Admission for EMBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Admission for EMBA - Essay Example 1. I will complete my graduation education within the stipulated period of time and achieve excellent academic results, acquire knowledge on key areas which will help in toning up my management related skills. I have to successfully complete the Masters in Business Administration course work first within the course duration. . In order to work in an international organization I have to concentrate on understanding multi cultural communication. The university offers excellent opportunity and during my course work I will acquire related knowledge. My short term goals are based on the level of attainability they have. Taking into consideration the current status of my career my priority will be heavily on completing my Masters in Business Administration course in an effective manner. Over the duration of the program I will concentrate on enhancing my communication, leadership and other such skills required of a business administrator in operations of an organization. Upon completion of the course I want to be able to devise a CV that is specific to the business administration field, which will help improve the prospects of me achieving employment in a leading organization operating on a global scale. I will submit all work related to course in a manner that gives excellent results. I will outperform all students involved in the course. I will make use of opportunities provided by the university during my education to get more knowledgeable on both the theoretical and practical concepts of management. The time scale of completion of my course work has to be in correspondence to the end date specified by the University for my business administration Course Work. The progress that I am able to achieve will be continuously measured on semester basis to ensure I am in track in order to achieve my career goals. My short term goals are to attend all course related classes and take part in seminars organized at

UNDERSTANDING INCLUSIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN LIFELONG LEARNING Essay

UNDERSTANDING INCLUSIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN LIFELONG LEARNING - Essay Example To counter overreliance on this slides and handouts, student involvement in discussions and feedbacks is handy. I also collect suggestions and answers and clarify any issues that are not well understood on the whiteboard. This enhances inclusion of all the students in my clothe design lesson. Much of the teaching time is spent on practical work. I try to encourage group work as part of teaching though there is some resistance faced. However, individual work is also important to balance and meet the learners need. All this I work them within the restriction of time at hand. The incorporation of modern technology also poses a challenge to some students. Most cognitive theorist such as Piaget, Ausubel among others were interested in the changes in the learner’s understanding that resulted from learning and the environmental importance in the process (Powell & Tummons 2011, p.49). Regardless of the variations in constructivism, it promotes free exploration of the students within a given structure of the framework. From the theories, have looked at the best way my students can benefit from learning. I plan my lessons with a demonstration and brainstorming activities. The materials and tools to be utilized are identified and availed for the lesson to help my lesson objectives be accomplished. I utilize practical activities whereby the students are divided into groups that assist them in explore the issue at hand, solve the problem, and use their techniques to answers questions as demonstrated. During the lesson, I facilitate to ensure that tasks are well understood, and learners fully participate. I have realized that each student is unique, and each has a particular need. Therefore, allowing the students discover the technique that is workable for them helps them achieve their goals. Through the groups, the students share their solution at the end of the lesson thus motivating them. They also demonstrate the various creative approaches to the

The Steam Turbine Technology Engineering Essay

The Steam Turbine Technology Engineering Essay Steam turbine technology is the almost all of electricity generation power plants from biomass used power generation in the world at present. This technology is well established due to availability of cheap or waste biomass in the world. As an example, USA has the installed capacity of electricity generation from biomass around 7000 MW with efficiency of 20 to 25 percent. The biomass Boiler steam turbine systems are expected to find more applications for electricity generation in the future, particularly in situations where cheap biomass, e.g. agro industrial residues, and waste wood, are available. On the technology side, efficiency of these systems is expected to improve through incorporation of biomass dryers, where applicable, and larger plant sizes as well as higher steam conditions. The steam boiler turbine arrangement, woody biomass is combusted in a furnace of a steam boiler with fluidized bed combustion. Heat released during combustion is utilized to raise high pressure and high temperature steam. This steam is expanded through steam turbine, which in turn drives an electric alternator. Exhaust steam from the turbine is condensed and returned to the boiler. Wood fuel is usually shredded to appropriate size and dried utilizing a part of the flue gas, before the fuel introduced into the furnace. This technology has been in existence in many parts of the world, specifically to produce electricity and motive power in the sugar industry utilising bagasse (residue produced after crushing sugar cane) as the fuel. In this modern version of this technology, wood fuel is shredded into very small pieces and combustion is carried out in a fluidised state. Although this improvement increases the cost of fuel preparation and air supply, it improves the combustion efficiency, thus reducing the operational costs and also reducing stack emission levels. A fluidized bed boiler could accept not only chipped wood but also residues such as rice husk, sawdust etc. This technology is widely used all over the world to generate electrical and motive power from solid fuel. The modern versions have incorporated many new features to improve operational efficiency, thus reducing cost of operation and to reduce emission levels. Some of these improvements are: Increasing the pressure of boiler, increasing the vacuum in the condenser, combustion air pre heating and steam reheating. Figure 11 schematically shows the principle of this conventional system Condenser Flue Gas Figure 11: Boiler-steam turbine system Cogeneration Cogeneration is the process of producing two useful forms of energy, normally electricity and heat, utilizing the same fuel source in an industrial plant where both heat/steam and electricity are needed, these requirements are normally met by using either; 1) Plant-made steam and purchased electricity, or 2) Steam and electricity produced in the plant in a cogeneration system. The second option results in significantly less overall fuel requirement. Steam turbine based cogeneration is normally feasible if electricity requirement is above 500 kW. Biomass based cogeneration is often employed for industrial and district heating applications; however, the district heating option would not be applicable in the tropical countries. A number of studies have been carried out on cogeneration in different agro industries, particularly, sugar mills and rice mills. These show that biomass based cogeneration technology is well established in the pulp and paper industry, plywood industry as well as a number of agro-industries, for example, sugar mills and palm oil mills. Normally, there is substantial scope for efficiency improvements in such cases. For example, bagasse is burnt inefficiently in sugar mills in most developing countries because of a number of reasons, e.g., old and obsolete machinery, disposal problems created by surplus bagasse, lack of incentive for eff icient operation etc. Improving the efficiency of biomass-based cogeneration can result in significant surplus power generation capacity in wood- and agro-processing industries; in turn, this can play an important role in meeting the growing electricity demand in developing countries. India has launched an ambitious biomass based cogeneration programme. A surplus power generating capacity of 222 MW was already commissioned by the end of 1999, while a number of projects of total capacity 218 MW were under construction. The total potential of surplus power generation in the 430 sugar mills of the country has been estimated to be 3500 MW. Co-firing Co-firing is set up as an auxiliary firing with biomass energy source in coal fired boilers. The co-firing has been tested in pulverized coal (PC) boilers, coal-fired cyclone boilers, fluidized-bed boilers, and spreader stokers. Due to fuel flexibility of fluidized bed combustion technology, it is currently the dominant technology for co-firing biomass with coal. Co-firing can be done either by blending biomass with coal or by feeding coal and biomass separately and is a near term low-cost option for the efficient use of biomass. Co-firing has been extensively demonstrated in several utility plants, particularly in USA and Europe. Co-firing represents a relatively easy option for introducing biomass energy in large energy systems. Besides low cost, the overall efficiency with which biomass is utilized in co-firing in large high pressure boilers is also high. Current wood production systems in most countries are dispersed and normally can only support relatively small energy plants of capacity up to 5-20 MWe, although dedicated plantations can probably support much bigger plants in the future. Thus, biomass supply constraint also favour co-firing biomass with coal (with only a part of the total energy coming from biomass) in existing co-fired plants in the short term. Whole Tree Energy (WTE) system: The Whole Tree Energy (WTE) system is a special type of wood fired system, in which whole tree trunks, cut to about 25 ft long pieces, are utilized in the process of power generation in an innovative steam turbine technology that uses an integral fuel drying process. Flue gas is used to dry the wood stacked for about 30 days before it is conveyed to a boiler and burnt. Allowing the waste heat to dry the wet whole tree can result in improvement in furnace efficiency with net plant efficiency reaching comparable value of modern coal fired plants. Stirling Engine A Stirling engine is an external combustion engine; working on the principle of the Stirling thermodynamic cycle, the engine converts external heat from any suitable source, e.g. solar energy or combustion of fuels (biomass, coal, natural gas etc.) into power. These engines may be used to produce power in the range from 100 watts to several hundred kilowatts. Stirling engines can also be used for cogeneration by utilizing the rejected heat for space or water heating, or absorption cooling. A number of research institutes and manufacturers are currently engaged in developing biomass fired Stirling engine systems. For example, the Technical University of Denmark is developing medium and large Stirling engines fuelled by biomass. For 36 kWe and 150 kWe systems, the overall efficiency is about 20 percent and 25 per cent respectively. [..] Gasification Gasification is the process of converting a solid fuel to a combustible gas by supplying a restricted amount of oxygen, either pure or from air. The major types of biomass gasifiers are, Fixed bed gasifier, Fluidized bed gasifier, and Biomass integrated gasification combined cycles (BIGCC) Fixed Bed Gasification Fixed bed gasification technology is more than a century old and use of such gasifiers for operating engines was established by 1900. During World War II, more than one million gasifiers were in use for operating trucks, buses, taxis, boats, trains etc in different parts of the world. Currently, fixed bed gasification shows for the most part possible selection into biomass based power generation with capacity up to 500 kW. Although charcoal gasification presents no particular operational problem, the actual acceptance of the technology by potential users is rather insignificant at present, mostly because of low or no cost benefit that it offers. Also, producer gas is less convenient as an engine fuel compared with gasoline or diesel and the user has to have time and skill for maintaining the gasifiers-engine system. However in situations of chronic scarcity of liquid fuels, charcoal Gasifier-engine systems appear to be acceptable for generating power for vital applications. Thus, sev eral gasoline-fueled passenger buses converted to operate with charcoal gasifiers were reported to be in use in at least one province of Vietnam in early 1990s. As reported by Stassen (1993), a number of commercial charcoal Gasifier-engine systems have been installed since early eighties in the South American countries. Wood gasification for industrial heat applications, although not practiced widely, is normally economically viable if cheap wood/wood waste is available. On the other hand, wood gasifiers-engine systems, if not designed properly, may face a wide range of technical problems and may not be commercially viable. Research and development efforts of recent years have been directed towards developing reliable gasifier-engine systems and the technology appears to be maturing fast. Although the demand for wood gasifiers is rather limited at present, a number of gasifier manufacturers appear to have products to offer in the international market. Gasification of rice husk, whic h is generated in rice mills where a demand for mechanical/electrical power also exists, has attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. The rice husk gasifier design that has found quite wide acceptance is the so-called Open Core design that originated in China; this is basically a constant diameter, (i.e. throttles) downdraft design with air entering from the top. The main components of the gasifier are an inner chamber over a rotating grate, a water-jacketed outer chamber and a water seal-cum ash-settling tank. Gasification takes place inside the inner chamber. The char removed by the grate from inside the gasifier settles at the bottom of the water tank. At present, 120 to 150 rice husk gasifiers appear to be in operation in China. A third of the gasifiers are in Jiangsu Province; these include about thirty 160 kW systems and about ten 200 kW systems. A number of rice husk gasifier systems have been shipped to other countries namely, Mali, Suriname, and Myanmar. A husk g asifier system of capacity 60 kW was developed in 1980s to use in smaller mills in the developing countries. This prototype was successfully used in a mill in China, although no other such unit appears to have been built or used. Beside rice husk gasifiers, several other gasifier models have also been developed in China. Presently, more than 700 gasification plants are operating in China (Qingyu and Yuan Bin, 1997). As a result of several promotional incentives and RD support provided by the government, gasification technology has made significant progress in India in the recent years. Up to 1995-96 about 1750 gasifier systems (Khandelwal, 1996) of various models were installed in the different parts of India. The total installed capacity of biomass gasifier system in India by 1999 is estimated to be 34 MW. Besides generating electricity for the local community, it is estimated that the project has also benefited about 11,000 people directly or indirectly. Fluidized Bed Gasification Fluidized bed gasifiers are flexible in terms of fuel requirements, i.e. these can operate on a wide range of fuels so long as these are sized suitably. However, because of complexity in terms of manufacturing, controls, fuel preparation and operation, these gasifiers can only be used for applications of larger capacities compared with fixed bed gasifiers, typically above 2.5 MW. Biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) technology In the gasification gas turbine technology described above, an overall maximum efficiency attainable is 20%. This could be substantially improved, by raising steam utilizing the gas turbine exhaust and driving a steam turbine. A number of BIGCC power plants are in operation in countries such as Sweden and Finland. Gasifier-internal combustion (IC) engine technology In this arrangement, solid wood is first dried and shredded into appropriate size and then converted into a combustible gas in a gasifier. Gasifier is a cylindrical reactor with a throat section, which is narrower than the rest of the reactor. In this throat section, air is introduced through a set of tubes. Wood dried to a maximum of 20% moisture level and shredded into appropriate sizes is introduced at the top of the reactor through an air lock. Up draught gasifiers are widely used for heat applications as they are easier to construct and are more energetically efficient. Such gasifiers are rarely used for motive power or electricity generation purposes due high tar levels in the gas stream. Wood Gasifier Gas Cleaning IC Engine Generator Gas Gas Exhaust Electricity Chart 01: Gasifier-Gas Cleaning-Engine System As the material slowly passes through the reactor, it undergoes physical and chemical changes in the many overlapping zones. First the material is dried in the drying zone, losing all the remaining water. Then the material is pyrolysed into solid char and volatiles. In the next zone the combustion or oxidation zone at the throat of the gasifier, all the volatiles get combusted into carbon dioxide and water. This section liberates all the heat required for the gasification process. In the expanding section below the throat section known as the reduction zone carbon dioxide and steam produced in the upper sections are made to react with carbon, which has reached red-hot stage. In this reduction zone, carbon dioxide and water reacts with carbon to form carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and other hydrocarbon mixtures. The oxidation is essentially an exothermic process liberating heat in the action, whereas the reduction zone is an endothermic process making use of heat. The gas mixture so produced is called producer gas. Un-burnt materials in the wood end up as ash and are collected and periodically removed from the bottom. Hot producer gas leaves the gasifier at the bottom of the gasifier under the action of an induced draft fan. Air for combustion in the combustion zone is drawn into the section due to low pressure created under the action of the induced draft fan. Producer gas leaving the gasifier, if mixed with air can form a combustible mixture. It can be used as a fuel in internal combustion (IC) engines or in furnaces or boilers. To be used in IC engines, the gas needs to be treated further. First it must be cooled to improve the volumetric efficiency (to facilitate the introduction of maximum quantity of fuel into the cylinders of the engine). This is done by a jet of water. The water jet also washes away a part of the tar and particulates in the gas. Then the gas needs to be thoroughly cleaned of all traces of tar and particulate matter. This is achieved by passing the gas through a series of filters. If the gas is to be used as fuel in a furnace or a boiler, the cooling and filtering operations may be omitted. If the gas is to be used as fuel for IC engine, then the gas mixed in the correct proportion of air is admitted to inlet manifold. In respect of spark ignition type of IC engines (petrol or natural gas engines), producer gas alone can operate such engines. For compression- ignition type of engines (diesel engines), it is necessary to utilise a minimum quantity (less than 5%) diesel fuel as the ignition source in a well optimised engine. When standard IC engines are fuelled with producer gas, the maximum output of the engine gets de-rated. In respect of spark ignition engines, this de-rating is about 50% (i.e. the new output is 50% of the name plate output). In respect of compression ignition engines, it is insignificant if 30% diesel fuel is used as pilot fuel. This technology to use producer gas from biomass fuel was popularised during the Second World War in the 1940s. During this war, distribution of petroleum fuel was disrupted and was in short supply. Many countries, particularly, USA and Sweden utilised this technology for transport vehicles. With the end of the war, the supply of petroleum was restored and this technology was discontinued. With the increase in cost of petroleum in the 1970s with the formation of OPEC, this technology has once again gained popularity, particularly for off-grid application for decentralised electricity production. In many Asian countries such as India, Cambodia and Sri Lanka this technology is becoming very popular for off-grid applications. In Sri Lanka, this technology was used prior to the introduction of Grid Electricity. In the earlier version, coconut shell charcoal was used as the fuel for the gasifiers. Producer gas from these gasifiers was used to drive slow-speed IC engines. Motive power of the engine was used to drive a single over-head shaft with multiple pulleys driving individual drives. Later, the IC engines were fuelled with furnace oil with injectors and hot bulb. When grid electricity was popularised, these devices were discontinued. At the Government Factory at Kollonnawa, near Colombo, remnants of this system are still available to see. With the increase in oil prices in the 1970s, interests in new and renewable energy resources surfaced again. A few gasifiers with IC engines were introduced through donor-funded projects. Attempts were made by many research institutions to develop this technology locally. These attempts were successful in varying degrees. With the declining oil prices in the late 1980s, the enthusiasm shown in renewable energy declined. Almost all the gasifiers system in the country became inoperative. Three years ago, a team of officials visited India to identify gasifier-IC engine systems for local adaptation. Later a 35kWe system was introduced from India by the Ministry of Science and Technology. For the past two years, this has been operating as a demonstrating unit for off-grid electricity generation. This system will be relocated to a rural area shortly to serve an isolated village community. The 35kWe system consumes 1.6 to 1.8 kg wood per kWh of net electricity generated. Figure 12 below shows a photograph of this system in operation. Figure 12: 35 kW gasifier-IC engine generator Gasifier-gas Turbine Technology The gasifier-IC engine system described in the previous section is more suitable for outputs in the kW to say 1 MW range. To use gasifier system for larger applications in the multiple MW range, gas turbine technology is generally more suitable. A schematic diagram of this technology is shown in 13. Gasifier Biomass Clean-up Flue Gas Gas Turbine Air Ash Figure 13: Gasifier gas turbine technology Biomass integrated gasification steam injected gas turbine (BIG/STIG) technology Gasifier Biomass Clean-up Flue Gas Steam Turbine Condenser Gas Turbine Air Ash A method of improving the efficiency and output of the above-described BIGCC technology is to inject steam into the gas turbine combustor. This increases the output of the gas turbine without consuming power at the compressor. This technology requires very stringent water purification system and other control measures. At this early stage of biomass technology for power generation in Sri Lanka, such complicated technologies are not considered. Figure 19 illustrates this principle. Figure 14: Biomass integrated gasification steam injected gas turbine (BIG/STIG) technology 4.7 Conclusions Table03: Typical capacity/efficiency/resource data for biomass power systems System Power kW* Energy efficiency % Biomass dm tonnes/yr ** Comments Small down draft gasifier/IC engine 10 15 74 High operation maintenance, and/or low availability, low cost Large down draft gasifier/IC engine 100 25 442 High operation maintenance, and/or low availability, low cost Stirling Engine 35 20 177 Potential good availability, under development, high cost Steam Engine 100 6 1840 Good reliability, high cost Indirect-fired gas turbine 200 20 1104 Not available commercially Pyrolysis/IC engine 300 28 1183 Under development Rankine Organic Cycle 1000 18 6133 Commercial Updraft gasifier/IC engine 2000 28 7886 Commercial Fixed grate or fluid bed boiler/steam turbine 2000 18 12270 Commercial Fluid bed (BIG/CC) à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ dedicated biomass 8,000 + 28 29710 Demonstrated Fluid bed gasifier co-fired 10,000+ 35 31500 Commercial Notes:- * Indicative of range for application ** Assumes: availability at 70%, fuel net calorific value 20 MJ/kg

MMX Technology :: essays research papers fc

MMX TM Technology The MMX TM Technology extension to the Intel Architecture is designed to accelerate multimedia and communications software running on Intel Architecture processors (Peleg and Weiser). The technology introduces new data types and instructions that implement a SIMD architecture model and is defined in a way that maintains full compatibility with all existing Intel Architecture processors, operating systems, and applications. MMX technology on average delivers 1.5 to 2 times performance gains for multimedia and communications applications in comparison to running on the same processor but without using MMX technology. This extension is the most significant addition to the Intel Architecture since the Intel I386 and will be implemented on proliferation of the Pentium processor family and also appear on future Intel Architecture processors. The media extensions for the Intel Architecture (IA) were designed to enhance performance of advanced media and communication applications. The MMXâ„ ¢ technology provides a new level of performance to computer platforms by adding new instructions and defining new 64-bit data types, while preserving compatibility with software and operating systems developed for the Intel Architecture. The MMX technology introduces new general-purpose instructions. These instructions operate in parallel on multiple data elements packed into 64-bit quantities. They perform arithmetic and logical operations on the different data types. These instructions accelerate the performance of applications with compute-intensive algorithms that perform localized, recurring operations on small native data. This includes applications such as motion video, combined graphics with video, image processing, audio synthesis, speech synthesis and compression, telephony, video conferencing, 2D graphics, and 3D graphics The MMX instruction set has a simple and flexible software model with no new mode or operating-system visible state. The MMX instruction set is fully compatible with all Intel Architecture microprocessors. All existing software continues to run correctly, without modification, on microprocessors that incorporate the MMX technology, as well as in the presence of existing and new applications that incorporate this technology. MMX technology provides the following new features, while maintaining backward compatibility with all existing Intel Architecture microprocessors, IA applications, and operating systems; New data types, eight MMX registers, enhanced instruction set. The performance of applications which use these new features of MMX technology can be exchanged. The principal data type of the IA MMX technology is the packed fixed-point integer. The decimal point of the fixed-point values is implicit and is left for the user to control for maximum flexibility.

Product Team Cialis Getting Ready to Market Essay

Q1. In 2002, Viagra was the only clinically proven, FDA approved medication for Erectile Dysfunction (ED) on the market (Cialis – Dec 2003, Levitra – Sept 2003). Viagra had the highest brand recognition of any pharmaceutical product on the market. It had generated over one billion dollars in annual sales for 3 consecutive years since its introduction in 1998. In 2002, Viagra accounted for 5.3% ($1.73 billion) in sales of Pfizer’s annual Revenue of $32.37 billion, compared to 4.3% ($1.3 billion) of total revenue ($29.5 billion) in 2000. Viagra was expected to continue to lead the ED market due to its unsurpassed medical profile. Future Viagra sales growth was expected to come from increased patient presentation and physician diagnosis. Direct-to-consumer advertising has been effective in encouraging more customers to see a physician about ED. Even though Lilly ICOS and Bayer were in the process of bringing their products to market, Viagra was the front-runner and expected to retain its advantage in the ED market. A short half-life of approximately 4 hours, interactions with fatty foods, blue visions, and interactions with other medications like nitrates, are considered some of the weaknesses of Viagra. Q2. Our strategic Market segmentation for ED treatment is based on the types of population, by age and sex (socio demographic segmentation). The options available for market segmentation are: the concentration strategy, multi segment strategy, usage segmentation, and cohort segmentation. We believe Cialis should target the following segments: Usage segmentation – Lilly ICOS has the advantage of knowing which group is using ED medications (data from PCP’s, urologists and pharmacies). By using this data readily available, they can not only target the current users, but also the dropouts and dissatisfied customers. A large percentage of Viagra users did not refill the prescription. A significant number of them were not happy with the end-result after taking the medication, since duration of the effect was shorter than expected. Baby boomers (cohort segmentation) – because of increased prevalence of up to 60% of ED within this age group. Psychographic segmentation – age specific (40 – 60+) – as ED is increasingly more common in this age group, varying 20% to 60 %.  Spouse or partners (during their physician office visits) – 80% of the men using ED medication are married or living together. Q3. Cialis could either position itself as a â€Å"Market Challenger† or â€Å"Market Niche.† As a â€Å"Market Challenger,† the introduction of Cialis to the marketplace means that the dominance of Viagra is confronted, having alternatives to treat erectile dysfunction. However, the Lily ICOS team could not ride on this wave alone and would need to create brand recognition and loyalty. For doing so, they would need to ensure that consumers recognized Cialis as the solution to ED and not only as an alternative. The pro for Cialis is that they have a superior product; however, they are up against Viagra, with the reputation as pioneer of ED management in the marketplace. However, as a â€Å"Market Niche,† Cialis could segment their market to incorporate the emotional aspect of the product and its positive social implications in relationships, an aspect which the Viagra marketing team did not address. Therefore, to successfully create this concept, Lily ICOS involved its marketing team early into the development of Cialis, as this would enable them to better understand the core product, its benefits and how it affected the overall psychosocial perception of erectile dysfunction. One of the pitfalls of this approach would be that Cialis, a new product with little or no credibility in the market, would take extensive time and focused marketing effort to build a loyal consumer base. Based on their knowledge of the product, they would create more directed marketing research focusing on the needs, expectations and loyalty of the consumer. In addition, the marketing representatives would approach physicians regularly and remind them to offer Cialis as a potential solution to their patient’s condition and the overall benefits it could have on their social outlook and relationship. Basically, the Lily ICOS team would need to study the reasons why Viagra users were not repeat customers and bridge the gap from an initial user to loyal repeat business. Q4. The goal of the communication plan would be to ensure that Cialis gains credibility as superior product and consumers are pleased with its effect, both immediate and long lasting. Cialis need to demonstrate its potential to stand as an ideal solution to erectile dysfunction, not as an ‘Me too Viagra like’ alternative. Decreased side effects and the extended half-life of Cialis are the major marketing points to communicate (when positioned as â€Å"Market Challenger†); however, the positive social ramifications and increased self-confidence hence forth would add another level of emotional credibility to Cialis (when positioned as â€Å"Market Niche†). Q5. Our goal is to educate married couples and physicians. Patients will play a critical role for this drug to be successful, we need to be focus on their education with Direct to Consumer marketing, choosing programs that are watched by our target age group men who are married or with partners. This includes Television programs, evening news, and leisure sports programming, such as; Golf, fishing, or talk shows like Oprah, which is watched mostly by partners. There should also be emphasis on web-based marketing, including direct email to potential users, AARP sponsored Programs, etc. Advertisement should include magazines that cater to partners, such as; good housekeeping, cooking magazine, etc. Q6. Viagra was priced at $10 per pill. Since we are promoting Cialis as a better product, with its long-lasting effect and less side-effects – no blue vision or issues with meals, we would price it slightly higher. It is important for consumers to know the benefits of Cialis and create the awareness of a superior product. We would not want to price it significantly higher, since it would be difficult for consumers to switch to a new product from a product with a proven track record and marketed by one of the best companies in the Pharmaceutical industry. It is important for consumers to try Cialis, risk-free and feel the difference. This could be accomplished by providing free product samples, once satisfied; they would be the first customers. Q7. Pfizer has a number of options available at its disposal. It could wager the legal challenge stating the significant similarities between the products – a patent infringement lawsuit could be filed. However, Lilly ICOS could argue that there are significant differences in terms of onset, duration of action and food interaction, making Cialis different from Viagra. Pfizer could increase switching costs by incentivizing customers to return to their product. This could be achieved by offering one out of five prescriptions free, or a similar offer. Lowering the price of the prescription could also be considered a preemptive strategy. Lilly ICOS could offer free samples to practitioners during their advertising campaign and possibly offer a similar program later, for the frequent users. Pfizer could consider attracting new customers while using the increased customer awareness triggered by the Cialis marketing campaign. It could present Viagra as a trusted product with a long track record and safety. Pfizer could introduce new educational material about ED. Lilly ICOS could highlight the major differences between Viagra and Cialis, during their physician and DTC campaign. Lilly ICOS could target a specific segment instead of going head-to-head with the power of Viagra’s blockbuster title. Cialis could target couples, with a strong message towards intimacy and strong, durable relationships. This could result in increased marketing efficiency, as both partners would be targeted – avoiding the head-on competition with Viagra, which primarily targeted males.

The Brain and Cognitive Functioning

The Brain and Cognitive Functioning Jessica Johnson PSY 360 March 11, 2013 Donna M. Glover-Rogers, Ph. D The Brain and Cognitive Functioning The following describes the role of the brain and the impact it has on a person’s cognitive functions, including how injury to certain part of the brain can affect specific cognitive functions while leaving others intact. To support this idea we look at the case of Phinneas Gage, and how his brain injury affected his cognitive abilities. In order to understand what role the brain plays in cognitive functioning one must understand cognitive functioning and what it is.Cognitive functioning refers to a person’s ability to coordinate thought and action as well as the ability to direct it towards a goal. It is needed to overcome environmental obstacles, orchestrate plans and execute complex sequences of behavior. When a person thinks, gives their attention to something, has or feels some kind of emotion, makes a plan, learns a new task or information, or recalls a memory they are using their cognitive functioning all of which starts in the brain. As the world has progressed so has science and technology; as theses fields have grown so has the ability to learn about the brain and how it works.Today we know that the brain is made up of millions small parts all working together to serve a final outcome. However technology is not the only thing that assists researchers in the study of the brain; people who have suffered traumatic brain injury have equally aided scientist in understanding how the brain functions. One of the most remarkable examples of the impact a brain injury can have on a person’s life is that of Phinneas Gage. This case proves to be one of the first to confirm that damage to a person’s frontal cortex could result in a significant personality change despite other neurological functions remain intact.In September of 1848 an accidental explosion caused a 20 pound iron rod from the railroa d tracks to penetrate Gage’s Left cheek bone and exiting just behind his right temple (BSCS 2005). To everyone’s shock Gage never lost consciousness through the injury; however, the injuries to his brain caused a complete change in personality. Prior to the accident Gage was reported to be calm and collected man. He was said to be very level-headed and it was reported by his supervisors that his calm demeanor made him the best foremen on his team. The trauma to Gage’s brain caused a severe and unpleasant change in his character.Upon recovering and returning to work he was said to be highly volatile, full of rage, impatient and vulgar. Despite making a full physical recovery his behavior made such a negative change he was never able to work as a foreman again. Gage’s case was one of the first and often considered the most dramatic cases of personality change caused by brain injury that has ever been documented. The injuries that Gage sustained to his brain raised several questions about the impact the brain has on cognitive functioning. It has become clear that a common side-effect of frontal lobe damage is drastic change in one’s behavior.An individual’s personality can significantly alter after damage to the frontal lobes, particularly when both lobes are involved (Hernandez, 2008). Many important things were learned from Gage’s life altering accident, first and possibly most important it shows that not every brain injury will cause death. In addition researchers learned that not all brain injuries will cause loss to all brain functions (2008). Although being over 100 years old the injury Phineas Gage suffered to his brain is still known as one of the most educational injuries in history.Not only did it prove one could survive such a traumatic injury to the brain but it proved they could still function physically and mentally. This case was also the first to prove that the frontal cortex of the brain directly i mpacts personality, and although one could recover to physically function as they had before the altered personality may never change. Along with cases like Phinneas Gage, advancements in technology have given researchers a picture of how the brain controls cognitive functioning but to what extent remains unclear.References Hernandez, Christina. (2008). Phineas Gage. Retrieved March 08, 2013 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/831073/phineas_gage_pg3. html? cat=4 National Institue of Health Office of Science Education BSCS (2005). Retrieved March 07, 2013 from http://science. education. nih. gov/supplements/nih4/self/guide/info-brain. htm Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Retrieved from Ebsco Host

Variables used in Spatial and Regional models The WritePass Journal

Variables used in Spatial and Regional models Introduction Variables used in Spatial and Regional models IntroductionBibliographyRelated Introduction In Geography scale principally concerns space. Scale relates to other ideas, only can we understand scale when it is applied in respect to the totality of the landscape element. In this thesis, I plan to examine how spatial scale problems have been manipulated and resolved. I will assess examples of variables used in spatial and regional models at various scales and the methodological dilemmas within spatial analysis and solutions to this. I will also scrutinize the way in which we select scales and some of the trade offs needed in the future to consider continental and global scales. Finally, I argue for a better amalgamation of space and spatial scales into hierarchy supposition. Addressing scale unswervingly, the most frequent form is cartographic scale. Watson (1978) argues; â€Å" scale is a ‘geographic’ variable almost as sacred as distance† and â€Å"well developed policy has been created to balance the scale versus resolution-information content of a map† (Board 1967). Maps depict the earth’s surface; this raises the concern of how flat maps disfigure spatial relations on the earth’s surface. In turn, the use of ‘analysis’ scale, includes the use of units to measure phenomena, for data analysis and mapping. Essentially this being the scale for observing and acknowledging geographic phenomena. We can argue that this form of ‘occurrence’ scale is the ‘true’ scale of geography, analysing how geographic processes function across the World. It is accepted that a variety of scales of geographic phenomena interrelate; local economies are enclosed with regional economies and rivers are contained within larger hydrological systems for example. Therefore, conceptualizing such hierarchies can be complex for geographers, the traditional method of focusing on a single scale largely continues. Generalization has arisen as a result. This is the view that the world that surrounds us can never be studied or modelled, or represented in all of its full detail and complexity. Perceptibly, scale is of great importance due its consequences for the degree to which geographic ideas are generalized. Generalization is in effect a process of simplification; it includes aspects of collection and development of characteristics and evidence that interest us as geographers. It demonstrates the way in which a study can represent smaller pieces of earth; it tends to be more focused on fine geographic details. For example, if we were to consider the way in which a large scale map will demonstrate more features of the earth’s surface in greater detail than a small-scale map. Geography has often been held under disparagement due to its â€Å"wide nature of topics and deviating points of view† (Hart 1982). Harvey argues that â€Å"Inconvenience arising from the search for causality between human and physical environment ideas and the predictions of spatial patterns† are often discussed (Harvey 1969.) However, Clarke argues that there is a â€Å"widespread connection in terms of the spatial point of view, which cements the study of geography† (Clarke et al 1987). Examples of spatial variables include; â€Å"area, direction, range distance, spatial geometries and patterns, isolation, diffusion, spatial connectivity, spatial associations and scale† (Abler et al. 1971). Mitchelson has described these variables as â€Å"geographic primitives† (Mitchelson, unpublished). Geographical spatial thinking tends to oscillate between two poles as there is no clearly defined geographical or landscape space this had let to the emergence of the concepts of absolute and relative space. The shaping of geographical space is under the influence of both these poles. Harvey argues that absolute space is a synonym of emptiness, Kant supports this by saying that â€Å"space may exist for its own sake independent of matter. Space just ‘is’ and should be viewed as a ‘container for elements of the earth’s surface† (Harvey 1969).   In other words, the job of Geography is to fill this ‘container’ with information and ideas. This sums up the Euclidian point of view of absolute scale, usually based on a defined grid system, common in conventional cartography, remote sensing and the mapping sciences. It is relatively easy to view ‘sub containers’ within a ‘container’ and to devise suitable categorization schemes. For example a CBD area may have several districts, areas, or neighbourhoods, all of which may show ever-smaller areal units. With the idea of absolute space, the conception of spatial hierarchies is comparatively uncomplicated. The relativistic point of view, involves two considerations. Initially, space exists only with reference to spatial elements and processes. The ‘relevant’ space is clear by spatial processes taking place, e.g. migration and commuting patterns, dispersion of pollutants and even the diffusion of ideas and information. Scales and regions are defined relatively by the relationship between or amongst spatial patterns forms and functions, processes and rates. This means space is defined in non-Euclidean terms, even â€Å"distance may be relative† (Harvey 1969). Two areas of landscape separated by a barrier may be close in absolute space but very distant in relative space when time, rates, and interactions are considered. Hence, how a functional spatial process region is difficult to map in terms of absolute space. Calls for a more broad-scale study are evident with demand for advanced techniques and applications of geographic information systems (GIS). Broad scale problems can realistically be solved by these techniques, which use absolute space almost exclusively. It has been argued that most modern work in geography involves a â€Å"relative view of space† (Harvey 1969; Abler et al. 1971) due to the spatial processes and mechanisms involved. There have been a lot of recent debates as to the â€Å"appropriate scale of analysis for various processes† (Nir 1987). However, there is an agreement between geographic scholars that changes in scale change the important relevant variables. Furthermore, Mitchelson argues that the â€Å"value of a phenomenon at a particular place is usually driven by causal processes which operate at differing scales† (Mitchelson, unpublished). We can analyse the study of human migration as an example. Often included are variables in relation to labour demand, investment and business climate, and income, i.e. these are group and structural contextual variables. In comparison, intra-urban migration models often involve the age, education and income of individuals. Similarly, looking at how water supply networks are planned in third-world countries, investigations at a national scale often involve urban and regional water demands. In contrast, at a village scale, walking time and the distance to a spout may be unsurpassed concerns. This leads on to behavioural geography, examining the use of space by individuals and the timing of this use. This approach has been termed â€Å"activity space and time space geography† (Carlstein and Thrift 1978). The most routine human activities involve the shortest spaces and time. This is reflected by the view that the â€Å"most frequent movements are of the shortest distance and demonstrate effort-minimization principles† (Zipf 1949). Thus how different spatial activities have radically different time and space scales. Spatial analysis has shown methodological problems. Tobler stated the problem of spatial correlation in his first law of geography: â€Å"near things are more related than distant things† (Tobler, 1969). This is the idea that every spatial element may be correlated. Without Tobler’s idea it could be said that the surface of the earth would appear entirely random. Spatial autocorrelation is the basis for the recognition of spatial variability e.g. ground versus water, field versus woodland, high density versus low density etc. Harvey has further argued that it is often â€Å"useful to search for the level of resolution which maximizes the spatial variability of a phenomenon†. (Harvey 1969). It has also been argued that there is inference of spatial process from spatial form and that most processes are discovered under spatial form, however, empirical results are usually scale specific. In other words â€Å"patterns which appear to be ordered at one scale may appe ar random at other scales† (Miller 1978). However, recently, rules have been developed for optimal spatial sampling and data grouping to reduce the loss of such inference, this can be found in work by Clark and Avery 1976. Watson (1978) argues that a solution to poor spatial data coverage is the â€Å"development of a model of spatial relationships that couples to hierarchical levels†. In other words, not a lot of studies in geography have combined macrospatial and mircospatial levels of analysis because of the incredibly large amount of data needed, producing very complex models. However, we already have many of the data rich variables at near global scales which can then in turn be used as the driving variables in predicting spatial patterns at much broader scales. It may be appropriate to find the appropriate constraints for the spatial hierarchies of concern in order to improve the spatial modelling aspect of Geography. Steyn argues that â€Å"disciplines concerned primarily with processes such as meteorology are able to switch scales very easily† (Steyn, 1981). In comparison, disciplines dealing with phenomenon are often restricted by the size of the actual phenomenon. For example, larger regions tend to incorporate more potential interactions and have a greater degree of centrality bias. In conclusion, the thesis reviews space and time scales from a geographers point of view. It can be found that spatial phenomena comes in a vast variety of different size classes, much work has been conducted across many orders of spatial magnitude. Despite many appeals for multiscaler research e.g. Abler 1987; Miller 1970; and Stone 1968. This is practiced very little, despite evidence that good multiscale work apparently meets data handling thresholds accurately and quickly. As various disciplines under what can be called the umbrella of environmental sciences begin to incorporate diverse spatial dimensions into their research agendas, problems with spatial scale are expected to be encountered. Many of these problems have already been recognized if not solved. Even so, it is still worth noting Clarke’s (1985) admonition, â€Å"No simple rules can automatically select the ‘proper’ scale; for attention.† Essentially, scale is the foundations upon which the home of Geography is built upon. Its various rooms are the arguments and theories behind scale, the floors are the advancements into hierarchical theory. The roof is the final piece solving the spatial dimension scale that places a shelter over Geographers heads and covers us from the elements of inferences in scale. Bibliography Abler, R.F. 1987. What shall we say? To whom shall we speak? Ann. Assoc. Am. Geogr. Abler, R.F., Adams, J. and Gould, P. 1971. Spatial organization: the geographer’s view of the world. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey. Board, C. 1967. Maps as models. In Models in Geography. pp. 671-726. Methuen and Co., Ltd., London. Carlstein, T. and Thrift, N. 1978. Afterword: towards a time-space structured approach to society and the environment. in Human Activity and Time Geography. pp. 225-263. Clarke, M.J., Gregory, K.J. and Gurnell, A.M. 1987. Introduction: change and continuity in physical geography. In Horizons in Physical Geography. pp. 1-5. Barnes and Noble Books, Totowa, New Jersey. Clarke, W.A.V. and Avery, K.L. 1976. The effects of data aggregation in statistical analysis. Geogr. Harvey, D. 1969. Explanation in Geography. St Martin’s Press, New York. Hart, J.F. 1982. The highest form of the geographer’s art. Ann Assoc. Am. Geogr. 72: 1-29. Miler, D.H. 1978. The factor of scale: ecosystem, landscape mosaic and region. In Sourcebook on the Environment. pp. 63-88. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Miller, D.H. 1978. The factor of scale: ecosystem, landscape mosaic and region. In Sourcebook on the Environment. pp. 63-88. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Mitchelson, R.L. Concerns About Scale, unpublished. Nir, D. 1987. Regional geography considered from the systems approach. Geoforum 18(2): 187-202. Steyn, D.G. 1981. On scales in meteorology and climatology. Clim. Bull. 39: 1-8. Stone, K.H. 1968. Scale, Scale, Scale. Econ. Geogr. 44:94. Tobler, W.R. 1969. Geographical filters and their inverses. Geogr.1:234-253. Watson, M.K. 1978. The scale problem in human geography. Geogr. Ann. 60B: 36-47. Zipf, G.K. 1949. Human behaviour and the principle of least effort. Addison-Wesley Press, Camrbdige.

Free Essays on Lebanon

Clearly, digital technology has already taken over much of the home entertainment market. It seems strange, then, that the vast majority of theatrical motion pictures are shot and distributed on celluloid film, just like they were more than a century ago. Of course, the technology has improved over the years, but it's still based on the same basic principles. The reason is simple: Up until recently, nothing could come close to the image quality of projected film. But things are starting to change. George Lucas kicked off the digital cinema charge in May of 2002 with "Star Wars: Episode II, the Attack of the Clones," the first big budget live action movie shot entirely on digital video. Most theaters played 35-mm film transfers of the movie, but Lucas hopes his next digital picture, "Star Wars: Episode III," will play mainly on digital movie projectors. With more and more filmmakers embracing the new technology, including big names like Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez, digital cinema is well on its way. In this article, we'll find out what digital cinema is all about, and we'll see what it means to the film industry. As it turns out, the rise of digital cinema will have a pretty big effect on the world. Elements of Digital Cinema Digital cinema is simply a new approach to making and showing movies. The basic idea is to use bits and bytes (strings of 1s and 0s) to record, transmit and replay images, rather than using chemicals on film. The main advantage of digital technology (such as a CD) is that it can store, transmit and retrieve a huge amount of information exactly as it was originally recorded. Analog technology (such as an audio tape) loses information in transmission, and generally degrades with each viewing. (For more information, see How Analog and Digital Recording Works.) Digital information is also a lot more flexible than analog information. A computer can manipulate bytes of data very easily, but it can't d... Free Essays on Lebanon Free Essays on Lebanon Clearly, digital technology has already taken over much of the home entertainment market. It seems strange, then, that the vast majority of theatrical motion pictures are shot and distributed on celluloid film, just like they were more than a century ago. Of course, the technology has improved over the years, but it's still based on the same basic principles. The reason is simple: Up until recently, nothing could come close to the image quality of projected film. But things are starting to change. George Lucas kicked off the digital cinema charge in May of 2002 with "Star Wars: Episode II, the Attack of the Clones," the first big budget live action movie shot entirely on digital video. Most theaters played 35-mm film transfers of the movie, but Lucas hopes his next digital picture, "Star Wars: Episode III," will play mainly on digital movie projectors. With more and more filmmakers embracing the new technology, including big names like Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez, digital cinema is well on its way. In this article, we'll find out what digital cinema is all about, and we'll see what it means to the film industry. As it turns out, the rise of digital cinema will have a pretty big effect on the world. Elements of Digital Cinema Digital cinema is simply a new approach to making and showing movies. The basic idea is to use bits and bytes (strings of 1s and 0s) to record, transmit and replay images, rather than using chemicals on film. The main advantage of digital technology (such as a CD) is that it can store, transmit and retrieve a huge amount of information exactly as it was originally recorded. Analog technology (such as an audio tape) loses information in transmission, and generally degrades with each viewing. (For more information, see How Analog and Digital Recording Works.) Digital information is also a lot more flexible than analog information. A computer can manipulate bytes of data very easily, but it can't d...

Time, Gentlemen, Please!

Time, Gentlemen, Please! Time, Gentlemen, Please! Time, Gentlemen, Please! By Maeve Maddox Our lives are defined by time. I challenge you to keep track of the number of times you say the word â€Å"time† in the course of a single day: What time is it? How much time do I have? It’s about time! We spend time, waste time, lose time, and save time. When we’re ready to go home from work, we say it’s time to call it a day. When we’re ready to go to bed, we say it’s time to call it a night. When we’re having fun, time flies. When we’re sad or bored, time drags by. The following examples of â€Å"time† expressions are for our ESL readers. He thinks his heart is broken, but time heals all wounds. (He’ll get over it when enough time has passed.) She seems to be a good choice; time will tell if she can do the work. (When she has been in the job long enough, her ability or lack of it will be apparent.) He graduated a year ago; it’s past time he looked for a job. (He should have looked for work before now.) The firemen got to the house just in time to save the residents. (A few minutes later and they residents would have died.) A year ago, the doctor gave him three months to live; he’s living on borrowed time. (He’s living longer than was expected.) He was unable to travel for nine years; now he’s making up for lost time by visiting every continent. (He’s going to extremes in an effort to experience what he could not at an earlier time.) Getting the transplant organ from California to the hospital in Kenya will be a race against time. (The organ will be useless if it does not reach its destination within a limited period.) Charlie is never in a hurry. He will answer the telephone in his own sweet time. (He will answer when he is ready.) Shakespeare’s works have stood the test of time. (to stand the test of time is to prove valuable or popular or useful for a very long time.) He won’t give you a definite answer because he’s playing for time. (He is deliberately practicing delay.) Now that you’re retired, I suppose you have time on your hands. (You don’t have anything that you must do.) If you’re not some kind of celebrity, she won’t give you the time of day. (She won’t pay any attention to you.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?The Six Spellings of "Long E"Appropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

Importance of Organizations Concerned With Elderly Populace Essay

Importance of Organizations Concerned With Elderly Populace - Essay Example Ageing comes with several diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Werner syndrome and renal failure. These conditions should be prevented or treated immediately. Therefore, organizations that deal with ageing populace such as AARP have doctors and nurses who are qualified and competent in old age-related diseases. Â  Their programs cater for fitness activities that include body and mental exercises to prevent related diseases. The elderly populace train in the gym with a qualified trainer competent in old-age exercises, and involve in mental games to jog their brains (Howard, 2012). Â  Examples of elderly games include music therapy, video, digital and computer games (National Council on Aging, 2012). These activities prevent diseases, unify the elderly and keep them busy thus they maintain their health.3. Government benefits most of the elderly populace have stopped working and are dependent individuals who need financial assistance. The organizations have come into aid since th ese individuals may have no family members alive who can aid in the paperwork. The organizations assume this task and solicit the funds for them (National Council on Aging, 2012). The funds are partly given to organizations and partly given to individuals. This is to ensure an efficient program by the organization and financial independence for the elderly. Â  The organizations use the money for shelter, garments, foodstuff, healthcare and other festive activities like world tours for the elderly, which unifies them.

FMLA and Its Impacts on Organization Term Paper

FMLA and Its Impacts on Organization - Term Paper Example The law does give the employee time off but the time given is not paid by his or her organization. The passing of the law has since covered the time which uses to be given to pregnant mothers before. Conversely, some employers have not been happy with the law since they see that they are losing some part of the working force in the company. Employers conclude that the law collides with other unforeseen happenings to employees which might need time off when they are sick. They have also realized that the law is not in line with working schedule of the firm, in addition the firm has had to increase the financial status of their companies so as to train or recruit the best human resource to deal with issues of FMLA (Bovee, 2001). Paid Sick Leave and its Impact on the Organization Paid sick leave is the compensation to an employee by an organization when they take time off to be with their family when either he or she is sick or one of the family members is sick. Paid sick leave is not p assed as a law like the FMLA, it has gained value since consideration by organization because it seen to be related to the economic growth of the country (Earle and Heymann, 2006). In addition, it is also a pillar to the human rights of an employee since the organization values the health of an employee. ... Impacts on the economy could be due to the health condition of the worker which could contribute to a smaller number of forces working in a firm or sick working force. For example, the workers in the USA had to work when they were sick, which made their health condition and the health of others worse due to a combination of the work force who were sick and the ones who were not sick; this increased the spread of the H1N1 virus among employees. The impact on the economy was that sick workers contributed to low productivity (Watkins, 2011). The impact of using the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) The law has positive impacts on the organization if employers are informed early. The organization will have time to plan well on how it will do with the small number or without the number of some employees who have taken the FMLA leave. The advance notice has also seen to help the firms know the number of the employees who are to go for FMLA hence will give them time to balance the financial s tatus of the company due to the low productivity they would have to incur when the workers go for leave. The issues of the workers not giving enough information about the conditions would be solved. This is because, an individual who has to apply for FMLA has to present all the information to the firm about the need for FMLA leave, for example, the time of needed and the reason for taking leave, from there the organization will consider the case (Silverman, 2010). The impact of advance Notice of FMLA leave According to Hayes & Ninemeier (2009) the FMLA leave regulations binds the employer to give information to the employees 30 days before leave is granted and the workers are also warranted to give information about the day they would like

Property Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Property Analysis - Essay Example If we think about the investment part for the five floors building the amount of remuneration is very less since the interest being paid for the investment or capital is very high. The installment paid to the bank every month is almost 10,000$. Test2. Comparing the land utilized for the construction, some of the properties are very small not big enough produce good rental value and some of the properties are very big which cant generate greater rental compared to the market value. Commercial property: The super market where I shop is near to my residence and is on the main road in the center of the city. It is a seven floors commercial complex built on a 1500 sq.yard plot. The whole cellar is rented out for the super market, upper cellar is rented out for two different show rooms and the rest of the five floors are custom built as requested by the tenants before the construction of the complex. Since the physical location of the property is in the center of the city a lot of demand is obvious. 4. Commercially considering the complex is rented out for the maximum rent and also to the global clothes brand, telecom giants, chain of restaurants etc. The complex is also put to the best use since global brands employ more people and generating huge employment.

SPSS Assignment only Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SPSS Assignment only - Lab Report Example None of the relationships is significant because they have a p value that is greater than 0.01. There is a weak positive correlation between math achievement in 8th grade and socio-Economic Status. This is because the data points are highly scattered and the trend of the data points seems not to be linear. Based on the scatter plot for math achievement in 8th grade and math achievement in 12th grade, what direction is the relationship? How strong is the relationship? Be sure to explain you answer. (2 points) There is a strong positive relationship between math achievement in 8th grade and math achievement in 12th grade. The trend of the scatter plot clearly shows it’s linear whereby the variables are directly proportional How does whether the State has a waiting period for handgun purchase influence the handgun homicide rate for that State? Remember to describe this relationship in terms of existence, strength, and direction. How does having a waiting period, unemployment rate, and number of executions influence the handgun homicide rate of a State? Remember to describe these relationships in terms of existence, strength, and direction. Number of execution has a negative influence while the unemployment has a positive influence on the handgun homicide rate of a state. Both have a weak relationship with the handgun homicide rate of a

Control Mechanisms Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Control Mechanisms Paper - Essay Example Positive reactions accelerate the productivity of organizations. Positive reactions comprise of an increase in motivation among a company’s workforce, an addition in innovation and invention among employees, instill beliefs and values that build the company and an increase in output among others. (Conway, Andrew 42) On the hand, negative reactions are meant to decrease the output of an organization (Scott, John, 1971). The reduction is usually a previous level of productivity that might have been offset and increased to add the productivity of a company. The reduction in output decisions arise when a company’s productivity goes out of hand and becomes difficult to manage. Negative interpretation of a control mechanism by employees may be perceived as lack of independence. Negative control mechanisms that isolate some employees from others may demotivate the employees neglected by the mechanism. For example, a mechanism that separates subordinate staff from the senior staff may demoralize the subordinates and result to low productivity (Scott 21). Negative reactions are contrary to the positive ones as they decrease productivity of a company. Along with a decrease in productivity is a fall in motivation among employees and decrease levels of innovation. Set objectives of a company may als o have to be

Together We Stand Letter Outline Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Together We Stand Letter Outline - Case Study Example The survey will involve establishing the relationship between exposure to the industrial waste and severity of the new disease. The study will involve finding health details of people living next to the factory’s dumpsites. A direct correlation between severity of the disease and nearness to the dumpsite will indicate that the factory is the main cause of the problem (Tilden, 2010). A negative correlation index will nullify the hypothesis that relates the disease to factory waste. The study assumed that people living next to the dumpsite have had minimal movements. The survey also assumed that the factory dumps its waste constantly throughout the year. In the study, I also assumed that the industry’s waste have minimal cumulative effect on the health of a victim. Finally, the analysis also considered the age of a person to be independent from the effects of the chemicals (Bond, 1993). During my investigation, I established that people associated the new illness with the evil spirits. Others believed that immigrants who were settling in their town from foreign countries propagated the

Control Mechanisms Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Control Mechanisms Paper - Essay Example Positive reactions accelerate the productivity of organizations. Positive reactions comprise of an increase in motivation among a company’s workforce, an addition in innovation and invention among employees, instill beliefs and values that build the company and an increase in output among others. (Conway, Andrew 42) On the hand, negative reactions are meant to decrease the output of an organization (Scott, John, 1971). The reduction is usually a previous level of productivity that might have been offset and increased to add the productivity of a company. The reduction in output decisions arise when a company’s productivity goes out of hand and becomes difficult to manage. Negative interpretation of a control mechanism by employees may be perceived as lack of independence. Negative control mechanisms that isolate some employees from others may demotivate the employees neglected by the mechanism. For example, a mechanism that separates subordinate staff from the senior staff may demoralize the subordinates and result to low productivity (Scott 21). Negative reactions are contrary to the positive ones as they decrease productivity of a company. Along with a decrease in productivity is a fall in motivation among employees and decrease levels of innovation. Set objectives of a company may als o have to be

Nutrition and Fit Essay Example for Free

Nutrition and Fit Essay In my composition, I am going to describe some advantages why, we should keep fit. In my opinion is that be fit has not got disadvantages. I am also going to describe what we should do when we want to keep fit and also what we should not do when we want to keep fit. To be fit has a many advantages. When you are fit you have better mood and we do not feel sleepily on the contrary we feel full of energy. You have not got many health problems like arteriosclerosis, heart attack, obesity, anemia etc. When we want to keep fit, like first we should change our eating habits. We should not eat many junk food, candy, sweetened beverages for example Sprite, Coca-Cola, Fanta etc. We have to try to eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and a lot of healthy food because this food comprises from lots of antioxidants, protein and vitamins. We also should try to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and also for snack and afternoon snack. When somebody wants to keep fit he/she should aim do a lot of exercises. I think we should try to run every morning and evening. Sometimes we should visit some gym and swimming pool. When we want to keep fit we should not smoke and drink a lot of alcohol. We should not eat a lot. We also must not laze. In my opinion is that be fit is better than be lazy person. I hope that my composition will can help someone to keep fit.

Single Stage Selective Tendering

Single Stage Selective Tendering The method of single stage selective tendering involves finding contractors, possibly from previous experience, and asking them to submit tenders for the project at hand. Because you choose your contractors yourself you can properly dig to find the best one. Past experience is always a help in making your decision, not only this but you can take into account the resources of the company youre using, their health and safety record and their references. Not only this but when choosing a contractor it is also sensible to take into consideration the type of work your doing, some companies will specialise in different areas. There are a few benefits to using single stage selective tendering, firstly you can choose your own contractor and remove bad performing contractors, secondly companies are competitive over it and lastly you can rotate your contractors ensuring you always have a fresh pair of hands. Two Stage Selection Sometimes, potential contractors may be invited to initial discussions about the project to provide input. This is usually only when a project has a short time scale or the client doesnt have much time to work with. After this initial discussion the client can invite his favourite contractors back for a second, which again is a good way to gather more ideas and different inputs on the project. After the second interview the client should definitely know who he wants on board and it the discussions should make it easier to select his contractor. This is a good way of selecting a contractor as you can gather a wide range of input from the first two discussions; it also allows the client to meet all potential candidates allowing him to make a sensible decision. In the second meeting it is likely the contractors will bring bills of quantities to submit as part of the final tender. Open Tendering Open tendering almost explains itself. A client will put some form of advertisement out for a contractor and all contractors are welcome to reply. The client can then make this decision based on portfolios, references or CVs of potential contractors. Open tenders usually occur when a service such a road cleaning is needed. The major disadvantage in open tendering is that many contractors who you have know nothing about, considering their costs and reputation too, can apply, meaning you could end up making a bad decision due to minimal knowledge. References are important in open tendering. Serial Tendering Serial tendering has a number of benefits to it. This is because when you choose a contractor for serial tendering he will be involved on a number of projects. The contractor provides a price for the first project and then uses this to estimate prices for the following tasks. This method of tendering is usually used when there are a number of similar projects taking place, for example a series of schools being built. The advantages to serials tendering are that firstly, the contractor gains valuable knowledge from initial projects to be used in the other projects and secondly the client is guaranteed a long term commitment from the contractor. OBJECTIVES IN TENDERING There are a number of different objectives you will set for yourself in the tendering stage of a project. These objects can have an affect on the tender costs, and if they are not met, it means your overall price will rise. Profit Margin The profit margin of a project is basically how much profit there is to be made, it is a figure taking into consideration all of the costs, once all these costs deductions are done we are left with a rough figure or how much money is to be made. Cost Costs are always a key thing to keep in mind; it will definitely be an objective for the contractors and client to ensure that they keep within their cost restraints. The lower the overall costs of your project, the lower the asking price will be. Some contractors will loose money from their own pocket if they do not keep to their initial set costs. Time It is important to ensure you keep within your timescale on a project, lengthy projects will cost more money than short ones and going over your time scale will have a roll on effect on the overall price. FACTORS AFFECTING THE LEVEL OF TENDERS Main Contractors The main influence in the levels of tenders is the value of a project. Small projects tend to have large lump sum overheads resulting in small profit margins whereas larger projects rely on massive financial commitments. There are numerous other factors that affect the levels of tendering: The number and reputation of other companies trying to secure a tender. The economic climate of a country. Bank of England Base rate higher base rate=higher loan repayment Specialism Location The location of a project can have a massive effect on the tender price. For Example, if a client chose a contractor based in the UK to carry out works in northern Scotland the tender price will be significantly higher. Not only will prices rise due to the fact that the contractor will have to get himself and his men and machinery to northern Scotland and back but sometimes, on long-term projects, the contractor will have to pay for temporary accommodation, including food and drink. Temporary accommodation will cost a lot and can have a great affect on the contractors tender price. Not only this but also, if the project is based somewhere like London, where living costs are substantially larger than the rest of the UK, this can have an effect on the tender price. Site Access The accessibility of a site can also have a significant affect on the tender price. If the site is in the middle of a busy city centre, this will make it hard for large plant to access; city centres also bring a lot of traffic which results in delays. If your site is small with not many access routes or roads it can deem difficult for larger plant to get in, some projects require new access points and routes to be made for larger plant to do their jobs. This obviously costs money, which results on a larger tender price. Site Conditions If the chosen site is unlevelled or bad it means that before works can even proceed, the site will have to be sorted out. This can cost a lot of time and money depending on the state of the site. Some sites are contaminated which will result in a massive operation to decontaminate the site and a massive increase in tender pricing. Sub Contractors Subcontractors are usually appointed in one of two ways. The first way is as a domestic subcontractor to the main contractor and the second is a nominated subcontractor by the client. When there is specialist work that needs to be done that a contractor cannot, he will send for a subcontractor who can do the work. Some subcontractors get recommend by the client. There are once again, factors that influence the prices: The location of the work The schedule of the subcontractor How specialist the work is The client/contractor relationship with the sub contractor. M4 Single Stage Selective Single stage tendering requires the potential contractors to attend one interview with the client before one is chosen. This method is usually used when the client is looking for a partnership agreement with a guaranteed price and profit share. Single rate is also good for projects that need specialist attention. It is a good method for the projects such as hospitals where the client can guarantee a max price. Two Stage Selection This kind of tendering is often used for the design and build aspect of a project as it is good for gathering a wide range of ideas from a number of potential contractors. A sensible contractor will bring ideas to save money to the client and whoever usually manages to save the most money will be hired. This is a good method for specialised needs as the information you gather from the contractors can inform you on whether of not they themselves can carry out the work, which will be cheaper, or whether they have good links with sub contractors that specialise in that area. Two stage selection is good for any building that needs specialist care and also for school and colleges as the client gets significant input from all the potential contractors in the first two stages. Serial Tendering Serial tendering is used when there are a number of similar projects being undertook. It is good because the contractor can use his knowledge from pricing the first building to then price the following projects too. Not all the projects have the same layout but are similar in material and plant need. This enables the contractor to get a quicker idea of price ranges for the other projects as he already knows what he is expecting. Serial tendering is used when a series of school are being built, it can also work for a series of police stations or hospitals. Serial tendering is also good for housing projects, shop chains and restaurant chains. Open Tendering Open tendering is the most traditional tendering method. It is when anyone is open to submit a tender and the client will go through the applicants and choose, who he believes, to be the most suitable candidate. Open tendering can work for any kind of building and also is used for general services like road cleaning. It is good because you get a wide range of applicants to choose from. Even buildings that need specialist work done can be open tendered as the contractors themselves can appoint subcontractors for that kind of work. There are a number of different factors that will have an effect on tender method to be chosen, the following factors can all have an effect on what kind of tender method you use; The location of the project, European construction works are usually dealt with differently to non-EU construction projects. Project size, massive multi-million projects sometimes need the combined help of a number of contractors, e.g. Channel Tunnel. Financial stability of construction company tendering for the work. Company reputation Company resources, including plant, labour and materials. Company competency, including health and safety aspects. The size of projects does have a big effect on the contractor you can use. For many small projects, worth around  £10,000 or less, the majority of clients would find a local contractor to do the job, however for the larger scale projects contractors can be brought in from all corners of the country. Not only size but also the type of work being carried out affects this too, as mentioned before, sometimes a number of contractors will have to join together, in what we call a consortium, in order to meet the high demand of resources needed. And lastly, the massive, high-value projects must be kept an eye on. To ensure they have the capacity to take on such a large financial debt and the associated cash flow requirements, the financial accounts of a prospective tender must be checked over a number of years.

The Ghost of Cloudcroft New Mexico Essay -- Ghost Stories Urban Legend

The Cloudcroft Ghost Cloudcroft, New Mexico, meaning a "clearing in the clouds", is a small mountain town located to the east of Alamogordo, NM ("Cloudcroft"). The town's history is intimately tied to the building of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway that allowed the town to be permanently settled in the late 1800s, and to the logging business that made the town and railroad successful for half a century ("Investigation†¦ Lodge"). As with many frontier towns, Cloudcroft has a number of legends that document the unique and violent events in its history, and also a fair number of ghosts that haunt its historic sites. I was told a story about one of Cloudcroft's more famous ghosts when casually lounging in the undergraduate student physics lounge at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a group of students during a lunch break before class. This occurred during early April, 2005. I inquired whether anyone knew any ghost stories or folklore. A friend of mine volunteered that she knew several ghost stories from her travels. The storyteller was a 23-year-old Caucasian female from an upper-middle class family in Baltimore. She currently lives in Crofton, MD, and is a physics and astronomy major. For a prior internship a few summers earlier, the storyteller had worked at the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, NM, studying various solar phenomena. Sunspot is located 17 miles from Cloudcroft. She originally heard her legend from a coworker at the observatory, who took her to visit the place of the haunting. After finishing a story about the ghost of the astronomer Maria Mitchell (who allegedly haunts Nantucket, Massachusetts), the storyteller began the tale of the ghost of The Lodge at Cloudcroft. .. ... Cited "Cloudcroft New Mexico, A Brief History." Cloudcroft Online. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.cloudcroft.com/history.htm. "Investigation of the La Fonda Hotel" Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. 31 Oct 1998. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.sgha.net/lafonda.html. "Investigation of the Lodge." Southwest Ghost Hunters Association. 07 Aug 2001. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.sgha.net/lodge.html. "New Mexico: Ghost Stories and Haunted Places." Haunted New Mexico. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://hauntednewmexico.tripod.com/id1.html. "The Haunted St. James Hotel, Cimarron, NM." Legends of America. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.legendsofamerica.com/HC-Cimarron5.html. "The Lodge" Lost Destinations. Retrieved 5 Apr 2005 http://www.lostdestinations.com/thelodge.htm. Wood, Ted. Ghosts of the Southwest. New York, Walker & Company:1997.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

In the first act of the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the reader is introduced to the two characters that will play the most significant part in the play's storyline. Even though they are man and wife, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have much dissimilarity. One can tell how their personalities differ as the plot moves forward. Though they are married and undying in their love, it can be plainly seen that they have many differences.In the opening scene of the play, Macbeth and friends, on one of their travels, encounter a trio of witches who chant prophecies. To sum up their decree to Macbeth, the witches inform Macbeth that it is his fate to be king. This promise of fate worries Macbeth because he thinks that the present king and his friend, Duncan, is a very good ruler. Macbeth's opinion of King Duncan supercedes his desire to rule the kingdom. Therefore, Macbeth is somewhat hesitant to accept his fate.As Macbeth arrives at his manor after the encounter with the witches, he tell s Lady Macbeth of prophecy. Though she meets the news with the same startling surprise as her husband did, Lady Macbeth is much more positive of the impending fate. She thinks that the impending fate of her husband is a very positive thing and she will do everything in her power to help the prophecy come to pass.The night of Macbeth's return to his home, King Duncan is scheduled to have dinner at Macbeth's manor. This event starts off the chain of events that fuel the entire play. While Macbeth downplays the prophecy and is worried of what will happen, as well as the fate of King Duncan, his wife Lady Macbeth acts very proactive. Her thought processes are sinister and devious, as she conjures up a plan to eliminate Duncan as king and put her husband into power.In the first act of Macbeth, one can see the huge gap between the personalities of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

The Importance of External Factors in Influencing the Conducting

The Importance of External Factors In Influencing The Conducting Of US Foreign Policy To answer the essay question, external factors are indeed important in influencing the conducting of American foreign policy, as they are for all countries. They are important because they determine the direction American foreign policy takes, and with it, can drastically alter the futures of entire countries (Iraq & Afghanistan post 9/11).This essay will devote itself to exploring and explaining how each external factor is important and influential, and proceed to back it up by providing historic and modern examples detailing its effect on US foreign policy, and the end results. These external factors that will be explored are (sequentially) strategic interests of other nations, geographically-based vulnerabilities of the USA in relation to economic and military interests and finally the successes of grass roots revolution in the Arab Spring in upending both long-standing allies and enemies, and it s effect on traditional US foreign policy stances.The first external factor is the strategic interests of both allies and enemies across the world. Due to the USA’s current position as a hyper-power with a global presence, its influence and interests often collide with those interests or spheres of influence of other nations, ranging from allies such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Poland, to long-time rivals such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China or find itself involved in a conflict between two different nations (such as the Falklands issue or the current Israel-Iran crisis).In such situations where the USA must interact with other involved nation-states, the USA has either attempted to compromise with the other parties involved in an attempt to reach an amicable solution or fully backed a local ally/pursued its own objectives to the detriment of local nation-states.One of the more notable examples of the first is in the long-running nego tiations with North Korea, where six-country negotiations (featuring Russia, America, China, Japan and both Koreas) have been ongoing since 2003, primarily concerning North Korea’s nuclear program but also the normalization of trade, demilitarization and normalization of diplomatic relations.In no less than six different rounds of negotiations (with a seventh one starting in 2012), the United States has sat down for talks with the isolationist North Koreans, attempting to reach an agreement to the satisfaction of all the regional powers involved, an agreement that would see international concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program addressed, as well as pave a way towards future reunification.While talks have continually broken down or bore little fruit, this is more so due to unrealistic North Korean demands and various violations than the USA negotiating under false pretenses or seeking personal advancement. The North Korean talks in particular stand as a specific cas e where the USA has and continues to work alongside regional powers for the benefit of all involved. The second approach taken by the USA is that of fully favoring one side or party in a conflict or situation (usually a long-term ally or one of more relevance) over the other side, sometimes to its own eventual detriment.A prime example of this would be the Israel-Palestine situation in the Middle East today. While the United States has several allies among the Arab nations (Jordan, the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, formerly Egypt†¦), it has always prioritized Israel as its main ally in the region, providing it with billions of dollars yearly in grants, equipping it with some of the most advanced military technology in the world and sharing intelligence since the 1950s.As a result of these incredibly close ties to the Jewish state, the United States is often viewed as responsible or linked to Israel’s actions, while at the same benefiting from its use as a local proxy . So mutually linked however are the two nation-states, that it has directly anchored the USA into the morass of the Israeli-Palestine situation, an action that has often invited Arab rage against the Americans, most infamously concerning Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attack.While pure political/strategic matters are a critical and pervasive external factor in US foreign policy, there is also a backdrop of geography-based concerns that are particularly dangerous to the US’s foreign policy aims. The first element of geographic factor is an economic concern relating the international shipping lanes such as those of the Persian Gulf, while the second element is a military one, involving the supplying of NATO military forces in the land-locked status of Afghanistan.The first element is the more globally threatening one, as shipping lanes such as those of the Panama Canal (Central America), the Horn of Africa (East Africa) and the Hormuz Straits (Persian Gulf) are economic chokepoints, im portant to not only a hyper-power as the USA but the entire world economy. They are important because they are integral waterways in the world economy, shipping massive amounts of Persian Gulf oil daily across the world to countries such as India, China and the USA (nearly 46% of the world’s seaborne petroleum is shipped through both areas together).For the US specifically however, the Persian Gulf is a life-line that cannot be severed, even for a brief period. In 2006 for example, U. S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2. 2 million barrels per day, accounting for 17 percent of the US total net oil imports. As such, oil-client states such as India, China, America, and Britain among others have warships detailed to the regions to protect and ensure safe shipping, as well as dealing with piracy.The USA specifically maintains its 5th Fleet in the area, being responsible for the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Gulfs of Aden & Oman. The second elemen t, the military one is far more US-centric, however. Ever since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, NATO forces in the country have been reliant on supply routes going through Pakistan in order to continue operating. As reported by CJ Radin, the supply route starts at the Pakistani port of Karachi, where ships dock and offload their supplies onto trucks.The trucks then drive through Pakistan and enter Afghanistan through either the Khyber Pass near Peshawar or through the Chaman crossing near Quetta. However, due to multiple incidents (the OBL Abbottabad raid, drone airstrikes killing Pakistani citizens, various cross-border raids, Pakistani covert support to Taliban cells, Taliban ambushes of supply convoys from the Pakistani border, etc†¦), the relationship between Pakistan and the USA has grown strained, first limiting and then stopping the supplies landing from Karachi.As a whole, the Pakistani route was quite crucial to the NATO military effort, being the closest and most developed friendly port/road network into Afghanistan. Without supplies, NAO faced a struggle to continue their operations against resilient Taliban cells, a struggle that was slowly relieved by the slow build up of a northern network over the course of the last four years through Russia, Turkey and various Baltic, Caucasian & Central Asian states.This network has two different routes, one starting at a Baltic port, then by rail through Russia, Kazakhstan, and then to Uzbekistan before reaching NATO, while the other brings supplies by ship or rail to a Georgian port on the Black Sea, then by rail through Georgia and Azerbaijan, by ferry across the Caspian Sea, and by rail again through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, though it is reportedly by far the most limited.Overall, nearly 35% of US supplies in April 2010, 50% in April 2011, and 55%-65% in July-Sept 2011 came from the new northern network, while other NATO forces received roughly 40% the northern network. These instances both ind icate the striking lengths that the USA is affected by such vulnerabilities, as well as how strongly they are tied to American economic and military instances. In discussing American interests in regions such as Central Asia and the Middle East, one cannot ignore the effects of the Arab Spring.While much ink has devoted to this subject since 2011, here in this essay I will only focus on its affect on traditional US foreign policy stances. To put it simply, since the Cold War, the United States has gained a habit of often backing authoritarian or despotic regimes, monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Iran (prior to the Islamic Revolution) or strongman republics such as Yemen and Pakistan.These countries repressed their citizenry, yet as long as they were American allies, they were celebrated, or even praised as loyal and as champions of stability and good, while other authoritarian regimes received lambasting and sanctions and other punishments. While Iraq received democracy and liber ation from Saddam, while Condoleezza Rice spoke of the violence wrecked upon Hamas-ruled Gaza and Hezballoh-influenced Lebanon as the â€Å"birth pangs of a new Middle East†, it was the Arab Spring that brought forth a new Middle East.Over a dozen homegrown instances of civil resistance, of rebellion, of revolution, successful or otherwise, all attempted and/or achieved without US prompting. In Libya, in Egypt, in Tunisia, Yemen, long-standing regimes have fallen. Authentic democracies are starting to develop, democracies with no inherent ties or links to the United States, with no reason to reach out to them directly. If I can quote Noam Chomsky on one thing, it’s that the USA cannot count on these new governments to be as friendly or welcoming as their predecessors.It can’t treat these new governments as their predecessors, it can’t control their opinions on Israel or Iran, it can’t easily buy their loyalties, not as things are still unfolding. I n effect, the United States now has to come up with new policies, new strategies to deal with these countries, to decide on continuing pre-existing deals or renegotiate new ones. In conclusion, there are several very important external factors that influence how American foreign policy is conducted, and they are truly important.Learning to how to recognize and compromise in order to accept the strategic interests of other nations, how to handle the geographic limitations and vulnerabilities that often define or control the options available in a situation, and how to adapt to dealing with lesser, developing nations that while democratic are not favorable to you or your interests. Bibliography CJ Radin, 2011, Focus ‘Analysis: The US-Pakistan relationship and the critical factor of supply’ [online] 4 December. Available: Daily Mail Reporter, 2011, Focus: ‘Pakistan gives US two week ultimatum’ [online] 8 November. Available: http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news /article-2066488/Pakistan-gives-US-2-week-ultimatum-abandon-secret-airbase-closes-border. html Cox, M. and Stoke, D. , 2008, US Foreign Policy, Oxford: Oxford University Press Lansford, T. , 2003, A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy & Afghanistan, Ashgate Holsti, O. , 2006, Making American Foreign Policy, Routledge DeAlkatine, N. , 2012, American Diplomacy: Interpreting the Arab Spring, Journal, Range 1996, Available from UWE Library