Economics in construction

1. Perfect competition maybe described as a theoretical form of market wherein no buyer or supplier has the capacity (or what is termed the ‘market power’) to control the market price. Regular definitions of perfect competition in economics describe it as a situation in which there is absolutely ‘efficient outcome’. The hypothetical situation of ‘perfect competition’ is primarily conjured to build the fundamentals of the supply and demand theory. Totally contrary to the ideas of a perfectly competitive market is the idea of a monopoly, which maybe defined as a continual market situation within which there is only one supplier of a particular service or an item. All monopolies are necessarily devoid of any economic competition and the utter deficiency of ‘substitute goods’. Often a monopoly is sanctioned by the state. Such a monopoly is called a ‘legal monopoly’ or a ‘government granted monopoly’ and is authorized by the government so as to encourage firms to take up a particularly ‘risky’ or ambitious project. Instead of allowing a certain firm to take up a venture in this manner the state might also keep the project all to itself. Such a situation will then be referred to as a ‘government monopoly’. (King, 126) Unlike in a monopoly in a perfectly competitive market there are a number of minor suppliers and buyers who operate at equal capacities in the market. Given their equal status neither of them manages to attain enough significance to influence the market in their favor. The firms in such a set-up are therefore price-takers rather than price-setters, as in the case of monopolies. Also, while a monopoly provides a particular, unique item or service to the market in a perfectly competitive market no firm enjoys any sort of individuality. Instead, each of their products is quite like the others such that there is no room for ‘product differentiation’. A monopoly remains the sole provider of a certain product or service by simply barring other similar firms to enter the market by some means or the other. Often such means include government authorization, like in the case of ‘legal monopolies’ discussed above. In case of perfect competition however no such entry barrier can be introduced. As a result any given firm can enter the market if it wishes to. Similarly, unlike in a monopoly in a perfect competition set-up all firms have access to the same kind of resources all of which are completely ‘mobile’. In a monopoly of course a particular firm controls (and occasionally even withholds) essential resources and production expertise. Given the large number of close substitutes available for the products/services sold by firms in a perfectly competitive set-up it is only obvious that no single firm or even a group of firms have any say about the ‘market-price’. The price of the products or services of firms in an arrangement such as this is duly decided instead by the market, which in turn depends on the behavior of the buyer. A monopoly however doesn’t remain obligated to the market in this manner. Instead, it effectively determines the market price simply by increasing or decreasing the quantity of its produce. Such independence is enjoyed by a monopoly simply because it faces no form of price pressure from opponents. However, there is a limit to which this liberty maybe pushed. Monopolies that raise their price far beyond permissible limits invite competition and may soon have to face rivals providing the same services/products either legally or even illegally. (Fletcher, 188) 2. The residential construction industry might pretend to be a single, solid, well defined industry but it in fact is far from being that. As anyone who has ever had a house made knows building a great house involves a number of things; great plumbing, great carpentry, great painting etc. etc. etc. Given the large demands of building a residential outfit the residential construction industry does not represent one single market, like it appears to be but rather a variety of sectors. However, not all of them need to come into play in every residential construction project. Often a particular house does not need all the facilities the industry is capable of providing it with. For instance if an environmentalist who feels strongly about the use of wood in his house decides to build a house tomorrow he is hardly likely to employ a carpenter, irrespective of how easily he can land one. Similarly a family who decides to paint their interiors themselves will not need painters, at least to the extent they are usually needed by new house owners. Also, in many cases residential construction involves repairing old structures. This obviously takes less effort and expertise than those required for building a house from scratch. As is obvious therefore there are a number of ifs and buts in the industry. We will take a look at some of these a little closely. Normally, specialist contractors who have long standing reputation in the field carry out residential constructions. These individuals take complete responsibility of building an entire building from scratch and cover everything from plumbing to painting. Once they achieve the contract however they duly sub-contract additional independent workers who assist and accompany their own crew. Contractors are often described as the king of the jungle in their own area. They are managers, salesmen, supervisors and directors all rolled into one. As a result of their unique capacity to bring in professionals of their own field under their wings these individuals soon turn out to be perfect monopolies by themselves. Often many of these professionals operate all by themselves in a given area, without any form of opposition or competition. Given their advantageous position they duly flex every possible monopoly muscle they possibly can and obviously determine the market price of the services they provide. Similarly special service providers in the industry, such as say wood engravers or carvers who are both sophisticated and rare in terms of their skill usually monopolize the market and set the market price by themselves. Unlike them plumbers or electricians, who are found in plenty and whose skills hardly vary can never really behave in a monopolistic manner. Instead, their circuit closely replicates what can be called a ‘perfectly competitive’. Much like them painters and carpenters can hardly afford to be choosy or ultra expensive since they are easy to substitute. A good illustration of this point is provided by the use of lumber in the industry in the past decade or so. The U.S. residential construction industry is, by all accounts the biggest consumer of softwood lumber. However, the amount of softwood lumber available to the industry fell dramatically following the restrictions that came to be placed on state and federal forests in the past few years. As a result of this unfortunate fall in supply a large chunk of the industry soon shifted to other alternatives available in the market. Amongst the 2,500 builders we surveyed for this particular study about 12.8% reported to have increased their use of alternative structural materials in the past decade alone. 99% of the respondents also confessed to having started to use at least one out of the long list of alternative structural materials that we provided them with. Till 1995 only 91% of the builders interviewed used substitute materials. (Kar, 145) While the decreased supply of lumber has obviously proved unfortunate for the lumber industry the construction industry itself has survived virtually unscathed. This is primarily due to the wide availability of materials such as reinforced concrete, plastic fiber, steel etc. which maybe easily used as a replacement for lumber. This example clearly proves the market for construction material itself therefore it maybe said to be a ‘perfectly competitive’ market. With easily available substitutes, easy entry into the market and hardly any product differentiation it fits almost every characteristic of the ‘perfect competition’ market to the tee. Unlike lumber and its alternatives however other important facets of construction are not as easily obtained. The expertise required to design a house for instance is far harder to replace than the construction material it is to be built with. Due to the utter importance of their job and how extraordinarily dependant on knowledge and skill it is, the architect and the whole engineering industry maybe described as a bit of a monopoly. It is of course difficult to enter their market, there are hardly any ‘substitutes’ available (since the level of skill and expertise of each engineer varies from the other) and the engineers themselves tend to determine the market price of their know-how. (Lamb, 243-245) Thus we see how the residential construction industry of U.S.A. is actually a mà ©lange of a wide variety of competitive markets and not a single market by itself. It is the proper functioning of each of these individual parts that ultimately allows the construction business to function properly. References: Fletcher, R; Economy: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing. (Mangalore: Howard & Price. 2006) pp 188 Kar, P; History of Indian Consumer Market Applications (Kolkata: Dasgupta & Chatterjee 2005) pp 145 King, H; Fiscal Fitness Today (Dunedin: HBT & Brooks Ltd. 2005) pp 126 Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata. (Wellington: National Book Trust. 2004) pp 243-245   

Mark Zuckerberg

Running head: THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD1 The Man Connecting the World Rachel Ritchey West Virginia Wesleyan College THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD2 My definition of success is achieving a desirable outcome or goal in life and to achieve success one must illustrate the qualities Coplin states. Throughout his life Mark Zuckerberg has developed the skills Coplin says in his list of ten things and Mark has efficiently demonstrated these qualities. Through his success Mark Zuckerberg has connected more than half a billion people with the company Facebook. Even though there are many different definitions of success, it should be obvious that successful people share common qualities such as those found in Bill Coplin’s list of 10 Things Employers Want Students to Learn in College. Reaching success was not easy but, Zuckerberg took the necessary steps to get there. These steps include influencing people, solving problems, and using quantitative skills. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984 in Dobbs Ferry, New York. His father ran a dental practice, and his mother was a psychiatrist up until the birth of Randi, his oldest sister. At a very early age Mark started to become interested in computers. He developed his first software at age 12. He created Zucknet, a messaging system from an Atari BASIC, and his father actually put it to use in his dental office. His parents soon hired a tutor to keep up with his budding interest in computers. Mark first attended high school at Ardsley High School, and around the same time started taking some graduate courses at nearby Mercy College (Grossman, 2010). Soon, Zuckerberg transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy, a private school in New Hampshire. There he excelled in academics, THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD3 but also discovered another talent of which was, fencing. He was captain of the fencing team but also, excelled more with computers as he developed a name for himself as a â€Å"Programming Prodigy. † His next step in developing software was described as an early version of Pandora, named Synapse. Companies like Microsoft and AOL actually offered to buy it off of him, and hire him before he had even graduated high school. He declined both offers and decided to continue his quest for knowledge. (bio. 2011) Zuckerberg enrolled at Harvard in 2002 after graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy. By the time he began his sophomore year he already had a reputation as the go-to software developer on campus. It was around this time he developed something called CourseMatch, a way for students to choose their classes based on what courses were popular with other users. Next he invented Facemash, a way to compare two studentâ⠂¬â„¢s pictures and vote on who is more attractive. Immediately Facemash became extremely popular, but was shut down because administration deemed it inappropriate. With the popularity of Mark’s other projects, three of his fellow students Divya Narendra, Camron Winklevoss, and Tyler Winklevoss, approached him one day about an idea called Harvard connection. They wanted to use Harvard’s student networks to create a dating site. Mark agreed to help, but soon moved on with his own ideas. (bio. , 2011) Zuckerberg’s new idea was to create his own network with various features for users. So, along with another three friends Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD4 nd Eduardo Saverin they worked together to create their own social network. They developed a site users could create their own profiles, upload photos, and talk to other users. They called this site, The Facebook, and ran it out of their Harvard dorm room from February 2004 to June 2004. Mark then took a huge risk, dropped out of Harvard, and moved to Palo Alto, California to devote his time solely on â€Å"The Facebook. † At this time users were strictly students at Harvard, but the site then opened to Ivy League schools only. The Facebook was shortened to just Facebook, and by the end of 2004 the site had one million users. (bio. , 2011) This brings me to an inevitable quality Mark shares with Coplin’s ten things, Using Quantitative Skills. He has been creating software since he was about twelve years old, which had brought him to where he is today, as a software programmer and developer. He attended one of the most accredited schools of all-time, Harvard University. This serves as an example of how well educated he is just in all areas of academics. Another thing Coplin states is, â€Å"Performance will be measured in numbers just as the performance of your company or agency is measured in the number of sales, the amount of income, or number of people served. † (Coplin, 2003) Zuckerberg is well aware of applying this to his company as CEO and founder of Facebook. He must constantly pay attention to these parts of business because of the number of people he is serving. THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD5 Facebook’s next boost came from the venture capital firm Accel Partners, with an investment of $12. 7 million dollars in their network (Kirkpatrick, 2010). This led to the expansion of Facebook, which then opened to other colleges, high schools, and international schools. By December 2005 they reached 5. 5 million members. With Facebook’s popularity, other companies wanted to advertise on the site, but Zuckerberg turned down their offers. (bio. , 2010) Common with all big companies, at some point they face problems. Unfortunately in 2006 the three students that Mark helped make Harvard connection with forced him into a lawsuit. They claimed that he stole their idea and after lawyers found incriminating messages from Zuckerberg, they came to a settlement. Although it was a $65 million dollar settlement, the dispute still continues today. (bio. , 2011) The next controversy Zuckerberg faced took more of a toll on his reputation. In 2009, Ben Mezrich wrote a book called The Accidental Billionaires. Mezrich retold the story of Zuckerberg’s life, but heavily fabricated it. He included invented scenes, imagined dialogue and fictional characters. Not only did he manage to cause controversy with his book, but also he actually sold the rights of the story to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin’s portrayal of Mark’s life was called The Social Network, which went on to be nominated for eight Academy Awards, and take home an Oscar for best picture. Mark strongly opposed the film’s storyline and went on to say, â€Å"It's interesting what stuff they focused on THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD 6 getting right; like, every single shirt and fleece that I had in that movie is actually a shirt or fleece that I own, so there's all this stuff that they got wrong and a bunch of random details that they got right. † (bio. , 2011) Developing such an influential company makes him somewhat of a target. He is constantly facing problems, and coming up with new solutions. Therefore another skill he possesses is Solving Problems. He has always under the pressure of creating something pleasing for Facebook users. The web page regularly changes formats, and introduces new features. One thing Coplin directly says is, â€Å"Problem solvers are into continuous improvement. † (Coplin, 2003) Mark’s problem solving skills were also useful when it came to problems in his personal life. He has encountered lawsuits and found a way to settle and move past. Along with lawsuits, the public criticism he’s faced was handled maturely and with integrity. In spite of all the criticism, and negative publicity he still received recognition for his accomplishments. In 2010, Time Magazine named him Person of the year. (Grossman, 2010) Vanity Fair placed him at the top of their New Establishment list and named him number one on its 2010 list of the Top 100 â€Å"most influential people of the Information Age. † Forbes ranked Zuckerberg at No. 35—beating out Apple CEO Steve Jobs on the Forbes 400 list. Mark’s net worth was is an estimated $6. billion dollars. (bio. , 2011) Mark’s wealth has made him a billionaire six times over (Grossman, 2010). THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD 7 With the money he’s earned through his hard work, he’s decided to involve himself in philanthropic causes. He donated 100 million dollars to save the failing Newark Public Schools system in New Jersey. On December 9, 2010, Zucke rberg, Bill Gates, and investor Warren Buffett signed the â€Å"Giving Pledge†, promising to donate at least 50 percent of their wealth to charity over the course of their lifetimes. bio. , 2011) He not only wants to help people connect with the social network he’s created but he wants to help charitable causes with the money he worked so hard for. With the company make has created, he has wired about a twelfth of humanity into a single network (Grossman, 2010). When relating Zuckerberg to Coplin’s list of ten things, virtually any of them can be applied but the most obvious one in my opinion is Influencing People. He not only influences people through charities but clearly through the social network he has created. Nearly half of all Americans have a Facebook account, and 70% of Facebook users live outside the U. S. (Grossman, 2010). This just goes to show the number of people he reaches and has an impact on. Facebook has 800 million active users and is currently growing at a rate of about 700,000 people a day (Duff, 2010). Like Coplin says find the basic need, or the main point of interest and stick to it (Coplin, 2003). Mark undoubtedly found a point of interest for the world. Mark Zuckerberg is someone that has the qualities Coplin says that employer’s value and he has demonstrated them throughout his life. Bill Coplin’s THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD 8 list of 10 Things Employers Want Students to Learn in College serves as an example of the qualities of successful people. When applying the ten things to a successful person Zuckerberg’s life serves as the perfect example. His success story shows the way to develop yourself to reach success by using the same things Coplin states in his list of ten things. He has basically created the social network that has taken over the world. The accomplishments he has made are something that we witness, and we are impacted by his success in our own lives everyday. THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD9 References Coplin, B. (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. Cooper, C. (2011). The future according to Zuckerberg: All Facebook, all the time. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2011/09/22/scitech/main20110419. shtml Kirkpatrick, D. (2010). The Facebook effect: The inside story of the company that is connecting the world (1st Simon & Schuster hardcover ed. ed. ). New York: Simon & Schuster. Grossman L. (2010). Person of the year. Retrieved Dec/15, 2010, from http://www. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037183,00. html Mark Zuckerberg. (2011). Biography. com. Retrieved 07:45, Nov 13, 2011 from http://www. biography. com/people/mark-zuckerberg-507402 Duff, C. (Producer), &. (2010). One minute on Facebook. [Video/DVD] Retrieved from THE MAN CONNECTING THE WORLD10 http://www. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037109_2037113,00. html

Current Issues

Wise For this assignment, you are to select a topic that is somewhat global in nature and inspired from your reading Dr. Seuss using one of the Dr. Seuss stories, analyze the plot of the story to identify and explain the subtext of the story†the author's theme or underlying lesson about something more than the literal story research some helpful background information that the author Dr. Seuss may have known or used to develop the story†many articles have been written develop a reasonable thesis statement that will make a laim about the stance that is taken by Dr.Seuss†is he right or wrong? think about what will you use to support both sides. Parts of the story along with researched information are to be included. complete your research and document all of your sources cited (used in the essay) make use of the rhetorical triangle: ethos, logos, and pathos avoid logical fallacies Objectives: use invention techniques such as brainstorming, listing, cubing, reporters' questions, free-writing, and clustering. organize ideas and supporting details in a clear and effective manner. xpress the main idea of an essay in a thesis statement. evelop effective paragraphs that exhibit unity, organization, and coherence. write correct and effective sentences. revise and edit essays to improve the original draft. gather information from a variety of sources, incorporate the information into a writing project, and properly document the sources in MLA style when outside sources are used. Requirements: MLA format 12 point font (New Times Roman) 5-8 pages of text, not including the Works Cited page.A minimum of 3-5 credible sources as specified by your instructor. Works Cited page. Turn in copies of all articles and materials of outside sources used. Submit all required materials: prewriting, preliminary drafts, copies of research materials, related Journals, an outline, workshopping, edited/final draft When completed, all materials will be placed in a pocket fold er, with a table of contents as the top page. Organization: Your paper should follow the classic argument pattern, or a variation of it, as l.Introduction: In the introduction, you slowly lead your audience into the topic by introducing it and connecting it to them. II. Narration: The narration is where you give all necessary background and context so your audience can understand the topic. Provide a brief summary of the plot for the specific Dr. Seuss story you're using as your basis. You might do any or all of the following: give historical background; define specialized terms; explain the extent of any problems presented within the topic; explain how the topic is controversial.Ill. Partition: The partition, in short, is your thesis, or claim. It should meet two criteria: it should be arguable, and it should be defendable. IV. Argument: If the partition is the claim, this is where you support that claim with topic sentences, or sub-claims, that bolster and prove the thesis. Rememb er to use outside sources to illustrate or support your ideas, and avoid fallacies at all costs. Solid argument, remember, is built upon solid reasoning, so after the quotations, you must provide follow-up explanation and/or analysis.V. Refutation: Here, you first acknowledge opposing viewpoints, and then show why your viewpoint is preferable to all others. The opposing viewpoints should also be illustrated from some research, so you will quote at least one or two sources from the opposite side. VI. Conclusion: As in previous essays, your conclusion should tie up all loose ends, eiterate the main idea, and then end on a thought-provoking note. Usually, an argument ends with a call to action.See pages 238-277 (Chapter 9) in your textbook for explanation of writing to convince and an example. After you have written the rough draft, workshopped it with classmates, and revised it, you will write the self-assessment on pages 278-279†we'll consider this a Journal entry, so you will have two Journals to turn in with the essay documents. The first journal is written at the beginning. For information related to logical fallacies, those flaws in reasoning, use pages 467-470 for descriptions.

Major Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Major Depression - Essay Example Cuijpers, Pim et al. cite major depression as the leading cause of disability in the world (137). Whereas antidepressant medication effectively corrects the imbalance in neurotransmitters, it only suppresses symptoms but does not cure and also has a varied range of side effects. Psychotherapy is a safe and efficacious approach to correct maladaptive thinking and unsatisfying behavior but is less effective than medication. Problem Major depression risks not just the health but the lives of millions of people around the world. As observed by the National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, this disorder causes disability and even death if left untreated. A combination of environmental, biological and psychological factors contributes to the development of the disorder. Whatever specific cause could be linked to depression, Lam (12) observes that scientific research firmly considers major depression as a biological medical illness. There are three neurotransmitters associated with major de pression: dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. A chemical imbalance in these neurotransmitters results in major depression. ... Illnesses such as cancer and heart disease and some forms of medications also trigger episodes of major depression. A majority of major depression episodes occur spontaneously and not as a result of being triggered by physical illness, life crises or other risks. Its onset could be mild thus not obvious. Major depression causes persistently irritable or bad mood (DeRubels, Slegle and Hollon 789). Patients exhibit pronounced changes in appetite, energy and sleep with their interest or pleasure in activities they enjoyed slowly fading away. It makes remembering, concentrating and thinking difficult. The persistent symptoms such as chronic pain, digestive disorders and headaches fail to respond to treatment. Moreover, major depression causes a feeling of emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt and promotes recurrent death or suicide thoughts (Lam 10). These effects, especially when occurring at the same time and for longer periods, interfere with normal functioning. There is st rong evidence to link major depression to biological and environmental factors. The higher prevalence of the disorder among women than men could be attributed to the psychosocial, biological, hormonal and life cycle factors that affect women more than men (Cuijpers, Pim et al. 138). Furthermore, the impact of hormones on the brain to control mood and emotions clearly points towards the biological causes of the disorder. For instance, women would be more likely to develop major depression after birth. Additionally, women facing more stress at work and home would be exposed to the disorder more than men. The medical condition associated with old age explains the biological cause of major

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example This is the reason why you find that almost every business has to utilize the services of marketing professionals in one way or another. It is a known fact that the success of any business is directly related with the impact made by its marketers, and this includes analyses of consumers and markets, to the real adverts and sale of products. Successful businesses which are industry leaders in their own right have been found to have all of them dynamic and successful marketing teams. Another reason for studying marketing is that it aids transactions to take place. Products as we know, do not sell themselves. This means that good marketing informs and educates consumers so as to enable them look for the products they require, make better decisions about the same and get the most value out of these products. In so doing, marketing assists in exchanges between sellers and buyers, creating mutual benefit for both parties. Thus apart from basically understanding the role of marketing, in business, there is more to it such as the tremendous impact it has on society. Delivering of value is another very important reason for studying marketing. Marketing does not only deliver value to the customers, but also translates this value into the value of the organization as it creates a customer base that is reliable and leads to an increase in a firm’s sales leading to more profitability. Thus marketing delivers value to both the firm and the customer. 2. Management in marketing involves formulation of an organizational marketing strategy. Thus together with the support of the marketing and sales team, a marketing professional can estimate product demand and identify markets for the firm’s services and products. Thus management in marketing as a discipline involves practical application of techniques of marketing together with the management of an organization’s activities and resources. Management in marketing therefore involves influencing the

The Implementation of Enterprise 2.0 in a Business Research Paper - 1

The Implementation of Enterprise 2.0 in a Business - Research Paper Example There are numerous examples of enterprise 2.0 tools in which Wikis and Blogs are well-known communication and collaboration portals. Moreover, social network tools are very helpful for the staff members in finding the target person or group of persons. Thus, enterprise 2.0 has the capability to offer content, data and information and knowledge in an amazingly low-priced and unproblematic way by means of web-based tools. Some people say that enterprise 2.0 is about carrying Web 2.0 into the business; however, it is not completely true. In some way, enterprise 2.0 refers to the process of bringing the collaborative and social applications and technologies of Web 2.0 into the business setting; however, enterprise 2.0 also shows a basic change in the way businesses carry out their operations. Additionally, it is a true fact that enterprise 2.0 is a simplified idea that is normally used for technological and business practice that releases the required workers from the limitations of inheriting communication tools and productivity tools as there is an example of the email. Moreover, it’s another major advantage is that it facilitates the business executives to access precise information when it is required by means of a web of interrelated applications, services, and strategies. In this way enterprise, 2.0 make easy to get to the combined intellect of many. Hence this aspect results in moving to a n enormous competitive gain in the form of improved innovation, efficiency and agility. The question is that what is enterprise 2.0 and how it is used in a business environment?  

Native people social movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Native people social movements - Essay Example that was formed, the Anishinabe continued to fight following the established prophecy hence finding themselves in California and being united helped the Anishinabe to obtain back their nationality from the whites. Afterwards, Ojibwa also known as the Anishinabe people’s urge with their friends resulted in a fight that begun killing one another for the purpose of the hunting ground. All the Anishinabe people with their tribes became vigilant in protecting their people from slavery and their territories (Lorman). However, they all fought for the protection of their homeland for the land became the main issue that brought all the suffering. With the native youth movements, roadblocks were put in place to stop invasion into their land since they abolished all of the following activities. Railways construction, highways, mining, resorts, dams, cities, deep seaports, garbage dams and many others that led to their outbreak of war. Additionally, different organizations movements were created like the American-Indian political activism during the year of 1960s for obtaining their rights (Bruchac). In addition, among other movements was a national association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP), southern Christian leadership conference (SCLC) and finally groups were also formed like National organization for women (NOW). The formed group and movements mainly dealt with the rights of their individuals together with land issues maintaining their social integrity. During the establishment of national Indian youth council (NICY) that occurred after the tribes of Oklahoma with Great Plains that defeated the NCAI of 1994. The developed groups used peaceful ways with Americans where they encouraged the third world liberations. However, various groups of young individuals came up with American Indian movements (AIM) with an intention of the police harassment (Williamson). However, the Alcatraz Island reduces the pride and their consciousness with the rise of

Commercial Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Commercial Law - Essay Example According to the problem, Gill who had made hire-purchase contract with Bob’s Motors by exchanging her Ford Fiesta with Nissan Micra by overlooking her previously made contract with Universal Finance. Besides, the third problem in this case depicts the issue of serious engine fault in a second-hand Nissan 370Z sports car by Hussein after purchasing it from Bob’s Motors. Therefore, the study provides relevant advice to Hampshire Hire Ltd, Universal Finance Ltd and Joan along with Hussein on the basis of the case situation. The discussion of the study provides the claims that can be made by each party relating to the case and also ensures to demonstrate effective remedies that are available for the parties to claim their responsibilities. With reference to the problem associated with the case of Bob’s Motors Ltd., it has been ascertained that John, a key representative of the company (Bob’s Motors Ltd.) had entered into a valid contractual agreement with Hampshire Hire Ltd. for selling Nissan Note cars for  £13,000 each. According to the deal, Bob’s Motors is likely to deliver four new Nissan Note cars on 25th June 2014. In the similar context, Hampshire Hire has accepted the terms and conditions of the contract and agreed to carry the pre-ordered vehicles at his own risk. However, the transporter had undergone natural calamities that led all the pre-ordered Nissan Note cars by Hampshire Hire to explode. In this context, Bob’s Motors has denied to take the responsibility regarding the incident. Subsequently, it can be stated that the incident associated with the explosion of four Nissan Note cars during the delivery to Hampshire Hire occurred due to lightning. In relation to the concern associated with the case of Hampshire Hire, the occurrence of such unavoidable incident can be termed under the consideration of Force Majeure. According to Sale of Goods Act in English contract law, it

Coursework on Budgets Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On Budgets - Coursework Example Budgets are prepared in definite procedural definitions. They can be prepared for the business as a whole; they may fall under designated departments. Budgets can also be prepared for functions of the organization such as sales, production or even for the asset utilization of the organization (Hammonds, 2006). A budget can as well be prepared for the resources of the company such as financial resources and even other resource items of the organization such as cash, capital expenses, relevant purchases of the firm and not excluding labor. Work force is the most vital for any firm to run since it is that which supports production and without production there can be nothing much to brag about involvement in business (Label, 2010). Why budget? A budget is not just a tool that can be used for any mere business operations. They are not mere calculations that are simply drawn, calculated and findings just presented. They are elaborate plans hence involves a construction of a plan that is ge ared for use for a quite a longer duration and hence a tool for financial management (Gowthorpe, 2005). A business that operates without a budget is as good as dead since it is likely to experience management difficulties in the organization. Therefore, the main objective of a budget is to help in aiding an organization set objectives or targets to be achieved in specific period in time or time span. After targets are set, they are the guidelines of the business operations. They are the driving force for the business. This is as a result that the business will make all the necessary efforts to ensure that they either fully o r partly achieve these targets (Donovan, 2005). A case in study is where a firm decides that it intends to sell 100000 units of a product in a certain definite financial period for example a year, the firm will obviously make all the necessary arrangements to ensure that the firm will achieve the set target. The arrangements may entail even putting forth a elabo rate and efficient production plan which will ensure constant supply for the sales target. It is true the management will make all the necessary efforts to ensure this objective is arrived at. If the budget is achieved or partly satisfied i.e. about 80% and above. It means that only about 80000 units of sale are made creating room for the analysis of the variation. Then it gives the management a chance to investigate the reasons that this has occurred. In the event that the reasons are identified viable ways of overcoming the causes is exploited to make sure that the problem is eradicated or reduced. This alone is a minimization of the risk of loss of any business. The preparation of a budget is therefore important in the maximization of the profits of the business (Label, 2010). Budgeting principles A proactive and effective budget normally has four basic principles that guide their establishment. These principles entail the following:- One must be conservative in making a budget. Assuming that you were to make budgets far much outside what does not take place. The budget may not be operational on such grounds. Therefore a budget should not be prepared and expecting that the outcome be the same as budgeted. There always has to be a deviation from the normal due to the difference in environments of operation including time line. Another principle is

Frederick Douglas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Frederick Douglas - Essay Example At the age of only a few weeks, Douglass separated from his mother and was ultimately raised by his grandparents. However, at the age of six years, Douglass’ grandmother unexpectedly took him to his master’s plantation to reside. At eight years of age, Douglass was sent to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld who were his master’s relatives. While living with the Auld family, Sophia Auld began to teach Douglass how to read and write, which was contrary to state laws (Houston, 1986). Douglass escaped slavery when he attained 20 years, married and moved to Massachusetts where he adopted the name â€Å"Douglass† and started to talk on behalf of abolitionism. Ultimately, Douglass embarked on a three-year speaking tour through northern cities creating public support for the abolitionist cause by informing and educating audiences regarding the detriments of slavery. Douglass’ primary communication style was a rhetorical speech style. In the year 1845, Douglass wrote his initial autobiography and named it Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The book was quite moving and addressed the virtue of the abolitionist movement by relaying Douglass’ struggle to seek freedom. Notably, Douglass identified his slave owner by name, and his book ultimately became a bestseller. However, since the book revealed Douglass’ identity, he was compelled to exile in England so as to avoid seizure by slave traders (Huggins & Handlin, 1997). In 1846, Douglass’ British slavery abolitionist friends bought his freedom. Consequently, Douglass returned to the US in 1847 and moved to Rochester, New York where he launched his abolitionist newspaper referred to as The North Star. Douglass’ children assisted his publish the four-page newspaper. Douglass’ involvement with the Underground Railroad intensified in the mid 1850s following the increased strength of the abolitionist movement. Douglass often housed con ductors such as Harriet Tubman at his home while the conductors were en route to Canada. The infamous Dred Scott Supreme Court decision of 1857 in which the court ruled that the US Constitution did not recognize the fundamental rights of black people infuriated Douglass and intensified the national debate regarding slavery. When the Civil War started in the year 1861, Douglass perceived it as a moral crusade to create a true democracy by freeing slaves. Throughout the course of the war, Douglass traveled across the country requesting President Lincoln to put an end to slavery and enroll black troops into the war effort. Douglas played a pivotal role in the recruitment of black soldiers into the Union Army after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Since then, Douglas became Lincoln’s advisor throughout the Civil War. Douglass advocated for constitutional revisions, which would outlaw slavery and allow blacks a legally provided place in the American society. The 13th Constitutional Amendment illegalized slavery while the 14th Constitutional Amendment provided citizenship rights to all persons born in the US, and the 15th Amendment permitted voting to males aged over 21 years. After the conclusion of the Civil War, Douglass held numerous government posts, for instance, in 1877, President Rutherford Hayes appointed Douglass a Federal Marshal for Washington DC. In 1889, Douglass became Haiti’s Minister and in the 1890s; he went back to lecture circuit so as to denounce lynching

Emphasis on Fitness for Men and Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emphasis on Fitness for Men and Women - Essay Example By the same token, yoga and aerobics have been seen as programs of more interest to women than to men but men can benefit from them. Educating the public as to the various programs offered and why it is important to participate in a mix of programs is the focus of this paper. We live in a sedentary society. Watching television does nothing to stimulate the physical aspects of the body. Computers at home and in business cause more aches and pains than any exercise regime, without the benefits of exercise. People have a tendency to find the parking place closest to their destination at the mall or at the grocery store or at their place of business. The most recent concern as noted by the media is obesity. It has been determined that going on a diet is not the answer to losing weight. In fact, it can be more detrimental because of the loss and gain, loss and gain aspects of dieting. More and more, the public is being urged to follow a fitness regime, eating the right foods as a way of life and planning a total body makeover. However, the type of program followed should include more than one activity. For instance, it is just as important to learn muscle control as it is to practice weight lifting. This paper will discuss various fitness programs and the way s in which they can be combined to offer the most effective results. Each of the activities listed below will describe workout environment, gender identity, benefits of the activity and how to attract the public. Weight Lifting Although cardiovascular exercise on machines uses more calories than weight lifting, working the muscles in addition to the heart and lungs can also improve health. Increased muscle burns 50 extra calories every day of the week. One deterrent for weight lifting as a woman's activity is the fact that muscle, like fat, at first causes slight weight gain when the focus is on weight loss. However, it is overall appearance that matters and toned muscle is more important than what the scale says. Women are apt to be concerned about appearing muscle-bound but because they have less testosterone, they become sleek instead. According to John Litchfield, research shows that just two 15-20 minute sessions a week are enough to gain all the potential health benefits of strength training (par. 16). Running and Walking Running or jogging offers several benefits for those who are willing to commit to it on a regular basis. For some people, it acts as a drug, increasing endorphins for a sense of well being, and for others it is a chore, but running keeps the body toned, offers a way to meet people, burns calories, increases cardiovascular health and prevents the muscle and bone loss that comes with old age. The same benefits are realized for those who prefer walking to jogging (Cummings). The key to success is to plan this type of exercise in moderation because overuse can cause knee and foot problems. Pilates and Yoga A common belief about pilates is that it is a derivative of yoga, but that is not so (Ogle). Pilates focuses more on strength, and yoga focuses more on stretch. Ogle states that strength and stretch are part of both programs, but the difference is on emphasis. For those who prefer to do both, pilates gives them the stability they need to control and expand their yoga poses. The benefits of combining pilates and yoga are as follows (Ogle): 1. Graceful body development without bulky

The De Lacey family Essay Example for Free

The De Lacey family Essay with smiles and caresses. The creature was abandoned at birth, despised, lonely and beaten off by all who met him for his physical differences his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath his appearance turns out to be the cause of all his problems. People are frightened of him, which keeps the monster from making contact with them. This incapability of personal contact and the intense isolation is what indirectly drives the monster to his crimes. The monsters deformities are hideous, however this was the grotesque work of Victor he saw what he was creating though you could argue that he was in no rational state of mind, my loud, unrestrained, heartless laughter frightened him. However, just because this Tragic Heros mind is not in order ,it does not give him the right to abandon his wretched creation without even considering the consequences , the unfortunate creature also tries in vain to bond with his selfish creator his jaws opened and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, but is still abandoned. Victor has the characteristics of Aristotles five point tragic hero, he is an over reacher which obviously makes him floorless he has supreme pride which is a reflection of arrogance and conceit. It seems to demonstrate superiority to fellow human beings and equality with Gods. Victor plays God knowing what he is doing was wrong he does not even address the moral issues properly. Victor also has a capacity for suffering he suffers because he believes in what he is doing and feels guilt and guiltless at the same time, he says himself I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime. Our feelings change frequently for both monster and Victor as the story develops we begin to feel anger towards Victor for abandoning his responsibility, then for the monster for killing a helpless child although we later find out that William encouraged the monster and brought it on himself, my pa is a syndic-he is M. Frankenstein-he will punish you this enrages the monster and he acts out of further rejection and his burning rage against Victor. Thinking that a young child would understand him I could seize him and educate him as my friend and companion he did not take pleasure in killing William the child still struggled and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart. It is clear why the monster does this terrible deed, he has no hope left and is a tortured soul, revenge is the only way to make things right . Victor has to pay for what he has done, he needs to feel the pain and despair that fuels the monster, thus begins a vicious circle of revenge and redemption. Shelley toys with our emotions throughout the novel, it is hard to decide exactly where to direct our anger and despair to. Insted we find ourselves taking turns to sympathise with both characters. However, we come to understand the Monsters side of things when we hear him relate his tale to Victor; he explains what life has been like for him, and what events have taken place. Hearing the Monsters side of things changes our whole perception of him. We come to understand that he was not bad from the start; it was the events in his life that moulded and shaped him into the corrupt and lonely creature that he has become. The Monsters first experience is rejection and he is given a very negative start in life being left alone to feel complete desolation, I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I could distinguish nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept. He has done nothing wrong and does not deserve to be feeling these sorts of emotions, although it shows the reader that he is capable of thinking and feeling. The Monster starts to pick up aspects of life for himself as he has no maternal figures and learns simple concepts I felt light and hunger. He is a very unique and sensitive creature and learns to enjoy the world before he even experiences negative emotions I first discovered that a pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears, proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals. It is clear that the monster enjoys nature just as Victor does. The monster then loses hope and comes to believe that nobody wants to perceive him I escaped to the open country and fearfully took refuge in a low hovel. The creature has tried in vain to communicate with people on several occasions, but is always rejected. We come to understand why the monster is the way he is as he begins to learn by observing the De Lacey family. Through reading novel such as Miltons Paradise Lost he starts wondering about his existence and his isolation because of his apparent uniqueness I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence. When the monster starts wondering about his origin we are compelled to feel empathy for him. It is obvious that he longs for some kindness, protection and company. These desires become even more evident when he reads the diary that Victor kept during hid creation, the monster learns that Victor was not at all happy with his creation how can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe. This makes the monster feel even more lonely and abhorred, as he realises that his own creator could not even stand to look at him or even give him a real chance before he cowardly ran away to hastily forget about what he had done. As reader we now begin to feel anger towards Victor, it is his fault that the monster feels like this, and it is not fair.

Company Analysis And Overview Of Westjet Management Essay

Company Analysis And Overview Of Westjet Management Essay The purpose of this report is to analyse the case study Westjet in 2009: The Fleet expansion decision. The specific objective was to provide a diagnosis of the companys challenges, propose a suitable change management programme. Research was done in the general area of change management and the models available. Recommendations are based on the comparative analysis of the same 1.0 Introduction This report was commissioned by Dr Lee Mathias to analyse the Wesjet case study and provide a diagnosis of the companys challenges and develop a suitable change model. Also, recommendations have been made to manage resistance and ensure that the change is sustained. 2.0 Westjet 2.1 Introduction Westjet, a Canadian airline, which was founded in 1996 by group of Calgary businessmen, operates as a low cost player in aviation industry. The airline has 36% domestic market share in Canada only second to Air Canada, which has 57%. Since its inception the Airline is operating with single fleet model using Boeing 737s with capacity of 119 to 166 passengers. Using single fleet has helped Westjet to significantly reduce its operating and maintenance cost. With the 2008-09 economic crisis, the airline was facing flight occupancy issue in its most of the domestic routes. Lower occupancy has forced Westjet to pull out of Sudburys and Sault Ste market (two of the destinations in Ontario market). With this prospective in mind the airline is looking to add smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes with approximately 100 seats to its fleet. Including this type of aircraft will abandon the airlines more than a decade long success strategy of operating with single fleet and implementing this new strategy will be a big challenge for management. 2.2 Change: The airline industry exists in a hypercompetitive environment where organisations are required to change constantly in order to survive and maintain their position in the market (Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm, 2008). Change in an organisation requires addressing the strategy (what is it that you want to change), skills (what skills, knowledge and abilities are required by the change recipients) and structures (short term and long term organisational tools essential to support the change) (Carter, 2008). Strategies are a means of striving to achieve an organisations mission and vision (Gill, 2003). Increasing the likelihood of success of Westjets strategy for a second fleet would involve answering questions such as What is the change they want to bring about? Is the change appropriate for the organisation? Can this change be implemented successfully? (Bruch, Gerber, Maier, 2005). 3.0 SWOT Analysis Prior to implementing the strategy, Westjet needs to assess the feasibility of the change with the help of an analysis tool such as SWOT. It helps determine whether the organisation will be able to sustain the change or not by analysing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 3.1 Strengths Strong financial standing: At the end of financial year 2008, the airline had a cash reserve of $820 million, which is 80% of its total debt. In addition to this, the airlines debt equity ratio is at 1.09, which is significantly low when compared to industry standards. Customer satisfaction: The airline has gained a significant customer satisfaction because of its ability to provide nonstop domestic flights, which helps its customer make a hassle free journey. For such domestic routes where the flights have occupancy level of 60-65% for 150 seater Boeing 737s aircrafts, smaller Bombardier or Embraer aircrafts can be included in this routes. This will help in improving the load to 90 to 95% and will reduce the cost without compromising on customer satisfaction. Better seat utilisation: The smaller aircrafts with 100 seats will have higher occupancy level as compared 737s Boeing aircrafts with 140 to 160 seats. 3.2 Weakness With inclusion of 2nd type of fleet the airline needs to train its existing work force, which can take care of maintenance of new fleets. The technology of the new fleet will be different compared to Boeing 737s, which may force Westjet to keep to two sets of staffs for maintenance. Moreover they will have to pay more airport charges because of inclusion of new aircrafts. These reasons coupled together will increase the cost for the airline and that will led to a significant impact on the profitability of it. Cost cutting and diversion of funds towards the new project may also result in unhappy staff. 3.3 Opportunity The main competitor of Westjet airlines, Air Canada (with 57% market share) is struggling to fight bankruptcy; it is difficult for Air Canada to achieve cost efficiency in such scenario. In such situation it will be comparatively easier for Westjet to tap international customers of Air Canada and adding new fleets will help them in do so. Westjet has recently made a tie up with European airlines like Air France. By the adopting 2nd fleet in Canadian domestic market, it can use Boeing 737s to fly for its international operations in Europe, which will help faster penetration in new market. If Westjet penetrates to European market then it will help WVI also to expand to Europe and generate revenue for Westjet group from its European business 3.4 Threats As stated in the case study there is only 3.6% increment of passengers year on year. At a time when existing fleets are operating with significant number of empty seats with low increment in number of passengers, in such scenario inclusion of 2nd fleet exposes Westjet to considerable risk. 4.0 Change Model for Westjet The airline industry is very dynamic is affected by global events such as 9/11, the SARS outbreak and the most recent swine flu outbreak all of which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of travellers. To survive in todays complex every changing world Westjet needs to change its familiar way of operating and become capable of adapting to changes efficiently and effectively. There are a number of theoretical models available to assist Westjets strategic decision to expand. While some of these models are more suited for transformational change others are more suited for transactional changes. Lewins model for example which describes change in 3 stages unfreezing, moving and refreezing (Lewin,1952) would be suitable for a stable environment and not a dynamic environment like Westjet. Given below is an analysis of some of the models available: (http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/14790_751313697_793488144.pdf) In case of Westjet the change is planned however it will affect the entire organisation. Looking at the above models, it would be suitable for Westjet to adopt a combination of theoretical models available: Ø Understanding change characteristics: Westjet needs to first understand the need for this change. This change will help the airline in its expansion; it will help increase the load factor and revenue for it. With this change, employees of the airline will be impacted as they need to know about the mechanism of new fleet. Under this change program airline would be looking to use smaller aircrafts for domestic non stop flights and where as Boeing 737s aircrafts would mostly be used for international flights. Inclusion of new fleet will require upgradation of its scheduling and reservation application. Ø Risk Assessment: Under the change management program Westjet needs to understand the possible risks which could arise due to it. As the number of fleets will go up the, scheduling of same for domestic travel in such a way that aircrafts are rested at airport for a short period, would be a challenge. Improper handling of this issue could lead to operational risk, where the charges to be paid to airport authority will go up. To handle this issue, Westjet needs to make sure that its scheduling application is efficient enough to take this challenge. In addition to this there are certain risks which may arise if the new fleet fails to get acceptance from Westjet passengers. In worst case if it happens, the Westjet should lease these aircrafts to Asian airlines, which operates with leased aircrafts. On similar line there could be some more risk associated with this strategy, which Westjet needs to analyze and find the mitigation of the same before implementing of new fleets into its o peration. Ø Funding: Westjet has a cash reserve of $820 million, which would be sufficient for the initial phase of this change. At later stage if the airline needs to buy some more aircraft, where it needs external funds then it would be going for long term debts. Taking loan term loan will not be a major financial concern for airline as debt to equity ratio is at 1.09:1 compared standard value of 2:1. Ø Communication Plan: Westjet should communicate this new strategy to its employees, shareholders and suppliers. Share holders will be communicated with the need and benefit of new strategy through mailers. Suppliers and channel partners should also be communicated through mailers. For employees the communication should be by top management in an interactive session, where top management would answer to all the apprehensions that employees have along with possible benefits of new strategy. Ø Training: Westjet will have to implement new training programs for its crew member and maintenance engineers, so that they can learn the mechanism of operation of new fleet. For new employees the training program will include training for Boeing 737s as well as smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. This will ensure that maintenance work for either fleet can be done by any maintenance staff. As a result efficiency will come with some additional training cost for the airline but it will help airline to continue to enjoy its process driven operation rather than having people driven operation. Ø Resource planning: At present the airline has 77 Boeing 737s aircrafts. With inclusion of Bombardier or Embraer airplanes, Westjet may need to hire additional staffs that have experience of working on Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. Ø Resistance management plan: The major resistance could come from employees of the airlines, due to their apprehension about success of new business model coupled with need for them to learn new technology. As the employees of Westjet have a significant share in operating profit of airlines, the top management should provide the estimated financial benefits of new strategy to employees along with assurance of complete training on new fleet. This will help in managing resistance from employees. The resistance from shareholders can be handled by highlighting the business needs and financial benefit of this change. Ø Change implementation: The airline would start operating with new fleet, once it completes process of communication of this change to its various stakeholders, training to employees, upgradation of softwares and addition of resources. Once the success of new fleet is proved, Westjet can add more Bombardier or Embraer airplanes into its operation. Ø Reinforcement planning: The airline will adopt the strategy of positive reinforcement on regular interval. This will be achieved through showing growth in revenue, with increased profit share amount for employees. 5.0 Sustaining Change Maintaining momentum and sustaining change is a crucial stage of the change process. If steps are not taken to sustain change the new state achieved may be short lived (Hayes, 2007) Once the 2nd fleet is introduced at Westjet, it is recommended take the following steps to sustain the change and allow support further growth: Ø Improve the learning curve for employees for maintenance of smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes through appropriate training. Ø Focus on greater profitability through leaner processes. The airline should look to adopt six sigma into its process, this will drive the innovation in its operation. Ø Introducing smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes for Carrabin Island and USA cities which are nearer to Canada and depending on the demand the airline can increase the number of fleets in this route. This will help in achieving higher occupancy for Westjet flights to Carrabin Island and USA Ø Empowerment of employees to act and take decision according to the situation Ø Continuous quality improvements in all processes and continuous focus on innovation Ø Westjet needs to continue with its flat organization structure and at the same time it should be flexible to facilitate resource requirements at the top management without any hassle Ø Westjet should try to achieve an organization wide belief that quality is everyones job through Vision-driven leadership Ø Inculcating values that include high moral standards, ethics, teamwork, involvement and risk taking Ø Measure the effectiveness of change through various change management tools Ø With inclusion of 2nd fleet, Westjet will have the opportunity for business expansion in international airline segment. To get optimum benefit out of its international operation, it should make partnership with other airlines, which will help it acquire those customers who do not fly to Westjet destinations. In addition to this it can make tie up with European airlines for promoting WVI. By taking these two strategic steps Westject can generate additional revenue for itself. Ø For future expansion through 2nd fleet Westjet needs to address language barriers which could arise due to its expansion into international market 6.0 Conclusion Westjet Airlines ultimate goal is to become top 5 most successful airlines of the world by 2016 and it is extremely difficult to achieve the same with single fleet model. The best airline in the world, US Airways is using more than 85 smaller Bombardier or Embraer airplanes. Moreover Westjet business model is on the similar to that of southwest airlines and since southwest has already acquired such airplanes, it makes sense for Westjet to adopt this new fleet. Inclusion of new fleet will help Westjet to gain more market share along with higher profitability greater efficiency. It will also help Westjet to build its 1st pillar of its goal i.e. to generate 10% additional revenue growth in available seat miles through fleet expansion.

Material Selection For Drive Shaft Engineering Essay

Material Selection For Drive Shaft Engineering Essay The drive shaft is a rod or tube used to carry rotational force from the engine to the four bladed fans to provide sufficient airflow to reduce the temperature of the pump and the generator to a sufficient level when they both are working at maximum output and operating in an ambient temperature of up to 50 °C. In this selection of the three different materials, there are compared based on different properties to choose the suitable material to be used for the drive shaft. http://media.noria.com/sites/archive_images/articles_200711_Case_-Study-Figure5.gif Figure 1- Fan and motor assembly with belt drive 3.1 Aluminium Alloy 3.1.1 Introduction Aluminum Alloy is a medium to high strength heat treated alloy with higher strength than 6005A. It is commonly used for heavy-duty structure in the railway coach, truck frames, shipbuilding, and bridges the military, aerospace applications including helicopter rotor shell, tubes, pylons and towers, transportation, boiler making, motorboats and rivets [1]. 3.1.2 Grade 6061-T6 It has very good corrosion resistance and excellent weld ability although reduced strength in the weld zone. It has medium fatigue strength. It has good cold formability in temper T4, but limited in temper T6. Not suitable for very complex cross parts. T6- Solution heat treated and artificially aged Supplied forms- Extrusions Light weight very good corrosion resistance British/ ISO Standard AA 6061-T6 Tensile Yield Strength (MPa) 310 Shear Strength (MPa) 190 Proof Stress (MPa) 270 Elongation over 50mm (%) 12 Hardness Vickers (HV) 100 Density (kg/m ³) 2700 Thermal Conductivity (W/m.K) 166 Melting Point (  °C ) 650 Electrical Resistivity (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦.m) 0.040 x 10à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ Table 1- Property for Aluminium Alloy Grade 6061-T6 3.2 Stainless Steel 3.2.1 Introduction Stainless steel is also known as grades 304 and 304L respectively. Stainless steel 304 is the most versatile and widely used. Type 304 stainless steel are austenitic grades can be severely deep drawn. This property has led 304 became the dominant grade used in applications such as sink and cook. 3.2.2 Grade 304 Type 304 stainless steel is an austenitic grade that can be severely deep drawn. This property has resulted in 304 being the dominant grade used in applications like sinks and saucepans and has excellent corrosion resistance in many environments and when in contact with different corrosive media. Pitting and crevice corrosion can occur in environments containing chloride. Pressure corrosion cracking can occur above 60 °C. Good machinability Supplied forms- Strip bar Excellent corrosion resistance British/ ISO Standard BS 970 Grade 304 Tensile Yield Strength (MPa) 520 to 720 Compressive Strength (MPa) 210 Proof Stress (MPa) 210 Elongation over 50mm (%) 45 Modulus of elasticity (GPa) 193 Density (kg/m ³) 7780 Thermal Conductivity (W/m.K) 16.2 Melting Point (  °C ) 1450 Electrical Resistivity (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦.m) 0.072 x 10à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ Table 2- Property for Stainless steel Grade 304 3.3 Carbon steel 3.3.1 Introduction Steel is a metal alloy consisting mainly of iron and contains 0.2 to 2.1 percent carbon. All steel contains carbon, but the term carbon steel applies specifically to steel containing carbon as the main alloying constituents. Medium carbon steel is carbon steel that contains between 0.30 and 0.60 percent carbon. It also has a manganese content of between 0.6 and 1.65 percent. This type of steel provides a good balance between strength and ductility, and it is common in many kinds of steel parts [5]. 3.3.2 Grade 080M30 It can provide a better combination of toughness, strength and hardness. It also provides a counterbalance weight during for low-oscillation rotary process. Despite its relatively limited corrosion resistance, carbon steel is used in large tonnages in marine applications, fossil fuel power and nuclear power plants, transportation, chemical processing, petroleum production and refining, pipelines, mining, construction and metal-processing equipment[6]. Material cost economy Supplied forms- Strip bar Limited corrosion resistance British/ ISO Standard BS970 080M30 Tensile Yield Strength (Mpa) 550 Ultimate Tensile Strength (Mpa) 930 Elongation over 50mm (%) 16% Hardness (HB) 269 Density (kg/m3) 7820 Youngs Modulus (Gpa) 205 Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) 46.6 Specific Heat Capacity (J/g- °C) 0.475 Electrical Resistivity (nà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦-m) 234 Table 3- Property for Medium Carbon Steel Grade 080M30 3.4 Final selection of material based on design and material specification British/ ISO Standard Aluminium Alloy AA 6061-T6 Stainless steel BS 970 Grade 304 Carbon steel BS970 080M30 Tensile Yield Strength (MPa) 310 520 to 720 550 Elongation over 50mm (%) 12 45 16 Density (kg/m3) 2700 7780 7820 Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) 166 16.2 46.6 Electrical Resistivity (nà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦-m) 0.040 x 10à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ 0.072 x 10à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ 234 Price per tonne (USD) 2220 4450 740 Table 5- Comparison between three selected materials For this drive shaft, Aluminium Alloy is chosen. The reason material Aluminium Alloy is production by extrusion, has good mechanical properties and exhibits good weldability. Aluminium alloys are widely used in engineering components where light weight and very good corrosion resistance. A low torsion was needed for the design of drive shaft, the tensile yield strength of the Aluminium Alloy 310 MPa was enough for the requirement. The Aluminium Alloy cost USD2220 per tonne which was lower than Stainless Steel which cost USD4450 per tonne. Aluminium alloy surfaces will keep their apparent shine in a dry environment due to the formation of a clear, protective layer of aluminium oxide. In a wet environment, galvanic corrosion can occur when an aliminium alloy is placed in electrical contact with other metals with more negative corrosion potentials than aluminium[7]. Element % Present Carbon (C) 0.0 0.07 Chromium (Cr) 17.50 19.50 Manganese (Mn) 0.0 2.00 Silicon (Si) 0.0 1.00 Phosphorous (P) 0.0 0.05 Sulphur (S) 0.0 0.02 Nickel (Ni) 8.00 10.50 Iron (Fe) Balance Table 6- Chemical composition for Aluminium alloy

Distance Learning as an Effective Enhancement to the Elementary School

Distance Learning as an Effective Enhancement to the Elementary School Curriculum Distance learning does not replace the existing classroom; rather it has proven to be an effective and useful tool in expanding the elementary school curriculum. Distance learning is defined as the â€Å"education for students working at home, with little or no face-to-face with teachers and with material provided remotely, for example through email, television, or correspondence† (Encarta World English Dictionary, 2001). The concept of distance learning has been around for centuries, evolving from primarily correspondence courses, to the Internet and two-way audio and video connection that are used now to establish a connection between the teacher and the students. (Poole, 2000). Distance learning has been used to augment the curriculum for elementary schools, rather than replace the personalized classroom that is vital to student development. It is designed to expand and fill in the gaps of the traditional course offerings, while meeting the widely diverse needs of each individual student. Distance learning has been designed to enhance student education, while still keeping learning firmly centered within the school. (Ravaglia & Sommer, 2000). There have been many arguments, both for and against distance learning; all have been well supported. However, there is extensive support for the benefits of distance learning, and how it has expanded and enriched the elementary school curriculum. There have been many critics that strongly advocate against the use of distance learning in elementary schools. Many believe that this new teaching method may replace the existing classroom all together, and won’t give students the adequate face-to-face con... ... Poole, D.M. (2000). Student’s participation in a discussion-oriented online course: A case study. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33, (2), 162-177. Ravaglia, R. & Sommer R. (2000). Expanding the curriculum with distance learning. Principal, 79, (3), 10-13. Scheps, S.G. (1999). Homeschoolers in the library. School Library Journal, 45, (2), 39-40. Truell, A.D. (2001). Student’s attitudes towards and evaluation of internet-assisted instruction. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 43, (1), 40-49. Expanding the Curriculum with Distance Learning. (2001). Retrieved November 13, 2001, from http://iiswinprd03.petersons.com/distancelearning/default.asp TEAMS Distance Learning. (2001). Retrieved November 5, 2001, from teams.lacoe.edu. Distance Education. (2000). In Encarta World English Dictionary (Vol. 14, pp. 309). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Archetypes In The Natural Essay -- essays research papers

Archetypes in The Natural   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After discovering a God-given talent, a young boy struggles to achieve his only dream; to become the best there ever was. Baseball is all he has ever known, so he prevails through the temptations and situations laid before him by those out to destroy his career. His hopes and dreams outweigh all the temptations along his journey. These hopes, dreams, and temptations are depicted through archetypes in the movie The Natural.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An archetype is a universal symbol. It is also a term from the criticism that accepts Jung’s idea of recurring patterns of situation, character, or symbol existing universally and instinctively in the collective unconscious of man. Archetypes come in three categories: images (symbols), characters, and situations. Feelings are provoked about a certain subject by archetypes. The use of the images of water, sunsets, and circles set the scene of the movie. Characters, including the temptress, the devil figure, and the trickster, contribute to the movie’s conflicts that the hero must overcome in order to reach his dream. However, to reach his dream, the hero must also go through many situations such as, the fall, dealing with the unhealable wound, and the task. By using archetypes in the movie, the viewer can obtain more than just the plot and better understand the true theme of the movie: to never give up on dreams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Archetypal imagery in this movie is abundant, but the most obvious and repetitive archetypes are those of water, sunsets, and circles. Prior to Roy Hobb’s, the hero’s, arrival to the major league, the coach, Pop, comments, â€Å"Wouldn’t you think I could get a fresh drink of water after all the years that I have been in this game.† At this point in the game, his team is losing miserably and Roy’s arrival only seems to make the situation worse because his first impression is an overage rookie. When Roy finally gets a chance to prove himself as a ball player and does, the water from the fountain begins to taste good. The water changing from bad to good shows a birth for the team. Since water is necessary for growth, it also symbolizes a growth stage for the team from the worst to a competitor. Roy appears to be â€Å"the fresh drink of water† that Pop has been wanting. The sunset also emerges into view several times in t... ...s ball despite the risk of death. Roy’s task is to identify himself so that he may reassume his rightful position as the best baseball player in the game. He earned the position the first time when he struck out the Whammer. After returning to baseball, Roy must again prove himself as the best. First, Roy must earn the respect from his coach and the players before he can attempt to make a name for himself. Once that is accomplished by showing off his hitting talents, Roy Hobbs easily becomes a household name. It takes awhile, but he does become the persistent front-page story. The movie The Natural obviously benefits from using the images of water, sunsets, and circles, the characters of the temptress, the devil figure, and the trickster, and the situations of the fall, dealing with the unhealable wound, and the task. By using these archetypes in the movie, the plot is not all the viewer sees. The movie becomes more in depth. More feelings can also be provoked by the use of archetypes, which will involve the viewer more in the movie and allow them to connect with the characters. Roy’s dream to become the best becomes enhanced by the continuous use of archetypes in the movie.

Las 432 †Genetically Modified Foods Essay

It has been determined that GMO’s are made up of plants, animals, viruses and bacteria that are created in laboratories. Scientist started experimenting with GMO’s in the early 1950’s with investigation of plants DNA. In the 1970’s scientist developed the first genetically engineered organism. By the early 1990’s biotechnology had expanded on production of GM foods to the public, but this brought fourth concerns. There are also those who believe that the laws and regulations that are attributed to genetically modified foods have been influenced through both the media and political aspects. These influences have brought about worries to GM food consumers and they started comparing the similarities and differences in organic foods and GM foods. Consumers want to know what GM food products they have consumed and will be aware of any affects that may be acquired with consumption. Not only are there consumer challenges that must be faced with these technological experimentations, but also the impacts that may be developed environmentally or effects that may incur with nature and wildlife. Some societies are worried about how the rich will prosper and the poorer countries will suffer and possibly go hungry. Some religions and groups protest eating genes and do not want to consume such un-natural foods and other concerns still the unknown effects on human allergies and transfer of antibiotic resistance to intestine bacterial flora or pathogenic bacteria in our bodies. Genetically Modified Organisms in Food Thesis: Consumers today have a right to know if genetically modified foods are harmful to our health, the environment and our economy. In order to be able to answer these questions more research needs to be done. Summary Controversy around genetically modified foods is becoming big news and sorting through volumes of information can be intimidating. The public is asking a lot of questions about GM foods and they are also raising concerns about the effects these foods may have on their health or the environment. There are different advantages and disadvantages of GM foods, although to what extent they can help or harm humans and the environment is a debatable aspect of this technology. The time has come to look at the decisions that we make about genetic engineering in food crops and if it will have permanent consequences on our food production capacity. Are genetically modified foods putting us at a crossroads in terms of the agricultural legacy that we will leave behind for our children and grandchildren? Modern technology has given us the ability to go beyond selective breeding. Organisms can now be modified by moving genes from one species to another and by introducing synthetic genetic material into their genomes. Humans no longer simply select from variations present in the population: they create new variations! Some find our new power exciting. They dream of crops with greater resistance to disease and insect pests, pigs with healthy fats, and a level of agricultural production sufficient to feed everyone on the planet. Others fear that we have crossed an important boundary and are now tinkering with living systems that we understand incompletely. They question our ability to predict the consequences of our actions and are afraid that we may disrupt the delicate natural order. GMO Technology I. What Are GMOs? GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are plants, animals, viruses and bacteria that are created in the laboratory. Their DNA (genes) has been modified through the use of gene splicing techniques in a desire to create â€Å"new† organisms. The technology involves removing the DNA of one species and inserting it into another species, resulting in new and different varieties of plant, animal, viral and bacterial genes which don’t naturally occur in nature or by hybridizing (Smith, 2012, para. 7). Other names for the technology are â€Å"modern technology or gene technology,† genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technology, and biotechnology (World Health Organization (WHO), 2012, para. 2). GMOs are used to create genetically modified plants which in turn are used to create genetically modified crops for human consumption and as animal feed. Developers believe that producers and consumers would be interested in these foods due to their â€Å"built-in† advantages of lower prices, high nutritional value and hardiness. The desire is to achieve crops that are resistant to spoilage, drought, insects and herbicides. At the outset genetically modified (GM) seed manufacturers envisioned their product being used by producers, thus they focused on innovations those farmers, and more generally the food industry, would accept and appreciate (WHO, 2012, para. 3). WHO states that (2012), the initial objective for developing plants based on GM organisms was to improve crop protection. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides† (para. 4). Commodity crops were the First Generation GM crops and included soybean, maize/corn, cotton, canola and sugar beets (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). GM soybeans and canola have permeated the market and can be found in most processed foods, e.g. , spaghetti, candy Schonwald, 2012, p. 25). There was expectation that with the success of first generation crops, biotech specialty crops (produce) would follow, focusing more on consumer tastes. According to Kent Bradford, director of University of California (UC) at Davis’s Seed Biotechnology Center (2012), â€Å"these crops hadn’t been commercialized since 1998† (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). The author wondered why, and so enlisted the assistance of Kent Bradford for answers on â€Å"what was going on with bioengineered specialty crops† (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). Bradford and a collaborator, Jamie Miller, found that research on specialty crops was underway and had never ceased. The research involved input traits that are important to agriculture such as â€Å"disease resistance,† â€Å"insect resistance,† â€Å"adaptability to certain environments† and output traits that â€Å"improve taste and texture and could lead to changes in the dining experience of the future† (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). Schonwald says Bradford contends that (2012), â€Å"There was research on 46 different species with more than 300 traits being tested† (p. 26. ). So things were going on at the research level, but the results were not moving forward. Bradford found this was due to regulatory controls. Because of the lack of consumer confidence in transgenic breeding the regulatory process for genetically modified foods was much different than for non-GMO foods. In contrast, foods using classic breeding processes were considered safe for consumption. But GMO foods were â€Å"guilty until proven innocent† (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). Schonwald reports that (2012), â€Å"A genetically engineered crop must pass review by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration before it is commercialized. The cost could range from $50,000 to tens of millions of dollars to win regulatory approval. For every â€Å"transgenic event,† the genetic engineer must show exactly what genes went into the plant and how they function, and then prove how the plant makeup has been altered. That research is costly. So is plant storage. Once a transgenic creation is spawned at the Plant Transformational Facility, it is whisked to the UC Davis Controlled Environment Facility, where it will stay in a tightly secured warehouse. Or it will be airmailed to some other place, where it will live out its life in another intensely biosecure environment. The process is costly and time-consuming, which partly explains why biotech crop development is largely in the hands of the agribusiness giants – the Monsanto’s, Syngenta’s, and Bayer Crop Sciences of the world—who have the resources to undertake the process. With such high approval costs, big companies have favored commodity crops with market potential for hundreds of millions of dollars to sales, not tens of millions† ( p. 26) According to Bradford, non-governmental organizations – Greenpeace and the Union of Concerned Scientists – were responsible for the stringent governmental handling of the biotech specialty crops. The $20 million organic foods industry labored to stop the proliferation of GMO foods. They did so by launching a campaign against GMOs, inundating the USDA with thousands of letters (â€Å"275,026 to be exact†) expressing anti-GMO sentiments. This led to the non-inclusion of GMO foods under the USDA’s standards of organic produce (Schonwald, 2012, p. 27). U. S. Leads in Biotech AgricultureMore than 170 million acres of biotech crops are under cultivation in the United States, more than twice Brazil’s acreage, which ranks second. Experts credit faster technological advances, more lenient regulations and expanding economic benefits for the U. S. lead. Biotech acreage by Country, 2011| Country| Acres (in millions)| Biotech crops| United States| 170. 5| Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugar beet, alfalfa, papaya, squash| Brazil| 74. 9| Soybean, corn, cotton| Argentina| 58. 6| Soybean, corn, cotton| India| 26. 2| Cotton| Canada| 25. 7| Canola, corn, soybean, sugar beet| China| 9. 6| Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper| Paraguay| 6. 9| Soybean| Pakistan| 6. 4| Cotton| South America| 5. 7| Soybean, corn, cotton| Uruguay| 3. 2| Soybean, corn|. Source: Clive James, â€Å"Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2011,† International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, 2011, p. 2, www. isaaa. org/purchasepublications/itemdescription. asp? ItemType=BRIEFS&Control=IB043-2011| (McClure, 2012, p. 724) Below is a list of tips on how to say no to GMOs: Tip #1: Buy Organic Certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients. Buy products labeled â€Å"100% organic† â€Å"organic,† or â€Å"made with organic ingredients. † You can be doubly sure if the product also has a Non-GMO Project Verified Seal (see next tip). Tip #2: Look for Non-GMO Project Seals Products that carry the Non-GMO Project seal are independently verified to be in compliance with North America’s only third party standard for GMO avoidance, including testing of at-risk ingredients. Tip #3: Avoid At-Risk Ingredients Even if it’s not labeled organic or verified non-GMO, you can still avoid products made with ingredients that are likely derived from GMOs. The eight most common GM food crops are: *Corn (as in corn oil, cornmeal, cornstarch, and other corn-based ingredients) *Soybeans (as in soybean oil, soy protein, soy lecithin, soy milk, tofu, and other soy-based ingredients). *Canola (as in canola oil) *Sugar beets (the â€Å"sugar† listed on food labels is almost always derived from sugar cane and GM sugar beets) *Most Hawaiian papaya *A small amount of zucchini and yellow squash *Also, beware of dairy products, which may come from cows injected with GM bovine growth hormone, and meats from animals (including farmed fish) that have been fed GM foods. [Instead] look for dairy products labeled No rBGH or rBST, artificial hormone-free, or organic; wild-caught fish; and meat labeled organic or 100% grass-fed. Tip #4: Use Non-GMO Shopping Guides. Download either the new Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure or Non-GMO Shopping Guide at www. nongmoshoppingguide. com; in order to help identify, avoid GM foods and find hidden GM ingredients on food labels. If you have an iPhone, download the ShopNoGMO guide for free from the iTunes store. Copyright of Better Nutrition is the property of Active Interest Media, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use (Smith, 2012, p. 14). II. Scientific Techniques and Experiments Various techniques are used to transfer DNA genes into the host cell. Researchers have been perfecting these techniques over the past 40 years. In one technique, target cells are bombarded with heavy metals coated with the gene transferred have been bombarded. Yet another technique transfers genes by using a naturally occurring bacterium along with a pulse of electricity to introduce genes into the targeted cell (McClure, 2012, p. 720). According to McClure (2012), Opponents of GM foods argue that the public should be informed of the techniques used in gene-transferring (p.720). At the Plant Transformation Facility at the UC, Davis more than 15,000 transgenic events have occurred. Transgenic event is the molecular biologists way of describing the blasting of DNA from one life form into another. This building, a short distance from the student union, houses thousands of Petri dishes of microscopic plantlets bathing in pink and fluorescent blue lights. Here biologists use a gas-pump-like tool called the Helium Particle Delivery system to mix sexually incompatible species together. They use gold bullets (literally) to fire genes from one species into another in a bombardment chamber. As a result the â€Å"Davis lab has birthed grapes spiked with jellyfish, tomatoes spiked with carp, transgenic squash, transgenic carrots, and transgenic tomatoes† (Schonwald, 2012, p. 25). In Changing Genes to Feed the World, David Pimentel takes a look at one molecular biologist’s account of plant breeding and the field of genetic engineering of crops. In her book, Mendel in the Kitchen, author Nina Fedoroff compares the contributions of genetically engineered plants with that of early plant breeding research, e. g. , development of hybrid corn, achieved through the transfer of genes within the confines of crop species. This method contributed greatly to the growth of crop yields during the Green Revolution. Specifically, according to Fedoroff (2004), traditional methods of cross breeding were responsible for, â€Å"40 percent of the increase in yields. The remaining 60 percent was due to greater inputs in fossil-fuels energy, fertilizers and pesticides† (Pimentel, 2004, paras. 1-2). Crop yields increased greatly during the years 1950-1983. Globally, 80 percent of the calories consumed by humans came from grains, making the Green Revolution an important feeding mechanism for billions of people around the world (Pimentel, 2004, para. 2). Though the use of traditional breeding methods greatly increased the yield and quality of crops, these methods were quite slow, in comparison to the advances being made in the field of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Before, breeders were required to manually manipulate genetic material within a specific crop to increase yields. Now, through genetic engineering, genes can quickly be transferred from one plant species to another and brought into crops (Pimentel, 2004, para. 3). As more and more genetically modified foods are being integrated into our food systems, there is a need to be able to detect their presence in food products in order to determine if food manufacturers are in â€Å"compliance with labeling requirements† (Yi, Yien-Chian, Foo-Peng Lee, and Nam-Trung, 2009, para. 1). There is a method that allows for the rapid detection of the presence of GMOs in foods and it is called ferrofluid-driven PCR microchip. â€Å"The microchip was fabricated in polymethyl methacrylate by CO? laser ablation and was integrated with three temperature zones. PCR solution was contained in a circular closed micro channel and was driven by magnetic force generated by an external magnet through a small oil-based ferrofluid plug. Successful amplification of genetically modified soya and maize were achieved in less than 13 minutes. This PCR microchip combines advantages of cycling flexibility and quick temperature transitions associated with two existing microchip PCR techniques, and it provides a cost saving and less time-consuming way to conduct preliminary screening of GMOs† (Yi, Yien-Chian, Foo-Peng Lee, & Nam-Trung, 2009, para. 1). History of GMO’s I. Biotechnology Chronology â€Å"1950s – 1960s: Scientists identify genes and begin investigating the role of DNA in plant development. 1953-American biochemist James Watson and British biophysicist Francis Crick describe the structure of DNA, setting the stage for mapping the genetic code. 1967-Lenape potato, a new variety bred for making potato chips is withdrawn from experimental production after high levels of toxin are found. 1970s – 1980s: Scientists begin experimenting with genetic transformation of plants and animals. 1973-Scientists create first genetically engineer organism. 1983-Researchers transfer new DNA into plants, leading to the creation of genetically modified crops. 1989-Calene Inc. receives U. S. patent for gene sequence in GM Flavr Savr tomato. 1990s: Biotech foods are marketed to the public despite environmental and health concerns. 1992-FDA decides not to require labeling of most GM foods, sparking mistrust of the technology. 1993-FDA allows cows to be injected with bovine growth hormone (rBGH) made from genetically modified bacteria, setting off consumer protests. 1994-FDA approves Flavr Savr tomato, first GM food approved for sale to consumers. 1996-Monsanto introduces Roundup Ready soybeans, first of several popular herbicide-tolerant or insecticide-producing crops. 1998- European Union (EU) halts approvals of new GM crops in what is termed an â€Å"unofficial moratorium. † 2000s: Genetically engineered foods face continued criticism despite growing scientific consensus that they do not pose greater safety risks than conventional crops. 2000-Bowing to international demands, U.S. officials agree to label GM commodities for export†¦. Weeds resistant to Roundup discovered in Delaware†¦. Friends of the Earth, a major environmental group, reports that genes from StarLink corn, a GM crop approved only for animal consumption, have been discovered in taco shells. The discovery prompts recalls of corn products and lawsuits, but researchers are unable to document any human health effects†¦. Centers for disease Control study concludes StarLink did not cause allergic reactions claimed by 28 people. 2002-National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy finds that GM crops in the United States produced four billion pounds of additional foods and fiber on the same acreage, improved farm income by $1. 5 billion and reduced pesticide use by 46 million pounds†¦. Monsanto announces it will delay introduction of GM wheat amid concerns from farmers that it will harm exports. 2003-Bollworms resistant to the Bt toxin, an insecticide produced by GM cotton, discovered in the South. 2004-Under U. S. pressure, EU drops de facto ban on GM crops but institutes mandatory labeling; many European stores won’t stock GM foods because of consumer fears. 2008-Monsanto sells unit that produces rBGH, as major grocers including Wal-Mart, Publix and Kroger decline to sell milk from cows treated with the product. 2010-After approving the sale of GM eggplant, India’s environment minister declares a moratorium on the product because of public outcry. 2011-GM crops are grown on 395 million acres of farmland globally, though more than 90 percent is in just three crops: soybeans, corn and cotton. 2012-Anti-GMO groups file petitions containing more than 1 million signatures demanding that the FDA require GM foods to be labeled†¦. Californian vote scheduled for Nov. 6 on ballot initiative requiring labeling for GM foods† (McClure, 2012, p. 727). II. Advantages and Disadvantages The people of the United States (U. S. ) have been unknowingly consuming GMO foods since the 1990s. The Food and Drug Administration scientists warned that these new foods had the capability to produce new allergens and toxins and advised that more thorough testing was needed. But the U. S. government’s position was that GM foods were equivalent to non-GMO foods and failed to require labeling and testing (Smith, 2012, para, 9). According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), eating GMO foods contributes to a number of health risks (Smith, 2012),â€Å"including infertility, immune system issues, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal issues, and changes in organs† (para. 9). AAEM reported that doctors most likely are seeing negative health effects in their patients and may not realize that GMO foods are the culprit. Doctors are urged to prescribe non-GMO diets for all of their patients (Smith, 2012, para. 9). The environment is not exempt from the risks of GMO foods. There is the threat of GMO seeds contaminating nearby fields of organic and non-GMO crops. Pesticide usage has dramatically increased over the first thirteen years since the GM crops were introduced. Further, high amounts of herbicide usage on GM herbicide –resistant crops have caused the development of â€Å"superweeds† that adapt to and withstand your typical herbicides (Smith, 2012, para. 10). On the positive side, genetic engineering offers a wonderful solution to farmers, especially those in developing countries, and that is the opportunity for developing perennial grains. As most grains are annual crops, tilling and replanting of the soil is required every single year. This involves an enormous amount of energy each year, including fossil and human energy and strength. Annual tillage also results in soil erosion. Planting perennial grains would mean that farmers would only need to till and replant every five or six years. This would be a major benefit for farmers in developing countries, as tilling for them involves 400 hours per hectare, hand-tilling their fields prior to planting their crops. As such, according to the author, â€Å"plant breeding and genetic engineering will continue to make a tremendous contribution to our food supply† (Smith, 2012, para. ). Other advantages of GM foods include disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought resistance, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and phytoremediation (Whitman, 2012, pp. 2-4). Legal and Political Issues I. Regulations and Laws There have been an abundant number of studies done in the past on American health and safety standards that have demonstrated the inconsistencies of risk assessment. Some standards are rather strict and offer few or no benefits in savings lives, preventing diseases or injuries; while other standards have been negligent and have placed a considerable amount of lives at risk or harm. It is essentially due to the passage of these standards for which the American regulatory policy making has been implanted. In the past, both Congress and the political appointees who head regulatory agencies have been very susceptible to public opinion and public pressures. As a result, the more the American public is prone to worry about a particular risk, the more meticulous American policy-makers are likely to regulate it. â€Å"Therefore, many of the American regulatory policies, especially those between the mid 1960s through the mid 1980s, were characterized by the triumph of â€Å"passion† over â€Å"sound science. † (Vogel, 2001). In 1984, the Federal Government established a formal policy that is referred to as â€Å"The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology†. This policy describes the Federal system for evaluating products that have been developed using modern biotechnology. â€Å"The Coordinated Framework is based upon health and safety laws developed to address specific product classes and involves the cooperation of three federal regulatory agencies; the EPA, the USDA, and the FDA. The U. S. Government has written new regulations, policies and guidance to implement these laws for biotechnology as products have developed† (United States Regulatory Agencies Unitied Biotechnology Website, 2012). EPA Regulation â€Å"Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA regulates the use of intergeneric microorganisms in commerce or commercial research. The EPA considers intergeneric microorganisms to be those formed from organisms in different genera (genera is the plural of genus, which is a level in a taxonomic classification system based on the relatedness of organisms) or those microorganisms formed with synthetic DNA not from the same genus† (Biotechnology Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act, 2012). â€Å"The EPA believes that inter generic micro organisms have a sufficiently high likelihood of expressing new traits or new combinations of traits to be termed â€Å"new† and warrant EPA review. The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Biotechnology Program conducts a screening program for new microorganisms under section 5 of TSCA. In 1997, the EPA published regulations that fully implement its pre-manufacture program for microorganisms under TSCA section 5. Prior to 1997; the EPA operated its biotechnology program in accordance with the 1986 Policy Statement† (Biotechnology Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act, 2012) USDA Regulation. | â€Å"USDA supports the safe and appropriate use of science and technology, including biotechnology, to help meet agricultural challenges and consumer needs of the 21st century. USDA plays a key role in assuring that products produced using biotechnology are safe to be grown and used in the United States. Once these products enter commerce, USDA supports bringing these and other products to the worldwide marketplace† (Bitechnology, 2012). | â€Å"The Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) was originally established in February, 2003 and first met in June, 2003. Under its Charter, the committee is charged with examining the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U. S. food and agriculture system and USDA, and providing guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues, identified by the Office of the Secretary, related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture. The AC21 is a broad-based committee representing a wide range of interests and agricultural expertise† (USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), 2012). FDA Regulation â€Å"In the Federal Register of May 29, 1992 (57 FR 22984), FDA published its â€Å"Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties†. The 1992 policy clarified the agency’s interpretation of the application of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to human foods and animal feeds derived from new plant varieties and provided guidance to industry on scientific and regulatory issues related to these foods (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012). The 1992 policy applied to all foods derived from all new plant varieties, including varieties that are developed using recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) technology. This site refers to foods derived from plant varieties that are developed using rDNA technology as â€Å"bioengineered foods†Ã¢â‚¬  (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012). â€Å"In the Federal Register of January 18, 2001 (the premarket notification proposal; 66 FR 4706), FDA issued a proposed rule that would require that developers submit a scientific and regulatory assessment of the bioengineered food 120 days before the bioengineered food is marketed. In the premarket notification proposal, FDA recommends that developers continue the practice of consulting with the agency before submitting the required premarket notice† (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012) The chief statutes under which the above agencies have been given regulatory or Review authority comes from the following Act’s: * The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (EPA); * The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (EPA); * The Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA) (FDA and EPA); * The Plant Protection Act (PPA) (USDA); * The Virus Serum Toxin Act (VSTA) (USDA); * The Public Health Service Act (PHSA)(FDA); * The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) (FDA) * The Meat Inspection Act (MIA)(USDA); * The Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (USDA); * The Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (USDA); and * The National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)(Guide to U. S. Regulations of Genetically Modified Foods and Argricultural Biotechnology Products, 2001) II. Current Political Issues Genetically modified foods have been a concern for many people around the world. In the past Europeans have been the most vocal in their resistance to GM foods and crops, to the point that they have implemented strict labeling requirements for any genetically modified foods sold. In the absence of stronger health and safety data, many national governments across the world have taken steps to lessen the existence of GE food within their borders. â€Å"In Europe, six nations (Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Luxembourg) have enacted bans on the cultivation and import of GE products, and nearly 50 nations worldwide require that all GE foods be labeled as such† (Dahl, 2012). To date in the United State there have been no mandatory labeling requirements for genetically modified foods. However this may soon change, Americans are now starting to ask questions about what they are eating and suspicions about the health and environmental effects of biotechnology is now behind the demand that foods from genetically modified crops be labeled. The most recent labeling effort that has come to the fore front is the California ballot initiative Proposition 37 called â€Å"The Right to Know†. What is Proposition 37? The California â€Å"Right to Know† Genetically Engineered Food Act is easy: The initiative would basically require food that is sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it is produced through genetic engineering, and would not allow these products to be labeled as â€Å"natural. † Prop 37 allows companies 18 months to change their product labels, and allows for the GMO disclosure to appear wherever they choose on the packaging (Facts Yes on Prop 37, 2012). If this initiative passes, California will be the first state to require all foods that have genetically modified crops in them to be labeled. However, there is an opposing side to this Proposition. Those that are against Proposition 37 feel that by having to label all foods with genetically engineered crops would mean higher food prices due to the cost of re-package existing foods, recordkeeping, or companies being forced to switch to higher priced non-GM foods. The opposing side also states that it would add more government bureaucracy and taxpayers cost, and create frivolous lawsuits (Stop the Deceptive Food Labeling Scheme, 2012). This is one political debate that will have everyone on the edge of their chairs. III. What are the Possible Health Effects of GM Foods? With so many of our foods today now coming from GM crops, questions are now being asked if there is a health risk from GM foods. The problem is that unlike the safety evaluations that are required for the approval of a new drug, the safety evaluations of genetically engineered foods for human consumption has not been as strict. So what is known about possible health issues from the consumption of GM foods? Scientists from around the world have been complaining that a majority of the research that is being done about the possible side effects of GM foods for human consumption is being conducted by scientists that are associated with the biotechnology companies; the same companies that are selling the crops seeds. That and the fact that these studies are being done by the biotechnology companies tend to show that there are no health problems associated with eating GM foods. The problem is this is a one sided research study. One of the biggest problems that independent researchers are facing is that it is extremely hard to get GM seeds in order to conduct any type of research. These seeds can only be purchased through a licensed seed dealer and a technology licensing agreement must be signed stating that no research will be done on the seed; this includes any research attributed to health and environment. Scientists who have managed to do research on the health impacts of the GM seeds are often harassed, intimidated, and defamed by those with a strong interest in the GM technology. Even with these challenges researcher have managed to conduct medical research on the health effects of GM seeds; of these tests the most obvious concern has been the risk of allergic reactions.