Knowledge of Theory Essay

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Therefore Physical, mental and social is the three different types of well-beings of health.  Physical health: Physical fitness is good bodily health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery. A good height, weight is very good, is generally increased by improving nutrition and health care, and is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life. Mental health: Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual’s emotional and psychological well-being. One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Capable and competent, being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life.  Social health: Social health is if your social life is good, if you don’t have problems with your sport partners, and no problems of money, basically social health is if you have a good life, and you don’t have many problems with friends and family. Have friends that you can be open with, etc†¦ Fitness can be defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue.  Physical fitness has two meanings: general fitness (a state of health and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical fitness is the capacity of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to function at optimum efficiency.  General fitness: Physical fitness is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery within the parameters allowed by the genome. Components:  Stamina:- to maintain effort (both cardiovascular and muscular) ; with stamina in football you last longer while you playing a match and it makes you play the game better.  Strenght:- to deal with the efforts and loads placed on the body ; with strenght you’ll be able to tackle the ball and the reverse player harder and with more power.  Supplness:- to move joints through their full range ; you’ll be more agil while you doing skills in football.  Speed:- to contract muscles quickly and slowly ; you’ll run faster than your opponent while you playing football. Specific fitness: Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person’s ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency. Specific training prepares athletes to perform good in their sports.In all the sessions I worked with Habib, he was my circuit training partner. During some session we had some interruptions from some people. The first session was the hardest one, but after the session it started to get easier.  I think I can do better then this, I progressed in all the sessions, but not that much in the push-ups, I think I progressed in almost all the sessions because I have been working harder each circuit. In all my lesson it were almost all the same, I worked always with Habib and was very easy .  Session 1- I worked with Habib and it was a bit difficult doing this circuit at the first time. There was lots of pupils †messing around†.  Session 2- I worked with Habib again and it was much easier to do the circuit this time, there were some disturbances during the circuit.  Session 3-I worked with Habib and was a good circuit with less interruption then the last time.  Session 4 -I worked with Habib once again and it was similar as the last circuit in terms of behaviour. But it was much easier to do the exercises.  Session 5-I worked with Habib for the last time , the behaviour terms were good and I had to do ma best in the exercises and I did. Planning  I think I didn’t use any pre-test results. I think that the training should have been harder den what it was. I applied some of the training in my circuit. They were specified to my sport, the sport that I choose was football .I used all the best sections that I think that would apply better to my specific sport.  Performing  I progressed in almost all my sessions of my circuit, but there was one that I didn’t progress that much. The keep-ups, bench raisers. I did all my session for 11min and a rest of 30s. After that I improved a lot in each of the exercises witch is a example that the circuit training resulted and that is worth doing it. Monitoring  Over the 5 week my skills in the types of session that I choose improved a lot, the heart rate and the rovery rate stayed the same. Witch is a good result an that shows a bit of improvement and that shows if you do the circuit training properly the results will be great.  Final Evaluation  My circuit training was good, but not successful enough, because it based in my sport but if it had more sessions it could be improved more. My training was more based in my legs, and my legs work improved a bit. My skills improved a lot and I enjoyed doing this type of circuit. This is very useful to be done in footbal beciuse there is evidence it improves the players skills.

Hrm – the Google Way

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – THE GOOGLE WAY SUBMITTED BY AKANSHA AGARWAL -100031 DEEPTI HORA – 100016 GAZAL BABEL- 100011 PRIYAM MAHESHWARI-100055 ROHIT NAIR – 100201 CONTENTS Executive Summary3 Introduction4 Company Overview4 People Operations at Google4 (with the help of Harvard and Guest models) Standard Recruitment and Selection10 Google India Code Jam11 Recommendations11 References12 Appendix15 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – THE GOOGLE WAY In this project, we discuss the Human Resource practices at Google Inc. They are known as â€Å"PEOPLE OPERATIONS† headed by Laszlo Bock.Googlers(Google employees) work hard, and have fun too. The workforce is diversified with international communities, Gayglers (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender), and Greyglers (Googlers over 40 years). We have tried to use HRM Models such as â€Å"The Harvard Model† and â€Å"The Guest Model† which link the current HRM policies of Google wi th the theoretical aspect of HRM as a subject. The Harvard model throws light on aspects such as situational factors, stakeholder’s interest, HR management choices and decisions, their outcomes and consequences.Whereas the Guest Model throws light on aspects such as HRM practices like hiring, training, appraisals, relations, etc. and also aspects such as behavioural, financial and performance outcomes. In accordance with these models we saw that the success of Google lies in its open policy to accept the employee’s ideas. Google has been able to instil creativity and innovation among its employees. The next part of the project gives a detailed idea about the standard recruitment and selection process at Google offices all over the world including India.Google conducts the GLAT (Google Lab Aptitude test) to see if the prospective employees are compatible with the work environment. Bringing to light techniques such as the GOOGLE INDIA CODE JAM, through which they hire th e best techies from all across India to work for the company. Finally we have given recommendations wherein keeping in mind the drawbacks of some of its practices, we suggest corrective measures. INTRODUCTION This report identifies the current HRM policies of Google Inc. The company which had less than 20 employees in 1998 now has over 20000 on its pay rolls.We have evaluated them against the Harvard and Guest model of HRM. Also recruitment and selection procedures have been discussed. Some of them are standard while some unusual concluding with a few recommendations. COMPANY OVERVIEW Google is one of the leading internet technology and advertising companies in the world. It flagship product is its internet search engine. It also provides advertising services which is its main source of revenue. Google employees named GOOGLERS, which are now almost 20,000 in numbers. (Datamonitor 2010) PEOPLE OPERATONS AT GOOGLEThe HRM activities are classified on the basis of the parameters given b y the HARVARD MODEL and the GUEST MODEL. Situational factors and Stakeholder interest of the Harvard model and HR practices and Outcomes of the Guest model have been identified w. r. t Google. (Bratton. J and Gold. J 2007) Refer to Appendix for diagrammatic representation. SITUATIONAL FACTORS : Business strategy and conditions – The mission is to gather the entire world’s information and make it accessible to everyone. At the company data is sacred. Employees are encouraged to voice out inferences from data and not feelings.It is believed that more data equals more knowledge and better decisions. (Hardy. Q 2005). Its informal corporate motto â€Å"Don’t be Evil†, reminds Googlers that being ethical is essential. However this can be debated in view of its acceptance of filtering search results in China. Management philosophy – The management believes that if any employee fails, his/her managers are to blame. (Sullivan. J 2007) Labour market – The IT industry has a labour market with engineers from Ivy League Schools (full-timers) as well as contractors.Task technology – The IT industry is highly dynamic and competitive and to thrive one must continually innovate and delight the customers. Laws and societal values – There have been instances where Googlers have taken the company to court for outstanding payment of salary and disabled accounts which could prove harmful to the company. (Google 2010) STAKEHOLDER INTEREST : Management – LASZLO BOCK, vice president of people operations, Google. A Chief Cultural Officer or Director of Human Resources is designated to maintain the company’s unique work culture.He is in charge of making sure that the company’s values are adhered to. (Kuntze. R & Matulich. E, 2010) Community – It gives back to society through its philanthropic wing which undertakes in-kind product donations, volunteering and charity. (Google 2011) HRM PRACTICES : Hiring à ¢â‚¬â€œ Due to the dynamic work environment the company hires people who are quick learners and innovative. (Sullivan. J 2007). The hiring process is quite long and difficult with tests, pre-interview screening and finally at least 4 rounds of interviews. Reward system – Refer to Appendix TABLE 1 for Compensation of top 5 executives in Google.The Google infrastructure has day care and elder care centres, spa and hair salons, car wash and oil check facilities and everything else that technology obsessed person would need in terms of a benefits package. Employees must work for 70% of their working hours and are entitled to unlimited sick leave, stock options and various other perquisites. (Logan. G 2008) WORK SYSTEM The employees have experience in three main areas – human resource, business consulting with good problem-solving skills, statistics and psychology. (Anonymous 2008) Google has an informal ‘value-added’ environment. The environment is creative, f un and relaxed.Individuality and innovation is encouraged. There is neither dress code nor formal daily meetings. TGIFs or weekly Friday meetings are held where questions can be posed to the co-founders also. Nooglers are given special treatment and made to experience the spirit of co-operation. The downside of such an environment is that Googlers show up late, don’t pay attention, leave early and keep messaging on their mobiles. 20% TIME. Simply put, employees get 1/5th of their time to work on projects of their own choosing. This keeps employees challenged and at the same time provides good business opportunities for the company. Kuntze. R & Matulich. E, 2010). Hourly time isn’t tracked so there’s no way to know what percentage of time people are spending on side projects. The concept functions more as an attitude – that new projects should be started anyone, not necessarily those at the top. Also giving time is of no use if the culture of the company d oes not support it. Training and Development – Google sponsors lessons in foreign languages. Unique development opportunities are provided to engineers. EngEDU, an engineering training group provides training classes and career development services to them.It is mandatory to undergo training and development sessions for a minimum of 120 hours/year. Google stresses development of the people through on-the-job learning. It occurs through frequent departmental â€Å"tech talks†, new mentors, etc. (Sullivan. J 2007) Appraisal – Google says it puts a â€Å"twist on 360-degree feedback by providing functionality for managers and employees to nominate `peer reviewers' from anywhere across the organization†. Quarterly goals are set and performance evaluations are based on these; the company aims for a 70 percent success rate. Anonymous 2008) Relations – HR practices at Google are coined ‘People Operations’. Employee passion is maintained by li miting bureaucracy. Ideas which are unique are encouraged no matter where they came from. (Sullivan. J 2007) When many employees started to leave it formulated a mathematical algorithm to look for unhappy Googlers. The idea was to get inside the employees head even before they thought of leaving the company. However, it can be argued that it was a waste of money. James Smither, a professor at La Salle University, Philadelphia, says that it doesn’t make sense. â€Å"No algorithm is any better than the data you feed it.And most data about behaviour has questionable reliability. † If we put in garbage the algorithm will give the same back. (Watson. T 2009) LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES : Individual well-being – Google allows employees to work on any project of their choice which boosts creative thought and instils job satisfaction. (Kuntze. R ; Matulich. E 2010). Career development and tutorial services are provided. ( Sullivan. J 2007) One way Google speeds development i s through a yearlong â€Å"base camp† training initiative that features a combination of HR specialist training and MBA-like curriculum.Organisational effectiveness – The Company was placed fourth in Fortune’s list of America’s most Admired Companies and first in the list of Best Companies to Work For. (Hansen. F 2008)and (Logan. G 2008) BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOMES : Motivation – The main factors of motivation in the company is the dynamic environment, quick decision making and a culture where ambitious ideas are not only encouraged but also accepted. (Sullivan. J 2007) Co-operation – Googlers across levels and departments say that it doesn’t matter if they are designing search engines or cooking meals for their colleagues, they feel that their work can change the world. (Salter.C et al. 2008) Commitment – The thing about Google is that even after 12 years, it continues to instil a sense of creativity and ambition within its employees and now has more than 20000. The freedom given to its workers infuses in them a sense of responsibility and obligation: â€Å"Are we taking advantage of what we've got here? † they ask. â€Å"Are we doing enough? Are we doing everything we can? † (Salter. C et al. 2008) PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES : POSITIVE Productivity – Matt Glotzbach(2008) – PRODUCT MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR FOR GOOGLE ENTERPRISE Generally a new employee is required to fill out paperwork but at Google it is done electronically. I went to a staff meeting that afternoon and got assigned to figure out how Google could launch Enterprise [applications for corporations] in Europe. I was told to come back with the answer at the end of the week. It was like, ‘Hey, New Guy, you don't know anything about our business yet, and you don't have any international experience, but here are some people who can help you. Go figure it out. ‘ We launched in Europe a few months later. † Innovation â €“ 20% time. Simply put, employees get 1/5th of their time to work on projects of their own choosing.This keeps employees challenged and at the same time provides good business opportunities for the company. Google services that were all started as individual projects are Gmail, Google News, Orkut etc. (Kuntze. R & Matulich. E, 2010). NEGATIVE Turnover – The Company had to raise the wages by 10 % starting 2011 to reduce defection of workers who were looking for brighter pastures. With $33 billion in cash and a stock market capitalization of almost $180 billion, Google can afford to throw money and shares at its employees. Yet the significance of Google's across-the-board pay raise extends far beyond corporate competition. Farell. C 2010) Paul Buchheit, a Googler who coined â€Å"Don't be evil! † is a founder, with three ex-Googlers, of a social-networking company called FriendFeed. Nathan Stoll, who managed Google News, is hard at work on his new company, Mechanica l Zoo. Several top people have gone to Facebook, most notably Sheryl Sandberg, who ran Google's automated ad sales, and Elliot Schrage, who ran PR. (Lashinsky. A et al. 2008) FINANCIAL OUTCOMES : Profits – Google has matured very quickly in the last twelve years since its inception in 1998. The company’s operating profit and net profit have increased to $8312. million and $6520. 4 million in 2009 respectively which is almost 25. 3% and 54. 3% as compared to the previous years. (Datamonitor 2010) STANDARD RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION The HR Technology and Operations Manager, Melissa Karp says that the fast pace with which Google is growing means that the senior managers have to spend 30% of their time in interviewing prospective employees. The company says every applicant goes through at least four rounds of interviews taken by direct line managers, potential peers and subordinates. Liane Hornsey apparently had to go through fourteen interviews before getting her job.Once selected and the contract signed, presents are given to the NOOGLER, his/her desk is decorated with balloons and an invitation is given to dine with his/her manager. This tough entry means that only the most talented and culturally compatible people are hired and firing of employees is less. There is not much stress among people over being thrown out. (Wright. A. D 2008) and(Dempsey. K 2007) Refer to Appendix AD for the hiring advertisement of Google. After anyone applies online in the company, it uses its applicant tracking system (ATS) to weigh in on applicants.Background information on education and work experience is collected and stored in the ATS. Then it is compared to data about existing Google employees and if there is a match, an e-mail is sent to ask the particular employee for internal references. Employees update the ATS by replying to this e-mail. Google uses its GOOGLE LAB APTITUDE TEST (GLAT) which tries to measure his/her compatibility with its work environment. It is put in technology magazines and applicants hand it in accompanied by their resume. It also serves to select those applicants who have the desired skills and mindset for the interview stage. (Willock.R 2007) GOOGLE INDIA CODE JAM The India Code Jam is a contest where software writers are asked to write codes which can land them a job at Google’s Research and Development Centre which otherwise is a long and difficult process. The fastest writer also gets $6,900. It is a hunt to find the most brilliant code writer in South and Southeast Asia. Their problem solving, designing and code writing skills are put to test. Finalists are required to create and test software and finally programme a war-based game. However this contest is so complex to complete that only the most brilliant code writers think of applying.Google has been unsuccessful in finding these brilliant engineers for its Indian office. According to insiders the Bangalore office wanted to hire 100 employees but thei r staffs has only 25 people. (Puliyenthuruthel. J 2005) RECOMMENDATIONS The work culture of Google is very motivating and challenging. The 20% time concept is a huge success. The perquisites offered are more than any employee hopes for. However, after studying the policies of Google and arguments of various third parties in favour or against them we have come up with a few suggestions for improvement. Employee turnover rate – The number of employees leaving the company has been increasing in the last few years. Some of the cited reasons were low pay, bureaucracy and poor mentoring. We suggest that superiors pay more attention to employees and guide them wherever necessary. Also an environment that is fun may backfire. A balance between work and fun must be maintained. * Mathematical Algorithm – James Smither, a professor of management at La Salle University in Philadelphia argues that the idea of the mathematical algorithm is very unrealistic as the behavioural data ma y or may not be accurate.Rather it is suggested that Googlers should be approached directly so as to know why they are dissatisfied. * It has a bad reputation for underpaying the employees, even though they are trying to motivate them by providing stock options. Thus Google should see that the employees they hire are paid in accordance to the work that they do and at the same time see that they are not dissatisfied. * Recruitment – Google India Code Jam is an innovative way of recruiting people, but the only drawback is that it is a very difficult process.Thus measures should be taken to see that the process is neither too easy nor too difficult, so that the best talent is selected and at the same time it should not deter people from applying. REFERENCES 1. Kuntze R. , and Matulich E. , (2010). Google: Searching for Value. Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics. Volume 2. Pp 2-7. [online]Available at :- http://www. aabri. com/manuscripts/09429. pdf [Accessed on 5 April 2011]. 2. The Finest People, The Coolest Environment. Times Ascent: HR Forum, Empowering Potential, New Delhi. 18th January’ 07. Pp. , 22. [online]Available at :- http://www. myadrenalin. om/india/Downloads/news/CAP_2007_1_18_22. pdf [Accessed on 3 April 2011]. 3. Wright A. D. , (2008). At Google, It Takes A Village To Hire An Employee. HR Magazine. SHRM’s HR Trend. Volume 53. Pp 56-57. [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=3;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=36048756 [Accessed on 2 April 2011]. 4. Anonymous (2008)Google’s Lessons for Employers: Put Your Employees First. HR Focus. Volume 85(9). Pp 8-9. [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. ancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=5;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=33764457 [Accessed on 2 April 201 1]. 5. Shipman. D (2006). Can We Learn A Few Things from Google? Nursing Management. Volume 37(8). Pp 10-12. [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=7;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=21819793 [Accessed on 2 April 2011]. 6. DataMonitor, 2010. [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscohost. om. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/companyinfo? sid=653132a9-31a4-40e4-83bf-024bc4691e5b%40sessionmgr115;vid=5;hid=111;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;authdb=dmhco;AN=5B199F61-608D-4923-B4A3-F5EE15285ADE [Accessed on 1 April 2011]. 7. Verma. M(2008), Google’s HR Dilemma, Human Asset Management, ICFAI Books Volume 1, Chennai, ICFAI University Press, Pp-140-149 8. Bratton J. and Gold. J (2007), Human Resource Management, 4th Edition, London, Macmillan, Chapter 1. 9. Work Example- Google (2010), T+D. Volume 64(5). Pp 44. [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscoh ost. com. ezproxy. lancs. c. uk/ehost/detail? vid=9;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=50256392 [Accessed on 2 April 2011]. 10. Hansen. F (2008). TOP of the CLASS. Workforce Management. Volume 86(20). [online]Available at :- http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=11;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=33066193 [Accessed on 2 April 2011]. 11. Logan, G. ,(2008). Hiring Policy makes Google best place to work in UK: Personnel Today, 3June. [Online] Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=15;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=33066355 [Accessed on 4 April 2011] 12. Watson, T. ,(2009). A Google Eye: Canadian Business, 16 June. , Volume 82 (11), [Online] Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs . ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=17;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=42208422 [Accessed on 2 April 2011] 3. Willock, R. ,(2007). Google makes the mind boggle with its recruitment challenges: Personnel Today, 6 Feb. , [Online] Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=17;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=42208422 [Accessed on 4 April 2011] 14. Dempsey, K. ,(2007). Invest more time in Hiring to spend less time firing: Personnel Management, 6 Feb. , [Online] Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? id=22;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=24663216[Accessed on 29 March 2011] 15. Farrell, C. , (2010). On pay raises, its Google or Bust: Business week, 1 Dec. , [Online] Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=33;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=55618496 [Accessed on 3 April 2011] 16. Hardy, Q. (2005). Google Thinks Small: Forbes, 14 Nov. ,Volume 176 (10), [Online]Available at: http://web. bscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=30;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=18728217 [Accessed on 1 April 2011] 17. Puliyenthuruthel, J. ,(2005). How Google Searches-For Talent: Business week, 11 April, Issue 3928. [Online] Available at:http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=28;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=16599813 [Accessed on 1 April 2011] 18. Salter, C. , et al. (2008).Google: The Faces and Voices of the world’s most Innovative company: Fast Company, March, Issue 123. [Online]Availab le at: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=26;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh;AN=29959444[Accessed on 5 April 2011] 19. Lashinsky, A. , et al. (2008). Where Does Google Go Next? Fortune, 26 May,Volume 157 (11). [Online] Available at:http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. lancs. ac. uk/ehost/detail? vid=24;hid=8;sid=ed72b75c-a4b7-4a49-85f0-b26e67d8e6ff%40sessionmgr4;bd

Discuss the effect of tourism on Portsmouth's Economy Essay

Discuss the effect of tourism on Portsmouth's Economy - Essay Example The large shopping areas in Portsmouth include the Ocean Retail Park on the North-Eastern side of Portsmouth. There are large shopping areas which incorporate tourists in large sections and also provide attractive facilities to the tourists. Effect of tourism on Portsmouth’s Economy The city of Portsmouth witnessed a high number of 638000 staying trips made by the tourists in 2010. This shows the huge volume of tourism in the city of Portsmouth out of which 547000 trips were made by the domestic tourists of Portsmouth and 91000 staying trips were by the overseas tourists. The increasing number of tourists in the city of Portsmouth could be attributed to the major attractions of the city in welcoming tourists to visit the place. The tourists visit Portsmouth in order to enjoy the naval history of the place. The increase in tourism resulted in the rise of inflow of tourists for visiting the D-Day Museum, the Royal Naval Museum, etc. The increasing number of tourists visiting Por tsmouth has impacted the economy of Portsmouth in several ways in the positive direction which has been explained as follows. Due to the increase in the number of tourists in Portsmouth, the level of spending in the economy increased. The tourists brought in huge funds for spending in Portsmouth. These funds were spent for meeting the expenses of tourism, day trips, night trips, accommodation in Portsmouth, food and shopping, etc. The visitors staying in Portsmouth have spent a total of 130.6 million pound sterling during their trips in 2010. This is an increase of the funds spent through tourism activities by 4.1% as compared to 2008. The day trips made to the Gunwharf Quay increased by 5.5% in 2010 as compared to the footfall in 2008. This generated an additional expenditure of 8% in 2010 as compared to the figures of 2008 amounting to 269.9 million pound sterling. The increasing expenditure by the tourists was due to the increasing demand from the tourists in consuming essential and luxury products during their trips to Portsmouth. The high amount of funds spent by the visitors led to the injection of additional liquidity in the economy of Portsmouth. The increase in the liquidity led to the rise in the income level of population as compared to the earlier years. The people of Portsmouth experienced a rise in their purchasing power and the potential to invest more in the economic and commercial activities. This led to the changes in the style of livelihood and the people began to open up in terms of their spending limits by accepting the forces of change. The activities of tourism result in the exchange of culture between the city of Portsmouth and the other cities as well as the overseas culture. The habits of the domestic people also started to undergo changes due to the flourishing industry of tourism. Overall, there was a trend of development in the livelihood of the people of Portsmouth due to the economic advancements on account of the increasing acti vities of tourism over the last decade. The developments of tourism industry in Portsmouth and the rise in the income level of the local population of due to the development of tourism in the economy resulted in the increase of purchasing power of the people. The increasing dema

Endangered Species Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Endangered Species - Essay Example In an analysis of the changes in the number of species in the threatened category on the Red List over the last decade, it becomes palpable to the observer that there is a gradual but fundamental expansion of the numbers of various endangered species. For the various groups of endangered species such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, molluscs, and plants, the number of endangered species has generally been greater than that of the critically engendered species, except fish and molluscs. In the case of the endangered mammals, there was a gradual development in the number of critically endangered species from 169 in 1998 to 188 in 2008, except for the period 2004-2007, and in the number of endangered species from 315 in 1998 to 448 in 2008. Similarly, there was a gradual but essential change in the number of critically engendered species in the categories of birds (from 168 in 1998 to 190 in 2008), reptiles (from 41 in 1998 to 86 in 2008), and insects (from 44 in 1998 to 70 in 2008).

Got Milk It's Good for You-- Unless It's Contaminated Case Study

Got Milk It's Good for You-- Unless It's Contaminated - Case Study Example This in turn resulted in losses and reduced profits for them. It also brought about health complications among their customers who developed diseases linked to the kidneys. Eventually the businesspersons involved in the fraud had to face very stiff charges that were imposed on them by the authorities. The liability of such an issue should lie on the management along with the members of staff responsible for testing the milk’s quality at their manufacturing plant. This is because the carrying out of these tests will enable the organization to avoid the damages that will come up after their products consumption by their customers. 2. A Customer relations management system would have greatly helped in communicating issues in the milk production supply chain. This is because they would have learnt earlier about the contamination since the customers encountering them would have raised complains. The management would then have responded to the complaints earlier on and helped resolv e the crisis that followed later on (Lieberthal, 2011). For example, the competition in the Chinese market for daily products increased tremendously with the different manufacturing plants offering high prices to get the products from the farmers (Baltzan and Phillips, 2010). ... A company can use a CRM system to perform damage control after finding out about by contaminated milk within their supply chains by collecting information and disbursing it. The system could be important in monitoring the recovery of the affected customers and checking whether there are other complications, which are developing. It could also be vital in distributing information to the teams on the ground on any suspicious products being sold to their customers. This could be through the work of unscrupulous intermediaries as in the case of the Chinese organizations. 3. I do agree with the sentences awarded to the two men for their roles in the milk scandal. The intermediaries were awarded the most appropriate sentence for directly adding harmful substances to the milk (Baltzan and Phillips, 2010). The boss on the other hand was rightfully awarded the life imprisonment term for his ignorance in first testing the milk before it got to their customers (Lieberthal, 2011). The case study clearly indicates that it was the unscrupulous intermediaries who put additives into the milk in an effort of having them pass the test of fitness and quality. The competition that existed in the business caused the standards of their products to fall drastically. The actions of the two men led to the death of many Chinese children along with the hospitalization of thousands more. Some customers also developed kidney ailments that would have had adverse effects on their health conditions. The United States government should also implement similar legislations to protect the consumers of various products against the adverse effects of unethical corporate behaviors. This pieces of legislation will help in

Kandase Week 1 Business Work 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kandase Week 1 Business Work 1 - Essay Example A disadvantage of living in a capitalism society is that there is greater inequality of wealth in such a society. Jean-Paul is proud of living in Belgium which operates under socialism. In such an economy everyone contributes to the wealth being of the whole. The Belgium government has done a much better job than the United States of using the governmental resources in order to provide benefits for the people. The United States wastes billions of dollars each year to support the military instead of using that money to help the poor Americans in its territory. Belgium does not waste money on excessive military spending, instead the taxes people are charged are used for social causes. A con of living under socialism is that it is harder to accumulate wealth or become rich in this society. Overall the economy of Belgium has done a good job at generating resources for its people evidenced by its high gross domestic product per capita of $38,200 (Culturegrams,

History of the US in the First Half of the Twentieth Century Assignment

History of the US in the First Half of the Twentieth Century - Assignment Example The rising relevance of foreign trade in the national economy and the desire to compete with the imperialist designs of Europe also added to this thrust. Many important national think tanks and opinion makers clamored for extending the influence of the US. In that context, Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan pressed for the modernization of the American navy and the acquisition of strategic foreign locations to assure US domination. In a theological context, Josiah Strong evinced the superiority of Anglo-Saxon civilization and stressed on the need to spread religion and democratic values by the US in weaker nations in 1885. Under such pressures, America no more afforded to be neutral. In 1898, the Cuban Revolution instigated America to engage in war with Spain, leading to the eventual Spanish deference to the American demands. The Teller Amendment of 1898 proclaimed to the world that America intended to dilute the Spanish influence in the region by overthrowing the Spanish rule in Cuba. The Spanish-American war culminated in the Treaty of Paris in 1898 that led to the gain of some territories by the US and the freedom of Cuba. The support for the US expansion in Asia and Latin America was on the rise. President William McKinley found it really difficult to resist the augmenting pressure originating from military strategists, commercial pressure groups and religious zealots in the favor of annexing the Philippines. In response to the expansionist intentions of the US, the Anti-Imperialist League was constituted in 1898, which supported the freedom of the Philippines.  

State of the Economi in Bosnia Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

State of the Economi in Bosnia - Case Study Example It also ensures that the graduates accomplish their master’s degree in a short time and thus enable them to access the job market in the shortest time possible. This short program has various disadvantages, which includes generation, of little revenue on a student basis compared with the long program model. The shorter model will ensure that the students finish as quickly as possible and give room for new ones to join the school. This would provide an opportunity to the College to earn extra income and complement the one that would be earned by the long program. The short model would offer ten courses in a period of eleven months while the long would offer sixteen courses in a period twenty months. Most of the students would be interested in the ten courses model since they pay a premium over the other schools offering graduate management education. Since most of the students want to concentrate on other issues like seeking for employment, people would adopt the shorter model since it would take those two years which is a relatively short period to accomplish their studies. Discounted Cash Flow Analysis A Discounted Cash Flow method of valuation estimates the credibility of an investment that is worth investing. In a case where the value that one arrives at through this DCF method is higher than the cost of investment, then the opportunity is viable. Discounted Cash Flow= 425,000-87,250/ (1+0.15) + 350,000-87250/ (1+0.15)2 = 735,899.375 US dollars. One achieves this amount after taking the revenue that the organization realizes after an enrolment of 25 students for both programs. The tuition for each cohort is $ 17,000 for the short program and $ 14,000 for the long program. The students prefer the short program since taking part of the program is of little value with regard to enhancement of their career prospects. The students should ensure that they complete their course since it if finishing that counts with MBA. One finds that the models are realist ic and worth investing in since the DCF amount is favourable. Since the amount of revenue that these two projects would generate, is higher than the cost of investing, the project is, therefore, viable and worth venturing. Consideration of other firms who offer Masters in Business Administration, in the country, also provides vital information concerning investing in the project. It will provide the expected price that should be charged in the market and the expected level of expenses that the college should incur in the process of running the programs. Pros of the long program The long program will generate reasonable profits to the school in case a reasonable number of students join the program. This will ensure that the school develops due to availability of resources that it develops through making profits. It is also cheaper where compared with a short program and students can easily raise the fees with a lot of struggles. The administration distributes tuition fee over a longe r duration of time. The students undertaking the long program has a possibility of performing well since they have few courses to concentrate on in a long duration of time. Cons of the long program The long program takes a reasonably longer time when compared to the short program. It requires a large amount of capital for investment since the number of costs involved in running the program is higher. Pros of the short program The short program saves time for students and equips them with the MBA degree which they will use to secure employment opportunities in the job market. This gives them competitive advantage when compared with the long program students who spend a lot of time in school. The students also finish their course in a relatively short

Intellectual Property and Copyright Laws in Australia Essay

Intellectual Property and Copyright Laws in Australia - Essay Example Through the use of the copyright laws, the artists, songwriters, and music recording companies will be challenged to produce and create their own unique and artistic musical piece (Golvan 7). The copyright laws can be used to protect not only the creators of artistic designs but also those individuals who create their own music, sound recordings, dramatic films, and broadcast signals. Under the Australian copyright law, â€Å"the copyright term in Australia has been increased from 50 to 70 years from the life of the author† (Golvan 7; Remix'd). It means that the writer of songs who was granted a copyright for their masterpiece is protected by the copyright laws for up to 70 years after his or her death. With regards to the essence of intellectual and copyright laws in Australia, this study will focus on discussing why the remix culture can be read as a sustained critique of the intellectual property and copyright laws. To prove that the reproduction of remix songs can indirect ly violate the intellectual and copyright laws in Australia, several real-life examples will be provided in this paper. Literature Review Song remix is all about changing the form of an existing song by either enhancing the tone or the beat as a way of coming up with a more interesting sound and musical structure (James 24). By using the DJs special skills on basic scratches in order to match the beat, James explained that the DJs can easily alter the come up with an entirely new sound creation based on the original songs (25). Even though song remixed could offer an entirely new sound and beat, people who listen to remixed songs will always be able to determine and identify the origin of remixed songs. According to Martin, â€Å"the copyright laws in Australia and overseas – are not keeping up with the digital era and are stifling creativity† (Martin para 5). The problem with the remix culture is that DJs are using some form of digital gadgets (i.e. CD players, pitch control keys, etc.) in order to create an alternative music using songs that are already been protected by the copyright laws (James 24 – 25). For example, Martin mentioned that a couple of DJs based in San Francisco and Perth gathered in one occasion wherein these two DJs performed a remix using famous songs from Eminem and Aerosmith (Martin). Since the public viewers are patronizing remix songs, Martin pointed out that a lawyer in the Queensland University of Technology mentioned that a lot of amateur DJs are now demanding to have the right to produce remix songs whereby they should be given the title and protection for their role as a remix producer. Because of the absence of a more precise and clear legislation with regards to the practice of modifying existing songs through remixes, a lot of amateur DJs are technically guilty of copyright infringement yet these people are insisting that the remix culture is part of innovating new songs Derived from the copyright laws in UK, the Copyright Act 1968 in Australia clearly explained in section 31 that it is illegal to reproduce or disseminate all â€Å"literary, artistic, dramatic, musical work, sound recordings, cinematograph films, television, and sound broadcast† materials that are protected by the copyright laws and that the copyright owners of songs demand acknowledgement of their authorship from their musical masterpiece.

Tropical Cyclone and Small Circles Essay Example for Free

Tropical Cyclone and Small Circles Essay A cyclone is a very violent storm. It never comes alone. Heavy showers of rain, thunder and lightning are its companions. When a cyclone blows, it moves round and round in the form of small circles. It always changes its course when it blows. It does not move in the same direction like an ordinary storm. It occurs mostly in the warm parts of the world. India is in this region of the world. Hence cyclones often blow over her. In cold countries there is no cyclone. The signs of a cyclone There are some signs of the blowing of a cyclone. A low pressure is created in the sea. The weather becomes very hot. There is not a breath of wind. Patches of dark clouds gradually spread in the sky. At last, the sky become dark. A storm sets in. The wind then begins to blow violently. From these we can understand that a cyclone will begin. The actual cyclone Then it rains very heavily. Flashes of lightning are seen. Thunders begin to peal loudly. The wind begins to blow furiously. It blows forward forming circles. There is a roaring noise. The wind continues to blow for some hours. Sometimes it continues for a day or two. Such terrible cyclones happened in September 1918 before the Pujas and in November 1988. Its effect The effect of the blowing of a cyclone is terrible. Big trees fall down. Roofs of houses are blown away. Many a house is destroyed. Many a man is killed. The water of the river rises. There are huge waves in the river. Many boats sink down. Many men are drowned. Sometimes steamers are also sunk. Everywhere dead bodies of men and beasts are found. Crops are destroyed. People suffer much. They become homeless and helpless. There is scarcity of food. Famine breaks out. This miserable condition of the people cannot be fully described. Other people then try to help them with money, food, medicine and clothes. Conclusion The cyclone is a terrible evil. Man has no power to prevent it. But people may be warned beforehand that there will be a cyclone.

Lifestyle Changes For Diabetes Health And Social Care Essay

Lifestyle Changes For Diabetes Health And Social Care Essay Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of disorders, all characterized by increased plasma glucose. In the majority of patients with diabetes, the etiology of the disease is not understood. Expert panels have recommended one set of criteria for diagnosis and another set for classification . The criteria serve two purposes. One is to secure optimal treatment of the patient. The other is to support research aimed at understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of diabetes syndromes Diabetes mellitus type 2 or type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or adult-onset diabetes) is a disorder characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency.(Robbins et al ,2004) More than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes. In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes.Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Almost half of diabetes deaths occur in people under the age of 70 years; 55% of diabetes deaths are in women. WHO projects that diabetes death will double between 2005 and 2030.Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.(WHO,2009) Many types of diabetes are recognized (Tierney.L.M et al,2002) the principal three are: Type  1: Failure to produce insulin by body mechanism resulting in diabetes. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type  1 diabetes. Currently patients with type  1 diabetes take insulin injections. Type  2: Results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, may be combined with absolute insulin deficiency. Majority of patients world over who are diagnosed with diabetes have type  2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes: Pregnant women who previously never had diabetes before but who have sudden increase in blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy mainly due to change in their diet are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women. It may precede development of type  2 (or rarely type 1) Diabetes mellitus . Type 1 Diabetes Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition caused by the increase in level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as diabetes mellitus. In the UK, diabetes is seen in around 2.3 million people, and its estimated that there are more than half a million more people who have the condition but are not aware of it. Normally a hormone called insulin regulates the blood sugar level, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters the bloodstream, insulin moves any glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy. However, in those with diabetes, the body has higher level of glucose as it is stored and is unable to break down glucose into energy because there is either not enough insulin to breakdown glucose and store it as energy or because the insulin produced is not enough or does not work as required. Gestational diabetes is caused by excess weight, obesity and Insulin Resistance are a condition that develops in the third trimester of pregnancy and affects 4-5 % of all pregnant women in the U.S. That is around 135,000 cases each year. With Gestational Diabetes, the insulin production by pancreas is normal but it doesnt lower the mothers blood sugar levels. The symptoms are only detectable by laboratory testing. Pregnant women can test their blood glucose level by urine dip stick test with each pre-natal visit. This test may show glucose in the urine, which is sign and will require health care provider to carry out further examinations for the presence of Gestational Diabetes, also known as Gestational Diabetes Mellitus http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Gestational-Diabetes.php There are two types of diabetes type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body produces no insulin. It is often referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. It is also sometimes known as juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes, because it usually develops before the age of 40, often in the teenage years. Type 1 diabetes is far less common than type 2 diabetes, which occurs when there is too little insulin produced by the body to work, or when the cells in the body do not react properly to insulin. People with type 1 diabetes make up only 5-15% of all people with diabetes. type 1 diabetes, will need insulin injections for life as well as blood glucose levels stay balanced by eating a healthy diet and carrying out regular blood tests http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/Pages/Introduction.aspx The  main symptoms of diabetes  are: feeling very thirsty(polyphagia) producing excessive amounts of urine(polyurea) tiredness and lethargy weight loss muscle wasting (loss of muscle bulk). Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop quickly, over weeks or even days. Other symptoms  are:   itchiness around the vagina or penis or getting thrush regularly, blurred vision (caused by the lens of your eye becoming very dry),   muscle cramps, constipation skin infections. Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) If a patient has diabetes, their blood glucose levels can become very low. This is known as hypoglycaemia (or a hypo), and happens because insulin produced by the body is more and has reduced the level of in the bloodstream. In most cases, hypoglycaemia occurs if there is overdose of insulin, although it can also happen if you skip a meal, exercise very vigorously or drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Symptoms of a hypo include: feeling shaky and irritable, sweating tingling lips feeling weak hunger nausea A hypoglycaemia can be brought under control simply by eating or drinking something with sugar in it . If a hypoglycaemia is not brought under control it can lead to confusion, slurred speech and unconsciousness. If this occurs there will be a need to have an emergency injection of a hormone called glucagon. This hormone will raise the level of glucose in your blood as it suppress the effect of insulin. Hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) As diabetes occurs as a result of your body being unable to produce any, or enough, insulin to regulate your blood glucose level, your blood glucose levels may become very high. This happens because there is no insulin to breakdown glucose from the bloodstream and into the cells to produce energy. Blood glucose levels become too high, it lead to   hyperglycaemia. The symptoms are similar to the main symptoms of diabetes, but they may come on suddenly and severely. They include: extreme thirst a dry mouth blurred vision drowsiness a frequent need to pass urine. If left untreated, hyperglycaemia can lead to complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis, which can eventually cause unconsciousness and even death. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when your body begins to break down fats for energy instead of glucose, leading to a build-up of acids in your blood urgent medical attention if diabetes develop in the body and this are the general signs and symptoms seen in case of diabetes a loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting (feeling or being sick), a high temperature, stomach pain or severe abdominal pain a fruity smell on your breath, which may smell like pear drops or nail varnish. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Symptoms.aspx The McKeown thesis and its Impact: The McKeown thesis attempted to reason the phenomenal growth in population of the from late 18th century to the present day .McKeowns thesis can be summarized as a steep growth in population was primarily due to decline in mortality form infectious diseases and the change in economic conditions due to industrial revolution ,which lead to improvement in rising of living standards and brought a gradual change in nutritional status that improved the human bodys resistance towards various diseases. The development in medical fields achieved by modern science did not make a significant contribution towards the population growth and was largely due to economic forces and changes in living and social conditions. This lead to McKeown reclassifying various fatal diseases recorded by General record office (GRO).McKeown classification was generally of three types (1)Infectious diseases spread through air -Respiratory tuberculosis, Pneumonia, Bronchitis (2) Infectious diseases spread through water or food Cholera, Diarrhoea, Typhoid (3) All other diseases contagious and degenerative When a population develops it is important that the individuals are in a position to fight diseases and problems that can arise from them, this depends on the resources that they have. These resources could be knowledge, social setup, power, money. Those people who have access to resources have advantage and can gain health benefits from the public health system from those who are not in position to direct access to public health system. Resources are important in two different ways first , they can develop the individuals behaviour towards health by helping them access and make choices and whether they could afford them all helping towards health enhancing behaviours and Second, resources are shaped across a broad range of contexts such as communities, neighbourhoods, social network , occupation and the risk as well as protecting factors .Housing for poor people would always be associated with pollution, noise, indifferent social conditions . Access to broad range of problems lie wi th socio economic condition of the individual like knowledge of best doctors and ideal treatment of medical problems and the freedom in making choices .The reason for social condition always being important is resources shape the access to health relevant circumstances . The social condition has been responsible for determining the quality of life and plays an important role as health determinant. (Link.B.G and Phelan.J.C 2003) Mckeown was the former chairman of World health organizations advisory group on health research strategy concludes that the average life expectancy had improved by 23 years in first half of century and medical therapy was responsible for only for few years of it. Meckeown believed that most this decrease was due to identification of bacilli which causes respiratory tuberculosis was not done till year 1882 and effective pharmacotherapy was not available till year 1947. Between 1700 and 1915, the mortality rate in England declined from 27.9 deaths per thousand living to 14.4 and average life expectancy at birth Increased from 37.1 (in 1701) to 53.5 (in 1910-12). These figures reflect a major Improvement in the life-chances of the British population over the course of the Period, and therefore it is hardly surprising that the McKeown thesis, which attempts to account for the decline of mortality and the modern rise of population, has played a big role in economic, social and medical history as well as history of epidemiology and population studies In the years following the publication of McKeown thesis it is argued that its unlikely the dietary standards would have improved during the second half of 18th century as the value of wages was falling as there were apparent contradictions between real wages and mortality. (Wrigley and Schofield, 1981). McKeown argued that there was no means to fight air borne diseases in 18th century and the reduction in deaths was more likely due to improved human body resistance towards these diseases. Illich was not content in criticizing modern medicines for to improve life expectancy , he proposed that medical interventions were in fact responsible for increasing the mortality rate by using ineffective and hazardous medical therapies which at times not tested or researched properly .Illich stated that chronic usages of drugs lead to numerous side-effects , infections acquired from hospitals , poorly performed surgeries as well as false positives and false negative tests from medical tests. McKeown was aware that higher rate in fertility was responsible for increase in population rather than reduced mortality rate but dismissed it on grounds that higher birth rate means higher infant mortality as well due to the high risk parity of mothers so would not account for such a high rate of population growth. McKeown pointed out that mortality rates for most of the infectious diseases reduced considerably before any effective medical measure was in place. McKeown concluded that public health measure such as sewage disposal system, public waste disposal, and supply of clean and potable water and pasteurization of milk was important only from year1870, so the reason behind the decline mortality rate before this was according to McKeown due to improvement in living standards .Improvement in nutrition due to increase in agriculture productivity was also responsible for the increase in resistance to airborne infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis.(Grundy,2005). Prestons article c oncluded that the increase in life expectancy all over the world between 1930s and 160s could not be totally attributed to increase in living standards and suggested that advances in medical care and public health did make significant contribution towards decline in mortality. Prestons did make an effort to prove McKeown thesis wrong but had little influence on conventional belief and the theory of improved standard of living became conventional wisdom for that present time. (Mackenbach J P,2006) It has recently been shown that McKeowns interpretations of his very own epidemiological data is flawed in many respects, firstly smallpox and diphtheria are two diseases that have been eradicated totally all over the world by vaccinations which is a preventive health measure .Positively the only three diseases to be eradicated before great world war was- cholera , typhoid and smallpox all these are attributed to public health measures and not nutrition .When all this data is analysed it goes to show that public health measures taken played the most decisive role in reduction of mortality . Furthermore since McKeowns work was published two significant forms of new evidence has appeared which slams the nutrition/living standard theory by McKeown. The first half of the century, the period which is under review suggests that as when the wages across sectors started improving, the reduction in mortality rate showed a slight decline from previous years and if wage increase meant better nu trition these was not seen in children .The growing cities and towns where the wage improvement were seen showed a trend of areas which had highest mortality rate and children were poorly developed (R.Woods and J.Woodward.1984).Although the points raised here are relevant they skew the main issue here which is that growth in income is not necessarily same all over the world and can vary considerably from developed countries to developing and underdeveloped countries .There are no patterns in cross-sectional associations between the income of a nation and progress in developing health standards as well as life expectancy of their population. Prestons analysis underestimated the effects of economic development and its relation with reduction in mortality rate, that the relationship between the economic development and the developments in medical field are crude conceptualization between the two. McKeowns study can be explained by relevance of the question that underlines them. This concerns the importance of medical interventions, social, economic, political measures which affects the health status and health inequalities. Study suggest that measures need to be taken to improve health inequality and medical interventions and social changes has to be taken as complimenting rather than opposing each other . Interventions Type 1 diabetes is approached by primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention Primary intervention includes treatment of all individuals with diabetes. The possibility of using autoantigens new medium to combat diabetes as a vaccination is currently being explored not only in animal experiments but also in human tests. The selection of children on the basis of HLA type is being used to treat newborns with either oral or nasal insulin. Animal experiments have shown that treatment of spontaneously diabetic nonobese diabetic mice with GAD as a peptide, protein, or expressed in potatoes reduced diabetes. Vaccinations studies done both children and adults remain a future possibility to test determine whether type 1 diabetes can be prevented. (Lernmark.A.1999) Secondary intervention involves screening for genetic, autoantibody, and other possible markers at birth, in school children, or in adults . Individuals classified with type 2 diabetes but positive for islet autoantibodies (representing slow-onset type 1 diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes in the adult, or type 1.5 diabetes) are also being tested to determine whether they are suitable for immune intervention to preserve their ß-cell function. Recent studies in Japan suggested that early insulin treatment preserves ß-cell function. Several intervention trials are pending, including the use of subcutaneous or oral insulin in the Diabetes Prevention Trial for Type 1 Diabetes, milk formula or nasal insulin in Finland, aerosol insulin in Melbourne, or nicotinamide in the European Nicotinamide Diabetes Intervention Trial. In the next few years studies would find out the extent of such intervention trials preserve ß-cell function in subjects at risk for type 1 diabetes.(Lernmark.A .1999) Tertiary intervention involves the treatment of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes very recently. Previous studies have demonstrated that treatment plans with satisfactory results are not present such as immunosuppression with cyclosporin and other agents has not been able to stop the pathogenetic process in new-onset patients. A future innovative treatment is planned so that it represents an antigen-specific immune intervention. Animal experiments have demonstrated that in case of early diagnosis or in patients with early onset the timely administration of antigen or insulin, at the time of clinical onset may slow the disease process.(Lernmark.A.1999) Being active is referred to as physical activity (exercise) and is defined as the act of expending energy. It is generally categorized into two different types aerobic (requiring oxygen to maintain muscular effort) or anaerobic (not requiring oxygen to maintain muscular effort). The term exercise is used as a general label for being active and physical activity as well as exercise. Major challenges to decision making about exercise include how to develop and implement an efficient and effective exercise regimen, how to modify it to an individual patients motivation level knowing his mindset and barriers so that exercise will be initiated and maintained, and how to select, measure, and achieve specific, desired outcomes. Given these decision-making challenges Exercise interventions aimed at achieving these outcomes usually vary by type, intensity, duration and frequency. As with any type of self-care behaviors, barriers to exercise vary and are individual to particular patients depend ing on their health status as well as mindset. Among potential considerations for barriers has to be devised for individual patients type of exercise and duration, intensity, and frequency may need to be tailored to severity of progression of diabetes since complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy may affect the exercise capabilities of a diabetes patient. In addition, patients may consider availability of time, among many other factors such as age, job profile, social status and other medical complications, as posing a substantial barrier to integrating regular exercise or physical activity into normal daily lifestyle. Each of these poses challenges to the initiation and maintenance which is the more difficult part of exercise for patients and therefore to the measurement, monitoring, and management of exercise intervention outcomes for providers. Exercise is one of the most important features to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. For type 2 diabetes patients, engagi ng in regular exercise may improve glycemic control and reduce the risk of vascular complications, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce stress and stave off depression and contribute to control of lipids and blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in diabetes patients. Type  2 diabetes is determined primarily by lifestyle related factors and hereditary factors. Lifestyle A number of lifestyle factors are known to be important to the development of type  2 diabtetes. In one study, those who had high levels of physical activity, a healthy diet, did not smoke, and consumed alcohol in moderation had an 82% lower rate of diabetes. When a normal weight was included the rate was 89% lower. In this study a healthy diet was defined as one high in fiber, with a high polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio, and a lower mean glycemic index. (Mozaffarian.D.et al 2009) Obesity has been found to contribute to approximately 55% type  2 diabetes, and decreasing consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty acids while replacing them with unsaturated fats may decrease the risk.(Saad.F.2009) increased rate of childhood obesity in between the 1960s and 2000s is beleived to have lead to the increase in type  2 diabetes in children and adolescents. (Rosenbloom.A. et al.2003) Environmental toxins may contribute to recent increases in the rate of type  2 diabetes. A positive correlation has been found between the concentration in the urine of bisphenol A, a constituent of some plastics, and the incidence of type  2 diabetes. (Lang.A.2008) Medical conditions Subclinical Cushings syndrome (cortisol excess) may be associated with DM type 28The percentage of subclinical Cushings syndrome in the diabetic population is about 9%.Diabetic patients with a pituitary microadenoma can improve insulin sensitivity by removal of these microadenomas. (Taniguchi T.2008) Hypogonadism is often associated with cortisol excess, and testosterone deficiency is also associated with diabetes mellitus type 2, even if the exact mechanism by which testosterone improve insulin resistance is still not known. (Farrell JB,2008) Genetics Both type  1 and type  2 diabetes are partly inherited. Type  1 diabetes may be triggered by certain infections, with some evidence pointing at Coxsackie B4 virus. There is a genetic element in individual susceptibility to some of these triggers which has been traced to particular HLA genotypes (i.e., the genetic self identifiers relied upon by the immune system). However, even in those who have inherited the susceptibility, type  1 diabetes mellitus seems to require an environmental trigger. There is a stronger inheritance pattern for type  2 diabetes. Those with first-degree relatives with type  2 have a much higher risk of developing type  2, increasing with the number of those relatives. Gene expression promoted by a diet of fat and glucose as well as high levels of inflammation related cytokines found in the obese results in cells that produce fewer and smaller mitochondria than is normal, and are thus prone to insulin resistance. COMPLICATIONS of Diabetes Early complications- Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency, because it can cause coma and death. Hospitalization, usually in an intensive care unit, is necessary. Large amounts of fluids are given intravenously along with electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, and phosphate, to replace those fluids and electrolytes lost through excessive urination. Insulin is generally given intravenously so that it works quickly and the dose can be adjusted frequently. Blood levels of sugar, ketones, and electrolytes are measured every few hours. Doctors also measure the bloods acid level. Sometimes, additional treatments are needed to correct a high acid level. However, controlling the levels of sugar in the blood and replacing electrolytes usually allow the body to restore the normal acid-base balance.( Robbins and Cotran,2007) Late Complication of Diabetes Mellitus: Macro-vascular complications as: Atherosclerosis with MI, CVA, peripheral vascular disease Micro-vascular complications as: Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy refers to progressive pathologic alterations in the retinal microvasculature. In type 2 diabetes, though the incidence of blindness is lower, higher disease prevalence results in an even larger number of patients affected with severe visual loss. Diabetic Neuropathy Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common and troublesome complication of diabetes mellitus, leading to great morbidity and mortality and resulting in a huge economic burden for care of the patient with diabetes mellitus. It is the most common form of neuropathy in the developed countries of the world, accounts for more hospitalizations than all the other diabetic complications combined, and is responsible for 50% to 75% of nontraumatic amputations and patients have serious co-morbid conditions, especially heart, eye, and peripheral vascular diseases. Diabetic neuropathy is a heterogeneous disorder that encompasses a wide range of abnormalities affecting proximal and distal peripheral sensory and motor nerves as well as the autonomic nervous system. The major morbidity associated with somatic neuropathy is foot ulceration, the precursor of gangrene and limb loss. (Robbins and Cotran,2007) Research on diabetes The features of Type 1 diabetes in humans as well as mice in labororatory environment is significantly dependent on an relation between the environmental factors and genetic feature of humans as well as the study animal. Studies by Giulietti.A.et al(2004) al point towards vitamin D as being one of the environmental factors that can modulate the incidence of diabetes. This study further shows that in mice that developing Type 1 diabetes are generally at higher risk due to its genetics as well as vitamin D deficiency which leads to features seen in early part of life leading to a more aggressive form of the disease causing earlier onset, and a higher final incidence of the disease. This model of subtle vitamin D deficiency in early life, with only a marginal vitamin D deficiency in blood, but no effect on calcium concentration in serum or bone calcium content. This is most probably the reflection of the vitamin D status in many infants and small children as this model has temporary and limited vitamin D deficiency, even in areas with high exposure to sunlight, since infants always are shielded from UV B exposure or direct exposure of sunlight. The application of vitamin D supplement is advised in many countries it is far from strictly controlled and many times, these supplements are omitted or administered irregularly or not paid enough importance to keep tab on their supply and demand. The higher incidence of Type 1 diabetes in the past two decades may be seen due the nutritional rickets which has never been completely eradicated in many countries and may be reappearing in may industrialize countries (Giulietti.A.et al, 2004). It was found that the risks for diabetes in African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are approximately 2, 2.5, and 5 times greater, respectively, than in Caucasians being the least. Various national and ethnic populations within the U.S. to the total U.S. population were analyzed to find possible risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes this was done by number of cross-sectional studies and prospective studies . Studies of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites in San Antonio showed that there is an inverse relationship between prevalence of diabetes generally and their current socioeconomic status. The cultural effects lead to an increased incidence of obesity in these populations which may also be related to their diet and physical activities, which may lead to insulin resistance. Genetic factors may also be a contributing factor. (Haffener.S.M 1998) There are no high quality data on the research about the long lasting effectiveness of the dietary treatment of type 2 diabetes, however the data available indicate that the adoption of exercise which is a change in lifestyle appears to improve glycated haemoglobin at six and twelve months in people with type 2 diabetes. There is an urgent need for more well-designed studies which will analyse the wide range of interventions, at various points during follow-up (Moore.H. et al 2004) Weight loss improves glycemic control with magnitude of improvement related to both magnitude of weight and characteristics of patient , the amount of weight loss required to reduce blood glucose is large, even modest weight loss produces glycemic control .The most important issue is how to improve weight loss especially long term weight loss, in type 2 diabetic patient .Dietary modification is most important direction in weight loss program (Hertzel.C.et al) Implications for developing world Type I diabetes is the only major organ-specific autoimmune disorder not to show a strong female bias. The overall sex ratio is roughly equal in children diagnosed under the age of 15 but while populations with the highest incidence all show male excess, the lowest risk populations studied, mostly of non-European origin, characteristically show a female bias. In contrast, male excess is a consistent finding in populations of European origin aged 15-40 years, with an approximate 3:2 male:female ratio. This ratio has remained constant in young adults over two or three generations in some populations. Further, fathers with Type I diabetes are more likely than affected mothers to transmit the condition to their offspring. Women of childbearing age are therefore less likely to develop Type I diabetes, and should this occur are less likely to transmit it to their offspring. Type II diabetes showed a pronounced female excess in the first half of the last century but is now equally prevale nt among men and women in most populations, with some evidence of male preponderance in early middle age. Men seem more susceptible than women to the consequences of indolence and obesity, possibly due to differences in insulin sensitivity and regional fat deposition. Women are, however, more likely to transmit Type II diabetes to their offspring. Understanding these experiments of nature might suggest ways of influencing the early course of both forms of the disease.(Gale.E.A.M. et al 2001) It is recognized that there will be substantially increased costs of widely applying the recommendations of study in the U.S on the Diabetes control and complications trial (DCCT). There will also need to be additional efforts to ensure professional education, so that health practitioners are implement this recommendations through the trial are able to effectively and safely implement the therapy employed in the DCCT. It is hoped that the benefits of trial are long term healthier; more productive lives with fewer complications will offset the costs of tight control. The cost-benefit ratio for intensive therapy in diabetes in this trial is in a range similar to other accepted treatments in the U.S that are

The Electronics Industry in India :: miscellaneous

The Electronics Industry in India The Electronics industry is one of the fastest growing industries right from its origin. The profit brought out of this is much more compared to other olden industries. India is one among the largest economies in the world and has a good GDP among emerging economies. The birth and growth of this industry in India is quiet interesting. With large population and the potential consumer demand is almost unlimited and hence a strong growth performance could be expected. The base of this industry. Basically Indian market is a consuming market, it grows as people consume more. The liberalization of the economy by 1991 has helped to a rapid growth this helped the electronics industry in India as one of the most important and emerging markets. The start of this industry here dates back to early 1960’s.Electronics was primarily focused to develop in the filed of communication systems for radios, telephony, telegraphy, and television broadcast. A lot of importance was given for the augme ntation of defense capabilities. Till 1980’s the electronic sector was government owned. From there on the growth of the electronic industry took off due to economic changes resulting in the globalization of the economy. The electronic industry recorded a very high growth in subsequent years by 1990’s. Private, foreign investments were encouraged. This was the starting point of forex to pour in. Easing the Norms for the investment, reduction in duties and deli censing of several consumer electronic products marked attraction of foreign investors. The domestic circle response to this was also favorable to the government policies. Allowing this industry for the private sector enabled entrepreneurs build industries to meet suppressed demand. Improvements in this industry have not been only to a particular area but in each and every process right from acquiring the raw materials to the packed product. Long steps have been made in the area of consumer products, communication, biomedical instrumentation, networking and defense. This resulted in significant market growth by late 1990’s. The sales of some basic units increased three-fold .the main area of focus has now turned to design, Compact packing and to provide vale added service. Analyzing the strength of this industry it has a competitive advantage by providing high quality-low price, large trained manpower poll. The key strength being developed infrastructure as compared to the mechanical industry. The software technology parks that have been established are providing the necessary software orientation for this industry.

Human Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution Essay -- Essays Pa

Human Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution, perhaps one of the most significant examples of human beingsà ­ relationship with the natural world, changed the way seventeenth and eighteenth century society operated. The power of human knowledge has enabled intellectual, economical, and social advances seen in the modern world. The Scientific Revolution which included the development of scientific attitudes and skepticism of old views on nature and humanity was a slow process that spanned over a two century period. During the Scientific Revolution, scientific knowledge enabled humans to control nature in order to improve society. With leaders such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and Rene Descartes, the Scientific Revolution proves to be a crucial piece to the puzzle of understanding the effects of humansà ­ interactions with the natural world. The changes produced during the Scientific Revolution were not rapid but developed slowly and in an experimental way. Although its effects were highly influential, the forerunners Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Rene Descartes only had a few hundred followers. Each pioneered unique ideas that challenged the current views of human beingsà ­ relationship with nature. With the backing of empirical observation and mathematical proof, these ideas slowly gained acceptance. As a result, the operation of society, along with prior grounds for faith were reconsidered. Their ideas promoted change and reform for humansà ­ well-being on earth. The Scientific Revolution was sparked through Nicolaus Copernicusà ­ unique use of mathematics. His methods developed from Greek astr... ...rn Heritage Brief Edition Volume II: Since 1648 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall 1996), 342. 4. Rogers, 7. 5. Rogers, 18. 6. Rogers, 16. 7. Rogers, 11. ADDITIONAL SOURCE: - Steven Shapin, "The Scientific Revolution," Library Journal, Aug. 1996, 63-67. This article offers a different approach to analyzing the impact of the Scientific Revolution. He discusses the "birth" of modern science which occurred between Copernicus and Newton's time. However, he also gives equal credit to Bacon, Descartes, Galileo for the development of the naturalistic philosophy we still use today. This article is an excellent source of furthering one's knowledge on the topic of human beings interactions with the natural world and how the efforts made during the scientific revolution still impact us today.

charant Creon as the Main Character of Antigone Essay -- Antigone ess

Creon as the Main Character of Antigone    Throughout the Greek play Antigone by Sophocles, there exists a dispute as to who should receive the designation of main character. Antigone, the daughter of the cursed King Oedipus, as well as Creon, stately king of Thebes, both appear as the key figures in this historic play. I believe that Creon, king of Thebes, should be considered the main character in this work of Greek theater. Three points can be used to make this argument: Creon suffers greatly, he learns a lesson, and is a tragic hero. Creon, like all main characters in Greek drama, suffers many losses and undergoes emotional pain and anguish. A target of the curse on the House of Oedipus by relation, Creon was already a victim of fate. His destiny has already been predetermined by the curse on the house of Oedipus, so he must either undergo suffering, death, or even both. He loses his future daughter-in-law, Antigone, by initiating her death, his son through suicide, and his wife by suicide as well. Antigone broke a decree of Creon's: not to bury the traitor Polynices. The sister of Polynices, she breaks this new law because she knows that in order to please the gods she must so the right thing and bury Polynices. When she does Creon sentences her to death by sealing her in a cave. After realizing that he has made a critical error, he and his followers unseal the rocky tomb to find that Antigone has taken her own life. Creon's son, Haemon, the to-be husband of Antigone, rushes into the cave in mourning. He attempt s an attack on Creon, but fails to connect with his sword thrust, and in anger and remorse kills himself with his weapon beside his dead love. Creon, overwhelmed with anguish, returns to the castle. But ... ...Gods have attempted to evade their fate, but have never been able to do so. Creon is affected by fate through the curse of Oedipus. The Chorus recites: The stress of a Fate is hard; Nor wealth, nor warfare, nor ward, Nor black ships cleaving the sea Can resist her, or flee. (35). Despite the fact that the play's name stands as Antigone, I believe that Creon should be recognized as the central character in this play. He lives longer, has more lines, stands in the middle of many moral arguments, and doesn't pull a disappearing act in the middle of the play. Provided with this knowledge, maybe a reader will read the play Antigone with a new prospective, and look at the story from both point-of-views. Not placing Antigone as the 'good-guy', and Creon as the 'bad-guy', but thinking of the pair as good people fighting for the right in conflicting situations.   

Examine the theme of Love Essay

Love. A word familiar to everyone. Love has the power to control ones mind and body. It sometimes provokes a good, healthy and passionate relationship or could be the vital ingredient that leads to obsession, possessiveness or even betrayal. Poetry is a powerful tool that many use to convey love’s true meaning. It is a unique and special way to help us understand love and what it really is. With clever and emotive wording, love can be experienced by anyone. Like love, poetry has many different forms and in this piece of coursework I shall explain each one and show how they can create different atmospheres. You will also realise that poets have certain styles and often one’s work can be spotted just through context. I will examine sonnets first. They are all fourteen lines and usually about an abstract subject. The lines are fairly long and don’t tell a story. Sonnets also have many different themes. There are two forms of sonnet, Petrarchan and Shakespearean. Petrarchan was a form named after a Roman poet called Petrarch. He divided his poems into eight lines and six lines. The eight lines are the same, like eight notes in music, these are called an octave. The following six are called a sestet. The octave will consist of one particular thought or idea. After these eight lines the writer changes the direction in the last six, the sestet. The turn in meaning is called a Volta. Shakespearean is the second form of sonnet. It is divided up differently into three sections of four lines called a quatrain. This leaves two lines at the end that rhyme, a rhyming couplet. ‘Shall I compare thee . . .’ (William Shakespeare) â€Å"Shall I compare thee . . .† is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare and has a very similar theme to many of his other sonnets. He portrays how cruel time can be. This poem allows Shakespeare’s love live forever, maybe not physically but mentally. His poem defeats the meaning of time by letting people have eternal life. The first two lines show Shakespeare comparing his loved one with a summers day. â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a Summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:† Here he uses a summer’s day as something beautiful and questions the comparison between this and his loved one. He goes on to say she is more temperate. Shakespeare means that his loved one is not too much and avoids excess. â€Å"Rough windes do shake the darling buds of Maie, And Sommers lease hath all too short a date† These two lines display Shakespeare pointing out the disadvantages of summer. A strong wind can spoil the buds of May and summer doesn’t last long. â€Å"Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dim’d,† The sun can sometimes be too hot. The eye of heaven is not only used as a metaphor but also displays personification. The sun can be hidden away by the clouds whereas their love for one another will not let anything get in the way. Lines seven and eight how beauty is affected at certain times under certain circumstances. The beauty on the outside never lasts and will eventually fade either by age, chance or illness etc. â€Å"And every faire from faire some-times declines By chance, or natures changing course untrim’d† After these two lines Shakespeare conveys a picture of his love that has eternal beauty. â€Å"But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade, Nor loose possesion of that faire thou ow’st† Here it also describes the beauty she owns shall never fade like everyone else’s. â€Å"Nor’ Shall death brag wondr’st in his shade When in eternall lines to time thou grow’st† This is where the poem focuses on the everlasting nature of his poetry. Personification of death is used. Death cannot claim his love if these lines exist. â€Å"So long as men can breath or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee† The poem ends with this rhyming couplet which is seen in many of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Let Me Not (William Shakespeare) This sonnet by Shakespeare describes the nature of a lasting love between two people. He argues that true love denies any ‘impediments’ especially as it is a marriage of true minds. He also mentions that it cannot be altered. It does not ‘alter’ or ‘bend’. This sonnet reflects a theme similar to that of ‘Shall I compare thee†¦.’. Using love as a tool for immortality and eternal life. The theme of everlasting love develops further. Love is stronger than tempests and alters not even with the passage of time, which it describes as brief. The poem finishes with an emphatic couplet, which claims that if he is mistake then his poem was never written, and ‘no man ever loved’. A clever statement that displays his confidence in loves eternity. Porphyria’s Lover (Robert Browning) â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† is one of the earliest and most shocking of Browning’s dramatic monologues. The poem is about an obsessed and possessive lover who lives in a cottage in the countryside. Realizing his love, Porphyria, will eventually give in to society’s constraints, he kills her. â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† has an unusual structure. Not only does it lack the colloquiualisms of Browning’s other poems but takes the form of highly patterned verse which rhymes ABABB. This strange structure helps convey how tragic and dramatic the poem is. The poem is a dramatic monologue, a fictional speech presented as the thought of a speaker who is separate from the poet. It opens with a scene that brings fear, loneliness and emptiness to the heart of the reader. â€Å"The rain set early in tonight, The sullen wind was soon awake, It tore the elm-tops down for spite, And did its worse to vex the lake: I listened with heart fit to break.† These opening lines seem to set the scene almost instantly yet it is changed just as quickly. â€Å"When glided in Porphyria; straight She shut the cold out and the storm, And kneeled and made the cheerless grate Blaze up, and all the cottage warm: Which alone, she rose, and from her form.† From being so dark and desperate there is an immediate switch of feelings from the speaker and the atmosphere also reflects his emotions. Porphyria herself has the ability to bring happiness to her lover immediately, without breathing a word, the very presence of Porphyria fulfills her lover’s heart. Browning’s first few lines are like a roller coaster to the reader and this proves how dramatic monologue can convey love so clearly and dramatically. However, once Porphyria begins to take off her wet clothing, the poem leaps into the modern world. â€Å"Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl., And laid her soiled gloves by, untied Her hat and let the damp hair fall, And, last, she sat down by my side And called me. When no voice replied, She put my arm about her waist, And made her smooth white shoulder bare, And all her yellow hair displaced.† These lines show Browning’s interest in the body and what pleasures it brings. Since Robert Browning lived in Victorian times he couldn’t question the morality of sex and violence. I think this is mainly he explores the subject of love and sex in his poems. In these lines it mentions Porphyria baring her shoulder and holding him. Porphyria is seen to be flirting with her lover yet it doesn’t give the impression that anything immoral is happening. As the poem continues, the lover grows more possessive over Porphyria. â€Å"Be sure I looked up at her eyes Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me; surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do.† The speaker is realising Porphyria has just as much love for him and wants the moment to last forever. The next line portrays the lover’s possesiveness by using repetition of the word ‘mine’. â€Å"That moment she was mine, mine, fair;† The speaker then comes to terms with the fact his love, Porphria, will give in to pressures of society and decides to kill her. â€Å"In one long yellow I wound Three times her little finger throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she;† The lover speaks as though he was giving something to Porphyria she wanted. He then goes on to prove himself innocent. He tried to bear no guilt for his actions and reassures himself. â€Å". . . . . . No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain.† Being afraid to open her eyes, he tries to recapture the moments they shared together. â€Å"As a shut bud that holds a bee, I warily opened her lids: again Laughed the blue eyes without a strain.† He then tried to convince himself that what he had done was what Porphyria wanted. â€Å"And all night long we have not stirred And yet God had not said a word!† The poem shows how possesive love can lead to the death of the person you love most. Can murder be justified to someone you love? Porphyria’s Lover shows how obsession with someone can sometimes result in death. My Last Duchess (Robert Browning) Another poem which is written in the form of dramatic monologue is â€Å"My Last Duchess†. The duke is the speaker of the poem and is negotiating his marriage with an ambassador. As he shows his visitor around his palace, he stops before a picture of his last duchess. He explains how lovely she was. However he also describes her bad behaviour and how she didn’t appreciate his name. As the dramatic monologue continues it becomes apparent that the Duke was the cause of her early death when he couldn’t tolerate her behaviour any longer. The Duke then returns to the subject of the marriage. As the duke and the ambassador depart from the painting, the Duke points out more pieces of art in his collection. â€Å"My Last Duchess† is structured around rhyming pentameter lines. The lines do not use full stops. They are sentences which don’t conclude at the end of a line and this gives the impression that the rhymes is not complete. The personality of the Duke makes horrifying information seem quite fine. The poem is a good example of dramatic monologue as the speaker is clearly distinct from the poet and the real character of the Duke is the aim of the poem. This poem also makes the readers become part of poem as we only hear it through the Duke’s own thought and so we must put the story together ourselves. Ballad (Anon) This poem reveals the tale of a dishonest lover. The poem is by an unknown author. It was passed down through oral tradition. This ballad is told by a girl, who at the start of the poem is an innocent maiden with no experience too the opposite sex. However, her innocence is lost to a shepherd and she becomes pregnant. She doesn’t profit from being resentful to the shepherd who no longer takes interest in the girl. It’s clear to see the shepherd is experienced in love and the poem describes him as faithless. When he finds out the girl is pregnant, he deserts her at a time when she needs him most. Throughout the poem we can see contrasts of a love affair and its aftermath. It uses summer as the love affair and winter when the affair is over. The maiden is deeply distressed and contemplates taking her and her child’s life. She can’t reason the situation she has been placed in. The poem is flooded with mixed emotions that show anger, resentment and dishonesty.

Five Phases of the Project Lifecycle Essay

Abstract The project lifecycle describes the tasks that must be completed to produce a product or service (NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003). The Project Lifecycle has been divided into five phases. The first phase of the Project Lifecycle is the Define Phase in which the project concept is evaluated, selected and defined as the solution to a specific need or set of needs. In the second Plan phase, the concept is developed into a practical plan for implementation. The Launch phase of project lifecycle constitutes the third phase. This is a phase in which management activities are carried out to establish clear terms of reference and a clear management structure. The Manage phase of project lifecycle is the penultimate phase in which the implementation plan is executed. The final phase is termed the Close phase in which the project is completed and documented. The deliverables are then handed over to the care and control of the owner. The Five Phases Each phase of the project lifecycle is associated with a number of activities. The number of activities in a project depends on the class of the project and also on the judgment of the project manager. The different activities associated with each phase of the project lifecycle are described below: Define Phase The Define or Initiation Phase is the first phase in the Project Life Cycle and essentially involves starting up the project. A project is initiated by defining its purpose and scope, the justification for initiating it and the solution to be implemented. (MPMM, 2007) Project Request Approval: Approval of the project request formalizes and institutionalizes the project. This activity ensures that only projects that deserve the kind of investment that is envisaged are selected for implementation and executed. It helps in managing the workload of individual departments. In the ideal situation, anyone can make a project request on a prescribed project request form signed by the operating unit head. The project approver evaluates the report on the basis of pre-specified criteria. The output of this activity is in the form of either an approved or a denied project. If the project is approved, a project manager is assigned. Project Overview Statement: The Project Overview Statement (POS) provides the essence of the project. It is a short document that establishes the purpose of the project and its relevance to the organization in terms of the business value that it will provide. The Project Overview Statement identifies the problem which the project addresses and determines the goals and objectives of the project. The effort that would be required in completing the project is estimated, and the assumptions, risks and obstacles are identified. The primary objective of the POS is top impress the importance of the project upon the senior management and to secure its support for the project. Once the management is convinced, the project manager gains the authority to use organizational resources for the project. During the course of the project lifecycle, the POS becomes the point of reference for the project. Business Case: This activity helps to build a case for the project by justifying it as a business need. All the costs and benefits of the project are weighed before taking the decision to investment in the project. Dependencies, fund requirements and risks are identified. A cost-benefit analysis is undertaken. Project Governance: In this activity the roles and the activities of the different team members and stakeholders are identified and fixed. The decision making hierarchy and structure of the project are defined. Escalation procedures are also drawn up. Management Approval for next phase: This activity concentrates on acquiring the approval of the management to move to the next planning phase of the project. Each phase of the project lifecycle constitutes of a transition activity to move into the next phase. In this activity, the senior management analyzes status report and feedbacks from customers. The senior management together with the project manager then takes a decision whether the project should move into the next phase or not. This activity ensures that projects that are found unworthy or not feasible are rejected early in the lifecycle. Plan Phase The focal point of this phase is developing the project scope into a stable project plan, which will be later used to guide the project through the project life cycle and fulfill the business requirements (Hinds IT Management). Start-off meeting: This is the kick-off meeting in which the project manager sets guidelines for project execution, reviews the Project Overview Statement and lays down the expectations from the project team. Timelines, approach, assumptions and constraints are discussed in this meeting. There is a conscious effort to dispel any doubts that team members may harbor. The minutes of this meeting is documented. Project Approach: The objective of this activity is to define a solution for the project and to identify the method to deliver the solution. An implementation approach to meet the project goals is developed. Policies and standards are laid down. This activity also validates the planning activities required. Various methods in which the project objectives can be achieved are evaluated and the best adopted. Components from other projects that can be applied in the project under consideration are identified. A rationale is provided for the adoption of the particular project approach. The project approach is documented. Quality Strategy: The quality strategy to be adopted for the project is determined. The project manager and his team decide which Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities will be carried out during the course of the project lifecycle. A list of Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities is developed. Work Breakdown Structure: The project is broken down and decomposed into smaller components of activity units, sub tasks and work packages. This enables the manager to estimate the duration of the project more objectively, determine the resources that would be required and also work out a schedule for project execution. It provides the management with enhanced control. A work break down structure evolves out of this activity. This activity is an element of the work plan. Time and Cost Estimate: The time and cost for each task is estimated depending upon the resources available and capability. The time and cost estimate that is drawn up becomes an input for the work plan. Schedule Development: This activity documents the various tasks that need to be executed during the course of the project lifecycle and then assigns responsibilities and establishes timelines for the tasks. Dependencies between various tasks are highlighted. Resources are assigned to the tasks, quality reviews and testing are planned. This activity ensures that the project is completed on time and that the business aspect of the overview statement is addressed. Once the overall schedule is available, the project manager is responsible for monitoring the progress closely. The deliverable of this activity is the work plan. Risk Management Strategy Plan: This activity develops a complete plan for handling risks pertaining to the project. It defines how risks will be identified, who will do so and at what frequency risks will be identified. It adopts a risk monitoring toll, sets the risk escalation matrix and defines how to handle issues with high risk probability. The roles and responsibilities for the risk management process are accorded. Communications Management Plan: This plan is developed to ensure flow of required information to all team members. Access methodologies are worked out, information is categorized according to target groups and overall communication systems defined. Issue Management Plan: An issue management process is defined in this activity. The objective of the activity is to ensure that issues are identified, evaluated and assigned for resolution. An issue log is documented and tracked. Quality Assurance Plan: This plan is implemented to validate that the major activities and processes are completed with an acceptable level of quality. Acceptance criteria for deliverables, quality assurance activities, in-process control plans, and quality-related responsibilities are defined. Frequency of project plan reviews, frequency of receiving and sending status reports, and frequency of checking for process improvements are determined. Resource Plan: This plan is developed to determine the resources that will be required during the various phases of the Project Lifecycle. It also takes into consideration the need training programs or other value-addition processes. The type and amount of resources needed are determined. The estimated output, availability, and cost of the resources are determined. Procurement Plan: This plan draws up the procurement strategy. The scope and type of products and services that are to be procured are outlined. Procurement responsibilities are fixed and assigned. Vendor evaluation criteria and approval procedures are set. Operational Transfer Plan: This activity ensures the smooth activation of the project. Installation processes and related roles and responsibilities are identified. Pre-requisites for smooth rollout of processes are tracked and planned for. Stephenson et. al. (2000) in the Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board puts high importance on this activity. Referring to NASA operations it states that â€Å"close attention should be paid from project outset to the plan for transition between development and operations. Adequate systems engineering staffing, particularly a mission systems engineer, should be in place to provide a bridge during the transition between development and operations, and also to support risk management trade studies.† Integrated Project Plan: This activity enables proper co-ordination of the project. Roles and responsibilities are identified. Reviews are planned; all aspects of the project are examined to ensure that all relevant factors are taken into consideration. Team Assignment: Team assignment is done to ensure that individuals with appropriate skills are assigned to the relevant group and area of work. The Project Manager balances resource availability with the Work Plan. Work packages are defined and assigned and any questions and conflicts regarding work packages are resolved. Management Approval for next Phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Planning takes a lot of patience. A traditional mistake is to leap before one is ready. When there is pressure to deliver, the temptation is to ‘get the ball rolling’ (Jenkins, 2006). Launch Phase Initial Meeting: The project manager informs the team members of the ground rules of the project, the working style, the communication plan and the escalation process for conflict resolution. The minutes of the meeting is documented for reference. Initial Risk Identification: Risks are identified and categorized during the course of this activity. For each risk identified, the risk event is assessed in terms of likelihood of occurrence and its effect on project objectives if it were to occur. The objective is to ensure that the entire team is involved in the identification of risks for the project. This ensures that all perspectives are taken into account while planning for risks. Team Readiness: This activity consists of preparing each member of the team to handle the roles and responsibilities that has been assigned to the person. Training programs, workshops and seminars are organized for skill and knowledge updating. Key goals are identified for each team member. Within the team, each role is accountable for the activities necessary to achieve its own quality goal (Microsoft, 2002). Manage Phase The project plan is executed in the Manage Phase. The primary purpose of project management during this phase is to monitor, evaluate and communicate project progress and to define and implement corrective measures if progress does not meet the expectations defined in the Project Plan (Heinsights, 2003). This phase comprises the following activities: Performance Tracking and Reporting: The overall objective is to track the progress of the project and to ensure that the project is progressing at a satisfactory rate. Cost, time, scope and quality are tracked along with actual accomplishments and results. All persons associated with the project are provided access to the progress records. Team meetings are held to exchange information. The status of the project is reported to the relevant stakeholders. Weekly status reports and tracked project schedules are the outcomes of this activity. Schedule Control: The objective of this activity is to ensure that tasks are executed as per the Work Plan so that the deadline for the project can be met. If there is any possibility of delays, the relevant stakeholders are informed.   The project manager tracks the various tasks in a project by exchanging task status information with team members and then incorporating the latest status information into the project Work Plan. If the any task, schedule or resource information changes, the Project Manager communicates the revised Work Plan to the project team. The outcome of this activity is the tracked work plan. Change Control: However meticulous the planning may have been, all projects need to accommodate changes. The objective of this activity is to ensure that all changes to scope are documented and authorized by the relevant stakeholders.   Any change to the scope is communicated to the project manager. Change requests are put up to the project manager who approves or denies the request in consultation with the management. Cost Control: This activity ensures that the project cost adheres as closely as possible to the budgeted cost. Since costs are agreed upon at the beginning by the sponsors, the project manager has to monitor the costs and report any deviation of project cost from the budget cost to the sponsor or customer. A status report documents project costs in the various phases of the project. Quality Assurance and Control: This process comprises project reviews, product reviews, code reviews, testing, and any other process that the Project Manager might think necessary. Defects are identified, and categorized. Root causes are analyzed. This activity is carried out with the objective of ensuring that the project team meets the project requirements in terms of all requisite quality criteria. Monitoring and Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project (Wikipedia, 2008). Procurement Management: The objective is to ensure adherence to the procurement plan and procedures so that the selection procedure is fair and the quality of supplies and services are acceptable. Risk Management: Risk management follows the Risk Management Plan that was adopted in the Plan Phase. The management monitors all risks with a risk exposure over the threshold limit. Risk mitigation strategies are planned and contingency plans are developed. The Risk Matrix is revisited at an appropriate frequency. Information Distribution: This activity ensures that all parties concerned have easy access to relevant information in accordance with the information sharing plan. All relevant information needs to be communicated to the appropriate parties at the right time and in the appropriate format. Time Tracking and Management: This activity is concerned with the logging of all time spent on the project. Time spent is tracked at a project level, and analyzed at an organizational level. The output is in the form of time sheets and variance reports. Management Approval for next phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Close Phase This consists of bringing the project to an orderly end: formalizing and communicating the acceptance or conclusion of a project, handing over to the ongoing accountable area, completing an Activity Completion Report and, for major projects, holding a post implementation review (QUT, 2008) Transition to Production: The Operational Transfer Plan is carried out after the required checks are done. This activity ensures that all planned testing is carried out, all customer requirements are met and that the product is fully operational. Customer acceptance of the product is ensured before commencing production. Wrap-up Meeting: This final meeting is again called by the project manager to take stock of everything that has happened in the course of the project. Lessons Learned: Lessons learned during the project are documented and incorporated in the knowledge base for future use. The ‘lessons learned’ document is developed and deposited in the knowledge base. Administrative Closure: The Project Manager ensures that the project is approved and accepted by the relevant stakeholders. All documentation and records are reviewed, organized and archived. Backups are taken. Resources are released and the project is closed. This activity marks the final closure of the project. References -01 Heinsights, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, Development Standard. Hinds IT Management, Project Management Life Cycl, Lilla Nyby; Valmerdalen, Sweden. Jenkins, N., 2006, A Project Management Primer, Creative Commons, California, USA. Microsoft Solutions Framework, 2002, White Paper, MSF Project Management Discipline. MPMM, 2007, Project Management Life Cycle, [Online] Available http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php [March 1, 2008] NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, [Online] Available. http://www.oft.state.ny.us/pmmp/guidebook2/Origination.pdf [March 1, 2008]    QUT, 2008, Project Phases, [Online] Available. http://www.its.qut.edu.au/pp/framework/pmfphases/   [March 1, 2008] Stephenson, A., G., Mulville, D., R., Bauer, F., H., Dukeman, G., A., Norvig, P., LaPiana, L., S., Rutledge, P., J., Folta, D., Sackheim, R., 2000, Report on Project Management in NASA, Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board Wikipedia, 2008, Project Management, [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management   [March 1, 2008]