly the war had reached a turning point and it looked like the Powerful Germans were nearing their defeat. After this particular mistake there was a sequence of events out of Hitlers control hammering the final nail into Germanys coffin. The Japanese sent a group of planes from the air force to bomb a small port in America named Pearl Harbour. This fired the Americans up so much so that they joined the war to defeat Hitler. Deciding to attack Russia was a bad idea, as well as declaring war on the US. Both of these countries could substantially out produce Germany. Although Germany took the initiative both times, they may have had little choice. The United States would have entered the war one way or another due to the fact that Britain was their closest ally, and they could not sit and watch them be destroyed by Germany. Russia was planning on entering the war a few months after Germany attacked her anyway. [This view that the Soviet Union was preparing a pre-emptive strike against Germany is not widely accepted]. Hence even thought Germany was a powerful country over all, there were many things to work on which brought this country down. Germany lost the war because of many reasons but the main three would be fighting the war in too many fronts, poor leadership and the invasion of Russia.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Literature Review Of Women Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis Nursing Essay

Literature Review Of Women Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis Nursing Essay The focus of this study will be the lived experience of women suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and their ability to maintain a quality of life through various coping strategies. Therefore, literature surrounding the quality of life and coping mechanisms in MS sufferers will be critically appraised. A literature review was performed to identify published material relating to the lived experience of women suffering with MS with the main focus being on how women cope with the challenges that MS brings everyday and how they try and maintain a quality of life. This was done to introduce the topic of interest. When conducting the research there was little research into this area but the search was limited to health and social care databases such as CINALH, Internurse, Science direct, Pubmed and the library catalogue. The key words that were initially used in the literature search were lived experience, multiple sclerosis, women and quality of life and coping mechanisms, however this revealed little research so key words such as fatigue, education and depression were included. 2.1 Emotional Responses in Multiple Sclerosis 2.1.1 Uncertainty Uncertainty is one of the first stresses that MS places on women. First there is uncertainty until the diagnosis has been confirmed. Having MS means living with uncertainty and adapting to changing situations with the course of MS. Being unpredictable posses an emotional challenge to build a sense of stability and security in the face of uncertainty (Halper Holland, 1997). Millerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s (1997) phenomenological study emphasized the primary role of uncertainty in the lived experiences of patients with relapsing MS. The participants in this study are described as living one day at a time, not knowing how they will feel tomorrow, leading to negative effects on employment, family life and coping abilities. It was also evident that fear and loss of control in daily life were also experienced due the unpredictability of relapsing MS. Olsson, Lexell Soderberg (2007) conducted a qualitative in order to describe the meaning of womenà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s experience of living with MS. The study consisted of 10 women with secondary progressive MS and the fact that daily life was influenced by MS. Women spoke about their daily lifeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s, their experience of symptoms and their thoughts about their illness. They described that they were no longer in charge over their body and this had a great impact on their quality of life, however, women were found to actively strive to maintain strength and power to carry on to protect their dignity. This study showed that people with the progressive form of the disease appeared to cope better and were determined to improve their quality of life despite the effects of the illness, this could be due to them accepting MS as part of their life. 2.1.2 Hope Hope relates to those things that can be realistically achieved (Pinson, Ottens Fisher, 2009). This implies that the individual has devised a plan that has the likelihood of being carried out to achieve resolution of a problem. Miller (1997) found that hope provided a means for dealing with the uncertainty of MS. In a quantitative study carried out by Goretti, Pataccio, Zipoli, Hakiki, Siracusa, Sori and Amato (2009) they found that women tend to have higher levels of hope and optimism when facing the disease at early stages. Their study looked at the psychological features of depression, fatigue and anxiety, coping strategies and their influence on quality of life in people suffering from remitting relapsing MS. , furthermore, a qualitative study by Pinson et al (2009) found that hope was present as a coping resource. Also, hope seems to interact with psychosocial resources such as self-esteem, hope has often been related to higher levels of self-esteem and evidence of better socia l support. However, Pinson et al (2009) study only focused on people with a progressive form of MS and who did not suffer with depression. Depression itself can have a significant affect on a individuals self-esteem, if a MS sufferer as lowered self esteem due to depression then their coping mechanisms will be compromised and this will contribute to a lower quality of life perception ( Murphy, 1998). 2.2 Information and education Multiple Sclerosis considerably changes peoples every day life and the power and capacity to meet personal expectations (Yorkson, Klasner Swanson, 2001). Toombs (1995) stated that living with MS implies insecurity on a daily basis as their body can not be taken for granted or trusted, instead, it demands constant attention. To manage every day life, people with MS find it urgent to prioritise their personal goals and the search for information and knowledge regarding the disease has been described as crucial in maintaining control. A qualitative study carried out by Fleming Courts, Buchanan and Werstlein (2004) investigated the lived experience of people with MS and examined their needs from their perspectives using two focus groups consisting of 4 men and 6 women, they found that education is power and having education about the disease helps whose in maintaining a quality of life, without knowledge, information and education from health care professionals about the disease, its sy mptoms and what support is available then coping with daily activities will be compromised and a good quality of life will not be achievable. Miller (1997) and Pinson (DATE) are supportive of this but conclude that people with MS need information to deal with the uncertainty and the unpredictability of the disease in order to remain in control of their lifeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s. 2.3 Coping Coping is an abstract concept that refers to how individuals make meaning and values and can be see as a way of problem solving. Psychological as proved to be crucially important for adjusting to the adaptive demands of the chronic illness and in the past few years as received a growing interest in MS. A study conducted by McCabe, Stokes and McDonald (2009) evaluated the relationship between quality of life and coping among people with MS over a 2 year period using a longitudinal approach. The sample consisted of 144 men and 238 women. The World Health Organisation quality of life scale was used to assess participants overall quality of life. They found that people with MS experienced lower levels of quality for independence, social, environmental and spiritual quality of life but experienced a higher psychological quality of life and focused on positive coping compared to the general population, these findings may suggest that although people with MS have lower levels of quality of life in many areas, they may be more accepting of the situation and knowing that their condition is going to change. However, in a quantitative carried out by Goretti et al (2009) found that MS patients were less likely to use positive and problem focused strategies and often adopted avoiding strategies more frequently, it was also found that younger patients with relapsing remitting MS were less disabled so therefore the disease had a lower impact on their quality of life, also, positive attitude and planning activity strategies were less likely to be adopted by patients with lower disease duration. They tended to have higher levels of hope and optimism when facing the disease at its early stages. Those who adopted avoiding strategies were more likely to experience depression and anxiety that contributed to their overall quality of life. The results finish later, re word !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2.4 Support Pinson et al found that knowing family and friends would provide support either emotional or physical was very important to the participants. This support system appears to act as an anchor for these women if situations became difficult. McCabe also found that when people were more accepting of the situation, there was an increased need for social and emotional support., they also found that women with MS compared to men were more likely to seek social support, but more likely to wish that things were different. This is also supported by Olsson and Goretti. However, Olsson (2008) also found that accepting needing support from family led to feelings of guilt and failure as they felt that the whole family was suffering too. They also described being dependant on others when performing daily tasks that they wished to have done themselves. To engage in daily life was crucial in maintaining a good quality of life. This study only focused on women with the progressive form of MS, so are more likely to have more disabilities. McCabe states that increased needs may lead them to seek and obtain more social support and rely more on friend, family and community assistance (Murphy, 1998). Although support is

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Works of Andy Warhol Essay -- Andy Warhol Essays

The Pop Arts' movement began in the late 50's and early 60's. Dubbed, the founding father of the movement, Andy Warhol brought forward society's obsession with mass culture and allowed it to become the subject of art itself. Using many techniques such as isolation, repetition and colour placement, Warhol brought to the world of art his views on materialism, politics, economics and the media. Andy was quick to warn his admirers and critics, ?do not look any deeper than the surface of my art and my life' (Bockris 21). Andy Warhol produced works that defied the popular notion of what art should be. Warhol's works were meant to be taken at face value, for nothing more than what they portrayed on the surface. While he stressed this superficial attitude about his art, his works were often the cause of debate and influenced public opinion like no other cultural figure in North America ( Shanes 5 ). Through his series with common images, celebrities and death, Warhol teaches us that surface images have a lot to say about pop culture. By exploring and learning more about the artist who opened so many doors in the art world, one can see why looking at the surface of his works often meant seeing and understanding so much more about the society in which we live. Warhol's Campbell's soup cans are arguably some of his most famous works. Warhol wanted us to look at the simple image of the can for what it represented to our culture. He challenged "old fashioned" critics to overcome their ideas of art as complex and incomprehensible by using simple, common images. Warhol's selection of the soup can may be the most important part of the work he did with them. He wanted to display his view of America and to him eating Campbell's soup represented being American. Andy wanted to explore these common images that are part of our everyday lives, which we accept without hesitation. In his painting 32 Soup Cans ( Shanes 53 ), one can note his prominent use of repetition. Warhol often used this technique to magnify the appearance of objects produced mechanically in large quantities. By choosing 32 different varieties of cans Warhol was forcing the viewer to look hard and study his painting to see the difference between each can. He made us realize the way in which we looked at art, always carefully examining and looking for a deeper, hidden meaning beneath the surface. On the outsi... ...e Electric Chairs, Electric Chair ( Gidal 36 ) the object, the chair is the focal point of the piece. We are in no way confused about the message of the painting. In true Warhol style, it is not necessary to search for a deep meaning. The appearance of emptiness and loneliness is immediately visible. The only words in the picture, ?silence', are taken in subconsciously. The well chosen image makes a statement in itself. The success of Warhol's work during the sixties made him an immensely popular artist. At first glance Warhol's images appear to be simple. But, it is that simplicity that allowed these images to have such a huge visual impact when the viewer could associate with them. Warhol exemplified the meaning of Pop Art. Though his works may be simple and surface oriented we can see that Warhol had a very accurate understanding of pop culture. He used imagery from popular culture as a means of criticizing contemporary society. His images and ideas were all easily accessible for the audience. Emerging as arguably the most famous American artist, Andy Warhol opened up many important doors and minds in the art world which modern artists are still benefitting from today.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Tonight marks the end of an era. Years of books, plays, dances and sports have all led to this gratifying moment. As we, the graduation class of 2006, sit here watching as the last of our high school careers fade into twilight and nervously awaiting what new adventure tomorrow will bring, it is important that we share a moment to reflect and appreciate the enormity of our fine accomplishment. For tonight's graduation marks not only our passage from the halls of Bears High School, but is also a declaration of our commitment and effort. This last year has been a tragic one for American high schools. With incidents such as the mindless shootings at Columbine, it often seems as though todays' youth are no longer capable of positively participating in and shaping the world. Media hype and the neat label of Generation X has branded us as incapable of achieving. We should be lazy and incompetent. Tonight we sit here as proof of hope for the future. We are the businessmen, the teachers and the parents of tomorrow. By our own dedication to our success in high school having qualified us to lead the future, tonight we rise above and shed those labels. For tonight's graduation is the culmination of our commitment, from efforts from that first day of kindergarten to now as we await the satisfaction of diplomas in our hands. While at times it may have been easy to have been drawn into the negative aspects of school, we have chosen to pursue and to accomplish. Worthy of pride, this is why I congratulate you. With the support of our parents, our teachers and our friends we made it to this day and to the beginning of a new stage of our lives. Where we go from here and what new frontiers we are meant to discover may remain unseen, but as we step out those doors tonight and stare into the first lights of what is to come and what is to be, always remember tonight's victory.

Unacceptable Female Roles in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth's Unacceptable Female Roles      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth scarcely deals women a fair hand; the drama contains only misfit women in the major roles. In fact, the witches are not fully women, with their beards and supernatural aspect. In this essay we will treat on Lady Macbeth, the greatest misfit of them all, in detail, and on other women only incidentally.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy demonstrates Lady Macbeth's inflexibility of will which enables her to dominate her husband:    Sharing, as we have seen, certain traits with her husband, she is at once clearly distinguished from him by an inflexibility of will, which appears to hold imagination, feeling, and conscience completely in check. [. . .] On the moment of Macbeth's rejoining her, after braving infinite dangers and winning infinite praise, without a syllable on these subjects or a word of affection, she goes straight to her purpose and permits him to speak of nothing else. She takes the superior position and assumes the direction of affairs - appears to assume it even more than she really can, that she may spur him on. (336-37)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, discusses how strong-willed is Lady Macduff:    Lady Macduff is distinctly of the opinion that her husband fled the land from fear, even without having done anything which should make him fear retribution. To Ross she says:    His flight was madness. When our actions do not, Our fears do make us traitors.    As Ross argues that she cannot know whether it "was his wisdom or his fear", she very pertinently argues against the wisdom that will make a man fly from the place in which he leaves his wife and children, and she instances the courage of the wren that will make it fight the owl to protect its young ones in proof that Macduff's fear has made him unnatural in his actions.(230)    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye shows that a lady is the actual driving force in the play:    That Macbeth is being hurried into a premature act by his wife is a point unlikely to escape the most listless member of the audience, but Macbeth comes to regret the instant of fatal delay in murdering Macduff, and draws the moral that

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Romeo and Juliet: in Love or Hit with Infatuation

Romeo and Juliet: in love or hit with infatuation To the person that has these feelings infatuation and actual love are very difficult to differentiate. Even if these two emotions are very similar they have different effects on ones life. In infatuation usually develops to quickly such as â€Å"love at first sight†. On the other hand real love grows moderately and takes time, but the effects last longer. In my opinion this â€Å"star struck† couple was simply hit with infatuation not love.In this Shakespearean story feelings of love are portrayed, when actually most of the events that occur relate to infatuation such as Romeo and Juliet’s instant feelings toward each other. One of the signs of infatuation according to June Callwood, a writer from the Globe and Mail archives, is an instant feeling of affection, â€Å"love at first sight†. Romeo and Juliet experienced this when they met in the party held by the Capulets. Even On the balcony Juliet barely kno ws his name and already she was talking about her â€Å"love† for Romeo.Not only did this â€Å"love at first sight† occur quickly, but Romeo had this feeling after the incident with Rosaline. The fact that this event happened to Romeo after the event with Rosaline, only serves to further on support the definition of infatuation. When Romeo met Juliet he was as one would say â€Å"on the rebound†, which caused him to fall in the state of infatuation. These along with many other events could have been the cause of Romeo falling for Juliet. Their quick affection for each other didn't allow them to think things thru and caused them to rush into a relationship they were not ready for.Another sign of infatuation is the great feeling one has to marry the other person. Romeo and Juliet rushed into a marriage without knowing much about each other. Their quick marriage was an event that might have had a lot to do with their death. This rush into actions without thinking is a result of the effects of infatuation. Some might say that their marriage occurred because they â€Å"loved† each other, but research has shown that the relationships that last longest develop slowly.These long lasting marriages did not occur as quickly like Romeo and Juliet’s, instead they took their time to make sure one is ready. Romeo and Juliet not only married quickly, but most of the time they all they wanted was physical enjoyment. In act 2 scene 2, the balcony scene, Romeo says â€Å"O wilt thou leave me unsatisfied? †. Those who are in real love are patient and don’t just want sex. This dissatisfaction without physical enjoyment is one of the greatest signs of infatuation.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Pharmacia & Upjohn Essay

As Pharmacia & Upjohn ready their Rogaine product to be distributed over the counter the company faces many new challenges not previously considered. Pharmacia has estimated that once in the over the counter market Rogaine would reach $250 million in sales within their first year and $1 billion over a period of five years. The numbers mentioned above where forecasted under the assumption that the FDA would approve a request for three year marketing exclusivity, this request was however denied. Pharmacia & Upjohn must now consider the possibility of loosing 60% of their volume to competition. The brand will have to reevaluate their potential first year sales and decide how they will modify their marketing plan to differentiate Rogaine from comparable products. External Analysis Customer Analysis. Pharmacia & Upjohn target men and women between the ages of 25 to 49 for their Rogaine product. Since Rogaine’s introduction as a prescription drug the product has grossed over $700 million in sales. At the time of the case research estimated that there were about 20 million women and 40 million men in the United States with thinning hair or baldness. Out of this group 38. 6 percent of women say they would seek treatment for hair loss and 30. 4 percent of men say they would seek treatment. Combined men and women are estimated to spend an estimated $300 million a year on products for the treatment of balding. As of now Pharmacia & Upjohn estimate potential retail sales of $250 million a year. Management will now have to take into consideration that they could lose up to 60 percent of their sales after their patent expires. Growth Prospect. By 1995 cumulative sales for the brand had reached $700 million in the US and exceeded $1 billion worldwide. Sales from their first year offering nonprescription Rogaine were expected to yield $250 million in retail sales in year one and $1billion over a period of five years. The company obviously expects growth in this market. Based on current industry trends and indicators, the hair regrowth industry is currently in the growth stage. One major characteristic of the growth stage is increased competition. In the past Rogaine was the only product offered containing their patented formula, however, there is now the possibility of at least three other brands using similar formula’s coming to the market. True to products in the growth stage Rogaine will be making a few changes to their marketing mix. Pharmacia & Upjohn plan to increase the percentage of minoxidil from 2 to 5 percent, sell Rogaine at half the price of the prescription version, distribute to retail outlets and increase promotion efforts. Marketing Profitability. The possibility for intense competition is very high for Rogaine. This is due to Pharmacia & Upjohn’s patent expiring for Rogaine and the denial of their request for a three year period of marketing exclusivity. As a result Bausch & Lomb, Alpharma, and Lemmon Company have all considered the possibility of bringing hair regrowth products to the market. The threat of substitutes is also particularly high due to generic brands offering similar products coming to the market. Generic brands typically sell for 25 percent to 50 percent less than brand name products. As a result of a greater number of options customers will now have more bargaining power than in the past. Distribution Channels. As a prescription drug Rogaine’s strategy was to first educate members of their sales force who would then call on physicians, dermatologist, and other health care professionals. After this introduction Pharmacia & Upjohn began targeting consumers directly through television commercials, print ads and direct mailings. Their over the counter strategy will include creating a â€Å"hair regrowth category† and distributing products through pharmacy or hair care sections of food, drug, and mass merchandise retail outlets. The company also plans to send mailings to around 40,000 physicians, 20,000 pharmacists. Consumers will be targeted with mail in rebates, television commercials and by advertisements placed in periodicals. Overall 92 percent of the target will see Rogaine through television and 77 percent of customers would be reached through print advertisements. Marketing Trends. Two major trends that will affect the marketing mix for Rogaine is lower pricing and increased promotion. A single, twin and triple pack of Rogaine will now retail for $29. 0, $55. 00 and $75. 00 respectfully. Overall their products will be selling for half the price of the prescription version of the product. Increased competition will also be a new trend in the market. Competitors such as Bausch & Lomb, Alpharma, and Lemmon and Company will be entering the market selling similar products. Overall $75 million will initially be spent on advertising in the over the counter market. There are also plans to increase the amount of minoxidil from 2-percent to 5-percent in order to increase product effectiveness. In comparison as a prescription drug it was estimated that Rogaine spent between $40 million and $50 million on marketing annually up until 1991. In the past Rogaine was protected by a patent blocking competitors from using their formula. A key success factor for Rogaine in the over the counter market will be differentiation. Rogaine will have to differentiate itself from competition who may be offering lower priced products. Customer Analysis. As of now Rogaine has two defined segments. Men between the ages of 25 and 49 make up the largest customer segment for Rogaine. Research indicates that 9. 9 percent of men who experience hair loss actually seek treatment. At the time of the case it was estimated that there were around 40 million balding men in the US. This means around 3,960,000 men will actually seek treatment for hair loss. The second submarket for the hair product is women between the ages of 18 and 49. It is estimated that around 20 million women have thinning hair and an estimated 13. 3 percent will actually seek treatment for their hair loss. Customers who purchase Rogaine are motivated by cosmetic reasons. Although hair loss is most commonly caused by the medical condition alopecia, it is not something that requires one to seek treatment. Most insurance plans do not even cover doctor’s visits or prescriptions for hair loss products such as Rogaine. Unmet Need. Although Rogaine is considered a success there are many who have not benefited from the use of the product. Research indicates that only 26 percent of male users reported moderate to dense growth and 33 percent reported minimal growth while using Rogaine. Out of women within this same age range only 19 percent reported moderate hair growth and 40 percent reported minimal growth. This means that there is still a large majority of the market that needs a solution to their hair loss problems. Performance Analysis. With the denial of the request for three year marketing exclusivity, this has affected the way Rogaine will compete against other hair loss treatment companies. Rogaine has assured its client based that their product is the â€Å"the only product medically proven to regrow hair. † Rogaine has been able to dominate the market with sales over $600 million during the years of 1988-1995. Sales are projected over the course of the next five years to increase at an average rate of 20% each year, with a total of net profit before taxes of $759,438, 823 at the end of 2000. Determinants of Strategic Options. Rogaine has chosen to spend $75 million on a marketing program to create awareness and a trial of the product. The $75 million will be distributed between one 30-second commercial spot for both men and women, information and displays would be sent to an estimated 40,000 physicians, and 20,000 pharmacists would receive the Rogaine Pharmacy Kit. Rogaine was also offering consumers a way to join the direct marketing program by signing up or calling the toll free number to join. Rogaine is also partnering with Progaine, (a shampoo) by offering coupons for Progaine inserted inside the Rogaine packages. Rogaine is currently facing the implications of having the 3 year market exclusivity request denied. This denial is allowing Rogaine’s competitors the ability to flood the market with their brand of hair re-growth products. This flooding of the market will likely decrease the growth rate of 20% in sales.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Comparison of the Man He Killed, the Send-Off and Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay

The Send-Off, by Wilfred Owen, is an ironic and dark humoured description of how the soldiers we’re sent off to the battlefront, during World War I. In this poem, Owen conveys to us that the soldiers are being sent to their doom. From the very start we sense the soldiers’ lost fate. The soldiers go to the train, they are singing joyfully, as if they are being sent to a country picnic, but of course the narration is omniscient, we know what lies ahead of them, and so simultaneously the lanes are darkening around them. This poem actually conveys a message that war is not as glorious and honourable as it is always portrayed as. Even the title, The ‘send-off’ could mean two things. Firstly, it could mean that the soldiers were being sent off to war. However, it could also mean that the soldiers were being â€Å"sent off† to their deaths. This emphasizes the fact that war actually is not what it is portrayed to be. It is not glorious and honourable to fight in war but the people and soldiers going through it suffer greatly and most do not survive. Similarly, â€Å"The Man He Killed† also portrays war negatively which is reflected through the poets choice of words describing war such as, â€Å"quaint and curious war is!†. However, ‘The Man He Killed’ focuses on the senselessness and futility of war, where a man has killed another quite simply because they were fighting on opposing sides in a war. Likewise â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† illustrates the harsh reality and brutality of war but in this poem the poet writes about an actual event in war that he has witnessed. ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ describes a mustard gas attack on a group of war-weary soldiers. Owen’s painfully direct language combines gritty realism with an aching sense of compassion.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Portfolio Management Practices in HDFC Bank Essay

HDFC Bank Ltd is a major Indian financial services company based in Mumbai. The Bank is a publicly held banking company engaged in providing a wide range of banking and financial services including commercial banking and treasury operations. The Bank at present has an enviable network of 2201 branches and 7110 ATMs spread in 996 cities across India. They also have one overseas wholesale banking branch in Bahrain, a branch in Hong Kong and two representative offices in UAE and Kenya. The Bank has two subsidiary companies, namely HDFC Securities Ltd and HDB Financial Services Ltd. The Bank has three primary business segments, namely banking, wholesale banking and treasury. The Bank`s shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited and The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. The Bank`s American Depository Shares (ADS) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Bank`s Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) are listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange. HDFC Bank Ltd Was incorporated on August 30, 1994 by Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. In the year 1994, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd was amongst the first to receive an â€Å"in principle† approval from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI`s liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. In the year 1996, the Bank was appointed as the clearing bank by the NSCCL. In the year 2001, they became the first private sector bank to be authorized by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) as well as the RBI to accept direct taxes. During the year, the Bank made a strategic tie-up with a Bangalore-based business solutions software developer, Tally Solutions Pvt Ltd for developing and offering products and services facilitating on-line accounting and banking services to SMEs. During the year 2001-02 the bank was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In September 28, 2005, the Bank increased their stake in HDFC Securities Ltd from 29.5% to 55%. Consequently, HDFC Securities Ltd became a subsidiary of the Bank. During the year 2007-08, the Bank added 77 new branches take the total to 761 branches. The art and science of making decisions about investment mix and policy, matching investments to objectives, asset allocation for individuals and institutions, and balancing risk against performance. Portfolio management is all about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the choice of debt vs. equity, domestic vs. international, growth vs. safety, and many other tradeoffs encountered in the attempt to maximize return at a given appetite for risk. The meaning of Portfolio Management is as follows: * Portfolio is a collection of asset. * The asset may be physical or financial like share, Bonds, Debentures and Preference Shares etc. * The individual investor or fund manager would not like to put all his money in the shares of one company, for that would amount to great risk. * Main objective is to maximize portfolio return and at the same time minimizing the portfolio risk by diversification. * Portfolio management is the management of various financial assets, which comprise the portfolio. * According to Securities Exchange Board of India Act 1993, â€Å"Portfolio† means the total holding of securities belonging to any person. * Designing portfolios to suit investor requirement often involves making several projections regarding the future, based on the current information. * One of the key inputs in portfolio building is the risk bearing ability of the investor. * Portfolios are built to suit the return expectations and the risk appetite of the investor. The Basic objective is to maximize yield and minimize risk. The other objectives are as follows: * Stability of Income: An investor considers stability of income from his investment. He also considers the stability of purchasing power of income. * Capital Growth: Capital appreciation has become an important investment principle. Investors seek growth stocks which provide a very large capital appreciation by way of rights, bonus and appreciation in the market price of the share. * Liquidity: An investment is a liquid asset. It can be converted into cash with the help of stock exchange. The portfolio should contain a planned proportion of high grade and readily salable investment. * Safety: Safety means protection for investment against loss under reasonably variations. In order to provide safety, a careful review of economic and industry trends is necessary. In other words, errors in portfolio are unavoidable and it requires extensive diversification. * Tax Incentives: Investors try to minimize their tax liabilities from the investments. The portfolio manager has to keep a list of such investment avenues along with the return risk, profile, tax implications, yields and other returns.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Novel response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Novel response - Essay Example A key theme of the book is the relationship between Shimamura and Komako, and the linked desire he has for the shy Yoko, both of whom seem to symbolize the ancient, traditional aspects of Japan which he longs for. Kawabata makes this clear by linking his descriptions of these women with aspects of the landscape, as for example when he likens the white powder that Komako uses as make-up to â€Å"the snow-country cold† (Kawabata, 1996, p. 39). This image suggests to me that the title of the book should be read in two ways, first as an exploration of the stunning natural beauty of Japan, and then secondly also as an exploration of the equally stunning and mystical beauty of Japanese women. One of the most memorable features of this book is the way that the story unfolds through a series of hints and guesses, rather than by clear description of specific actions. Shimamura seems very sensitive, perhaps more sensitive than is usual for a man in a Western culture, and his appreciation of the moon, the snow and the everyday scenes around him reveals a philosophical approach to life. The reader is given the impression that every single item in the world resonates with deeper meanings. He has an affinity with nature, and this changed my view of Japan as a hyper-modern country full of high tech industries and crowded cities. On the other hand, I was disappointed in the book’s resolution of the love affair between Shimamura and the two main female characters. At the end I was not sure what he was feeling, because Yoko appeared to be dead, and there was no clear plan regarding his position with Kamako. Shimamura appeared more interested in the way that the fire seemed to reach out into the Milky Way, (Kawabata, 1996, p. 171), than the dramatic effects of the fire on real people, this made him appear cold and detached from human society. In the end I did not like this character very much,

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Paranormal activity 3 reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paranormal activity 3 reaction paper - Essay Example What exactly does the demon want with Katie, and why is his name Toby? According to Katie in Paranormal Activity 3, what does Toby want, and where does he live? A demon refers to an evil and supernatural being such as spirit or a ghost. On the other hand, a ghost is used in reference to the spirit of someone who has died which evidently manifests itself in form of a shadowy apparition or it may cause the movement of objects, cause sounds or elicit a frightening and eerie atmosphere in a place. The demon, Tobby wanted to have sexual relations with Katie so that she would produce a male child heir that he was promised. To this end, Tobby wanted Kristi to attend a binding ritual at Katie’s grandmother house. Tobby is not the real name of the demonic entitiy. Kristi is credited with coming up with the name Tobby for the demon but its real name was never revealed. Evidently, Tobby lived within the confines of a crawlspace located in Katies and Kristi’s room. The film was set up in the San Diego area due to the sufficient open space it has to accommodate the filming of movies under small or big budgets. Furthermore the set up offers a unique country feeling for the setting up of horror movies. Furthermore, the directors needed a set up which would conform to the 1988 atmosphere that would act as prequel to Paranormal activity 1 and 2. The people of San Diego are mostly are mostly conservative as reflected by their Republican ideals. An Ouija board is a board game that is normally used as a supernatural gateway to communicate with the ghosts or spirits of the dead. In using the Ouija board for communication with Tobby, Ali and her boyfriend learnt that humans were capable of making deals with demons. Evidently, the demons would give power and wealth and in return they wanted the soul of the first born son. Furthermore, the demon, in this case Tobby, would haunt the family until it gets what it was promised. Tobby wants the first born male

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Fast Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fast Food - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, it does not make it an easy endeavor, as it also requires strategic thinking concerning how to undertake it. There are those that will shy away from it due to high costs incurred at the beginning and those who embrace it simply because there is a constant market. In the same way, consumers have become more aware of health hazards associated with fast food forcing restaurants to come up with healthier options. Outline of Opposing Side The most pressing challenge facing the fast food industry is the fact there is an increasing awareness of health implications of fast foods. Previously, the fast food was the go-to business owing to its cheap aspect in the face of hard economic times. Fast food outlets were able to cash out on such times by offering promotions, discounts and cheap combination meals. At the same time, consumers enjoyed convenience in form of fast deliveries. Presently however, fast food outlets have been faced with challenges stemming from health concerns suc h as the health reform bill passed in 2010 aimed at combating obesity that calls on fast food restaurants with 20 or more outlets to reveal the calorie content of their meals on the menus. This has called for innovation in the industry where restaurants have to look for ways in which they can package their meals in a healthy manner while still making them attractive. This is particularly so with children meals that are usually offered with toys making them more attractive to them; for instance Happy Meals offered by McDonalds. Legislators suggested that such complementary items attracted children to unhealthy meals. Coming up with healthy alternatives costs more and as such restaurants are faced with an uphill task of creating consumer loyalty where for instance consumers will be encouraged to purchase more expensive items after getting them ‘hooked’ on the low-priced ones (â€Å"More than menus†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Second to health concerns is loss of family tradition as a n effect of dependence on fast food. This comes from the fact that fast foods offer convenience and low priced items at a time when most people are leading hectic lifestyles defined by long working hours and work plus school routines leaving no time for getting home to prepare a meal. Getting a meal has become a matter of picking up the phone and making an order that is then delivered in no time. Traditional family bonding that happened during meals has faded because of this as people eat away from home so dinner conversations that created time for catching up have become a thing of history. Even with expensive meals, many young people are able to afford them, as many are keen on making extra money after school or during school breaks (Hager 5). It has been reported that approximately 25 percent of adults eat at a fast food restaurant where a typical meal comprises of three hamburgers along with four packets of French fries every week. Such meals are considered junk foods, as they a re high in fat and salt and if a soda accompanies them there is high sugar and calorie contents summing up the junk food definition as being low in nutritional benefits. Sugar-sweetened beverages that have over time increased in portions served account for nearly 20 percent of calories consumed by Americans. This is what causes type 2 diabetes and increased body weight where one consumes this continuously without exercising. High saturated fats along with salty meals cause heart disease, blood

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Crystal Cathedral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Crystal Cathedral - Essay Example It rises up in the centre of the park and has around 10,000 pieces of tempered silver-colored glass windows encased in a network of white steel trusses. The interiors of the cathedral can allow a seating congregation of nearly 3,000 people. If required, the portions of the exterior walls open up which allow additional members to remain in their cars while viewing the worship service in the insides. The glass used on the external surface is reflective. It allows only 8 per cent of light and heat to penetrate to the insides. The building happens to be the world's first all-glass church. The plan comprises of the basic elements of a typical church in a shape of a four pointed star some 460ft by 200ft that reaches up to 128ft at its apex. Its height is even bigger than that of Notre Dame in Paris. The church complex is designed by American architect Philip Johnson and John Burgee. The building is huge in scale, and its all of its walls are clad by mirrored glass to the outside over a steel lattice structure. It has a symmetrical plan and an asymmetrical section. The crystalline shaped and glass-covered steel lattice frames have been used to give the building its present structure and form. In the floor plan of the church, the nave has been squished to pull out the transept. The idea behind doing this was to get the public closer to the performances and the alter place to have a better view of the activities. On further simplification of this geometry, this form has eventually given rise to the form of a star in its plan, with free-standing balconies in three points and the chancel in the fourth corner. The glass hung on the steel lattice frames gives an effect of a non-massive building. On the outsides the mirrored glass makes an entirely mirrored building with only around one tenth of sunlight entering the insides of the building. The construction with a triodetic steel frame helps in venting the hotter air to the outside from its top and it functions as a gigantic chimney. This provides natural cooling the interiors as cool air enters fro m the lower openings. Image 2: the aerial view of the Crystal Cathedral in the park, note its star shaped plan Made almost entirely of glass and a framework of steel, the cathedral is having an angular, mirror-like exterior, a transparent sun-lit interior, a giant television screen, and an altar place made out of marble. The walls and roof are clad in the mirrored glass over a structure of space frame and it helps in attaining passive solar heating in small proportions. The openable strips of the ventilating windows also help in attaining wind cooling. This is needed as the building is located in suburban area of Garden Grove having a climate of mild desert. The apex at the top is made with the help of triodetic steel frame that act as a chimney to carry out wind movements and provide natural cooling. The glass, being reflective by its characteristics, allows only eight per cent of light and heat to penetrate to the insides. The supporting structure is a triodetic steel frame. It works as a giant chimney and allows heat to rise out of the building and preventing a greenhouse effect. The cathe dral has 10,000 panes of reflective glass, which allows only 8% of outside light into the church. This gives the interior a sub watery appearance. The audio services,

Monday, September 9, 2019

Opportunities for Food Company to Develop Healthier Eating Products Assignment

Opportunities for Food Company to Develop Healthier Eating Products - Assignment Example With growing efforts by the government and a high level of media interventions, the arena of healthy foods is becoming an important side for the research day by day. Not only that, but it is also becoming an increasingly important factor for the consumer as well as the retailers. This movement has thus worked as an advantage for the food manufacturers and processors as the demand in the product areas such as organic, vegetarian, and low-fat/low-sugar foods has increased to a great extent. In the recent years, there has been a change in the mind-set of the manufacturers and processors in dealing with the demand generated for these products and the need to develop new and innovative ways before-hand. Nowadays, these manufacturers and processors are becoming more and more proactive in dealing with these issues. The reasons for such a shift can be attributed from various reasons. To begin with, it has been realized that there has been an increase in the amount of disbelief by the consumers over the current health claims presented by the manufacturers. This means, that the consumers are now deciding for themselves; the market has now presented the manufacturers with various dimensions to market themselves to as the market has now segmented to those who fall to such claims generated by the manufacturers and those who do not. ... than that, it has also been observed that since lifestyles of each age group have now changed, there has been a decline in the formal lunch times which has, hence, increased in snack food market; for instance day time is spent on the office desk and night time is spent playing games (case study). On top of that, consumers are being more interested in healthy foods. Therefore, there has been an increase in consumers as well as the retailers that favor healthier low fat, low salt, and low sugar products. This is so, because there has been an increase in the time pressures in the lives of the consumers. The term ‘grazing’ can effectively be applied here as there has been reported an increase in the frequency of smaller meals in the day. The number of consumers carrying hand held snacks while simultaneously being health conscious have also increased during the years. This means, that the manufacturers must learn to anticipate demand quickly of this growing market and thus th ink of innovative ways in all areas to improve quality and grasp the already expanding market share. As far as the changes in the healthy eating environment is concerned, Winson (71-82) mentions in his study about a healthy eating movement that is gradually picking up pace. According to the paper, the author states that â€Å"this movement is directly related to and is a collection of various small food movements. The list includes the likes of the slow food movement, the movement promoting organic foods and the re-localizing food. The latter is one of those movements that has been on the rise lately and has held the attention of various researches. The overall food movement has also been closely related to food security initiatives that gathered attention after the era of nineties. Other than the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Economics Essay, applying Porter's Diamond to the construction Essay

Economics , applying Porter's Diamond to the construction industry - Essay Example The work includes building of roads, bridges and other major infrastructures. The real estate business is also urban based; so the constructions companies need to base all their business activity in urban areas in order to compliment the real estate industry. The repair and maintenance of existing buildings and other infrastructures also falls under the domain of construction industry and its major business comes from the densely populated urban areas. This is due to the fact that the more usage of infrastructure in densely populated urban areas results in higher damages and hence is subject to repair. There are mainly three categories in which the construction industry is divided. First, being the heavy constructions that require high civil engineering; in this category we have the construction of roads, bridges and other big infrastructures. In this category the big guns of construction industry come into function for all major commitments. The second category is the general constr uction of buildings of real estate; in this category the construction companies operate in housing development works. The small construction companies mainly operate in this category, as it requires small budgetary involvements. The third and final category comprise of special constructive work, which is done in small scale. Specialized areas of construction fall in this category like the construction work on wood, electric related works, etc. In this category very specific construction companies operate as it require specialization in specific field of work. (Economy watch, n.d). It is seen that the contractor may be an individual or any organization; contractors definitely fall in any of the above categories in construction business. A construction firm, of any size can fall under these three categories of the construction business. The scope of growth of construction industry is favorable in the developing countries where the trend of

Disaster Recovery Information Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disaster Recovery Information - Case Study Example As long as the management’s input is required, their perceptions and expectations must be elicited and their commitment to the process of CSRIT must be acquired to sustain and prolong the operations of CSRIT. Resolve the CSRIT progress strategic plan: The project management and administrative issues such as specific timeframes, project group and presentation of the project group stakeholders, and communication to the management and project team should be addressed when giving thought on how to manage the progress of the CSRIT. Acquire relevant information: The necessary information required to carry out such task can be sought from the stakeholders or business manager and representatives from IT, human resource, public relations, legal department, risk management specialists and security. The information can also be obtained from conferences which offer CSRIT education. Modify the CSRIT vision: This entails clearly defining the goals, expectations, funding, organizational model, mission, objectives and constituency. The visions might also be the bargaining power when acquiring the management’s support and buy-in. After the modification of the vision of the CSRIT, the communication of the same should follow. CSRIT vision should be communicated to the constituency, management, and other person who understands the CSRIT operations after which adjustment deemed necessary are made. Implement the CSRIT: Implementation is done once the constituency and management have agreed to buy in depending on the vision. This entails recruiting and training CSRIT staff, buying equipment and building the essential network system, developing the procedures and policies to guide the CSRIT services, building incident tracking systems, and making the guidelines for reporting incidents.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Air Pollution and Automobiles Essay Example for Free

Air Pollution and Automobiles Essay The automobiles that we travel in everyday play a vital role in our lives. They get us around from one place to another on a daily basis. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA 2010) many studies show that exhaust emissions from these vehicles are the number one air pollutant in the United States. Air pollution causes many different issues that affect personal health as well as environmental factors. Over the years many different studies have been done by different people and agencies showing how reducing air pollution from automobiles can only benefit the earth. The government has been one of the largest advocates of lowering emissions from automobiles. Because excessive exhaust emissions created by automobiles is a major factor in air pollution, the government has enacted many laws and regulations limiting the amount of emissions vehicles may produce. Automobiles are a major cause of air pollution around the world. As the number of vehicles on the road increases, the amount of emissions from these vehicles increases. As of 2003 Leslie Miller shows that the (World Almanac 2003) reported that there were more than 107 million households throughout the United States (U.S. ) Leslie reported that the Bureau of Transportation statistics show that there are roughly 204,000,000 vehicles registered in the U. S. That produces a ratio of 1. 9 cars to 1. 8 people per household in the U. S. The number of vehicles registered in the U. S. has been doubling every five years. If this trend continues as it has over the past 30 years, by the year 2030 there will be approximately 1,200,000,000 (1. 2 Billion) vehicles producing some type of toxic emission into our earth’s atmosphere. The vehicles that we drive produce many different toxic gasses affecting our earth negatively. These emissions affect our environment and damage the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process in which infrared rays are emitted from the sun into the earth’s atmosphere trapping heat that keeps the earth’s temperature in a habitable range. Toxic gasses from our automobiles released into the atmosphere do much damage to this natural process. As the gasses release, the atmosphere will deteriorate which allows the earth’s core temperature to rise. This process causes difficulty in farming as well as the melting of the polar ice caps virtually flooding the earth slowly. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the most emitted gas into the atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency (2010) shows that cars release 76% of the CO2 that is present in the earth’s atmosphere. For every gallon of gas used by an automobile there is approximately 20 pounds of CO2 released into the atmosphere. CO2 is a heat-trapping gas released by the combustion process by our vehicles. (Cakmak 2006), Shows that CO2 is the largest contributing factor to the smog in highly congested areas around the U. S. The following is an emissions chart breaking down the source of the seven most common air pollutants. As you can see highway vehicles are the largest source of air pollution in the geographic area of The United States. The major pollutants abbreviations are shown below and correlate with the graph that follows. Geographic Area: United States Pollutant: Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (Nox), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Sulfur Dioxide SO2, Particulate (size 2. 5 micrometers) (PM 2. 5), Particulate (size 10 micrometers) (PM 10), or Ammonia (NH3) [pic] Emissions by Category Chart (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). The exhaust systems on our vehicles also produce another pollutant known as hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are produced by our vehicles when fuel molecules in these vehicles do not fully burn and then travel through the exhaust system. In addition to these deadly hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Oxide (Nox) is another large contributor of air pollution in the U. S. today. The EPA’s (2010) studies links approximately 30% of the NOx in the atmosphere to the vehicles on the road in the U. S. today. NOx has been linked by studies to the formation of acid rain in our in our environment. Simply said the reduction of vehicle emissions will cause the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere to lower creating less negative effects on our earth’s environment and our health. Cakmak, Dales and Jedek (2006) says that air pollution has many negative effects on the environment as well as our personal health. Many respiratory issues come from breathing in the gasses released from automobiles. CO2 affects us by lowering the amount of oxygen our blood can carry throughout our bodies causing death in some cases. Air pollution is linked to lung cancer as well as lower birth rates that are common among people in cities that record higher vehicle registrations. The EPA has shown that these cities are at a higher risk for many health issues. Children residing in areas with higher concentrations of air pollution are three to four times more likely to develop asthmatic conditions. Automobiles are a major cause of vehicle deaths in the form of vehicular accidents. EPA (2010) statistics show that approximately 120 people are killed by a vehicular accident with each day that goes by. Many environmental issues caused by automobile emissions are overlooked by the average person. The acid rain produced from vehicle emissions has caused many bad health problems for humans. Acid rain is has been shown to cause eye irritation as well as coughing as well as asthma in more extreme cases. Urban smog in addition to global warming are the most common factors in air pollution. Smog is a product of different greenhouse gasses mixing together which produces a visible layer very close to the earth’s surface known as the ground ozone layer. The smog acts like a blanket around the earth trapping the harmful emissions allowing us to breathe them in each day. Over the years the effects of air pollution have been noticed by many from politicians to auto manufacturers. Many within these agencies have worked to reduce the emissions that our automobiles produce. One of the major changes in our society that created focus on the issues of air pollution caused by automobiles was the Clean Air Act of 1963. This bill was introduced to allow the government limited enforcement power over interstate pollution issues. In 1965 a Motor Vehicle Act was introduced. Melosi(2004) explains that this act allowed auto manufacturers the ability to practice stricter emission standards for new vehicles with government funding such as grants. In 1970 the acting president of the U. S. Richard Nixon, signed an amendment to the Clean Air act enforcing stricter fuel regulations on auto manufacturers. This Act was the most stringent air pollution law ever passed in the U. S. The Clean Air Act has been revised throughout the years to conform to stricter guidelines as air pollution becomes more of an issue throughout the U. S. The Clean Air Act was not originally designed to prohibit pollution; rather it was enacted to define an acceptable amount of pollution allowed to be emitted from vehicles. Despite the fact that the Clean Air Act was passed there are still major issues that emissions from vehicles create including health and environmental issues. Crabb and Johnson (2010) wrote an article in The Energy Journal showing the main issue that does contribute to the amount of emissions from automobiles is the fuel economy that is attained by each vehicle. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act established guidelines known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE. ) During President Nixon’s time in office the 1975 CAFE regulations were written to require manufacturers to obtain a corporate average of 18 miles per gallon (MPG) or higher starting with 1978 model year vehicles. Between 1985 and 1992 multiple adjustments were made to make the cafe regulations stricter. By the mid 1990’s the government increased the MPG requirement to be raised to 27. 5 MPG corporate average. As we move forward in time the regulations have only become stricter for auto manufacturers. The year 2009 brought on many new accomplishments for the U. S. in that auto manufacturers began making newer models that will take us into the next decade. An article written by Tarlow (2009) shows that President Obama fought hard for his place in the White House, one of his main concerns being air pollution and the amount of emissions caused by automobiles. After being elected President Obama revealed a proposal for new CAFE regulations that will reduce emissions and further reduce the U. S. dependency on imported oil. The regulation that President Obama has proposed will require auto manufacturers to meet the strictest guidelines for fuel economy ever. Obama’s proposal will require auto manufacturers to meet a strict 35. 5 MPG by the model year 2016. The following graphs show the minimum combined miles per gallon that manufacturers are required to meet and post on the vehicles. The graphs break down different types of fuel as well as the amount of CO2 released per mile driven. Chart 1 shows the requirements prior to the EPA changing the way they figure a vehicles MPG. With model year 2009 and newer the EPA became stricter when figuring MPG for different fuel types. Chart 2 reflects the new criteria with the stricter guidelines enforced. As you can see, the Greenhouse gas (GHG) score is higher as a vehicle produces less CO2 per mile. [pic] Chart 1 (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) [pic] Chart 2 (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) Meeting the strict guidelines does not come at zero cost. Meeting the guidelines will cost auto manufacturers no matter how it is broken down. The research and development in meeting stricter regulations does have a cost attached to it. On the other end if auto manufacturers do not meet the CAFE guideline the government has allowed civil liabilities to be charged. The liabilities allowed by the government may cost manufactures approximately $5. 50 for each tenth of a mile that they are under the minimum requirement set forth. The EPA (2010), reports that between the year 1993 and 2004, various manufacturers paid approximately $618 million in penalties. This report also included the fact that in the same period no Asian or U. S. manufacturers have ever been charged any penalties. Many have argued that the cost of meeting increasingly difficult fuel emissions has added cost to the bottom line value of a vehicle as well as slowing sales and potentially putting smaller car dealers out of business. Much research has been done in the area of estimating costs of incorporating better emissions equipment on newer automobiles. Initially, when emission regulation were introduced in the U. S. around 1970, many manufacturers were concerned that to meet the guidelines there would need to be costly research done to find the most cost effective practices to lower emissions. Crabb and Johnson (2010) show that many manufacturers estimated initial costs for catalytic systems designed to reduce emissions would cost approximately $3,000. The government challenged the manufacturers and discounted these findings proving that with some changes to the processes the cost can be cut down by two thirds the initial cost that was estimated. The government was able to show that the systems could be incorporated on motor vehicles for about $1,300. , which is significantly less than estimated. The EPA (2010), reports that many other agencies have conducted research regarding any issues caused by stricter guidelines from the government as well as the cost factor included. The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) has not been able to document any negative sales because of the Clean Air Act or stricter guidelines. On the contrary, they have been able to show that the sales of new vehicles have fluctuated between 13 and 17 million new vehicles each year for the past 20 years and never declining below these numbers. Much of the fluctuation has been attributed to the changing economical times throughout the history of the U. S. over the last 20 years. Many believe that because diesel engines typically produce a higher rate of exhaust emission than gasoline engines, which may make it more difficult to purchase diesel vehicles in Clean Air States. Diesel engines are most commonly used on vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of more than 8500. The CAFE regulations do not affect the sales or use of these diesel vehicles. The more common everyday on-road use vehicles such as the GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 series as well as the popular Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 series vehicles are the vehicles that will feel the greatest impact on emission regulations. Passenger vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf TDI are not currently certified under the California Air Resources Board (CARB. ) CARB is a set of standards that the state of California has enacted to control the amount of emissions vehicles registered in the state may emit. Many states followed California in adopting these strict standards that go above and beyond the government requirements. Massachusetts, Maine, New York, New Jersey and Vermont are some of the states that have adopted CARB standards for vehicles sold in those states. As more states adopt their own standards that are stricter than government guidelines, auto manufacturers have difficulty selling certain new vehicles in certain states. Many of the diesel engines used in vehicle applications do not meet the strict EPA and state regulations. In 2010 most new trucks with diesel engines will utilize Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) to lower the NOx released by diesel engines by injecting a urea compound that breaks down the NOx. Cummins, the world’s second largest diesel engine manufacturer has met all emission guidelines that went into effect for all 2010 and newer model year vehicles since the model year 2007. This is helped to benefit sales for the companies that use the Cummins Diesel engine. One such company is Chrysler Corporation that uses the Cummins Diesel in their Dodge Ram Heavy Duty line up. Hirata shows that by using this engine Chrysler has been able to stay at the forefront in technology. As others struggle to find ways to meet regulations, Chrysler will benefit from the technology because their vehicles meet all regulations. The only change Cummins made was adding an inexpensive technology called Selective Catalytic Reduction to further reduce NOx emissions into the earth’s atmosphere. Other manufacturers utilizing diesel engines will be developing systems that require the addition of urea at an additional cost to the customer driving consumer cost through the roof. Cummins has the advantage that the prices for their system will not fluctuate as other diesel engine manufacturers prices will increase because of the cost associated with their new technologies. To reduce the emissions throughout the U. S., not only are the government and auto manufacturers responsible, we are each individually responsible to do our part in reducing the greenhouse gasses we contribute. The manufacturer changing the design of automobile systems is a key part in the reduction. The way we personally use our vehicles will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Things that can be done on our part may include reducing the allowable amount of vehicles in an area by issuing quotas and permits for different areas. Many people have looked into the use of hybrid vehicles as alternatives to fully gas or diesel powered vehicles. Lowering the personal use of our vehicles as well as participating in car pools will fully reduce the amount of green house gasses that we individually release into the atmosphere. In doing the things necessary to lower emission we must be proactive and take an interest in the positive things that will benefit us by reducing the amount of emissions. Although the government has worked with auto manufacturers to reduce vehicle emissions, our cars still produce toxic emissions into the air. With the increasing regulations on fuel economy we will only benefit from less emissions being released into the air. Many things may be done on a consumer level as well. We have access to alternative fuels such as E-85 (ethanol) which comes from corn as well as compressed natural gas which releases very little emissions if any. The government and auto manufacturers are always looking for ways to reduce emission further. As time goes on unless we completely stop using automobiles we will still be faced with the release of toxic emissions from automobile exhaust systems. The available resources will always become better as time goes on and companies create the next best thing to reduce the amount of emissions released by their vehicles. The only way to ensure that our children have a cleaner environment is by educating them with the necessary information that will allow a greener environment over the years to come. References Cakmak, S. , Dales, R E, Judek, S. (Jan-Feb 2006). Respiratory health effects of air pollution gases: modification by education and income. (Author abstract). Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, 61, 1. p. 5(6). Retrieved January 22, 2010, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/gps/start. do? prodId=IPSuserGrou pName=uphoenix Crabb, J. , Johnson, D.. (2010). Fueling Innovation: The Impact of Oil Prices and CAFE Standards on Energy-Efficient Automotive Technology. The Energy Journal, 31(1), 199- 216. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1942210741). Environmental Protection Agency. (2010) [Graphs that show Greenhouse Gas Score Criteria that vehicles must meet as per the EPA regulations on emissions. ] Greenhouse Gas Scores. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/greenvehicles/Aboutratings. do Environmental Protection Agency. (2002) [This is a picture of a chart breaking down the sources of the 7 major air pollutants in the United States] Air Data. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/cgi- bin/broker? _service=airdata_program=progs. webprogs. emcatbar. scl_debug=2 geotype=usgeocode=usageoname=United+Statesepol=CO+NOX+VOC+SO2+PM 25+PM10+NH3years=2002mapsize=zscreqtype=viewmap Hirata, K. , Masaki, N. , Yano, M. , Akagawa, H. , Takada, K. , Kusaka, J. , Mori, T.. (2009). Development of an improved urea-selective catalytic reduction-diesel particulate filter system for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. International Journal of Engine Research: SPECIAL ISSUE ON EXHAUST AFTER-TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR DIESELS, 10(5), 337-348. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1873528061). Melosi, M. (2004). The Automobile and the Enviornment in American History. Retrieved from http://www. autolife. umd. umich. edu/Environment/E_Overview/E_Overview1. htm Tarlow, S. (2009). President Obama’s CAFE Standards Will Reduce Auto Emissions. Retrieved from http://personalmoneystore. com/moneyblog/2009/05/19/cafe-standards-car- emissions/ U. S. Enviornmental Protection Agency. (2010). Air Pollution Effects. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/ebtpages/airairpollutioneffects. html.