Multiplex: Film and Service Profit Chain

Executive summary 1. Introduction 2. Industry analysis 1. Indian entertainment industry 2. Indian film industry 3. Growth drivers 4. Key players 3. Services marketing concepts as applied in multiplex 1. 7 Ps of services marketing 2. Service profit chain 3. Service blueprinting 4. Managing demand and supply 5. Yield management 6. Managing waiting process 7. Complaint management and service recovery 8. Customer feedback . Research report 5. Conclusion Abstract The magical word in cinemas today is – multiplex. It caters to the busy, fast moving and variety-loving consumer who wants more than just one film under a single roof. Multiplexes have become just a rage that most of the old cine complexes are converting to multiplexes. Cinema cannot be an independent identity. It stands with the food and entertainment counters. In the concept of multiplexes full entertainment is the magnet that attracts people inside This paper examines various Services marketing concepts, such as 7 Ps of services marketing- service Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical evidence; service Blueprinting; service Profit Chain; Managing Demand and Supply; Yield Management; Queue Management; Customer Feedback and service Recovery. This paper also throws some light on Industry analysis. Tectonic change in Indian Entertainment Industry and Indian Film Industry, and Growth drivers responsible for the expected increase in the number of multiplex cinemas such as Favorable demographic changes, An increase in disposable income in the hands of ever-expanding Indian middle class, Organized retail boom, Entertainment tax benefits for multiplex cinemas, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, High quality of creative and technical talent pool, Indian consumers willing to spent more on Entertainment, and Increase in the number of high-grade Hindi films, etc are considered. The paper also lists key players in the industry such as PVR Limited, INOX, FUN Cinemas, FAME Cinemas, and Cinemax. A descriptive research has been conducted, using questionnaire method, with a view to understand customer profile, customer expectation, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, usage frequency, customer behavior, and to get other important insights with respect to a multiplex. A number of charts and tables are prepared to bring out the main characteristics of the collected data.

Indian Socks Essay

Trivial though usually looked upon, ‘Socks’ is definitely an important part of a person’s wardrobe. Still, since long the segment is not taken to be vital. Attributing towards negligence from policy makers and business developers for the sector kept unattended or least valued, Mr Rohit Pal, MD- Renfro India speaking exclusively for News team at fibre2fashion describes â€Å"This segment within clothing has never got its due respect for many years, but I think that outlook has to be changed, and to an extent it is changing now.† â€Å"Socks may not be playing major part as economy driver, but still if the segment is taken seriously it can earn good profits for players,† opines Mr Vineet Bhatia, Properitor of V K Knitting Industries. Mr Raj Kumar Jain, MD – Bonjour, bringing out the importance of sector, comments â€Å"Socks is a requirement of common men for everyday needs. It is estimated to be having over 3000 manufacturing units out of which 85% is in and around Delhi and its national capital regions. And out of this, over 95% business is unorganized and fragmented. I estimate it to be around Rs. 3000crs. Business.† According to Mr Pal’s estimates, Indian knitwear market size is more than Rs. 25000crs, and socks in region would be between around Rs. 600 to 700crs at both organized and unorganized retail end excluding wholesale. He accentuates, â€Å"I think that socks would turn as part of what I call accessorization and accessories adds as a vital sector under garmenting. I estimate it’s been of importance in growing at a very rapid pace around 10 to 25% annually. If it has not got its due importance in the past, it has now got a pace today and it is likely to grow.† Analyzing the impediments in the growth of this category, Mr Bhatia draws attention to lack of good technology in India on this front. He highlights, â€Å"I am interacting with many customers internationally. Overall, our line of players lags behind international competitors in technology. Otherwise, we have better opportunity in international market than in India. Export from India is not much as far as socks is concerned. But domestic market is good.† Mr Jain also notes that for the socks industry there is no training college which will help socks industry get groomed in India. Not a single institution is established to give any training on skills honing in this line. Even for operating machines both- hand operated and automated, training is essential in his view. Mr Ajit Lakra, president of Chamber of Knitwear and Textile Associations of Ludhiana, sees a very big scope for domestic consumption and exports of knitwear. He points up, â€Å"I believe knitwear sector has a big role to play and what is required to have is more good institutes for improving the skills at all levels.† 10% excise duty is a detrimental aspect for Socks sector too. Mr Bhatia expresses, â€Å"Socks is a low cost product and bearing 10% excise duty is justsinking our product. Already cotton prices in the entire year have increased too much and above that excise duty that too 10% is just a suicidal kind of a thing† â€Å"It is either you pay 10% on wholesale or you pay 6% on MRP whatever higher,† mentions Mr Pal.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Questions 1-8

Chapter 1: #1 a) â€Å"Tired old town† (pg. 5) b) â€Å"Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing fear but fear itself† (pg. 6) c) â€Å"nothing to buy and no money to buy with it† (pg. 6) d) â€Å"nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County† (pg. 10) #2 The setting of the story take place in Maycomb County, Alabama, during the 1930's. #3 Scout was telling the story about Boo Radley, she said Radley was locked up in a basement as a teenager for once getting in trouble with police. Boo has been locked up in the house ever since and people think he goes out at night. 4 The children find Boo fascinating because he was so mysterious, they thought he was dead and there were many stories about him.Chapter 2: #1 one- the teacher found out that Scout already can read, so she make Scout promise not to read to with her father. second- the teacher found out Scout was writing a letter to Dill, the teacher stop her from writing it and told S cout that in Grade 1, you only learn printing. third- Scout was trying to explain the ways of the Cunninghams and that they were proud farmers who refuse charity because they couldn’t afford it. 2 The professional people is poor at that time because their learning system is so limited, student have no chance to learn things other than what the teacher have taught. #3 WPA stand for Works Progress Administration. He won’t work for it because he is to proud of himself, he doesn’t want help and charity and he only takes what he works for. Chapter 3: #1 The point of view from Cal and Atticus is very different. Cal will give lecture to the children if they did something wrong, but Atticus will try to impact the important message to the children. 2 Walter's family is respectable, but Burris’ family is meaner and keeps to themselves.Burris doesn’t try to look nice for school, follow rules, or even come back to school again after the first day. But as for W alter, he attends school in a clean shirt and tries to be polite. #3 Scout have begin to realize things can be interpreted both ways, and she can't judge something or someone from what she has see/heard. #4 I think Atticus meant that â€Å"common folk† know and understand the laws so they aren’t exempted, but the Ewells live by a different way of life so some of the laws are bent for them so they can still co-exist. 5 Atticus compromise to Scout is that Scout can keep on reading at home with him, but she can’t tell her teacher that she is. Chapter 4: #1 Scout doesn’t like the teacher because she tells her that she’s not allowed to read or right in first grade and Scout doesn’t like her fellow classmates. #2 I think the gum and pennies are coming from either Boo or a mocking bird. I think Boo because its his house and a mocking bird because its in the title of a story. #3 She doesn’t want to get in trouble with Atticus and because she afraid of one she heard someone laughing in the Radley house.Chapter 5: 1 Miss Maudie is a very friendly and warmth person. She hated staying at her house, she is widow, loved flowers and plants, likes baking, gold filling in her teeth and Baptist. She is very nice and friendly to Scout and Jem. #2 Miss Maudie was putting down a specific baptist point of view in which they person takes everything from the bible literally and believe that gods rules are the only rules. #3 Sometimes when someone has a Bible they use the power of it for the wrong reasons. #4 Atticus policy is basically tell the children everyone has their right, if Boo wanted to come out he would do so, and if he chooses not to, that is his right.I agree with Atticus, but I still think its strange. Chapters 6: #1 They went to Radley’s window that night because they knew Atticus wouldn’t notice them leave and it was the last day of summer, so if they died at least they would miss school. #2 He suggests tha t Scout is too much of a girl to handle this type of thing. #3 This have show us that Jem and Atticus have a very good relationship, where Jem would not want to get Atticus angry and dis-trust Jem. That also show us he care about the relationship. Chapter 7: #1 Jem’s pants were poorly sewn and neatly folded when he went back to get them.This scared him because he that Radley knew that he’d come back for his pants. #2 It represented Boo's friendly connection with the Finch children. Everyone thought Boo was a fearsome, crazy ‘phantom' and awful rumors were spread around about him. In actual fact, Boo was a nice person, except he didn't have any contact with the outside world. He left gifts in the knothole for Jem and Scout to find, because he wanted to express his friendship. #3 Jem had asked Mr. Nathan why he filled the hold with cement, and his reply is that the tree is dying, and cement will prevent from growing.But Jem afterward have consult Atticus, and Attic us that the tree look heathy. And now Jem realize Mr. Nathan are trying to prevent his brother Boo from pursuing the friendship. Chapter 8: #1 Jem and Scout make a snowman of Mr. Avery because they thinks he looks a lot like one. #2 Atticus keeps it a secret because he doesn’t want Boo to be gossiped about and doesn’t want Boo to get in trouble with his brother Nathan. #3 Miss Maudie is happy that her house burnt down. This tells us that she is an extremely positive person and doesn’t like to dwell on the past.

Serology Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Serology - Lab Report Example The specificity of this test lies on the fact that hemoglobin is only contained in blood. This change in pH is then detected by phenolphthalein, and the solution turns into pink quickly, or leuchomalachite green, which turns the solution into green (Houck and Siegel, 2010; Tobe et al., 2007). However, there are a few considerations in using these substrates. First, because phenolphthalein is a pH indicator, phenolphthalein reacts with any basic solution. It is thus important that the addition of LMG or PPT prior to the addition of hydrogen peroxide do not yield a color change. This ensures that any change in the solution results from the reaction of hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide. Second, when the phenolphthalein is exposed too long in the solution, a spontaneous oxidation occurs causing the colorimetric reaction to occur (Houck and Siegel, 2010). The color change indicating presence of blood must thus be quick. Third, substances in fruits and vegetables may act like a peroxidase (Tobe et al., 2007). MATERIALS AND METHODS Sample FS-26-07 was tested for the presence of blood using leuchomalachite green (LMG) and phenolphthalein (PPT). Two set-ups were prepared. Each set-up consists of three spot plates each containing a strip of 1) positive control, 2) negative control, or 3) FS-26-07. The spot plates in the first set-up were added with two drops of LMG, while those of the second set-up were added with the same amount of PPT.

Athelets and Drugs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Athelets and Drugs - Research Paper Example "Although they have legitimate medical uses, steroids are increasingly being used by individuals as a way to quickly build up muscle and increase strength"(Goldberg, 316). Anabolic steroids or anabolic-androgenic steroids are derived from naturally occurring testosterone (male anabolic hormone). Both androgenic and anabolic steroids have their origins in the Greek words means "masculinize." They are used by athletes who want to build up body muscle, for weightlifting, football, and any other sport that require explosive amounts of strength" (Mohun, 21). Steroids use are illegal and banned by most, if not all, major sports and organizations. If a participant is caught using steroids they can be suspended, fined, or even expelled from their particular sport. So why do athletes take this explosive drug you ask' "First, it involves certain personality traits found in many athletes, especially in those who desire, above everything else, to be champions. Second, it has to do with a number of pressures exerted by the sports world on modern competitors" (Dolan, 35). Professional Athletes have a huge influence on other athletes and their fans. Mark McGwire, a retired professional baseball player, openly admitted to taking androstenedione during his record breaking season. Few years back, NFL linebacker Brian Bosworth tested positive for steroids and was banned from playing in a championship college game. He claimed that taking steroids are safe, once it is in small amounts (Nardo, 28). Numerous retired baseball players, such as Ken Caminiti, are coming forward in the news stating that steroid use is widespread in major league baseball. These are men who us "regular Joes" look up to and idolize and if they are saying its okay to use steroids then that makes fans and young kids think it is okay too. Side effects of Steroids Some of the side effects of steroids include "shrinking of the testes, increased acne, loss of hair, extreme aggressiveness, liver damage, high blood pressure, prostate problems, and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke due to an elevation in LDL levels" (Sallis, 131). But there are also women who use steroids as well. "Their side effects consist of deepened voice, rougher skin, extreme aggressiveness, mustache darkens, baldness may occur, and all the heart and organ problems that men are susceptible to" (Dolan, 31). b. Amphetamines and Cocaine Another drug used in sports is Amphetamines, which are classified as stimulant drugs because they instill that same sense of well-being (Dolan, 45). These stimulants include a whole range of substances, from caffeine, through amphetamines to cocaine. All these substances stimulate the body, mentally and physically. Cocaine is one of the most widely publicized recreational drugs. "The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that about six million Americans use cocaine on a regular basis"(Nardo, 55). This number includes people in all professions from professional sports to police officers. But, professional athletes who use the drug both for recreation and as an energy booster before games have been hit unusually hard by the drug. "Seemingly indestructible heroes have been brought to their knees," says William Gildea, a sportswriter for the Washington Post. Example of cocaine abuser athlete Bethea was the number one draft choice of the late nineteenth

Methods to Access the Canopy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Methods to Access the Canopy - Essay Example The original method of technical climbing hardware to trees adopted by biologists began in the 1970s. Canopy access using ropes, although independently evolved across the globe, eventually appeared side-by-side in the journal Biotropica, when Perry's colleague published her Costa Rica work in the same issue as Lowman's first Australian data set (Lowman 1984; Nadkarni 1984). Single Rope Techniques (SRT) is portable and relatively inexpensive method of canopy study which allowed canopy access even to graduate students with their modest budgets. However the limitation of SRT is such that it was not useful for emergent trees whose enormous canopies usually extended far away from the main trunk itself. To access foliage on the extremities, another invention known as the canopy boom (a horizontal bar with a bosun's chair at one end that swung into the leafy canopy away from the main trunk) was created by Peter Ashton and colleagues. Later on, with the development of more modern technology, construction crane was first set up by Alan Smith of Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to study forest canopies in Panama. Although relatively expensive, this device allowed access to any region of canopy beneath the crane arm without regard to the tree trunk. Methods are further expanded to using hot-air balloon and raft operation, called Radeau des Cimes (translation: raft on the rooftop of the world) which was designed by

Eric Rauchways Murdering McKinley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Eric Rauchways Murdering McKinley - Essay Example In his analysis of Mckinley’s murder, Rauchway wants the reader to understand the social and political struggles that faced the nation at the dawn of the 20th century and the solutions that got proposed. McKinley’s death arose many questions in regards to the nation’s culture and also led to far reaching changes in political and social institutions under Roosevelt’s administration. The rise of Roosevelt to power marked the progressive era in America’s history of the early 20th century. Under McKinley, the US had embodied the social and political conservatism castigated under his republican party at the end of the 19th century. The rapid industrialization under McKinley’s rule created social and political problems for the country. The rapid industrialization had led to the creation of a massive lowly paid labor force, and a high immigration rate that led to population growth and overpopulation in urban towns. McKinley’s assassination and the growing unrest from the populist movement forced Roosevelt to search for answers to these problems. Roosevelt like most American citizens at the time got caught up in trying to lace reason on the assassination of McKinley. Roosevelt tried to determine whether the reason for McKinley’s murder lay in the assassin or on the social conditions that created desperate people. Roosevelt proceeded careful ly in his plan to put the American industry under supervision. Roosevelt employed the controversy stirred by McKinley’s assassination to introduce America into the progressive era. America had become rapidly industrialized and urbanized and the progressive movement aimed to provide a response to the economic and social changes that were taking place at the time. Roosevelt pinpointed the great economic disparity, overcrowded cities, political dominance of the big businesses, and the poor working conditions as the problems that plagued industrial America. Roosevelt felt

Technology and Social Media Communication Analysis Essay

Technology and Social Media Communication Analysis - Essay Example Analysis of Various Technologies and Social Media Communication Tools The conception of social media can be defined as an effective process of communicating with other. It is often viewed to be a medium of social interaction. The various technologies for communication include televisions, computer systems along with the medium of internet and mobile phones (The states of Queensland, 2006). Conversely, the various tools of social media comprise different online websites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Facebook among others (The International Association of Assessing Officers, 2009). Intended Purpose of Using Technologies and Social Media Communication Tools The major purpose of using different technologies and social media communication tools is to build effective communication with different users in the community. The technologies and the different social media tools can be viewed as effective business tools for several organizations by which they can promote their valuable pro ducts by a significant level (Brand Protect Inc., 2010). . Strength One of the chief strengths of employing various technologies and different social media tools is that these aspects possess greater accessibility of varied information. It has been apparently observed that the different business organization use the tools of social media for growing their brand awareness, improving sales and most importantly attaining significant competitive position over the chief business market competitors. Thus, it can be stated that the different tools related to social media strengthens the financial viability of the organizations (Brand Protect Inc., 2010). Weakness One of the chief weaknesses of using effective technologies and different tools of social media is time consumption. The tools might take much time to navigate the required information relating to any subject matter (Brand Protect Inc., 2010). Ethical Consideration With regard to the ethical consideration, the business corporation s along with the government should remain much conscious about the misuse of different tools of social media that might impose unfavorable effects upon the community (Eid, 2009). Existing Norms and Protocols One of the significant norms of social media is maintaining the privacy of accessing different information of the users. The various business organizations or the individuals should prioritize this important social norm concerning privacy as well as protecting their respective profiles in order to share their information in an organized manner (Talking Climate, 2012). In relation to the social norms, it has been viewed that one of the major protocols of social media is registration. In this similar context, the business organizations should follow the Code of Conduct relating to social norms while performing business operational functions. Moreover, the legislations such as the ‘Data Protection Act 1998’, ‘Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000’ an d ‘Telecommunications Regulations 2000’ can act as significant protocols for social media. These protocols relating to social media facilitate investigating and detecting the unauthorized usage of different telecommunication systems such as internet usage. The business organizations or any individuals are advised to follow the social media norms as well as protocols in order to share

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Marketing - Assignment Example Mr. Khan a banker as well as an expert swimmer was a participant of this fateful underwater reality challenge which was co created by the two multinational giants, Unilever and mindshare, who are still unable to account for the tragic accident that took place. During the execution of the same stunt, Mr. Khan apparently lost control, he tossed, turned and struggled but could never recover and eventually drowned while performing this challenge for the program. Daunted and terrified co-contestants and crew hurried and tried to save but could not find him in the murky, misty waters of the lake. It is believed, that the personal security precautions were inadequate at the time of shooting the stunt, while participants also seem to lack training or briefing for the very harsh fateful reality show. Besides the inadequate security measures, the underlying question of corporate social responsibility of the two multinational giants, in the making of this reality show still remains unanswered. And it seems there was no document regarding the planning and preparation of the show. Moreover, Unilever, being the fastest growing FMCG in the world, had control over the media, and swept away any news regarding the dreadful event. The traditional media was put on silence and was forbidden to utter any word related to Mr. khan’s tragic death. This avoidance of media, has called into question the social, ethical, as well as the moral responsibilities of the

Hannibal and the Carthaginian Empire Essay Example for Free

Hannibal and the Carthaginian Empire Essay Hannibal was great and famous Carthaginian general. He is remembered for his great strategic skills on the battle field and as a great military chief. Born in late 247 BC, was the oldest son of Hamilcar Barca. In 237 BC, Hamilcar took his nine year old son, Hannibal, to the altar of a Carthaginian god and made him pledge eternal hatred to the Romans. Then Hannibal and his father left for Spain. The headquarters of Carthaginian power in Spain was the city of New Carthage. Hannibal saw immediately his fathers techniques for war . When Hamilcar perished in the battle of 230 BC, his son-in-law, Hasdrubal, became the military leader plus the political leader and continued Carthages pressure in Spain. In 226 BC Hasdrubal signed an agreement with the Romans. The agreement stated that neither army could cross the Ebro River in the northern Spain . When Hasdrubal was murdered in 221 BC, the Carthaginians collectively elected twenty-six-year-old Hannibal to be the leader in Carthaginian government and commandant of the army in Spain. After Hamilcar’s death Hannibal became an excellent military leader. â€Å"Under [Hannibal’s] control the Carthaginians made large territorial advances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I-cias). He learned quickly how to be a leader and with the support of his brothers he was able to succeed through his battles. Hannibal was crossing the Alps and was able to receive rations for a couple days. â€Å"On the third day he captured a Gallic town and provided the army from its stores with rations for two or three days† (Alps). He wanted the best for his army, but had little support from Carthage. Despite the number of men falling from the army due to natural disasters he managed to recruit others. â€Å"Even if many fell from his army during this march because of snowstorms, landslides, and attacks from hostile local tribes, he managed to recruit new personnel along the route. † His strategy was to respond quickly to these natural disasters and it helped him. Hannibal earned his success by enduring hardships with his recruits and reinforcements. Hannibal experienced many challenges including battle delays little amount of military equipment and a small number of reinforcements from home. Other military leaders knew he would not be able to handle a delay due to the lack of preparation he took for each battle. â€Å"He [Fabius, Roman Military Leader] believed that Hannibal lacked the equipment for a prolonged siege and that a delay in the battle would seriously reduce the Carthaginian food supply†. Rome believed that delays would end in the conquering of Hannibal because of the lack of necessities there was little he could do. Hannibal began to suffer during his career due to the lack of food. â€Å"Zama was the only defeat. Hannibal suffered in his military career† . After his defeat his enemies began to discover his weakness. Hannibal was running out of everything during the Battle of Cannae and his help refused to aid him. â€Å"Hannibal needed reinforcements, which the Carthaginian government refused to furnish, and he also lacked siege weapons† . Hannibal’s restrictions could have given him success, had he been willing to bargain with another force greater then his own. Hannibal was the instrument of his own undoing. Hannibal was set on being the conqueror and set on some one else’s defeat, which lead him to his own. His enemy, Rome, was the center of his downfall. He would never settle and there was no satisfaction between them. â€Å"†¦In 218, he clashed with the Roman army. The Romans claimed that this was a break of an existing treaty between Rome and Carthage and demanded Hannibal surrendered to them†¦the Second Punic War started† (I-cias). If Hannibal conquered Romans he would never be able to rule over. â€Å"According to legend, Hamilcar had made the young Hannibal swear on a sacred altar that he would remain an enemy of Rome for life† . Hannibal had made a promise to his father, therefore intending to go on with nothing. â€Å"The loss of the second city of Italy cost Hannibal the allegiance of many of his Italian allies and put an end to his hopes of further replenishing his army from their ranks† . Hannibal had lost it all. His hope had been limited at this point. Hannibal both succeeded and failed. He never won the hearts of the people; therefore he was never able to truly be victorious. Hannibal married a Spanish princess and conquered the surrounding land and took hostages from the adjacent tribes to assure their loyalty to him without crossing the Ebro River, except for the city of Saguntum, an ally of Rome. When Saguntum began trouble between Carthage and Rome in 219 BC, Hannibal invaded the city. This began the Second Punic War . After hearing the declaration of war Hannibal immediately starts off towards Rome. The problem was he had to go by land since Rome controlled the seas. Hannibal began a long and hazardous expedition across the Pyrenees and the Alps in August of 218, with battle elephants walking at the front of his army . In the spring of 218 BC, Hannibal handed over command of the Spanish armies to his brother Hasdrubal. He then led his troops north toward the Pyrenees Mountains and began one of the most famous journeys in history . Hannibals army included Libyans and Numidians from North Africa, Iberians and Celtiberians from Spain, and Gauls from Spain, France, and Italy. There were thirty-five thousand foot soldiers, twelve thousand horsemen, and fifty war elephants. Hannibal used the elephants to break infantry lines and to create fear and disorder. The elephants also frightened horses, so they were able to disrupt the enemys cavalry . In the Pyrenees, Hannibal encountered resistance from local tribes. He lost a lot of his men to fighting, and some of the mercenaries went home because they were scared of the long journey. With all this, Hannibal continued to move as quickly as possible, but bad luck fell into Hannibals lap as early snows and landslides kill many of his men and almost all of his war elephants . He enters Italy with only twenty-six thousand men and five or six war elephants in September 218. Hannibal and his troops spent the winter in Po Valley. In the spring of 217 BC When news of Hannibals army reached Rome, the Gauls of northern Italy revolted. They joined Hannibal in fighting the Romans. Now Hannibal had a sufficient army of infantry and cavalry. The Romans had plans to attack Carthage and New Carthage, but they had to be delayed because of the rebelling tribes in Italy and the approach of Hannibal. So the Romans sent troops under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio, to stop Hannibal at Massilia . Massilia is on the French coast where the Rhone River runs into the Mediterranean Sea. The Rhone is a wide river with a swift current, so it was a great obstacle to Hannibal. Scipios troops set up camp by the sea, thinking that Hannibal would reach Massilia in the near future. But he did not realize how fast Hannibal was moving his troops . When Scipio received news of Hannibal, it was too late. Hannibal had moved his entire army across the Rhone, fifty miles north of Massilia . Although Hannibals army had been reduced to twenty-six thousand infantry, nine thousand horses, and five or six elephants, it was a great accomplishment to get across the Rhone. To transport the elephants, the men built rafts . When the Alps came into view, Hannibal allowed his army a few days to rest, because he knew that his army had doubts about crossing the Alps. Never before had elephants crossed the Alps. The army did not reach the Alps until late in the year, and many troops and horses were killed. Some troops who came from warmer climates died from the cold. Some troops died of hunger because food was short to come by. Others died in fights with mountain tribes. Some of the mountain tribes rolled big stones down the mountains and caused men and animals to fall from the narrow mountain passage .

Strategical approach of comprehension

Strategical approach of comprehension Disadvantages of the Strategical Approach of Comprehension For students of English, it is listening comprehension that usually seems to be the hardest to master among the different skills of language learning. Therefore, there are numerous theories published in order to make listening tasks more effective and to devise more useful types of practice. One of these methods proposes the separate improvement of particular sub-skills, of which listening comprehension is claimed to consist, and it also suggests the application of listening strategies, which theoretically make listening easier. It is not hard to realize, though, that however tempting they might seem, the strategic approach of listening comprehension means more needless work to students than improvement. To begin with, it has a negative effect on students results that this approach of comprehension underestimates the importance of practice. As Field (1998) formulates it, For fifteen years it has been axiomatic that more reading does not necessarily mean better reading. (p. 112). First, this can mean that the exclusive training of sub-skills does not allow comprehension to improve as a whole. Second, since different types of exercises require different strategies, learners might perform badly in the types not practised extensively. In summary, the subordinated role of practice can have a negative effect on students. The second reason is that the exclusive use of authentic texts can significantly slow down the progress of students at a lower level of proficiency. First, as the strategic approach fails to realize the importance of grading texts, it can be unnecessarily difficult although the more one can understand in a listening task, the more useful the particular task is, (Ridgway, 2000). Second, a less proficient student might lose motivation if the listening texts seem to be impossible to understand. Third, the theory of listening strategies suggests predicting the meaning and guessing unknown words from content; that, however, can lead to the reduced expansion of vocabulary. To summarize, the use of authentic texts can mean a definite disadvantage on certain levels of proficiency. Finally, one could say that listening strategies can prove extremely helpful for learners, but actually it consumes a significant amount of resources to practice these techniques. On the one hand, practising each of these techniques separately consumes a far larger amount of time than a student could afford at the expense of training other areas of language proficiency. On the other hand, the constant effort to choose the appropriate strategy can be very difficult and exhausting for students and is often futile; Field (2000) himself tends to admit this, as well, it seems that they may not be capable of employing it appropriately in relation to a particular listening text or of combining it successfully with other strategies that they have encountered. (p. 192). To summarize, the application of strategies requires more time and energy than the advantages it provides. In conclusion, it can be seen through various reasons that the strategical approach of comprehension is not as beneficial for students as it might seem in the beginning. First, it provides a smaller amount of practice for the students. Second, the extensive use of authentic texts suggested by this theory can be inappropriate for certain students. Third, the strategy-based approach is definitely more time- and energy-consuming than it is helpful. From the above mentioned points, it is clear that the use of different strategies is not required for effective language learning. References: Field, J. (1998). Skills and strategies: towards a new methodology for listening. ELT Journal, 52(2), 110-118. Field, J. (2000). Not waving but drowning: a reply to Tony Ridgway. ELT Journal, 54(2), 186-195. Ridgway, T. (2000). Listening strategies- I beg your pardon?. ELT Journal, 54(2), 179-185.

Multiple Sclerosis: Therapeutic Options Effectiveness

Multiple Sclerosis: Therapeutic Options Effectiveness Effectiveness and Controversies of Disease Modifying Treatments (DMTs) Pharmacists consider Type I Interferons (IFNs) a safe long-term treatment option for RRMS and they have widely used IFNs in the past two decades. The activity of Interferon-Beta (IFNB) is similar to that of the interferon produced by the body. Studies indicate that they have the ability to reduce the rate of relapse compared to placebos. However, based on comparisons of historical data, scientists also report that the ÃŽ ²-Interferons contribute significantly to the progression of multiple sclerosis (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). Incomplete recovery from MS episodes can lead to permanent disability, especially during the relapsing remitting stage of MS. Two types of interferon-beta occur and include Interferon beta-1a and non-glycosylated interferon beta-1b. Initially, medics used the type-1 Interferons for the treatment of the MS because of their antiviral nature. This was because of the tendency of viral infections to prompt the relapse of the disease (Compston Coles, 2002). One of the arguments toward the mechanism of the type 1 interferon revolves around the down regulation of the expression of the MCH class II antigens. However, researchers believe that other complex mechanisms are associated with the activity of the type-1 interferon. The side effects associated with the administration of the ÃŽ ²-Interferons are dependent the frequency, route, and dose of administration. Acyclovir can nullify the side effects before the treatment with the ÃŽ ²-Interferons (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). Another DMT approved for the treatment of RRMS is Glatiramer Acetate (GA). Initial experiments showed it suppressed MS in animals. Several clinical trials indicated that GA reduced the rate of relapse of the MS compared to the placebo and this led to its approval in 1996. Medics administer the polymer through a subcutaneous injection. Reports show that the route of administration reduces the number of parameters of the disease shown during MRI (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). Additionally, recent studies have reported a balance in the treatment of both GA and Interferon Beta. Since experiments show that GA lacks long-term side effects, significant in the progression of the MS, its use in the routine treatment of MS has been ongoing for over 15 years. Experiments show that the immunomodulatory activity of the GA improves the cells of the inborn and adaptive resistant system. In 2004, the FDA approved the use of Natalizumab for the treatment of RRMS. Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that directs its activity towards the ÃŽ ±-4 subunit of the integrin ÃŽ ±-4 beta 1 and the lymphocyte receptors of the ÃŽ ±-4 beta 7 lymphocytes (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). The drug blocks the interaction between the VCAM-1 ligand and the VLA-4 receptor by binding to the ÃŽ ±-4 integrin on lymphocytes. Prior to its approval, different clinical studies demonstrated remarkable activity on the relapse of MS. Of all the approved treatment, the FDA reports Natalizumab to be the most efficacious, though it has some side effects. Buzzard, Broadley, and Butzkueven, (2012) report that Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) occurs in over 200 patients treated with Natalizumab some of which have been fatal. Fingolimod is a drug administered orally. In 2004, the FDA approved it for the treatment of MS. The drug is a lysophospholipid original used in organ transplantation. Initially, medics used Fingolimod in combination with cyclosporine, but the drug was not efficacious in the prevention of organ rejection after renal transplant (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). Despite this setback, clinical trials conducted later demonstrated that it reduced the progression of MS. Since the route of administering the drug is oral, it has an advantage over all the agents administered through an injection. The activity of the Fingolimod occurs through the interaction with G-protein-coupled sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. However, no study has been done to prove the immunomodulation activity of the drug. Alemtuzumab is another monoclonal antibody whose activity gears toward CD52, found on the surface of natural killer cells, and B and T lymphocytes (Azzopardi Coles, 2011). The CD52 also exists in some dendritic cells and monocytes. In addition, the Alemtuzumab is involved in the lysis of cells that express the CD52. One of the clinical trials that researched on the activity of the agent on MS patients was the CARE-MS 1 study and the researchers compared the activity to ÃŽ ¼g beta-IFN. The scientists reported a reduction in the occurrence of RRMS at the rate of 54% (Cross Naismith, 2013). The CARE-MS II study compared the agent with beta-IFN 1a in relapsed patients and reported a reduction in the rate or relapse (49%). However, the drug was reported to have adverse side effects in the two different clinical trials. The side effects reported ranged from mildly to moderately severe and the most common was the development of secondary autoimmune diseases. Additionally, scientists repor ted cases of thyroid carcinoma in the CARE-MS 1 trial. As the result of the increased interest in the use of oral therapy, in an effort to improve the compliance of the MS patients, medics are using a number of emerging agents as DMTs (Buzzard, Broadley, Butzkueven, 2012). Fumaric acid is one of the emerging agents. It is administered as Dimethyl Fumarate, which is a product of the citric cycle. Medics have used Dimethyl Fumarate for many decades in the treatment of Psoriasis, especially in Germany. Studies have suggested that the agent is effective against pro inflammatory mediators, such as adhesion factors, cytokines, and chemokine in MS. Its activity is directed toward reducing NF-ÃŽÅ¡b activity and thus reducing the expressions of molecules that cause inflammation. The progression of the MS is associated with damage to cells in the central nervous system and researchers report that Fumaric acid esters offers protection against damage to these cells. Several clinical trials have used BG-12, which is a derivative of the Fumaric acid as it contains DMF. Researchers report a reduction in the rate of relapse. Lastly, medics have used other emerging agents as DMTs for MS that include Teriflunomide, Laquinimod, Alemtuzamab, Daclizumab, and B-Cell therapies. Effectiveness and Controversies of Symptomatic Treatments A collective symptom reported in patients with MS is fatigue. According to Kaminska, Kimoff, Schwartzman, and Trojan (2013), there has been an inconsistent finding in the correlation between fatigue and the extent of disability. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) measures the physical fatigue attributed to physical impairment. Depression and pain in the MS patient is also considered an indicator of the level of fatigue in the patients. The treatment used for the management of the fatigue is non-pharmacologically based CBT therapy. In addition, medics have used drugs, such as amantadine, modafinil, and pemoline in the management of the fatigue. However, the presence of undiagnosed sleep disturbance disorders is one of the confounding factors reported in testing the efficacy of these drugs. Other non-pharmacological treatments involve energy-conservation techniques and exercise, such as pacing and spacing activities (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). In cases where medics use pharmacologic al interventions in fatigued MS patients, the tolerance levels and effectiveness should determine the doses. Although walking impairment occurs gradually in patients with MS, it may be characterized with a gradual onset in some patients (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). This affects the patients balance and gait and could have emotional effect on the patients. Medics administer Dalfampridine (Ampyra) to patients with walking impairments but it is contraindicative in patients with history of renal diseases and seizures. Its activity acts toward the repair of damaged nerves as it acts as a blocker for the potassium channel and medics administer it orally. The recommended dosage for the drug is one tablet (10 mg) taken two times in day. Moreover, in two randomized controlled trials, the conclusions made by the researchers were that the dosage of 10 mg taken twice a day improved the walking speed of MS patients. However, the drug has side effects that include dizziness, nausea and nervousness (Patti, et al., 2009). The occurrence of tremors and ataxia occurs in patients with MS and the treatment is challenging. Medics manage Ataxia through rehabilitation or pharmacology through the administration of Levetiracetam, Clonazepam, Topiramate, Propranolol, and Clonazepam. Researchers report the medications to have modest effects on the Ataxia. In addition, surgical interventions that involve deep brain stimulation have been reported to be effective in some patients (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). Spasticity occurs in patients with MS and it is dependent on the increase in velocity of the muscle tissues, because of increase in tone and rigidity of the motor pathway. The symptom occurs in about 75 % of the MS patients and medics can manage it through conservative techniques or drugs; either injected into the patient or administered orally (Pappalardo, Castiglione, Restivo, Calabrese, Cimino, Patti, 2006). The conservative methods involve bracing, casting, and stretching exercises (Mori, et al., 2011). Baclofen and tizanidine are the most common form of first line treatment for spasticity but are associated with side effects, such as weakness and sedation (Rizzo, Hadjimichael, Preiningerova, Vollmer, 2004). The second and third line treatments used for spasticity include dantrolene, gabapentin, and benzodiazepines. Another common system in MS is pain and it is usually because of the loss of inhibitory pathways in the spine. Demyelination or axonal loss cause acute pain in the MS patients while bladder spasms and vertebral compression cause sub-acute pain. The drugs used for the management of pain include gabapentin, pregabalin, antiepileptics and carbamazepine and they are first line treatment forms for neuropathic pains (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). Cannabinoids are also efficient in pain management and medics use them to manage spinal injury and spasticity (Pertwee, 2002). Clinical depression affects about 50% of MS patients and the available treatments regimes include serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake inhibitors, which are all anti-depressants (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). Pseudo Bulbar Affect (PBA) is a neurologic disorder that presents with symptoms such as laughing and crying and researchers report it in about 10% of the patients. The management of PBA involves the administration of quinidine sulfate, and dextromethorphan hydrobromide (Ben-Zacharia, 2011). Cognitive dysfunction occurs in 50% of MS patients and it affects the speed at which the patient processes information, losses memory and vision, reduces verbal fluent, and reduces the attention span (Patti, et al., 2009). Researchers have tested Acetylcholinesterase in MS patients with promising results. However, a recent clinical trial disputed the efficacy of the drug. The FDA has approved other drugs, such as memantine and rivastigmine for use on Alzheimer’s patients but not MS. The conservative management of this dysfunction involves use of methods that retrain and improve on the memory and visual ability of the patients. Conclusion Current Research Strength For over two decades, researchers have conducted research on MS and the available treatments. However, even with all the research the currently available treatments have been unable to reduce the occurrence of symptoms in all the patients. The immunopathogenic factors in different patients determine their responses to the different treatments. Research conducted on the current forms of treatment shows that immunopathogenic factors have varying and unexpected results in different patients. Researchers have also been unable to determine the exact mechanisms that affect the disease process of MS. Additionally, several studies done regarding the disease reported disparities between clinical trials and animal models. Researchers agree that no single intervention is effective for halting the disease or reversing the effects of axonal degeneration and demyelination. This is an indicator that more research about MS is still in need to establish the mechanisms associated with the progression. Future Perspective Although there has been progress in research on the pathological, clinical and treatment of MS, some aspects remain unsolved. Researchers have based current research on the effort to repair the damage caused by the MS. Future researchers should aim at determining the treatments intended at healing the disease or reversing the disability attributed to MS. References Azzopardi, L., Coles, A. (2011). Alemtuzumab in multiple sclerosis. Archives of Neuropsychiatry, 48 (2), 79-82. Ben-Zacharia, A. B. (2011). Therapeutics for multiple sclerosis symptoms. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 78 (2), 176–191. Buzzard, K. A., Broadley, S. A., Butzkueven, H. (2012). What do effective treatments for multiple sclerosis tell us about the molecular mechanisms involved in pathogenesis? International Journal of Molecular Science, 13 (10), 12665-12709. Compston, A., Coles, A. (2002). Multiple sclerosis. The Lancet, 359(9648), 1221–1231. Cross, A. H., Naismith, R. T. (2013). Established and novel disease-modifying treatments in multiple sclerosis. Wiley, 1-19. Kaminska, M., Kimoff, R. J., Schwartzman, K., Trojan, D. A. (2013). Association between sleep disorders and fatigue in multiple sclerosis. CML Multiple Sclerosis, 5 (2), 29-38. McQualter, J. L., Bernard, C. C. (2007). Multiple sclerosis: a battle between destruction and repair. Journal of Neurochemistry, 100(2), 295–306. Mori, F., Ljoka, C., Magni, E., Codeca, C., Kusayanagi, H., Monteleone, F., Centonze, D. (2011). Transcranial magnetic stimulation primes the effects of exercise therapy in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, 258 (7), 1281–1287. Pappalardo, A., Castiglione, A., Restivo, D. A., Calabrese, A., Cimino, V., Patti, F. (2006). Pharmacologic management of spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Neurologic Science, 27 (4), S310–S315. Patti, F., Amato, M. P., Trojano, M., Bastianello, S., Tola, M. R., Goretti, B., Luccichenti, G. (2009). Cognitive impairment and its relation with disease measure in mildly disabled patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: baseline results from the Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis, 15 (7), 779–788. Pertwee, R. G. (2002). Cannabinoids and multiple sclerosis. Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 95 (2), 165– 174. Rizzo, M. A., Hadjimichael, O. C., Preiningerova, J., Vollmer, T. L. (2004). Prevalence and treatment of spasticity reported by multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis, 10 (2), 589-595.

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales Essay -- English Literatur

The General Prologue - The Canterbury Tales The General Prologue The most popular part of the Canterbury Tales is the General Prologue, which has long been admired for the lively, individualized portraits it offers. More recent criticism has reacted against this approach, claiming that the portraits are indicative of social types, part of a tradition of social satire, "estates satire", and insisting that they should not be read as individualized character portraits like those in a novel. Yet it is sure that Chaucer's capacity of human sympathy, like Shakespeare's, enabled him to go beyond the conventions of his time and create images of individualized human subjects that have been found not merely credible but endearing in every period from his own until now. It is the General Prologue that serves to establish firmly the framework for the entire story-collection: the pilgrimage that risks being turned into a tale-telling competition. The title "General Prologue" is a modern invention, although a few manuscripts call it prologus. There are very few major textual differences between the various manuscripts. The structure of the General Prologue is a simple one. After an elaborate introduction in lines 1 - 34, the narrator begins the series of portraits (lines 35 - 719). These are followed by a report of the Host's suggestion of a tale-telling contest and its acceptance (lines 720 - 821). On the following morning the pilgrims assemble and it is decided that the Knight shall tell the first tale (lines 822 - 858). Nothing indicates when Chaucer began to compose the General Prologue and there are no variations between manuscripts that might suggest that he revised it after making an initial version. It... ...ed if he does not put people in the order of their social rank, "My wit is short, ye may well understand." This persona continues to profess the utter naivety that we have already noted in his uncritical descriptions of the pilgrims. It is in this way, too, that we should approach the conclusion of the Prologue. Here the Host of the Tabard Inn (Harry Bailey, a historical figure) decides to go with them and ironically it is he, not Chaucer, who proposes the story-telling contest that gives the framework of the Tales. He will also be the ultimate judge of which is the best: "of best sentence and most solas." He is, after all, well prepared by his job to know about the tales people tell! One model for the literary competition would seem to be the meetings of people interested in poetry, known in French as puys, with which Chaucer would have been familiar.

Crossover Control: Homeostasis Essay -- Biology, Chromosome Engeneeri

Crossover Control: Homeostasis in Yeast Meiosis Control of formation of crossovers for proper chromosome segregation is governed by the crossover – non crossover ratio i.e., crossovers are formed at the expense of non crossovers; better known as the crossover homeostasis. Subject Terms: Meiosis, Crossover Control, Crossover Interference, Crossover Homeostasis Cell division is inevitable for the proper growth and development of any organism. While Mitosis helps in the somatic cell division, Meiosis acts in the germ cell for gametic division or gametogenesis. Meiosis starts with Prophase – 1 where the formation of crossover takes place. Crossovers are really important as they result into proper segregation and disjunction of chromosomes (Page and Hawley, 2003) and also, they bring about the variation in the species. Lack of crossover formation results into improper segregation and non-disjunction of chromosome and this results into aneuploidy, which can be detrimental for the organism. Thus, formation of crossovers in Meiosis is highly important. Upstream of crossovers are the double strand breaks (DSBs) that lead to the formation of crossovers (Keeney, 2001). The quality of double strand breaks to give rise to guaranteed crossover formation is known as obligate crossover or chiasma (Jones, 1984). For the accurate segregation of chro mosomes, it is highly necessary that there should be at least one double strand break hence at least one crossover formation per chromosome pair. Thus, formation of crossover is a tightly controlled and regulated event in Meiosis (Kleckner et al., 2004). This control is achieved by two important factors. First is the phenomenon of crossover interference in which the formation of one crossover affec... ...ion. These research statistics suggest that the work carried out by Martini et al. has definitely opened up a whole new field for research, and lots of work needs to be done to achieve valuable insight of the regulation of crossover control in meiosis. Several researchers are currently working on to unravel the mystery of the underlying molecular mechanism by which the regulation of crossover control takes place. Also, tremendous work needs to be done to propose the mechanism of crossover homeostasis with regards to crossover interference and the region specific differences arising in the HIS4LEU2 gene locus. Probably by using chromosome engineering we can further our understanding about this. Figure 2: Flow diagram explaining the control of crossover formation and regulation of meiosis through crossover homeostasis and crossover interference in S. cerevisiae.

I Wanna Be Special: Plath and Nazi Germany

Sylvia Plath is a poet who writes in a confessional style. Her poetry shows her strong opinions towards patriarchy. By examining her works and researching her past, one can see that the two prominent male figures in her past are her father and Ted Hughes, her husband. In her poetry Plath uses Nazi Germany as a metaphor for the oppressive system of patriarchy women live under, while she portrays the victim as Jews. Two examples of poems where this appears are â€Å"Lady Lazarus† and â€Å"Daddy†. Because the Holocaust is such a sensitive subject, there are two schools of thought to Plath's metaphor. One belief is that she belittles the Holocaust. The other belief is that a metaphor is simply a metaphor. Obviously, Plath has no first hand knowledge if she uses the metaphor so trivially. There are aspects of Plath's works that people may find hard to understand if they don't know about her history. To understand Plath's poetry, one has to understand Plath. Sylvia Plath writes confessional poetry. Because she writes in this confessional style, those who study her work must become familiar with her past. Confessional poetry is when poets write about their own experiences; thoughts, feelings, and experiences become the basis of the poetry. Thus the poems become an expression of poet's innermost person. Unlike other forms of poetry, confessional takes its material directly from the life of the poet. The tone of Plath's poetry is decidedly depressing. During her life, Plath became suicidal. As a child, she almost drowned, and later attempted to kill herself before actually succeeding. These experiences become strong influences on Plath's poetry. Anne Sexton was another confessional poet. She met Plath at a poetry workshop and the two became good friends. When writing poems, one would call the other to get input and suggestions, or just to talk about the happenings in their lives. However, there remains a main difference between Plath's poetry and Sexton's poetry: Anne Sexton was not originally a writer, but a housewife. When the stresses became too much for her, she went to therapy. During one of her sessions, her psychiatrist suggested that she begin writing poetry to help her get at the root of her problems. The largest problem that Plath had was with the institution of patriarchy that surrounded her. In her poetry, she expresses her negative emotions towards patriarchy. Plath was a daughter, wife, and mother through her life. These titles also came with roles that were dictated to her by the patriarchal structure. Because she was forced into all of these roles, and expected to fulfil them all, Plath resented those who forced her into these roles, and her displeasure becomes quite evident in her poetry. There are two major male figures in Plath's life; father and husband. Her father, Otto Plath, originally lived in Grabow Poland and spoke German. He moved to the United States when he was 15, and later taught at Boston University (Modern Poetry, p. 1417). Yet he died while Plath was still quite young. His daughter, Silvia Plath, became very resentful towards her father. This resentment is most strongly found in her poem â€Å"Daddy†. Plath's husband, Ted Hughes, was also a writer. However, he did not approve of the writing of his wife. He tried to discourage her from writing, to stay home and raise a family. Many today blame Hughes for the death of Plath, and believe that he is responsible for her committing suicide. Due to the experiences that she has with patriarchy, it is understandable that Plath carried resentments. These feelings were so strong that she used Nazi Germany as a metaphor for patriarchy. However, this brought about many conflicts; while some critics defended her use of the Holocaust imagery, others vehemently defended that she was in fact belittling what the Jewish people suffered through. In the poem â€Å"Daddy†, Plath openly attacks her father. â€Å"Daddy, I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time† (Daddy, 6-7). She verbally demonstrates her need to hurt and to kill him; he is the symbol of patriarchy from her early life. Plath resents the fact that he died before she could remove him from his strong patriarchical role. This resentment grew until she began to see oppression everywhere: I have always been scared of you, Wish your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. And your neat moustache And your Aryan eye, bright and blue (â€Å"Daddy†, 41-44). Plath associates her fathers' German features to Nazi features. This particular comparison also strongly draws upon a militaristic image. As â€Å"Luftwaffe† means Air Force in German, she is quite obviously comparing patriarchy to military. The idea of someone with power over her terrifies Plath. Since patriarchy is seen as oppressive Nazi Germany, Plath sees herself as an oppressed Jew. A sort of walking miracle, my skin Bright as a Nazi lampshade, My right foot A paperweight, My face a featureless, fine Jew linen (â€Å"Lady Lazarus†, 4-9) A few images from the Holocaust are drawn here. Plath places herself in a situation where she is the victim. She draws on the idea of how Jewish people were skinned for lampshades as how badly men treat women. Because of the metaphor she uses, Plath's poetry has sparked some serious debate. Many critics state that the use of Nazi Germany in that metaphor is very inappropriate. By using Nazi Germany as a metaphor for patriarchy, Plath accomplishes nothing, save to belittle the Holocaust. The Holocaust is the single worst event in the history of human civilization. Its uniqueness is what set it apart from other tragic events in our history. Yet some argue that if it is inappropriate to use Nazi Germany as a metaphor, then other events, such as slavery could be excluded as well. Slavery of blacks is another tragic event that can be used as a metaphor. However, it is this writer's opinion that there is too great a difference between the slavery of blacks and the Holocaust. If one looks at statistics for the death of slaves and compare it to statistics for the death of Jewish people, one will see that the numbers are relatively similar. The difference lies in the fact that the slave totals come from many years, while Jewish total are only from five years. While slavery was still common, it was possible for a slave to escape relative harm; He (or she) could follow all the rules and be treated as well as other livestock. During the Holocaust there were no rules for Jewish people to follow. There was no such thing as a good Jew, and they were all treated worse than animals. Given the evidence of Plath's poetry, it is quite evident that she did not fully understand the atrocities of the Holocaust. Her knowledge only extended to that which most people already knew. And therefore she was not fully informed of the subject of which she trivialized. However, other critics defend Plath's use of the metaphor by reinforcing that fact that it is simply a metaphor, and is doing what it should. It is a common argument that sometimes a metaphor is simply a metaphor. The purpose of a metaphor is to compare two completely unrelated ideas, to shock the audience into looking at the intended subject in a new light. Rose, a critic of Plath, says that she uses the shocking imagery of comparing the Holocaust to patriarchy to entice strong reactions from the reader, and if one dismissed her comparison, then one can be expected to dismiss the very idea of a metaphor. To dictate what ideas can and can't be used in metaphor negates all metaphors. The Holocaust is not alone in the history of tragic events. If one argues that the Holocaust was horrible, one should also accept that there are other horrific occurrences. Mass slaughters are not an uncommon part of ancient history. During the time of Nero Caesar, Christians who would not bow down to the likeness of the Caesar were thrown into lion pits to be killed. African slaves, who did not obey every order of their masters, were beaten. European explorers who first explored the Americas, killed countless natives, and brought more over seas to become slaves. If one wishes to look at statistics, the number of people killed in the Holocaust, is almost the same as the number of women killed through patriarchal society. Sylvia Plath was a poet who wrote her poems for others to read. Her metaphor of comparing patriarchy to Nazi Germany is used to shock audiences into seeing the severity of oppression that women face. However, to achieve this shock, she lessens the impact of the Holocaust. Many defend that Plath is simply using a metaphor the way it should be used. In this writer's opinion, because Plath used the Holocaust just to shock readers, is why she is belittling it. If she wrote the way Anne Sexton did before being published – that is, for personal reasons – this writer would not have a problem. As it is, the comparison was written for all to see. By being so public in her trivialization of that happened to the Jewish people, Plath's only accomplishment is to embarrass herself with writing that isn't poor, but shows a decided lack of judgement.

Public Health in Microbiological Labs in Middle East Essay

The focus of public health intervention is to improve health and quality of life through the prevention and treatment of diseases and other physical and mental health conditions, through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors .and because the field playing challenges and professionals to meet the complex health issues. I wish to apply for PhD in public health. Because intended to build on the current health-for-all strategy and act as a blueprint for gathering and using information for health to guide policy-makers and service providers of a future health system. Its main theme is the orientation or reshaping of health services so that improving people’s health and quality of life becomes the primary and unifying focus of the work of health care policy-makers and providers. The works in microbiological labs faced a lot of infectious disease, environmental hazards, and injury. Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is an important public health problem around the world. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, rarely, persons without these risk factors can also be affected. The risk may be reduced by recommendations for safe food preparation, consumption, and storage. and because there are no vaccines against the bacteria that cause listeriosis, I want to study this case to understand how can we improve the public health in different microbiological labs (food and clinical) especially for women . Also, Health systems currently operate within an environment of rapid social, economic and technological change. Health systems are also nowadays under continuous scrutiny by planners, purchasers and users of the services. In  order to achieve the overall goals of good health, it is important to identify some of the critical health challenges facing health development. The critical health challenges are in the areas of: strengthening the organization of health services; health financing; health resources for health; and health education Food safety: poses a growing public health concern with potentially serious economic consequences. The primary work function is to use microbiology to improve the health of populations in collaboration with other public health disciplines especially with epidemiologists. We have to preparedness for responding to new infectious diseases threats requires a sustainable infrastructure of microbiological laboratories which play a central role in detection, monitoring, outbreak response, and providing scientific evidence to prevent and control infectious diseases. A range of expertise is necessary to fulfill these requirements including epidemiology and public health microbiology. microbiologists is required to provide access to experts with expertise/experience of the important communicable diseases at the regional, national and international level for mounting a rapid response to emerging health threats. Because the organizational laboratory network models and provision of expert professionals serving these functions differ widely across Middle East. (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/1012_ Methodology of study The study will be conducted in microbiological labs (food & medical microbiology labs)inside or outside the university and the parts of research may taken in my country. The methods include library research, lab work, volunteers, survey evaluation and analysis. Search Plan & Project Timeline The objective of this activity is to acquire the skills necessary to plan, conduct and analyse an epidemiological study and to interpret and  communicate its results It is recommended that fellows participate in all stages of a study. Although this may not always be possible within two years, the fellow should attempt to contribute to as many stages as possible: †¢ Identify a problem of public health importance; †¢ Review literature; †¢ Identify and write study question and the hypothesis to be tested; †¢ Choose the study design and study population; †¢ Choose appropriate methodology; †¢ Develop a plan of analysis; †¢ Write a detailed protocol (obtain a review of the protocol from the host institute supervisor and EPIET coordinators); †¢ Seek financial support if necessary; †¢ Conduct a pilot study and, if necessary, make modifications; †¢ Constitute and brief the study team; †¢ Manage a team; †¢ Obtain ethical approval; †¢ Collect and analyse data; †¢ Interpret the results; †¢ Disseminate and communicate the information; †¢ Write a scientific report and/or a scientific article 4. Expected outcome from proposed research After completion of my research activities by getting information about the condition of microbiological labs in my country. The government could take necessary initiatives for immediate prevention and application of the public health to the buildings and staff working in this field from prevention them to get acquired for the diseases that can get from the pathogenic bacteria. After public health application we can get lab accredited. The Government organizations and different non-government organizations will also be benefited by getting such research information. The Government policy maker can be used this study finding in their regulating and planning activities. 5. Application of the Expected output The proposed research can become a role model in conducting similar research in other communities and countries espicaally if we looking for the poor middle east countries like Pakistan , Somalia, sudan ,,,,,,,,,,,etc. The outcomes of the proposed research can also be used in developing new techniques for sustainable lab management. It can also be used in improving the existing community. The research work can develop awareness among the local people about the diseases To take stapes to increase awareness among the local community. To maintain the environment healthy and clean. To fix-up correct type of treatment units and effective measures. To know the operational efficiency of various units of treatment. Review of Literature FIELDWORK – Since my research question deals partly with what attitudes and information influence individuals’ diet choices, I will use two types of labs fronts for my field research Food, microbiological labs which based on food born microorganisms and medical microbiological labs which based on in some chronic diseases of humans especially in the woman. It will allow me to learn how if there is any difference between the danger can caused to the woman especially to the pregnant woman by the isolation of food borne bacteria and clinical bacteria (i.e if there is any difference in the affect of the same strains bacteria like listeria monocytogenousus from food or from clinical ) and also understand how toward public health, can impact upon their business. INDUSTRY and ITS CRITICS I will look at a number of public resources produced related to food and clinical. Government statistics and food safety/inspection programs will be part of my interest. But I will also want to see what kind of argument is going on between food and clinical groups. How do they report information about crises and how do they describe the health and safety issues. BOOKS ON microbiological bacteria; POPULAR MEDIA I hope to get a sense of some of the general trends in microbiology bacteria toward what who they deal with the pathogenic bacteria. ACADEMIC and SPECIALIZED JOURNALS ON microbiology Ultimately I hope to get some solid information on safety and risk of various kinds of bacteria, in relation both to food-borne diseases and the clinical  borne diseas, but also to general health. At this point, I have not been able to find a general enough treatment of these issues to be of much help. References Listeria monocytogenes: the nature, public health aspects and retrospective situations of an emerging infectious pathogen in Nigerian OOC Chukwu, ID Chukwu, OA Olabode, CI Nwosuh, CI Nwosuh Animal Production Research Advances Vol. 2(2) 2006: 86-93 Public Health Agency of Canada. (2008). Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/listeria/listeria_2008-eng.php Roberts, A. J., & Wiedmann, M. (2003). Pathogen, host and environmental factors contributing to the pathogenesis of listeriosis. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 60(5), 904-918

Reasons for Studying English Translation Essay

Translation studies, in recent years, have become more prominent among different fields of study. Each year with more journals and essays being published concerning this major, more attention is focused on it and more students are attracted towards it. There are different reasons for people to focus on this field of study. Reasons such as field of interest, communication aims, job opportunities, etc are some of them which are explained in what follows. The firs reason for most translation students is that this major is included in their field of interest. This is an innate ability in some people to learn different languages easier and faster and therefore to make use of them to convey their messages and ideas to other people with different languages from theirs. In other words they enjoy communicating with people in two or more languages, so they might follow their interests and choose this major. The next is that the need for communication among people and governments increases day by day. People of different nations need to know about sciences and technologies newly discovered. To keep them informed about these new events, governments need translators to convey their scientists’ findings to the languages of other nations. This is also true about different cultures of different countries. All in all translation studies has made the communication between cultures and nation easier and more purposeful. Moreover, since this is a major involved in different majors and people need translators to translate contents of other sciences to other languages, there often seems to be many job opportunities for those interested in this subject matter. In short, it should be taken into consideration that different people have different reasons for choosing this major. But whatever the reasons might be translation studies has found its way among different majors and will progress to make communication even better and easier.

Psychological Measure

Abstract * There are various psychological measures which are used to evaluate conditions such as depression in children and adults and even insomnia. The articles Revised Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and also Antidepressants and the Sound of One Hand Clapping discuss the use of the Hamilton Depression Scale. These articles also compare and contrast the measurements which were discovered by using this scale. Within the contents of this paper is an explanation as to who is qualified to administer and interpret the measure as well as the settings in which it would deem proper to use the measure. Finally, validity of the Hamilton Depression Scale is reviewed within this paper. Psychological Measure The Hamilton Depression Scale or normally known as HAM-D is a test that was developed by Max Hamilton around 1960 (Warren, 1994). The test has been revised in the years of 1966, 1967, 1969, and finally in 1980. It is a questionnaire that is filled out by the patient and professional after the patient’s initial interview. The main goal of the test is not to help diagnose the person’s depression, but to test the severity of the depression. Max Hamilton was also clear that the test he created should not be used to diagnose patients, but simply to test the levels of severity. Summary of Articles The articles analyzed were, Revised Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, written by W. L. Warren and Antidepressants and the Sound of One Hand Clapping written by Ronald W. Pies, MD from the Psychiatric Times. HAM-D looks at the level of severity of the different symptoms that are found in patients that have depressions. The symptoms of mood, insomnia, agitation, anxiety and weight loss are some the characteristics that are addressed in the questionnaire. In other words, it tests people that have already been diagnosed with clinical depression to find, if any, changes that may have come from treatment, or symptoms that have worsened due to daily struggles. This test is used by psychologists on children, teenagers, and adults (Warren, 1994). A great example of its many uses is trying to find the effect of placebos on patients. The placebo, also known as a sugar pill, is known to have no true physical effect on the human body except in the psychological belief of its healing power by the patient (Pies, 2011). The article written by W. Warren explored more on the clinical therapy that is achieved from the test, while Ronald W. Pies MD’s article focus more on the experimenting research benefits of the test. They both agree on the purpose of the test, but have slightly different goals or focus of its use in the psychological community. HAM-D Administration The majority of psychological testing for antidepressants is done through the HAM-D test (Pies, 2011). In Warren’s article, he explained that the reliability of internal tests done with the HAM-D comes around 81% with a fair sample reaching the general representation of the demographics of clinical depress patients. The validity was also to be found in a mean around 61% as being correlated by other depression tests such as the BMI (Warren, 2011). There are seven items that Hamilton felt were necessary to consider when administering the HAM-D. The first would be the severity and longevity of the symptoms. The second is that the test should cover the last week or two weeks. It is not meant to cover just a day since it is difficult to monitor lack of sleep, or weight loss in one day. The third item is that each item in the scale must be evaluated separately. Just because a person rates high in one area does not mean that they will rate high in another area. The fourth item that Hamilton covered was that the scale is based on a change from the norm in the patient. This scale is used to rate the depressed mood symptoms not the personality of the person. The fifth item is that each week should be looked at separately. The researcher should not look at one week, or ask about the previous week when doing the new test. The sixth item, which is rarely done now, is that the person administering the test should look at all sources of information, such as listening to what family members have to say. The last item that Hamilton felt necessary was to caution the clinician to use their own judgment when evaluating a person. For example, if a person says they have lost a lot of weight, but in reality it is only a few pounds, the clinician must be able to evaluate this information for what it really may be, such as dieting, or eating special foods due to a holiday (Hersen, 2004). Hamilton never did set a specific set of standards for who should be allowed to administer the test. He did feel that the person who was administering the test should have certain skills and knowledge. Hamilton is quoted as saying, â€Å"The value of the scale depends entirely on the skill of the interviewer in eliciting the necessary information (Hersen, 2004)†. Hamilton felt that the clinician should have a varied background with dealing with people with all different degrees of severity in their depression. The rater should have didactic training as well as a background in psychology especially with affective disorders. The person doing the rating should have good interviewing skills, this would include knowing when to ask certain questions as well as how to phrase the questions that are to be asked (Hersen, 2004). Validity It is difficult to say that the Hamilton Depression Scale in general is either valid or invalid without considering a few factors. Researchers have analyzed content, convergent, discriminant, factorial and predictive validity which are found within this scale. Content validity refers to the reflection of the scale items in correspondence to known factors of depression. Convergent validity correlates with other depression’s other measures. Discriminant validity involves distinguishing between groups which suffer from depression and those groups that do not. Factorial validity stems from factor examination of the data-based structure of the scale, determining whether each item focuses on the designed factor. Finally, predictive validity occurs in predicting change in the severity of symptoms which are associated with treatment (Bender, 2005). Validity within the Hamilton Depression Scale varies depending on what is being examined. Testing for information regarding older adults may be more or less valid than testing to see if the condition of the economy influences depression. Validity studies which examine scaling and item content concluded that several items failed at measuring single symptoms or containing response options that correlate with the degrees of severity (Bender, 2005). However, as previously mentioned, when this scale was used to measure antidepressants as they relate to depression, it proved 61% valid in comparison to other tests which are administered to produce information which pertains to depression. These two discoveries assist in concluding that the validity of this measure varies based on different factors such as what it actually being tested and possibly the whom is person or persons responsible for administering the test due to interpretation and biasness. Conclusion Various measures evaluate the factors which correlate with depression, but the Hamilton Depression Scale is one of the most widely used in terms of depression. This measure is not used to diagnose depression, but rather to produce information about the level of severity. Although there is no definitive answer about who should be administering this test, the administrator should take seven factors into consideration during this process. As with any other testing measure, validity has to be taken into consideration when determining if the test should continue to be used in the future. However, validity is not cut and dry, but rather complex as it concerns what is being measured. Overall, this widely used measure, has revealed useful results in the past concerning depression and will continue to do so in the future. References Bender, K. (2005). Throwing Out the Gold? Reconsidering the HAM-D. Psychiatric Times Retrieved from http://www. psychiatrictimes. com/blog/couchincrisis/content/article/10168/1968125 Hersen, M. , Hilsenroth, M. J. , & Segal, D. L. (2004). Comprehensive handbook of psychological assessment . Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Pies, R. W. (2011) Antidepressants and the Sound of One Hand Clapping. Psychiatric Times Retrieved from http://www. psychiatrictimes. com/blog/couchincrisis/content/article/10168/196812 Warren, W. (1994). Revised Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Investment banking & private banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Investment banking & private banking - Essay Example This development must bring about sustainable increase in living standards which implies that per capita income of the citizens will improve improved education and health as well as an environment that is friendly to human life. It's a concerted effort on the government to steer the direction of private sector of the country or in a city towards creating opportunities that lead to sustainable economic growth that can provide enough incomes to the labor force, enable employers to gainfully engage in business opportunities that eventually can provide enough tax revenue to maintain the country's infrastructure, this support a continued growth. It's therefore important that every country's governing body appreciate the impact of private sector investments in steering the economic development. Although there are several initiatives that enhance investments both domestic and foreign, there is no better alternative to private sector investment as an engine for development. The economic deve lopment process requires legal and institutional adjustments which enhance provision of incentives for innovation as well as investments so as to create an efficient production process and distribution system for the goods and services. (Sosale, S, 2000). It is important to know that economic development is different from community development. Community development is a process that is directed to making a community a better place for habitat as well as a better place to work. It's a structured intervention that focuses on giving the communities greater control over the factor that affect their lives thereby giving them confidence to tackle their problems as effectively as possible. Community development work hand in hand with the local groups and organizations that represent communities at local levels (World Bank, 2008, p.67). Community development may involve improvement of living standards f people in a certain part of a country or region but economic development involves improvement of well being of its people within the different layers of society such that everyone in the country or region has to potential and increased quality of life. Economic development is simply the creation of wealth in which the community benefits are enhanced. It involves deliberate intervention in the normal economic growth of a country to give positive results. From a public perspective, local economic development is a process that involves allocation of limited resources - land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship in a way that positively effect the countries business activities, Income distribution, employment and poverty reduction efforts. Looking at the various definitions of economic development by different scholars, no single definition captures all the different strands of development although there are common measurement tools like employment increase, improved economic output and increase in tax revenue (World Bank, 2006, p.89). Economic Growth & development though are largely interrelated; they are different in meaning as used in economics. Most economists use the term economic development to explain the various problems facing the underdeveloped countries and economic growth to in regard to

Operation Management Week 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Operation Management Week 6 - Assignment Example Traditionally, five major concepts are considered in project management. These concepts form the project management processes prescribed by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The five concepts are initiation, planning or design, production or execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing (David and Cleland, 2006). From the diagram below, it would be noted that some of the concepts are independent, whiles other depend on others. There are also some that interrelate to each other. On the whole, the concepts are in place to ensure that at every point in time, there will be a systematic way of approaching projects to achieve the goals of process improvement. Examples of projects that have been conducted following the concepts of project management and the success that came out of these projects continues to be an inspiration for others to follow the concepts. A typical example of such project can be cited as the Walt Disney Companys Theme Parks, which was carried out using the ITIL initiative of project management. Carried out in 2010, the project has become one of the finest examples of projects that met project management core concepts (The APM Group and The Stationery Office,

Sentencing Disparity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sentencing Disparity - Term Paper Example Moreover, this paper identifies the most important factor of prosecutorial discretion. It will also answer the question on whether or not sentencing disparity is fair or equitable. Finally, this paper will compare and contrast this disparity from the ethical point of view. People have an intuitive idea of the meaning of sentencing disparity. Paradoxically, the concept of unwarranted disparity becomes bleak upon deeper reflection. Two offenders, for instance, with the same crime of breaking and entering, are sentenced with one year and five years, respectively. Roberts (1999) posed an enduring question: Which sentence is disparate? They seem to emphasize the sentence or conviction that is categorically considered as disparate. Undoubtedly, there exists an unwarranted disparity in the case between the two above-mentioned offenders. In a survey conducted, 60 percent of over four-hundred respondents admitted that there is a degree of sentence variation among judges (Roberts, 1999). By and large, sentencing disparity occurs two or more offenders, having different committed crimes, are convicted with the same level and nature of punishment (Clear, Cole, & Reisig, 2009). And sentencing disparity is more obvious in the prosecutors’ judgment. Sentencing disparity is normative rather than empirical (Alschuler, 2005). Its archetype is the sentencing by lottery. In the lottery system, different numbers are treated as the same number by virtue of chance or probability. Similar to lottery, offenders with different crimes committed are equally treated like the same criminal by virtue of sentencing disparity. Equality, of course, means the consistent application of principles to different cases (Alschuler, 2005). Apparently, sentence disparity deviates from consistency or equality. There are three chief divisions of factors influencing prosecutorial discretion: (1) legal issue, (2) extralegal issue, and (3) resources issue (Siegel, 2008). First, legal issue refers to

Written critique power point presentation Essay

Written critique power point presentation - Essay Example The effectiveness of a presentation depends on the strength of the topic and also on the usability of the subject in the daily life of the people. The current presentation is done by a Community Resource Division Administrator which increases the credibility and authenticity of the written articulation. A presentation performed by an authoritative person brings about true facts and information related to the specific subject. The effectiveness of the presentation lies in the fact that , there is a brief introduction and also a statistical data coverage about housing ,which enhances the informative potentiality of the presentation. The presentation also reveals statistics and minute details regarding housing facts and homelessness, which allow the readers to understand about housing on a local and national level. The presentation primarily elaborates on the actions and programs delivered by housing authority in order to stabilize public life, and this highlights the purpose of presentation. The presentation clearly reflects the authority of the organization and also effortlessly projects the strength and contribution of them to the society, which makes it more very effective to the readers. Brevity is the correct usage of words and phrases in writing which enlarges the outlook and uniqueness of a presentation. This presentation has words which are very effective, simple and understandable. The phrases used projects the right meaning intended by the writer and the presenter has used the words in a calculative way to communicate the subject and message of the presentation .The points in the presentation about housing is precise and concise and the words and grammatical representation is up to the point. The flow of words is consistent and the meaning is directly absorbable by the readers. However, more of simplicity in language, words and phrases can underestimate the richness and communicative ability of the writer or the presentation

PROJECT mANAGEMENT( CASE STUDY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PROJECT mANAGEMENT( CASE STUDY) - Essay Example Number in the top of the set is the time this activity individual requires or the total time allocated to complete this activity. Compartment with 0 carries the point in time particular activity can be started. Therefore Activity A can be started at 0 point in time means that as soon as the project started and it is the Earliest Start Time (Anantatmula, 2010). Whereas Compartment with 7 refers total time consumed after completing this particular activity which means it shows the Earliest Finish Time (Brotherton, Fried, and Norman, 2008). Bottom right compartment is the time of latest finish activity. For instance, activity can be finished at the latest by 10 weeks and any further delay than 10 weeks would impact total duration of the project. Number below the complete box refers the amount of time (weeks in under study case) this particular activity can be delayed without affecting the total project time; called float (Brotherton, Fried, and Norman, 2008). For instance, activity A ca n be delayed to maximum of 3 weeks without affecting the total project time. This delay would also allow this activity to be included in the critical path and as the gap available for delay would entirely be consumed by the initially activity. So an activity can be represented as follows: Duration of the project Earliest Start Time A Earliest Finish Time Latest Start Time Latest finish Time float Path identified with red arrow is the critical path. Critical path refers to path or the flow of activities that are critically dependent on each other and delay in these activities would immediately result in delay of the project. Critical path of this project includes following activities: B-E-H-J-K-L. It is identified with activities that have zero (0) float; referring to no time cushion to delay this particular activity. It is the longest path and any delay in these activities will delay the entire project. The float of the activity D and F are 3 weeks and 1 week respectively. This mean s that activity D and activity F can be delayed by 3 weeks and 1 week respectively and this delay would have no impact on the duration of the project and project will be still completed on time. However, any delays in these activities with more than the stated time would impact completion of project on time (Alojairi, and Safayeni, 2009). Activity F has a float of 1 week and delay in this would affect the overall time required to complete the project. Manager in order to reduce time for delay in the critical path can take the benefit of float of F and G and shall take up both activities parallel. Hence, this way, two weeks benefit will be in hand to project manager. Within these two weeks manager can allocate additional resources for such as multiple panel for hiring and training staff in order to complete the project within due time or minimizing the delay. ANSWER # 1 (b) Each component of the project plays its part in order to complete the project within the duration. However, amo ng large number of factors few are regarded as critical and discrepancy on these factors such as delays can resultantly cause the delay of the entire project along with cost also being affected. Being critical these factors require considerable attention to ensure minimization of the discrepancy chances (Bredillet, 2005). For the given project of developing petrol station with convenience stores being market already explored by Tesco Metro and Sainsbury’s Local but with distinction to exploit the high income class

Advances in strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Advances in strategic management - Essay Example According to Edgar (2003) the organisation is a multinational and is also among the companies listed in the stock exchange in London since 2004. It is also an element of FTSE 259 index. It was founded around the year 1975 where it was being referred to as Hillsdown Holdings which later changed in 1980s to Lockwood Foods. The organisation has also been involved in various strategic methods for example buying off other firms producing foods such like Beechams. In 1999 the company was bought by another private firm but later recovered after three years by buying Nestle business. Other mergers and acquisition procedures have taken place in the business. Five years ago the organisation introduced the manufacture of baked beans. This strategy aimed at beating their competitor Heinz which has acquired a big market share in UK. The company therefore had to use the best methods of informing the public about their product. They therefore proposed on using a tin branded as Branston bean showing how the pleasing they look. This promotion made their competitor try to change their advert too as many people would have opted to buy from Premier Foods. The organisation current situation is that it plans to expand its market share by about half through improving awareness to the public. This was introduced after it took over one of its rival RHM which had so many branches across UK in the year 2007. Other major competitors include Unilever, Greencore etc. After carrying out BCG matrix, among the many products that the company produce we find that Branston beans packed in a tin is their cash cow since they bring the company a bigger market share thus more returns. The product’s growth in the market has made the competitors change their way of promotion since most consumers have preferred buying form Primer Company. According to the SWOT analysis carried out about the environment, it shows that the organisation has had few opportunities in the past but has been