A close focus on act III of ‘The Crucible’ Essay

The play, ‘The crucible’, shows how people react to mass hysteria caused by a group of people, as people did during the McCarthy hearings in the 1950’s. The â€Å"House un-American activities committee† searched for communist sympathisers because they were felt to be a threat to the state. Many Americans were wrongly accused of being communist sympathisers and were convicted and sentenced without any real evidence of them having committed a crime. Mere suspicion was classed as evidence. And like the during the witch hunts, anyone who spoke out was accused which made defending yourself a death wish. This is how McCarthyism was linked with the witch-hunts that had taken place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The title of the play describes exactly what was happening at the time of the witch-hunts. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extracted the pure element from impurities, and crucible is another word for a cauldron that witches use to brew their magic potions in. So the word ‘crucible’ could metaphorically be used to explain how the activities in Salem were like a potion brewing in a cauldron with the potion being ‘mixed’ to separate the witches (impurities) from the good, god-loving citizens (element). The opening scene of the play shows the girls dancing in the woods around a cauldron, they are spotted by Parris who also see’s that one of them is naked.  The people of Salem were Puritans and so dancing was perceived as a sin.  The morning after the dancing, two of the youngest girls cannot wake from bed. A doctor is called to help the girls but he cannot diagnose what is wrong with them or how they can be helped, His only advice is to look to the unnatural. The girls do not confess to their activities until Parris confronts them. Abigail says all that they did was dance and strongly denies that any of them were naked, ‘Uncle, we did dance.’ ‘There is nothin’ more. I swear it, uncle.’ Mrs Putnam, the mother of the other ill child, believes that her daughter Ruth and Parris’s daughter Betty’s illnesses are caused by the devil. Parris calls for Hale who is an expert on ‘demonic arts’  Parris is the minister of the Village, much to the Putnam’s dismay. Mr Putnam’s brother was in competition with Parris for the position of minister and so the Putnam’s have a grudge against not only Parris, but the Nurse family who prevented him from being minister and many of there neighbours for various reasons. Especially with Giles Corey who has worked out that the Putnam’s will do anything to get their hands on other peoples land, ‘This man is killing his neighbours for their land!’ John Proctor also has a grudge against Parris. Hale arrives in Salem, He is a confident and well education young man who believes he has all the answers. As he is examining Betty Giles Corey distracts him by asking him questions about his wife. Giles says that his wife reads strange books whilst they are in bed and while she is reading, he cannot pray. Hale carries on trying to help Betty with little effect. Parris tells Hale that he thinks he saw a kettle in the grass with the girls in the wood with something moving inside it. Hale questions Abigail but she denies that she drank blood and called the devil. Abigail then realises that if the truth is found out she will get in a lot of trouble and so she passes the blame onto Tituba, Parris’s black slave, by saying that Tituba forced her to drink blood and even blames her wicked dreams on the slave. Tituba confesses to save herself from being hung. She mentions four people’s names that she supposedly saw with the devil. Abigail mentions more and more names and then the rest of the girls join in, mentioning the names of anyone they hate, have a grudge against or just dislike. As the girls cried out more names, the hysteria began to grow.  By accusing others of witchcraft they are diverting attention away from their original misdemeanours. We can see that the Proctors relationship is not very strong, they make petty small talk over dinner and don’t appear to be happy together. One reason for this may be that Elizabeth has not forgiven John for having an affair with Abigail whilst she was ill.  Whilst Mary was at court with the other girls where people were being tried for witchcraft she made a poppet for Elizabeth. Abigail was sitting next to Mary whilst she made it. By now 39 women had been arrested and Goody Osborn was sentenced to hanging.  Mary, who had always been a very shy, timid girl was now becoming very easily led along by Abigail and just as confused between fact and fantasy as the other girls and. This is apparent when she tells the Proctors that Sarah Good had confessed to having made contact with Lucifer, and that Sarah Goods spirit tried to choke her in the courtroom. Mary then speaks of even more fantasy when she says that terrible stomach pains had been inflicted upon her when she had turned the old woman away whilst she was begging. Mary also accused the old woman of mumbling a spell to her, but Sarah Good claimed it was not a spell, it were her commandments. The court asked her to repeat the commandments, but she could not.

Cultural Awareness

Within this report the aim is for organisations to develop and maintain positive attitudes towards cultural differences within the International Hospitality industry. This report will help to maintain and determine the opportunities that organisations can achieve if their limitations to cross-cultural competence can be avoided and by ensuring that the organisation implies an attitude of cross-cultural respect. IntroductionGlobalization has become a growing trend for organisations and that means they have to develop an effective international management strategies that will resolve the current issues, this means that organisations has to have a more systematic approach and understanding of value that diversity benefits brings into the International Hospitality industry. (19/10/2013)). Cultural diversity has become the most important factor in the working life within the hospitality industry due to becoming more diverse in the terms of race, ethnicity, national origin and other personn el characteristics of their staff members (Shaw and Barrett-Power, 1998).There isn’t any agreed definition for the term, but there is a new guidance from the Chartered Management Institute (2008) and they have suggested that it is about: â€Å"Valuing the differences between people and the ways in which those differences can contribute to a richer, more creative and more productive environment† The most visible term of diversity can be seen as (age, gender and colour) though the non-visible differences are (culture, religion and disability) these have been founded on the premise that adapting these differences which will help create a more productive environment for which every employee feels valued, also where their talents are being identified and fully used for in which their organisational goals are met (Kandola and  Fullerton, 1998).What Culture is?â€Å"The word culture can be said to be referred to the lifestyle of an entire society, also the term culture can be used in anthropology to help refer to a complex system of beliefs, values and codes of conduct. Society sees cultural differences as the variations in the way of life, traditions, beliefs and the laws that surrounds different countries, societies, religions and also people† (Business Dictionary) (18/10/2013). â€Å"Here are some examples of cultural differences and they are as following† (18/10/2013): 1. Clothing – For example Scottish men wears kilts to express their heritage. 2. Food – For example Islam people aren’t allowed to eat pork. 3. Language – For example Scottish people have their own language to communicate with one another. 4. Rules/ Laws – For example the European rules and regulations are different from United States of America’s rules and regulations.What Attitude is and how it is manifested?â€Å"Attitude is a predisposition or tendency to react positively or negatively that is aimed at a certain object, pe rson, idea or a current situation† (BusinessDictonary 18/10/2013). â€Å"It also has a huge influence on an individual’s choice of action and also which can be influenced by an individual’s response to a certain challenge, incentives and rewards (together these can be called stimuli)† (BusinessDictonary 18/10/2013 â€Å"They are four major components that influence attitude and how an individual reacts and they are†:1. Affective: An individual’s emotions and feelings towards another person can alter the affect they have for the person.2. Cognitive: An individual’s belief or their opinions can differ from other people’s beliefs to their culture and background.3. Conative: An individual’s inclination for the required action to ensure that they can accept the differences of another person culture and background.4. Evaluative: An individual’s positive or negative response to stimuli for them to take action on their att itude towards a certain person’s culture and background.An individual’s attitude can also be affected by the way that person has been brought up by their parents, it also can be influenced by a person’s emotion and behaviour. Another theorist has describes that a person attitude towards cultural diversity can be stated into two categories which is ethnocentric to ethnorelative stages, this is describe by (Milton Bennett appendix 1) my understanding of his Milton Bennett’s DMIS model is that it helps to describe the perspectives and behaviours that individuals face with cultural difference, and helps to identify and outlines a â€Å"continuum† of increasing cultural awareness, understanding, and adjustment.Implementing a management strategy towards cultural diversity within the International Hospitality Industry For organisations to manage effectively within a global or a domestic multicultural environment, they will need to recognize that they are differences and also learn to use these to their advantage, instead of attempting to ignore all the current differences or just simply allowing the differences to cause problems (Adler, 1997).It is said that managers should be taught how to adapt and respect the differences with work and also how to maximize the contribution of each employee (Cascio, 1998). Managers and their employees have to recognize that cultural diversity has its own potential advantages and disadvantages that helps to define an organisation’s strategy to help them manage cultural diversity within the workplace. Alder (1997) has identified the following strategies for managing cultural differences. And these are as following:1. Ignore cultural differences.2. Minimize cultural differences.3. Manage cultural differences.1. Ignore Differences:This strategy is where managers and employees adapt that they don’t recognize cultural differences or how it impacts the organisation, they also believe that â €Å"our way is the only way† to manage and organize. They see diversity as irrelevant. This strategy of ignoring cultural differences it precludes the potential of minimizing the negative impacts and also increasing positive impacts of diversity.2. Minimize Differences:This strategy is where managers commonly adapt the ethnocentric  method.Here they do recognize that cultural diversity but however only as a source of problems that occur within the workplace. Within an ethnocentric organisation, managers and employees believe that â€Å"our way is the best way† to help organize and manage. Within the strategy they attempt to socialize all employees into the behaviour pattern of the dominant culture, by adapting an ethnocentric organisation then they prevent the possibility of benefiting from many cultures that are present3. Managing Differences:For organisations that do adapt the strategy of managing differences within the workplace are synergistic organisations. They recognize the impacts of cultural diversity that can lead to both advantages and disadvantages. For the managers that using this approach believe that â€Å"our way and their way of behaving and managing differ† but both aren’t superior to each other. By applying a strategy then organisations create advantages that they could benefit from.OpportunitiesPeople’s attitude towards cultural differences can both have positive and negative impacts on the organisations but however these differences couldn’t be considered as hazards but rather opportunities and benefits if properly managed (Day, 2007). The opportunities that an organisations can benefit from include innovation, competitiveness and knowledge transfer. When associated with the benefits of cultural diversity there are four commonly mentioned reasons why companies within the International Hospitality Industry have to endure to be diverse.The four most commonly mentioned benefit of cultural diversity is:1. Valuable Innovation – First of all, diversity often stimulates new business innovations (Johansson, 2007). Employees within the organisation who multicultural backgrounds and experiences can bring in more improved innovation due to providing them with their new ideas from their viewpoints.2. Effective Knowledge Transfer – Within organisations cultural diversity can be useful in the knowledge transfer, although people come in different shapes, forms, and colours and do not seek out to be different from other people. Rather, people prefer to be with their own kind (Denton, 1997). This knowledge transfer helps to enhance the works productivity and efficiency.3. Increasing Competitiveness – Due to hospitality industry being extremely competitive  for companies to survive they have to control labour cost as well as increase customer count. Within todays dynamic markets companies have to serve various customer groups with different cultural background, hence f orward cultural diversity within the workforce can help companies to develop understanding of customers’ needs and keep long term business relations 4. Building Image – Cultural diversity can help organisations to enhance their corporate image. The hospitality industry has been somewhat passive about building a positive industry image for the public (Fernandez, 2006). Helps companies to recognize and accept diverse cultures.LimitationsWithin an organisation there are still many limitations and challenges that are faced when it comes to attitude towards cultural differences, either being an individual’s perspective or their behaviour. These are some of the challenges that are faced within organisations:1. Communication Issues.2. Discrimination Issues.3. Training Issues.4. Workplace Issues.5. Stereotyping Issues.6. Prejudice Issues.ConclusionGlobalization is a growing trend within businesses and have to give a rise to the need for the development of effective inte rnational management strategies therefore for many organisations there is a need to entail the thinking of a more clear approach towards cross-cultural aspects and issues.This report showed that there are always going to be more opportunities rather than limitations when it comes to cultural diversity, also for the understanding and management of diversity that has become important within the hospitality industry. Many of the cultural barriers that are commonly associated with diversity can be overcome in which this then will help to increase the awareness and sensitivity of cultural diversity management.RecommendationsTo ensure that all organisations within the international hospitality industry implement a strategy towards cultural diversity there have been many recommendations that can help them to achieve this within the workplace and also which recommendations that can be applied for which will benefit the organisation. Diversity has become a global aspect that affects the indu stry and which needs to be properly addressed and maintain, the recommendations that should be set out are:1. Implement a diversity strategy for the organisation to follow.2. To introduce diversity questionnaires for all employees to fill out.3. Implementation of a cultural awareness scheme for all employees to attend.4. Initiate a diversity management training program.5. Adopt an employee relationship management system.6. Overcome the stereotypes and increase fairness

Frame Analysis of Merck

The events that Merck encountered in the early 1990s have brought the company under intense economic and political pressure. Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) lowered the prices of drugs since they gained more control over drug prices and alone accounted for 75% of drug purchases. Generic substitutes put more pressure on the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to the election of President Bill Clinton in 1992, who exerted political pressure on the high profit margins of pharmaceutical companies and their alleged contribution to runway U.S. health care costs. Merck CEO, Vagelos at that time, initiated a series of actions to adapt the company to the pressuring circumstances. The immense outside pressure created a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity which is best explained through the political frame. Vagelos actions demonstrated the power of the political frame which is demonstrated by his firmwide cost-cutting campaign. He also inclined to lay off his employees by his managed headcount and cut all waste strategies. Vagelos exerted a structural act by moving the corporate headquarters from its historic home in New Jersey to a 30 wooded campus near Whitehouse Station. The old headquarter was alongside the company research and manufacturing facilities, but the new site was merely corporate and isolated from the company's other divisions.   This move has weekend the sense of family and relationship through the human resource frame. Although, Vagelos claimed a human resource face to create a new corporate culture to prepare the company to meet external challenges, but his acts spoke of power and conflict through the political frame. The political frame created more confusion for Merck employees especially after Vagelos name Richard Markham as president of the company, who resigned after six months leaving the company in more confusion. The absence of the human resource and the symbolic frames has caused morale of company employees to decrease and there was a perception that Merck was losing its way as a company. Advantages and Disadvantages to Merck Advantages for the political frame are the practice of power in face of uncertainty and confusion. However, the political frame created more confusion and the sense of team was lost. Advantages of the human resource frame builds on the sense of family and strong relationships to embrace the company for exerted pressure. The advantages of the symbolic frame are ability to handle complex and uncertain conditions of the company. Evaluation of Gilmartin Performance in Creating Change: Gilmartin has introduced so much change in Merck to enable the company to survive economic and political outside pressures. His performance would be evaluated in this section using the keys to a successful change introduced by Tucker in 1995. The following objects need to be clearly identified: need, objectives, participation, broad guidelines, details by group, benefits of change, and giving rewards. At first the need to change is identified at Merck to be initiated by the increasing economic and political pressure that was imposed on the company during 1992-1993. The change outside the company signalled change inside Merck. The company strategy and organization was compelling especially after the departure of CEO Roy Vagelos. The objectives of this change were to increase company sales, and revenues, increase morale, develop a sense of direction for the company for the future. Guidelines of the change were to maintain the established high ethical standard of the company while developing the tradition of scientific excellence through a cross-function function.. Participation in the change was mainly administrated by the groups that maintain the company; its employees and management, in addition to stockholders. The benefits of this change were to achieve the objectives mentioned in the previous section. In addition to increased earnings and established a sense of direction for the future to come. Rewards for this change were given to employees’ due to their positive view of Merck. Employees were also very pleased with the progress Merck had on management training and leadership development. Employees were also pleased with the their much developed communication among students. The rationale for my analysis considered the political and economic pressures exerted on the company in addition to decreasing income and revenue pressures which created the need for the analysis. Objectives aimed at the improvement of the initial status presented.   Guidelines were the specific way Gilmartin followed to achieve his objectives.   Participation pointed out the affected or participating elements that would be changed. The benefits gained from this change are at best when they match the objectives or even outperform what was expected as the outcome of change. Rewards are the benefits to participants. Stakeholders of the Recall of Vioxx: The 2004 Merck announcement concerning its recalling of the arthritis medicine; Vioxx, has caused the company stock to decrease by 27% on the following day. In 2005, Merck has set aside $685 million for Vioxx’s legal defense for more than 11,000 cases. The internal and external stakeholders are: Patients taking Vioxx, the United States Food and Drug Administration, Merck ; Company Shareholders, and other pharmaceutical firms. Negative Impact of Vioxx Recall: The potential negative impact of the recall of Vioxx, the most successful product launch in the history of Merck is multi-sided to include many losses. The financial losses were estimated to be ten percent of total expected sales per year which amounts to $2.5 billion per year (Appleby ; Matt 2004). The financial loss is further to be enlarged by the large number of lawsuits filed against the company. However, the bold legal strategy that Merck took to fight every individual Vioxx law suit on a case by case basis is expected to dampen the effect of litigation.   Merck accepts to take the cost of one billion dollars in litigation fee rather than open the door for settlements which would be devastating with the entrance of thousands of new law suits. Merck hopes that the waiting game would cause many plaintiffs to back off. The reputation of Merck also sustained great damage. It is believed that Vioxx is responsible for some disastrous health outcomes. Merck is shown to care all about business with less integrity towards doing what's right for its customers.   However, it is the reputation of Merck relative to other pharmaceutical company’s that really determines the extent of damage to Merck’s reputation. In reaction to the increasing economic and political pressures on Merck, Vagelos should have followed a combination of symbolic and human resource frame to better mobilize the company to sustain the encountered pressures. He should have built on the strong emotions and relationships between company employees who were developed during the company golden age 1992-1993. He also could have adhered to his alleged symbolic frame and created a symbol for the company to adhere to until hard times have passed through. Recommendation to Merck: It is recommended that Merck pursuit the development of new products to make up for the decrease in total sales that resulted from the recall of Vioxx. The company should also improve its reputation within the pharmaceutical industry through the involvement in a number of ethical activities to the community. Merck could re-establish its reputation by blaming the FDA for not recalling the drug after learning of Vioxx’s risks. Merck could work with FDA to change its approval process to ensure the safety of future drugs. References Appleby, J. & Matt, K. (2004). Merck estimates $2.5B impact from pulling Vioxx plug. USA Today Posted 9/30/2004 obtained on October 15, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-09-30-merck-cover_x.htm   

Definition of Family paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Definition of Family paper - Essay Example On the other hand, the extended family includes all immediate relatives. Significant inclusions in this family setting are the grandparents. Grandparents in this case are on top of the family tree. In a research carried out in 1996, fourteen percent of all children lived in extended families (Friedman, Bowden and Jones, 2003. Pp. 22). Regardless of what setting families share, they remain the best setting individual posses in the society. The family is viewed as the center of all the relationship created in the social setting. According to Friedman, Bowden and Jones (2003), parents are viewed as the providers (pp. 53). The author further argues that the relationships formed in the family setting come naturally. These relationships have assurance on commitment and honor. Researches on family relationships have pointed out that families provide individuals with more than just a relationship. They also provide a unit of companionship and support. It is proven that many people believe th at the strongest bonds in life are created from family settings. An individual living without the family bond does not have required relationship bond in the society. Different families have different ways in which they bond with one another. One common way in which such moments are shared is through sharing of meals and holidays. Sharing of meals in a family setting is viewed as a way of keeping in track with everyone’s life in the family. Meal times are used to strengthen bonds in the family since people get to know about each other. The healing process during family meal times is the most inspiring healing process. In case of any problem which a family member has incurred during the day, they have a time to put it across and receive advice or solutions. The most significant way of creating strong bonds in any form of relationships is solving each other’s problems. To me this is the most important function of a family. A family should not be a unit of formal relation ship but a unit which provides guidelines to all its members. Solving problems in a family setting can be termed as the best therapy anyone can have. Apart from counseling sessions, family meal times are characterized by the sharing of memorable moments that strengthen the relationship between members. Meal times are viewed as an activity which family members carry out together. Spending time on holidays brings out the moments that have a significant impact on the strengthening of family circles. Holidays with family members provide with the best memories I hold to date. Family holidays also play major roles in strengthening the bonds in family. Family holidays produce as well comfortable environments in which people can relate more to each other. Holidays away from the normal social setting bring out the serenity and calmness one needs. This scenario is made more comfortable when one spends it with family members. A family that usually has more than two holidays annually have stron g relationships compared to other families that do not have or spend fewer holidays together. My other view on a family is the issue on proper division of labor. In the division of labor there should be an inclusion of team work. In the division of labor, fathers are usually required to take on the most challenging tasks and majority provisions to the families needs. As much this is viewed as a duty, most fathers appreciate this gesture and view it as a form of respect from other family members.

Communication of corporate social responsibility Annotated Bibliography

Communication of corporate social responsibility - Annotated Bibliography Example Becker-Olsen, K., Taylor, C., Hill, R.P., and Yalcinkaya, G. (2011). A cross-cultural examination of corporate social responsibility marketing communications in Mexico and the United States: strategies for global brands. Journal of International Marketing, 19 (2), 30-44. The study highlighted the impact of corporate social responsibility communications on the perceptions of organizations along with their brands among consumers in two distinct cultures. It was primarily assumed that the global brand positioning theory is widely applicable, explaining that consumers’ perceptions can be improved if the brand is considered as global. On the whole, CSR communication can bring about positive outcomes for firms; multinational companies that highlight global CSR initiatives and efforts can bring about favorable perceptions among the public. Nonetheless, there is still a great need to consider the significance of certain needs based on local values and experiences. Bhattacharya, C., and Sen, S. (2004). Doing better at doing good: when, why, and how consumers respond to corporate social initiatives. California Management Review, 47 (1), 9-25. As the paper highlighted the impact of corporate social responsibility communication on the public, findings showed that consumers are more sensitive and demonstrate greater reactions towards negative CSR information compared to positive CSR information.... Through the use of content analysis methodology, it was found out that although Spanish companies associated CSR with great importance, usage of websites as a means of communication was not entirely effective. Information was limited regarding the concept of CSR as well the companies’ engagement with environmental and social initiatives, thus the need to further look into the type, quality, and quantity of CSR information that should be communicated through websites. Chaudri, V., and Wang, J. (2007). Communicating corporate social responsibility on the internet: a case study of the top 100 information technology companies in India. Management Communication Quarterly, 21 (2), 232-247. The paper looked into the communication of CSR carried out by the top 100 Information Technology (IT) organizations in India in relation to their use of websites. Specifically, the study examined the importance of communication, scope of information, and presentation style. Findings showed that th ere are only a small number of companies that integrate CSR information in their websites. Moreover, many of these companies do not utilize their websites with regards to the style and amount of CSR communication. Although CSR communication is not necessarily absent in IT companies in India, findings demonstrated there is inadequate CSR communication. David, P., Kline, S., and Dai, Y. (2005). Corporate social responsibility practices, corporate identity, and purchase intention: a dual-process model. The literature review of the study emphasized the importance of communication as a means of promoting the program as well as its performance to stakeholders. It was also asserted that initiatives for CSR communication can affect

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Assignment 2 - Essay Example It tracks the chain of events that lead to the differences, right from Stage 1 through to Stage 4. Stage 1 occurs in a society that is yet to experience any level of industrial development. This stage is characterised by high CDRs and CBRs, which are determined by natural occurrences such as extreme weather conditions and plagues. At this stage, family planning techniques do not exist; even if they do, they are not practised because of the high value of having many children. Children are seen as a source of income due to the contributions they make to their families through carrying out tasks such as collecting firewood, fetching water, herding animals, and taking care of their younger siblings. The more children one has, the more respected he is; this keeps CBRs high. On the other hand, food supplies and sanitation standards are exceptionally low. This translates to poor health standards, keeping the CDRs equally high as the CBRs. The result is a balance between birth and death rates, which translate to low population growth rates. This, in turn, keeps populations low. This stage is characterised by improved food production and sanitation levels (Jean-Pierre 60). These, together with other improvements to human life such as in technology and healthcare lead to a reduced CDR, while the CBR remains high. This creates an imbalance, resulting in exponential population increase. Most developing countries, in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and Asia, are experiencing this phase of transition. These include Afghanistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Mali, Yemen, and Palestine. This stage marks the turning point of the transition process. It marks the transition from agriculture based economies to technological advancements. Women are highly educated and have access to a host of birth control measures. There is an increase in income and reduction in the value of children as sources of income; instead, they become a

East Asia in the Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

East Asia in the Modern World - Essay Example Therefore, the history of China and Korea cannot be narrated without considering Japan. However, following the 1866 abduction Koreans and subsequent attack made by the Korean soldiers on the ship that killed mostly Chinese crew, the Korean government rejected the trade demands from the western because of the unfortunate experiences of China in the Opium War. Korea was also concerned that Catholicism would spread. Moreover, it stopped it trades with Japan. In the year 1881, the Chinese diplomat, Haung Zunxian wrote â€Å"A Policy for Korea† where he recommended that Korea to develop close relationship between China and Japan. Additionally, this diplomat proposed the formation of alliance among these countries with United States so that they could defend themselves from the Russian aggression (Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais 366). These developments are clear indications that in the seventeenth century, China had good relationship with Korea despite of unfortunate occurrences that might or occurred between them. Notably, on August 20, 1882 Chinese forces arrived in Seoul under the leadership of General Wu Changqing. This force seized the gun from Taewon and sent him to Tianjin, China. 0n 29th august the same year, the Korean army and its citizens attacked and killed Chinese army. In October, Korea and Japan negotiated the Chemulp’o treaty that aimed at punishing the mutiny leaders (Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais 391). Later in 1 883, the Chinese asked Koreans to initiate commercial treaties. Between 1883 1nd 1886, Korea made unequal treaties with different countries including United States (1882), England and Germany (1883), Italy and Russia (1884), and France (1886). These developments indicate that China and Korea had strong relationship in the seventeenth

Twelfth Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Twelfth Night - Essay Example Thesis statement: The analysis based on the two versions of the play Twelfth Night (the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare and the movie She’s the Man by Andy Fickman) proves that Shakespeare’s play revolves around the central character named as Viola, but Fickman provides ample importance to the play’s theme and presents the same in a different way. Analysis This section is broadly divided into four, namely: setting, character, theme, and literary/dramatic trope/irony. Setting In the play, Shakespeare makes use of the romantic atmosphere of Illyria to unveil the mistaken identity of the heroine/hero. Besides, the playwright utilizes the atmosphere of real Illyria to stimulate the imagination of the audience. During Shakespeare’s time, less was known about Illyria because the same was a distant area from England. Robert Owen Scott states that, â€Å"Shakespeare’s Illyria is a fairy-tale land populated with dukes, ladies, knights, and jesters † (21). To be specific, the playwright introduces an imaginary setting to the Elizabethan audience. This initiative is important because the aspiration to know more about distant lands was an important characteristic of the audience during Shakespeare’s time. One can see that Shakespeare was aware of the fact that less knowledge about a place can stimulate imagination. So, the land of Illyria is symbolic of the playwright’s attempt to entertain the viewers. Besides, romance is interconnected with imagination and an imaginary atmosphere is suitable to tell a romantic tale. Frederic Kolman states that, â€Å"This is a play about love, placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily† (18). Shakespeare aims to provide a pleasant mood to the play because the same suits the romantic setting of the same. On the other side, Shakespeare makes use of the story of shipwreck to connect the twins (say, Viola and Sebastian) with the dr amatic atmosphere of Illyria. This is important because shipwreck can happen anywhere and there is high possibility for anyone to be entrapped in a distant land. So Shakespeare amalgamated imagination and reality by choosing a dramatic atmosphere as the setting of his play, i.e. Illyria. On the other side, the movie based on the play provides less importance to an imaginative land because director does not try to choose a distant land as the setting. One can easily identify the fact that choosing a distant land can reduce the scope of box-office success of a film because distance is not considered as important in the modern world. So, the director amalgamated the setting into the film’s plot, i.e. the rivalry between Cornwall School and Illyria School. In addition, rivalry related to sports is an important element of the setting and plot in the film. Still, the director exploits the scope of the setting because victory in soccer match is important for the players and those wh o support them. To be specific, the dramatic atmosphere of the setting in the play is not utilized in the film. Instead, the director makes use of the setting as a background to support the development of the film’s plot. Character In the play, Shakespeare makes use of the character Viola as the backbone of the plot. For instance, the whole play develops through the development of the character Viola from a castaway to the duchess of Illyria. Peter Grube makes clear that, â€Å"The social reality of the Elizabethan Age was obviously marked

Create a profile of a leader (Martin L. King). Create an assignment Essay

Create a profile of a leader (Martin L. King). Create an assignment that investigates key leadership practices and relationships - Essay Example He spoke to other leaders and shared with them knowledge that he was able to pull into his own public leadership in order to enhance the effectiveness of his movement. The challenges that he faced were met with the preparation that he had made towards becoming an effective leader, although he had expected to lead a church rather than a nation. King was a well educated man who focused a portion of his education on the oratory aspects of leadership. He learned to become an effective speaker, exploiting his own natural ability to deliver a public message. His core method of leadership was in focusing his charismatic talents so that his followers believed in his message. Biography of King Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 14, 1929 to Reverend Martin Luther King and his wife Alberta in Atlanta, Georgia within the United States. At the age of fifteen, Martin Luther King Jr. entered Morehouse College in Atlanta before graduating from high school where he studied sociology. At the a ge of nineteen in 1948 he finished his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and became a minister. In 1951, King graduated with a second Bachelor of Arts degree in divinity before going on to study systematic theology as a graduate student at Boston University. He married Coretta Scott in Marion, Alabama in 1953 before being appointed a minister as a pastor to Dextor Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama. In 1955, King received his doctorate in systemic theology from Boston University, giving him the title of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (Bruns, 2006, p. xii). King rose to national prominence when he was made the spokesperson for the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott started 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, a white bus driving insisting that she make the move as African Americans were segregated from seating at the front which was reserved for Caucasians. The boycott lasted for more than a year, financially crippling the public transpor tation of the city as African American users were the larger portion of the public transportation using public. The organisation that was created to support the movement was the Montgomery Improvement Association of which King was elected president. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was not a legal and this victory provided King a platform of success from which to further his intentions to abolish segregation policies and discrimination in the United States. In January of 1957, King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in order to provide a resource for organized protests for civil rights (Bruns, 2006, p. xii). At this point, King’s career begins to move at a quick pace, his public accomplishments adding up to a powerful momentum as a leader, his choices promoting larger and larger successes that were filled with activity and progress towards civil rights. He was given audience by prominent leaders and taken seriously for the strength of the num bers of his followers, creating a movement that would eventually find success in abolishing legal separation between the rights of Caucasians and the rights of African Americans. He met with President Eisenhower in June of 1958 and Mahatma Gandhi in

Second language teacher education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Second language teacher education - Essay Example Teacher training, on the other hand, is used when it is a non-educator. As a whole, however, individuals who study to teach another language are called teacher-learners. What second language teacher education should be has evolved from content, to the person of the teacher and finally to the process of learning or teacher education. Several researches have been made to connect the two concepts under teacher education - teacher training and teacher learning. Previously, second language teacher education was focused on the content – second language – and not how this should be taught. Although there are many reasons for the gap between teacher education and teacher learning, it was generally acknowledged that teacher education was based on principles on teaching imparted to the teacher in the classroom which are then practiced by the educator in his own class. Background research has shown that this idea of transmitting principles eventually evolved into the teachers’ developing their own knowledge through their experience as a teacher. This change was due to the fact that adoption of the transmission idea failed to recognize the learning teachers would get from their classes. According to the reading, there are four influences that have an effect on the understanding of second language teacher education. These are input, prior knowledge, institutional context and time. Input is recognized as something made, how it is given to the student and the outcome it produces. In second language teacher education, strategies for input come from teacher training and teacher development, which are the combination of content and process. Where teacher training encompasses all the various processes learned by the teacher like academic programs, teacher development deals with the educator’s experiences and knowledge and how they can apply this to their teaching methods. Since in second language teacher education the teachers

Introduction to Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Introduction to Business - Assignment Example It aims to increase and regulate trade between the countries through minimizing and eliminating tariffs and duties on products and services. (Foundation) European Union is an economic and political jointure that consists of 27 of European countries. Established in 1993, it aims to establish a single market through a standardized set of laws that all member countries have to adhere to. The laws mainly come under the domain of trade, fisheries, agriculture and regional development. Ethics refers to code of principles and values that direct a person’s actions in his personal or business life. It, basically, means knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong and then choosing the right way to do things. Social responsibility refers to an ethical ideology that says that any individual or organization has an obligation to the society. Any individual, company, or country should act in a way that inflicts the least amount of harm or damage to its environment and must take steps that are beneficial to the society as a whole. The main purpose of any business is to maximize gains and minimize losses. In a non-profit-organization, however, these gains are not monetary. Nonetheless, the sole purpose of the existence of any business is to make profits. Therefore, this should be given highest priority. However, it is also the firm’s responsibility to abide by the particular state’s rules and regulations, standard, and moral obligations as well. Failure to do so, in the long run, affects the very purpose of the firm i.e. making profits. Therefore, the firm should not only be focused on making profits and should adapt its offerings and procedures to the regulations and other moral obligations even if that translates into some additional costs and compromise on the profits. The creditors – all lenders such as banks, shareholders, investors, etc. must be paid back or

Investors Gain New Clout Essay Example for Free

Investors Gain New Clout Essay From the many problems now being experienced by the US in their economy and the way they conduct their businesses, legislators and other groups are turning to new ways to improve the old system and pull America’s economy out of its slump. The latest among these moves is the move by the legislative to give shareholders more power and control in placing and ousting members of the board of directors. This move has become an issue due to the shift in power in terms of whose interest is favored by the ruling. There are several different interests that exist in a company especially when individuals and groups within it make decisions. There are shareholder interests, employee interests, management interests and stakeholder interests that conflict with each other. The current issue highlights the conflicts that arise between the interests of the management and the shareholders as well as the different interests of the shareholders themselves. This is where the clash begins. On the one hand, those who approve of the new ruling maintain that their interests are being upheld especially because they are the ones who invested in the business. This forwards their main interest of the organization succeeding in the long term because of the investments they have put into the business. While the previous ruling handicaps small shareholders, this new rule gives them voice through the process of â€Å"proxy access† as long as they have at least 3% of the controlling stock. This will enable them to express their dissent and dissatisfaction in the board members and oust them especially if they think that the actions of the board are not appropriate. On the other hand, the interests of the management, will be challenged by the new ruling and could result in problems in implementation and efficiency. While the constitutionality and the perceived negative effects of this ruling are contestable, one thing is clear: big business that angered their investors would go under pressure and could find themselves rethinking their strategies. A noticeable thing about this change is the apparent relativity on how democracy is perceived. Before the ruling, many directors served as the signing body for the chief executives and other high ranking officers they are tasked to oversee. This brings into light the apparent control of CEOs and other executives regardless of how the owners of the company feel about their decisions. With owners finally having a measure of control to a fair and impartial opportunity to elect independent directors, many things are going to change in corporations starting with both the board and top management focusing, instead, on serving the interests of the shareholders as their priority. With the democratization of the shareholders as they are given more power, many in management will see such democratic procedures as a bane rather than the boon they have always perceived it to be. Business roundtables, in order to veil their attempts at skewing the corporate election processes to favor the corporation over substantial shareholder interests, have tried to stop such democratization of power within their systems. However, their efforts have recently been trumped by the â€Å"proxy access† rule. The new ruling has made corporate directors directly accountable to the actions of the company. This will result in (at least speculatively) the improvement of performances of the directors unless they want to be voted out of office and replaced by independent candidates chosen by the shareholders who are against their performance. This power is, however, a double-edged sword. Advancing the interests of shareholders who, among themselves, have different interests could prove to be an overly bureaucratic and cumbersome process where all sides would need to be appeased in order to incur no one’s wrath and be dismissed from the position they have been holding. With as little as 3%holding shares, corporate directors will have many parties to appease, which will require them to be very dynamic and charismatic, as well as having an overall good performance, if they want to stay on the board.

Manufacturing Processes Of Plastic Commerce Essay

Manufacturing Processes Of Plastic Commerce Essay Plastic is a major part of almost every industry imaginable. From food and beverage packaging, to childrens toys, to automotive applications, plastic is all around us. Plastic is a versatile material which can be used for many purposes depending on the specific properties. This report will explore the history of plastics, the manufacturing process, and what to expect from plastics in the future. For simplicity, we will look primarily at the two of the main types of plastics: high density polyethylene, HDPE, and polyethylene terephthalate, PET. These two types of plastic have been the stepping stones for other plastic discoveries and their properties attributed to the many bottle applications. There are different processes that correspond to each plastic type depending on the specifics of the end application. Quality control and quality assurance are vital to plastic companies. These departments provide the customer with the satisfaction of a well designed product, which is why it is so vitally important. There are other problems plastic companies face on a daily basis such as change-outs, direct printing, stopping time, and damaged goods. These problems are capable of setting a company back from profit, and there are solutions being made for each of these issues. Perhaps the biggest concern regarding the plastics industry today is about recycling and what is being done to reuse and conserve our natural resources and minimize the negative impact on the environment. Recycling needs to be faced head-on and the steps to reuse and minimize waste are explored in this paper. The History of Plastics Plastics have always been viewed in two different ways. On the one hand, some view plastics as one of the most useful materials ever made, but on the other hand some see plastics are artificial, toxic, and detrimental to the environment. Plastic is a material that is engineered by men and can be shaped into almost any desirable form. They were designed in order to replace prominent products with an inexpensive yet efficient substitute. For centuries people have used natural resins similar to plastic, but not until the mid-1800s, did the commercial development of plastics begin (Plastics 563). In 1862, the first man-made plastic was developed by Alexander Parkes. This plastic, known as Parkesine, was designed to be molded and yet retain its shape when cooled, in order to replace natural rubber (Masterson). Later in the decade John W. Hyatt developed a material to eliminate the need for ivory in the manufacturing of billiard balls. In 1870 the material was patented and named celluloid, and this was the first synthetic plastic to succeed commercially (Plastics 563). This plastic was a breakthrough, but did have a problem with being highly flammable. Other plastics would soon be invented to fix these problems and cover a wide variety of products. In 1909, Leo Baekeland patented a resin (a material made from acids) known as Bakelite which helped pave the way for the development of commercial plastics. Bakelite opened the door to scientists to begin to understand the chemistry of plastics (Plastics 564). All plastics belong to one of two groups, thermosetting plastics and thermoplastics. Thermosetting plastics are plastics that are heated but can only be molded once. Since we are covering the manufacturing of plastic bottles, we will not deal with this type of plastic. Bottles are commonly recycled, requiring the reformation of a plastic, which is the definition of thermoplastics. The thermoplastic we are most interested in is polyethylene (PE). Polyethylene was first produced in 1933 and used on radar systems during World War II to make them light enough for airplanes (Masterson). The rise of polyethylene continued after the war and became one of the most used plastics in the world. In 1953, high density polyethylene (HDPE) was invented by Karl Ziegler and Erhard Holzkamp and used in the production of pipes (Gabriel). However, this material didnt reach success until 1956 with the breakthrough of the Hula Hoop. The toy led to the high commercialization of HDPE being used in pipes, which revealed the materials usefulness in the making of other products such as detergent and baby bottles (Ceresana Research). Another form of PE which will be of interest is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which was invented in 1941 by John Whinfield and James Dickson. PET was generally used in clothing but began to see more use in the manufacturing of bottles (Bellis). Not until the early 1970s did PET see use in plastic bottle manufacturing. Nathaniel Wyeth developed this bottle, by improving the method of manufacturing the bottle through blow molding. Blow molding was developed earlier in the 1940s but was inefficient because of inconsistent products. In 1973 Wyeth improved this method, leading to how bottles are currently made by stretch blow molding (Secrest). Plastics have evolved from a little known substance into materials completely facilitated in many areas of production. Although the first substantial invention was credited in 1862, the general public didnt use the word until the mid 1930s (Masterson). Currently, in 2010, plastics have woven their way into many facets of manufacturing and production, yet these innovative breakthroughs have also brought many new challenges. Plastics Types Plastics come with unique properties and colors. Their ability to be molded into nearly any shape while maintaining their strength at a low cost makes them an ideal material for many uses. From piping to bottles, plastic is a very common and highly useful material. Not every type of plastic can be applied in the same way as another type. Each type of plastic also has its own advantages and disadvantages. An example of the different characteristics of plastics can be seen when comparing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene. PVC is a type of plastic often found in piping materials while HDPE is a plastic that is often used in bottles containing materials such as detergent. PVC is very rigid and suited to applications requiring weathering resistance, inherent flame resistance, high gloss, abrasion resistance, and low cost (Bryce 129). HDPE, on the other hand, has a good balance of chemical resistance, low-temperature, impact strength, light weight, and low cost (Bryce 122). Both materials are useful in their own rights, but some plastics are much better than others at different tasks. Plastic bottles are generally made from three different types of plastic. HDPE is a material generally found in detergent bottles, such as Tide or Gain. PET is a plastic often found in drink bottles. Lastly, polypropylene is a plastic often found in clear bottles with small handles, such as a hand soap refill bottle. Each of these plastics has their advantages and disadvantages, which the industry is trying to overcome so that each plastic can be used more widely. HDPE HDPE is very commonly seen in colored, opaque plastic bottles. A large advantage of HDPE in bottle making is its ability to be layered. For example, Tropicana orange juice bottles are a multilayered, allowing the orange juice to stay fresh longer by keeping the outside environment from touching the juice contained inside. This layering process is not limited to just this bottle (Knueve). In Tide brand bottles, there are 3 layers. The outer layer is made of virgin material, HDPE that has never been used before, and the color. The middle layer contains PCR, post consumer recycle, and regrind, which is the reground excess flash that comes off other bottles. The inner layer, or the layer that touches the product is another layer of virgin material. This layering system allows the product to be stronger and also helps keep the product safer from the outside environment (Knueve). The main reason for layering however is to consume PCR and regrind while also maintaining a protective interface layer with the product. This can also allow the color (external) and internal layers to be much thinner. A typical detergent bottle is 15% outer, 65% middle and 20% inner (Hatch). If a material is sensitive to the outside environment or even oxygen, a six layer bottle is possible. Similar to the composition of the three layer bottle, the outside layer consists of the virgin material and the next layer is regrind. However, the next three layers is what helps give the bottle the protection to the environment. Most environmental barriers do not bind well with the HDPE, so an adhesive layer must be added to each side of the barrier layer. The inside adhesive layer is then attached to the sixth and final layer, which consists of virgin resin (Knueve). HDPE is a good material choice because it is a low cost plastic. Often made using a blow mold process, bottles made from high-density polyethylene often show very good performance during bottle drop tests, a test for impact strength. HDPE also shows high low temperature toughness along with excellent resistance to chemicals and good electrical insulating properties (Lee 190). HDPE, also has some disadvantages as well. Due to the nature of the material, it has low clarity. Also, the neck dimensions are less accurate than that compared to PET bottles because of the blow molding process (Knueve). PET PET is often found in carbonated drinking bottles, such as Mountain Dew or plastic water bottles. PET bottles are often formed in injection blow molding, as opposed to extrusion blow molding. This type of plastic incorporates stiffness and good heat tolerance (Bryce 120). PET bottles are also very clear. When compared to an HDPE bottle, such as a milk container, you can easily tell which bottle is made from which type of plastic. Due to the injection blow mold process PET have neck dimensions that are much more accurate. Lastly, after a bottle is blown, the temperature drops much faster due to PET having much thinner walls, allowing less cooling time during manufacturing (Knueve). This also increases the rate at which you can produce PET bottles when compared to HDPE bottles. PET also has its disadvantages. The biggest and most obvious problem is that you are unable to blow a handle into this type of plastic. This causes issues when bottles become increasingly large, such as gallon or larger sized containers. Recently, external handles have been produced which have created a solution to this problem .These external handles can be added during the injection blow mold process, or after the bottle has been blown. Examples of these types of bottles can be found in stores today on products such as Lipton Green Tea (Knueve). Polypropylene A third type of plastic used in bottles is polypropylene which is mainly used in bottle closures. Although not common in bottles, polypropylene can be found in products that resemble PET bottles, such as a hand soap bottle. A large advantage of this material is that it can resemble a PET bottle in its gloss and clarity, but can be formed with a handle (Knueve) using an extrusion blow molding process. Polypropylene also has good impact strength unless a low temperatures. Polypropylene bottles also have good chemical resistance, high abrasion resistance and high melt strength (Lee 194). These characteristics are very similar to that of HDPE, but in bottle drop tests, especially at low temperatures, a HDPE bottle will fare better and show more impact strength (Knueve). Each type of plastic has tradeoffs however. Although HDPE has more impact strength, it is very opaque and less shiny when compared to a polypropylene bottle. Plastic Bottle Creation The first common step in any bottle making process is extrusion. Extrusion is the process by which the plastic resin is mixed and melted. Similar to a meat mincer, plastic is fed from a hopper in certain predetermined quantities and is then melted. This process mixes plastic resin together to form a uniform mixture (Lee 103). Continuous Extrusion Blow Molding (Wheel) Extrusion blow molding is a very common technique in the creation of HDPE bottles. The process of forming the bottle in extrusion blow molding is a five step process. First, the plastic resin is melted in the extruder and mixed. This melted resin then enters a die which forms the melted plastic resin into a molten hollow tube know as a parison. The parison is then fed into a mold which clamps shut. A blow pin pierces the parison inside the mold in a section of the bottle known as flash and high pressure air is injected causing the plastic to spread throughout the mold taking on the shape of the inside of the mold. After some cooling time, the piece is ejected and the flash is trimmed (Hatch). A multilayered HDPE bottle is achieved through the use of multiple extruders each feeding into the same die forming a multilayered parison. The rotary wheel and shuttle system are the two most common types of continuous extrusion blow molding. In a wheel process only a single parison is formed. The molds are mounted to a wheel and rotate around at a slow speed. As they travel past the extruder, the mold closes, encasing the parison. With the wheel, at any given moment, the parison is being captured, a part is being molded, a molded part is being cooled and a cooled part is being removed (Lee 109). Two major disadvantage of the rotary system is the complexity and setup of the clamp mechanism and the inability to produce calibrated neck finishes (Lee 110). Later in the paper, we discuss how the speed of change outs is improving, allowing this type of technology to become more dominant. Continuous Extrusion Blow Molding (Shuttle) The shuttle system follows the same principles as the rotary system. However, the molds are kept on a track. Instead of one parison being produced, the shuttle technology produces as many parisons as there are molds (Hatch). When accepting the parison, the molds clamp when the molten tube reaches the proper length. This group of molds then moves quickly back to the blowing station after the parison is cut and a blow pin enters the mouth of the bottle forming the mouth of the bottle and then blowing the remainder of the parison into the mold cavity. Shuttle molds have a few distinct advantages over a wheel. The amount of flash produced in this method is much less because the parison length matches the bottle length. In a wheel method, the parison in-between the molds can vary because of the mold spacing around the wheel. Along with more efficient trim, a shuttle system creates a calibrated neck, where as a wheel system needs to have a separate process done to finish the neck of the bottle (Hatch). Injection Reheat Stretch Blow Molding Injection reheat stretch blow molding is often used for PET bottles. This technology is a two-step process. First, the molten resin is injected into a mold cavity which forms the threads, neck and body. This shape is then transferred to a different mold where it is expanded forming the shape of the bottle (Lee 124). The first step creates what is known as a preform. These preforms do not need to be used directly after they are formed. Using quartz lights, the preforms are re-heated until they are in a pliable state where a rod then stretches them downward while a blast of high pressure air expands the bottle into the shape of the mold (Lee 124). Significant engineering goes into the design of the preform. The plastic distribution in the final bottle is obtained through the plastic distribution in the preform as well as selectively reheating the preform. The hotter areas after reheating will flow more producing thinner areas. Through the combination of preform design and reheating you can redistribute plastic to areas of the bottle that need extra strength and thin out areas of the bottle dont need the added strength. Typically the shoulder and base of the bottle have thicker areas to produce a bottle that can carry sufficient top load (Hatch). Injection stretch blow molding This process is normally considered a one step process because the preforms are produced in groups equivalent to the number of molds. This process is intermittent so instead of the preforms being manufactured and stored for later use the preforms are produced within the bottle blower. This technology is much slower that the process described above but has several inherent benefits. The first benefit is that you can produce wide mouth containers without concern for the injection mold efficiencies. In normal injection blow molding operations, the bottles have a smaller neck and some machines can create up to 144 preforms at one time. However, with a wider mouth bottle, there is less room to make each preform. Therefore, creating preforms to use at a later time, which is the reheat stretch blow process, it is much more efficient to blow directly after forming the preform. Secondly, because of the slower blowing speed this technology is well suited for smaller volume products where produ ction better matches the demand (Hatch). Quality Assurance Quality Control The traditional way to ensure that the customer received an error free product is quality control testing. In this process the products that are already manufactured undergo certain tests to determine whether or not the products meet the standards required. It is common in manufacturing that only a sampling of the products are tested not every individual item. In some facilities it would not be economical or efficient to test every single item so random samples must be used (Kalpakjian 1073). An example of a quality control test in the manufacturing of plastic bottles is to verify the thickness of the bottle walls at various locations. It would be difficult to measure the thickness at all locations using a caliper so an alternative is to slice the bottle into sections. The sections are cut using hot wires to ensure a clean cut and the bottle is always located in the same position in order to make sure the resulting sections are always the same. The sections are then weighed and compa red with standard values to ensure that the plastic is spreading appropriately throughout the mold (Knueve). It is not expected that all sections would weigh the same since specific areas need to be stronger than others such bottle shoulder or bases. Automated inspection is another process that is very prevalent in the manufacturing of products. Sensor systems are designed that measure relevant parameters of the products as they proceed through the production line. Since the products are inspected during the manufacturing process any defective ones can be removed before they reach another manufacturing process (Kalpakjian 1070). The advantage to this is that time is not wasted performing another process on an item that has already been deemed unacceptable. A problem with this process of quality control is that there is always the chance that defective products could reach the customer. Leak Tester Plastipak employs multiple quality control stations throughout their HDPE production lines to ensure that all the products that reach the consumer are of the highest quality. The main purpose of a bottle is to contain a liquid so naturally one of the most important tests along the production line is the leakage test. The bottles will be used to contain liquids but it would not be efficient to take the time to fill the bottles to capacity, ensure there are no leaks, and drain them. Also that method could lead to potential contamination and the need to completely dry the internal surface of the bottle. The solution to this method is to test for leaks with air pressure. There are multiple nozzle heads at this station and a revolving loop is incorporated into the production line at this station. When the bottle reaches this station an air tight nozzle is applied to the opening of the bottle and air is pumped into the bottle until it reaches a certain pressure (Knueve). The revolving loop allows multiple bottles to be tested at one time to ensure production is not slowed. The bottle then proceeds through the loop and if the pressure holds the bottle proceeds down the production line. If the bottle does not hold the specified pressure the bottle is taken off the line after it exits the test station by a burst of air from a nozzle locate on the side of the production line (Hatch). In order to ensure that this quality control station is functioning properly it is periodically challenged. Plastipak originally created calibrated bottles by drilling a small hole in the bottle. They recognized that not only does this create a waste of material but also leads to the chance that if the test machine is not functioning properly a defective bottle would reach the customer. The solution to this problem was to modify the machine by creating a leak of pressure (Knueve). When the test station is going to be challenged a solenoid is adjusted so that it leaks air which creates the dr op in pressure which in turn triggers the rejection of the bottle after it exits the loop. After the challenging of the test station is complete the bottles that were rejected while the solenoid was leaking can be run through the test station again eliminating the unnecessary waste of materials or risk of the challenge bottles being shipped to the customer (Knueve). Label Checker Another quality control station on the production line ensures that the labels are correct and in the right position. As the bottles travel down the line they pass through a device that takes an image of the bottle with the label on it. The software in the station is designed to recognize that specific portions of the label are orientated at specific locations on the bottle (Knueve). Once again if the bottle does not pass this test an air nozzle is located where the bottles exit the station and a burst of air is used to remove the bottle from the line. Much like the leak test station the label verifier must be challenged in order to ensure that it is functioning properly. Some defective label bottles are purposely sent down the production lines when the system is being challenged. Some examples that would be rejected are bottles with no label, skewed label, or the wrong label (Knueve). At Plastipak the tolerances are set so low that often the few bottles rejected in this station woul d still meet the standards set forth by the customer (Hatch). Spout Verifier There are certain bottles that are manufactured at Plastipak that require exterior pouring spouts attached to them. The bottles travel down the production and the spouts are secured to the bottles with an adhesive (Knueve). The spouts must be orientated in a certain direction to allow the bottle to be poured properly. A test station is situated immediately after these spouts are applied. There are many sensors located at this station to ensure that the spout will function properly. One of the sensors monitors the temperature of the spouts before they are placed on the bottle because if they are not at the correct temperature it will not seal correctly (Hatch). Immediately after the spout is placed on the bottle there is another set of sensors to ensure it was attached correctly. Two sensors located at specific locations measure to make sure the spout is orientated in the correct plane. A third sensor at the same location is used to make sure there are no gaps between the bottle and t he spout (Hatch). Finally there is a sensor that verifies the spout is the correct color. When Plastipak challenges this station they purposely send bottles through the station with spouts not positioned correctly or no spouts at all (Knueve). They also send bottles with the wrong color spout down the production line. The color recognition sensor is critical because they do not manufacture the spouts (Knueve). Process Control An alternative to a quality control system is quality process control (Quality Assurance). In a quality process control method the focus is shifted from the items produced to the processes that make the items. If the process can be fine-tuned to produce exactly the same product consistently and correctly there would be no need to check that it is to specifications and defect free. In an ideal world the production lines could be set once to produce a perfect product not only today but two years later. The reality is that things such as equipment failures, variations in the material, or unauthorized adjustments among other things could lead to the production of defective items (Gordon 424). The solution to this problem is that the processes must be monitored to ensure they are being performed within acceptable limitations. All of the monitoring systems can be networked that allows management to easily observe whether or not the processes are being performed correctly which in turn tell s them high quality products are being produced (Gordon 286). The system also has the ability to alert the operators when a process is not being performed correctly and in some cases actually shut down the production line if necessary (Gordon 287). The temperature of the resin right before the bottle is formed is an example of a key process that could be monitored. The obvious problem is that the products produced while the temperature is decreased more than likely will be defective. Another potential problem is that it could damage the molds and machinery further down the production line. If the company relied on the old method it would take the operator recognizing the error or it reaching a quality control station further down the line which would still require someone to recognize the problem and take action. In the new process control system the temperature drop could be easily detected by a thermometer and the line could automatically be shut down before a catastrophic failure. The quality process system would enable the company to streamline their production lines. Streamlining is eliminating as many activities from the production process that do not add value to the product. While the quality control checks are necessar y in situations; they do nothing to add more value to the product. Quality Assurance In the system of quality processes the quality checks that you perform actually turn into quality assurance. Since the process is being monitored to ensure correct items are being produced all quality tests that are being performed through the production line are more out of a need of assurance compared to necessity (Hatch). The question is then posed why are the production line inspections still necessary if in theory every item produced in this system is defect free. The reality is there will always be a minute amount of variation in the products being produced. The variation could be from a range of things for example quality of incoming material or wear on the machines being used (Kalpakjian 1073). There are a multitude of benefits from putting the quality into the processes instead of waiting until the product is manufactured to be concerned with quality. In the manufacturing of plastic bottles it will eliminate the amount of scrap and waste materials produced (Hatch). Also it w ill increase the reliability of the machines which improves efficiency that naturally leads to more profit. Most importantly quality process control will lead to an increase in satisfied customers (Gordon 573). Plastipak Usage Plastipak created a system that integrates all of their process control methods into a single entity. When they first began developing the system their core goals were to simply obtain a count of the bottles produced and the amount of downtime (Knueve). Plastipak realized that there was the potential to go a step further and monitor individual processes within the production line. A computer system was developed that allows management to view the status and performance of many different components of the production from any computer with internet access. The system also has an automated email system that alerts the appropriate management positions when significant malfunctions occur or there is a period of extended downtime (Knueve). A few examples of processes that are monitored are air pressure, water temperature, plastic temperature, downtime frequency and length, and reject count at different steps (Knueve). The different test stations described earlier at Plastipak now are a mea ns of assurance since the products produced meet the required specifications. Recycling The introduction of plastics into manufacturing and production has brought about a disposal problem. Being so successful, PET has attributed to this problem greatly. Since a large number of bottles are being produced, once used up these bottles create large amounts of waste because most plastics do not readily break down. These products usually were thrown away, but because of environmental concerns, active solutions were sought out. Recycling is one of the most pertinent actions taken to decrease the amount of waste created by plastic. It is a process designed to recover and reuse material, which helps conserve raw materials and keeps those materials out of landfills (Recycling 184). Instead of throwing away the bottles, people instead are encouraged to recycle them, in which case the bottles will make be used again in the manufacturing process of the same or other products. There are typically two types of recycled material used by industries: materials that have been used by consu mers and waste materials from the production process. However both of these materials can be reused in the production process in much of the same manner. These materials are usually separated by type and then broken down in different ways for reuse. Thermoplastics are re-melted and reformed into new products, or new bottles. Thermosetting plastics are usually grounded into powders or shredded, in which these are used for other products such as insulators in clothing (Recycling 184). Recycled PET was used in many other products until 1991, when the first PET bottle was made from recycled PET. This bottle was made by Coca-Cola and Hoechst Celanese Corporation and consisted of 25% recycled PET (Secrest). This paved the way for other measures taken to increase the efficiency of recycling plastics. The Process The process of recycling PET and HDPE products has been refined and engineered to get the most use out of recycled products. Typically the process is as follows: 1. All of the recycled products and waste are collected together and sent into large bales. 2. The bales are shipped to where a bale breaker which rips apart the bales. 3. The bottles are sorted by resin and color. 4. These are shredded into tiny flakes. 5. The flakes are cleaned and melted. 6. The plastic is extruded into pellets which are used in the process of forming new plastics. This completes the process of reusing the recycled plastic, where the cycle starts over for the manufacturing of plastic products (How Plastic Bottles Are Recycled). Unfortunately, recycled PET encounters problems for the manufacturing process. Although the cycle is an advantage for the environment and limiting waste, recycled PET is typically more expensive to use and has lower quality than virgin PET. Recycled PET also is regulated by the FDA which creates more restrictions (Koester). Although it would be environmentally friendly to use more recycled material in each product, it is not the most efficient decision because there are limitations involved. One reason is that the recycled material is generally more expensive. The curbside programs designed to recycle materials are not available everywhere and completely adequate. If these programs could be improved then the materials price may decrease and the quantity may increase. Also, the product needs to have a balance of ingredients, because there are limitations to the amount of each ingredient. If a bottle was

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease The lungs are one of the most important organs in the human body. Without the lungs a person is unable to intake oxygen that is need to life. There are many problems that can develop within the lungs. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. This paper will discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of COPD. The pre-hospital treatment of COPD will also be covered. A detailed example of a field impression and treatment plan will also be illustrated. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes a person to have difficulty in breathing. There are to main forms of COPD; chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis is a long-term cough that produces mucus. Emphysema is the destruction of the lungs of a period of time. Most people that have COPD have a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. There are several causes of COPD, with smoking being the most prevalent. The more a person smokes, the more likely they are to develop COPD. There are also several causes of COPD in non-smokers. Patients who lack the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin can develop emphysema. Other airway irritants such as, exposure to gases and fumes in the workplace, second-hand smoke, and frequent use of cooking gases without ventilation are other potential risk factors. Again, smoking is the primary cause of COPD; however someone can be a lifelong smoker and not develop COPD. All diseases have a pathophysiologic reason as to how and why it affects the body. However, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, COPD does not have a clear pathophysiology. What is known about COPD is that the cells of the bronchial tree have been subjected to chronic inflammation. This inflammation is caused by smoking and other irritants that mentioned previously. When the cells of the bronchial tree are inflamed it causes the smooth muscles of the airway to constriction excessively. This hyperactivity causes the airway to become swollen, production of excess amounts of mucus, and decreased effectiveness of the cilia. As COPD progress, patients begin to have difficulty clearing secretions, which causes a chronic productive cough, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Due to the inability for the patient to clear the productive cough, mucus begins to collect in the airway. The collection of mucus is an issue because it collects bacteria and cause causes infections. B oth chronic bronchitis and emphysema caused airway obstruction. In cases of chronic bronchitis the airway is obstruction caused by the build-up of mucus describe previously. In cases of emphysema, the alveoli become enlarged an eventually destroy. This hinders the necessary exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has many negative effects on the body that impedes the body from respiring efficiently. Just like every condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has signs and symptoms that all providers the ability to both diagnosis and treat their patients. The classic signs of COPD include an ongoing productive cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in the chest. These symptoms can appear both early and late in the disease process. If a patients presents with these symptoms early, then it is possible that they have not lost the ability effectively move air. COPD patients may also present with the following symptoms: difficulty catching breath, signs of cyanosis such as blue or gray lips and nail beds, alerted mental status, and tachycardia. It is important for the provider to have good assessment skills so that he/she picks up on these signs and symptoms. Most COPD patients that an EMS provider will come in contact with will already be diagnosed with the disease, thus making it important for the provider to obtain SAMPLE and OPQRST history. After the provider has concluded that this patient is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease it is time for treatment to begin. The treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is pretty straight forward in the pre-hospital arena. Due to difficulty breathing, the patient should be placed on high-flow oxygen via non-rebreather. The provider should keep a constant monitor on the patients pulse oximetry to issue adequate oxygen levels in the blood. If the patient is wheezing then a nebulized albuterol treatment is indicated. Albuterol dilates the airway, thus increasing air movement. The next step in the treatment plan should be obtaining intravenous access for medicine administration. A blood draw should also be performed at this time. The provider should monitor the patients ECG. If accessible the provider should also obtain a 12-lead ECG and monitor Capnography. If the patient continues wheezing after the initial albuterol treatment, a second dosage should be administered after ten minutes. If wheezing still continues, the provider should consider administering Solu-Medrol intravenously. Solu-Medrol is a parenteral steroid that attempts to lower the inflammation of the cells in the bronchial tree. If the patients pulse oximetry is below 90 percent on high flow oxygen via non-rebreather, the provider should consider use of positive-pressure ventilation. There are two types of positive-pressure ventilation, bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Since local protocols allow the use of CPAP, it will be used for the purposes of this paper. CPAP decreases the workload of the patient on inspiration. CPAP also keeps the alveoli open allowing better gas exchange. Fluid build-up in the lungs is another indication for CPAP. The positive pressure supplied by a CPAP device will push the fluid from the lungs back into the vascular space. CPAP is contraindication on patients with altered mental status and systolic blood pressure of less than 100. With the treatment plan listed above, the pre-hospital provider should be able to effective treat a symptomatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is disease that Emergency Medical Services provider will have to deal with on a daily basis in a busy locality. This is caused mainly by the high popularity of tobacco smoking in the United States over the last century. COPD can by a gateway to other medical issues in the body, such as congestive heart failure and infection. The effects on the body in COPD patients works like a chain reaction, inflammation causes fluid build-up, which causes airway compromise and possibly infection. Patients suffering from COPD should immediate stop smoking. The treatment plan describe above is straight forward and can provide short term relief in the pre-hospital setting. Like stated at the beginning of this paper Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a like changing disease that can destroy one of the bodys most important organs, the lungs, and if a patient is unable to breath, they will die!

Elodea Essay -- Papers

Elodea Elodea is a genus of aquatic plants often called water weeds. Elodea is native to North America and it is also widely used as aquarium vegetation. The introduction of some species of Elodea into waterways in parts of Europe, the Australia, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand has created a significant problem, and it is now considered a noxious weed in these areas. Elodea canadensis, sometimes called American or Canadican waterweed or Anacharis (a former scientific name) is widely known as the generic water weed. The use of these names causes it to be confused with similar-looking non-native plants like Brazilian elodea (Egeria Densa) or hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). American waterweed is an attractive aquarium plant, and is a good substitute for Brazilian elodea since it is native to Washington's lakes, ponds and rivers. American waterweed is usually fairly easy to distinguish from its more notorious relatives, like Brazilian elodea and hydrilla. All of them have leaves in whorls around the stem. However, American waterweed has three leaves per whorl, whereas hydrilla and Brazilian elodea almost always have more than three leaves per whorl. Brazilian elodea is also a much larger, bushy plant with longer leaves. American waterweed also looks very much like another native elodea, Elodea nuttallii, which generally has three narrower leaves per whorl. The American waterweed lives entirely underwater with the exception of small white flowers which bloom at the surface and are attached to the plant by delicate stalks. It produces winter buds from the stem tips that overwinter on the lake bottom. It also often overwinters as ... ... semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It can grow in water. Potting: The Canadian Pondweed grows better in cooler water. In temperatures above 70Â º F, it becomes spindly. This plant can be grown under 8 to 10 feet of water and will easily reach the surface of the average water garden. This plant derives most of its nourishment from the water through its leaves; its roots serve mainly to anchor it to the bottom, therefore, they may be planted in sand or pea gravel as well as soil. They may be anchored down and just dropped into the pond or planted in containers of sand or gravel. If they are only floated in the pond, too much sunlight and air will kill it. If fish don't keep this plant in check, it will need to be pruned back to prevent it from choking other water plants and taking up swimming space for fish.

History Of Haiku :: essays research papers fc

In Japan, short poems have a long history. The earliest Japanese poetry such as that of the Manyoshu, written in 759 A.D., includes stirring narrative, dramatic and short lyrical poems which scholars believe were originally written as part of the pre-Buddhist or early Shinto ceremonial rituals (Haiku). This anthology includes anonymous songs and prayers designed to celebrate and pacify the gods, prayers for safe voyages, formal eulogies on the death of an Emperor or Empress and courting, marriage, planting and harvesting rituals. The 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable haiku has evolved and been reinvented many times over the centuries. One such form is the 31 syllable waka composed of five 5-7-5-7-7 syllable phrases. Developed as the early imperial court of the late eighth century consolidated cultural, social and political forms, the waka took its place as one of the important regularized poetic forms of the period. Within imperial circles, minor officials and scribes gained recognition as poem-providers and word specialists due to their ability to compose waka (Haiku). Nevertheless, early Japanese poetry went beyond official usage. In the 14th century, an intellectual game developed where one person would write the first half of a waka-like poem, and another would complete it, adding the two 7-syllable stanzas.As many as four people took part in composing such poetry in what developed as a serious poetic form, with many complicated rules to ensure that the elegant court-poetry diction and aesthetic ideals were maintained. However, in large social gatherings where Japanese rice wine, or sake, was often served, participants became inebriated and started writing haikai, comic linked verse, which ignored many of the rules and allowed any subject matter at all, from the truly crude and erotic to pure slapstick, daffy comedy. According to Dr. Kerkham, it was this lower-level poetic form which Matsuna ga Teitoku, haikai master, tried to clean up and popularize and teach to his student Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). Basho's haiku, written while travelling around Japan, made him one of Japan's most celebrated poets.

Transatlantic Airlines Report

We have analyzed the existing booking policy of TransAtlantic Airlines and identified potential cost saving.The implementation of the suggested new booking policy would lead to reduction of total expected costs per flight on average by  £8,100.Furthermore, the new policy would increase the predictability of total costs per flight. With 90% confidence new costs will be in a range  £750 and  £4,800 as compared to the current range of  £1,900 to  £20,300. The comparative description of the policies is presented in table 1.Analysis of existing policy quick fixBase case modelThe foundation of current policy is based on the analysis in table 1. We observe that the total costs for both classes are  £6,250. The analysis of existing model indicates that there are two controllable variables in yellow (booking level in both classes) and two uncontrollable variables in green (no-show %).Table Foundation of existing policyThe available data indicates that current policy assumes some e mpty seats on the plane. As there is no immediate justification to this assumption, overbooking of the plane should be targeted to minimize the costs.Table Quick policy fix By increasing the booking level for both classes,  £0 costs can be achieved (table 2).Scenario analysisTransAtlantic does not have data retention policy in place. Hence, TransAtlantic has applied the consensus of experts for the scenario analysis. The percentage of no-shows varies between 3% and 8% in economy class and 15%-30% in business.Our calculations indicate that base case scenario is equal to the best case scenario. The main reason is that both cases of over- and under booking the company incurs costs, therefore the cost minimization is only achieved when the number of passengers in each class taking the flight is equal to the corresponding capacities (table 1).In the worst case scenario, we assume the maximum no-show in both classes. The data in table 3 demonstrates that the cost of the missed opportuni ties (e.g. missed fare) is much higher than the passenger compensation costsWe have calculated that in the worst case the company can experience the loss of revenues of  £23,250 per flight.Table Worst case scenarioSensitivity analysisWe have identified that there are two independent uncontrollable variables in our model. The best way to quantify the uncertainty without the simulation is to conduct a sensitivity analysis.One-way sensitivity analysis allows identifying the influence of each variable on the total costs.Expectedly, we observe that zero-cost for economy class happens at 5% of no-show and for business class is 20%, as these levels are equal to full capacity utilization in each class.Any deviation from these levels results in the increased costs for the company. For the economy class the increase of no-shows by 1% point results in the loss of  £1,800, while a decrease of 1% point results in the loss of  £600. In business the corresponding figures are  £1,450 and  £300 (figure 1).In relative terms, the costs of 1% increase are 3 times and ~5 times higher than the costs of 1% decrease in no-shows for economy and business class correspondingly. The observation leads us to conclude that overbooking is a viable option for the airline. Analysis of two way sensitivity (Appendix A), helps us to identify the sweet spot of costs of no-shows (colored green).SimulationPolicy comparisonIn the simulation analysis we assumed triangular probability of no-shows based on the available data (economy: between 3%-8%, most people 5%; business: between 15%-30%, most common 20%). We have also used 5,000 iterations to calculate final results. Table 5 summarizes the results.Table Simulation output analysisAccording to our analysis the mean of the current policy equals  £10,800. This value is different from  £6,250 as the new estimated mean represents the expected value, which are the average costs weighted by their respective probabilities. The previous estimati on indicates solely the costs at one point.Quick look at the summary table helps us identify that the proposed quick fix is the least value destructing policy out of three policies. It has the lowest mean of total costs, the lowest probability of exceeding  £10,000 as well as the narrowest range of the cost.To be more assured, we have additionally conducted probability dominance analysis (figure 2), which tells that both current and quick fix policy have deterministic dominance (always better) then no overbooking policy (green line). Whereas the quick fix (blue line) has stochastic dominance over currently employed policy (red line). The outcome of current policy maybe occasionally better than our proposed solution, but in the majority of cases the quick fix policy will be better.Figure 2 Probability dominance analysisPolicy optimizationIn order to identify the optimal booking policy we have conducted simulation with 40 different booking levels for business and economy. As these t wo variables are independent, we have conducted consequential analysis. Results for business class level booking are in (figure 3). The detailed information about tested values is in Appendix B.Figure 3 Optimal booking policyWe have observed that the lowest expected value of total costs is achieved at 427 and 133 accepted reservations for economy and business respectively. The comparison of current policy against new policy can be found in table 6.Table Current vs new policy comparisonFurther model improvementsIt has been suggested that passengers upgraded from the economy class to business class, can additionally reduce costs.We have included this condition in the model and run the simulation with different booking levels for business and economy (see section on optimization). Expected booking levels are not affected by this change. No further adjustments to the booking levels are necessary due to overbooking in both classes,Nevertheless, in some instances, as we consider the whole spectrum of possibilities, we observe that there are occasions at which business class is not fully occupied. By introducing upgrade possibility we can indeed improve our overall results as seen from the following summary table 7.Table New policy with upgrade option Even though the improvement to the mean is limited to  £200 and the range adjustments also non-significant, we almost eradicating the chance of incurring costs more than  £10,000.This result ascribes to the partial offsetting of business opportunity costs (fare of  £1,450), with collected fare from economy class passengers of  £450 and the omission of compensation cost of  £150 to economy customers for overbooked flights. Thus, TransAtlantic airlines incurs only the cost of  £850 per business passenger instead of  £1,450 under the circumstance that business class passengers don’t show up and leave seats to extra passengers of economy class.