Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example Thus, the goal of this paper is to identify and recommend specific measures on how the proposed transition in ownership can be best managed with the interest of both parties in mind. This paper will primarily answer the biggest issues that Walden and Able faces which includes their different strategies and success metrics. How would you reconcile Ables need for building market share (long-term strategic business objective) with Waldens drive for year-to year quarterly increases in sales and pretax profit (short-term, corporate objective)? The current strategy of Able is building market in order to efficiently distribute costs. The business organization believes that in order to be successful in its industry, in needs to capture most of the market. The strategy can be seen as a long-term business objective. On the other hand, Walden pursues a short term corporate objective of increasing its quarterly income and pre-tax profits. At the first look, these two strategies seem to be in direct contrast with each other. For one, the focus of Walden is in the short run while Able is concern in the long term. However, looking more closely, both of these strategies can be simultaneously pursued as they will be bringing in the same results for the two business organizations which is growth. It can be argued that establishing the quarterly goal of revenue and profit increases can be attained through revamping the whole operation of Able and in the long run can help it earn a sizable share in the market. Walden’s acquisition of Able can be largely help the latter to pursue its goal of increasing market share and record sales and profit increases each quarter. It should be noted that aside from circular saws, Able’s products are only able to corner no more than 3% of the market. This is amidst the fact that there is a large and growing

Response & Recovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response & Recovery - Essay Example After doing this, the second step I need to do is to perceive imposing hazards that can affect the safety of the people and the environment. This entails securing the area to prevent accidents and further casualties, which might eventually lead to evacuation of people or residents within and around the area of disaster; as well as the potential hazards that rescue personnel and the affected community may face (Emergency Management Institute – FEMA, n.d.). The following step that I need to do after the first two aforementioned steps have been undertaken is to set up initial priorities and urgent supply necessities which take on the need to process requirements in terms of equipment, personnel, facilities and supplies that will support the activities for response and recovery operations. This phase of the operation is quite critical because everybody involved needs to be on an equal footing that puts strict compliance to having personnel who are trained for such situations with knowledge in the use of common terminology pertaining to incident amenities; the position or title of designated supervisors/heads; the role of each present organization within the recovery operations; and the description of resources. ... It is vital to the whole operation that a chain and unity of command is established before the whole operation actually proceeds. This will enable every individual involved to report to a selected supervisor that I will be assigning, thus eliminating the possibility of being given several contradictory orders that can affect the smooth flow of communication and field work. Having a unity of command allows different agencies (local, state or federal) to work as a cohesive unit and effectively mete out the desired services as expected. There is also an essential need for responders to have and know entrance and exit routes, making the staging area an efficient workplace for everybody (Emergency Management Institute – FEMA, n.d.). Parallel to the abovementioned paragraph is the organization of priorities which I will do. The first priority is always the safety of all the personnel involved in the operation since another loss of life or another casualty may undermine the self-conf idence and self-esteem of the staff. Making the place of the incident safe from further damage is the second priority to do away with accidents and further loss of lives. The third priority is the preservation of property, where relief operation personnel implements procedures to safeguard possessions within the vicinity of the disaster (Emergency Management Institute – FEMA, n.d.). Likewise, I need to be very specific about the goals of the operation that must be finished within a specified timeframe or period. The goals must be realistic and feasible; and must be within the authority that was vested on me as Incident Commander (Emergency Management Institute – FEMA, n.d.). Additionally it is

Information System In Allied Bank

Information System In Allied Bank Allied bank was the first bank to be established in Pakistan. It started out in Lahore by the name Australasia Bank before independence in 1942; was renamed Allied Bank of Pakistan Limited in 1974 and then Allied Bank Limited in 2005. Allied Bank was the first Muslim bank to have been established in Pakistan. Established in December 1942 as the Australasia Bank in Lahore with a paid-up share capital of Rs. 0.12 million under the Chairmanship of Khawaja Bashir Bux, the Bank attracted deposits equivalent to Rs. 0.431 million in its first eighteen months of business. Today, with its existence of over 60 years, the Bank has built itself a foundation with a strong equity, assets and deposit base. At the time, the Banks total assets amounted to Rs. 0.572 million. Today, Allied Banks paid up Capital Reserves amount to Rs. 10.5 billion, deposits exceed Rs. 143 billion and total assets equal Rs. 170 billion. It offers universal banking services, while placing major emphasis on retail banking. The Bank also has the largest network of over 800 online branches in Pakistan and offers various technology-based products and services to its diverse clientele. Vision: To become a dynamic and efficient bank providing integrated solutions and the first choice of bank for all customers. Mission: To provide high tech innovative solutions to meet customer requirements To create sustainable value through growth, efficiency and diversity for all stake holders To provide a challenging work environment, and reward dedicated team members To play a proactive role in contributing towards the society Values: Integrity Excellence in service High performance Innovation and growth Areas of Business: Allied bank is operating in all major cities of Pakistan. It has a network of 700 branches. Information Systems at Allied Bank Limited Information systems used at ABL differ from department to department and complete specifications of systems used in Customer Retail Banking Department will be mentioned in the later part of the report however, the IS used in Allied bank serves the common purpose of faster communication between all stake holders, updating of transactions process on daily basis, provision of better customer service, faster execution of data, easier access and communication to the central branch and other branches countrywide etc. However, Allied Bank used manual systems before 2002. The reasons for making the shift to automated information systems are summarized below: The need for converting from manual to automated systems: Personnel at Allied Bank are of the view that both manual and automated systems are effective ways of message entry and transmission but manual data systems have certain cons as compared to their counterpart the automated data systems. Manual data systems are slow and tedious as compared to automated systems. Moreover, there are more chances of human error occurring in the usage of manual systems as compared to automated systems and this error removing is crucial to the efficient functioning of the Allied Bank. Moreover, manual data systems are less secure and tampering with data is possible via their use and to minimize that risk Allied bank shifted to the use of automated Data systems in 2002. Moreover, Mr. Shahzad Shahid, Product Manager-Liabilities, was of the view that this change will result in cost reduction in the long run. Management Information System used at ABL The MIS used at Allied bank Limited is Oracle Database 10g. Oracle Data base 10g has completely transformed the outlook and operations of ABL. It has transformed the structure such that now ABLs IS does not consist of fragmented machineries working individually to attain goals but they now function as a fused collection of servers, storage devices, and systems to meet the changing processing needs of ABL. This resulted in dramatic cost reduction, overall efficiency and enhancement in the quality of customer service. It has also reduced hardware costs by efficient networking and amalgamating of functions performed by various servers and systems. Cost reduction also took place because Oracle 10g eliminated the need for the purchases and upgrading of management softwares and tools and third party interventions as it was a complete management solution in itself. Oracle 10g also enabled Allied Bank Limited in efficient and wider data base storage, high and faster accessibility of data, faster performance, secure data transferring and cheaper application development. Salient features of Oracle 10g from which ABL is benefiting from are described below in great detail:  [1]   Oracle 10g served as a very attractive investment for Allied Bank Limited as it cut down significant costs of Allied Bank on hardware because Oracle 10g provide the technology of Oracle Real Application Clusters which enabled the creation of communication clusters via use of just 3-4 PCs which become more easier to administer and run and are more efficient as compared to functioning of sole systems. Oracle 10g also enabled Allied Bank to cut down its costs on storage devices which prove to be a big cost for banks to store humongous amounts of daily transactions and data. However, this problem was solved by the use of Oracles automatic storage management which not only enabled the pooling of PCs but also enabled pooling of storage devices to the communication cluster as per required. This choice of addition of storage devices to clusters made the data transformation, collection and storage cheaper, easier and efficient. Oracle 10g has enabled Allied bank to save on its database management costs as its database administration is either completely automatic or much uncomplicated. This has enabled Allied bank to save its costs on the training of new database managers. Oracle 10g has its own cluster administration softwares which monitor, manage the performance of clusters and thus eliminates the needs for extra utility and program softwares. Oracle uses Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control and Management Packs to monitor clusters performance efficiently. Oracle 10g uses GUI tools and utilities for increasing the power and efficiency of the clusters. Oracle 10g also introduces self-administration in the databases through use of programs such as Automatic Storage Management, Automatic Memory Management, Automatic Optimizer Statistics Collection, Automatic Workload Repository, Automatic Database Diagnostics Monitor, Automatic SQL Tuning, Segment Advisor, Automatic Workload Management, Automatic Disk-Based Backup and Recovery to meet the changing processing, data transforming and storing demands. Thus, Allied Bank has benefited greatly from its shift from Manual systems to the automated Oracle 10g system. The benefits reaped are unparalleled in terms of cost reduction, efficiency, data disseminating and decision making. Allied Bank in addition to the use of Oracle 10g uses softwares such as Unibank, however it is planning to change its banking software from Unibank to Temenos t-24 in the mid of 2010. Shift from Unibank to Temenos T-24 When Allied bank shifted to automated Information Systems in 2002, it started using softwares such as UNIBANK .This software held answers to the management of all the chaos created by the use of manual systems.  [2]  Unibank was a branch centric cash management software which held answers to the banking problems of the time thus it was called the core banking solution. Unibank gave faster and safe electronic access to banking transactions and functions. Unibank enabled Allied Bank to: Evaluate the latest record of all account transactions taking place in the branch Exchange information with other departments of the branch such as finance and accounting Monitoring and management of deposits and withdrawals simultaneously Electronic transfer of data from one branch to another Provision of e-statements for the employees making their jobs easier. Secure data control and transfer. Electronic monitoring and management of employee payrolls Need for Temenos T-24 Although Unibank seemed to be the answer to all the banking problems at that time however due to changing technological trends, higher uncertainty in the environment, shift towards centralized functioning and policies, Allied Bank has decided to shift from Unibank to Temenos T-24. The reason being that, Unibank was branch centric software and due to this reason data could be lost or misplaced if server crashed at any particular branch. Moreover, considering the uncertain political situation in Pakistan, there was high possibility of raids and fires and due to this the threat of data loss was eminent thus a shift is being planned and implemented from Unibank to Temenos T-24 as we speak. This shift will be implemented in all the branches countrywide within a period of 6 months. The reason for shifting to Temenos T-24 is that it is centralized software with the central server in Kashmir Road Branch in Lahore. This central server acts as a hub and daily transmissions are not only recorded in branches but in the central hub too, thus making the information more secure. Moreover, designated user ids/passwords, bio-metric systems add to the security of information. All the transactions and operation take place in real time. Policies are designed at the central server in Lahore and are applicable to all the branches country wide thus making the operations uniform and consistent in all the branches.  [3]   Temenos T-24 in addition to providing all the functions that Unibank provided, offers a more secure platform and new and efficient data bases. Moreover, Temenos T-24 is partners with Microsoft and has adopted MS platform to make the functioning of the software more user-friendly and easy. Moreover, one of the reasons for adopting Temenos T24 by ABL is that its cost of owner ship is very cheap as compared to the benefits it provides. Moreover, it uses established programs such as HTTP, XML so that functioning it not an entirely new experience but adds on to the previous knowledge of the employees. Moreover, it has an edge over Unibank as it eliminates the need for end-of-day banking and is a true 24/7 banking system, which heaves away burden from the employees and enables employees and customers to access updated information at all times. Department: Commercial and Retail Banking Overview The Commercial Retail Banking Group (CRBG) offers a variety of asset and liability-based retail products to its customers. The Groups main focus has been on introducing various financing and investment products for its valuable clients, and contributing to the steady growth of the financial industry. CRBG consists of 4 geographic groups and is further divided across 27 regions in Pakistan. Each region is responsible for providing a quality service to its own customer-base. In recent years, the Group has been working to find alternate ways to bank for customers, and has installed more ATMs to its already strong and largest ATM network. The department offers the following product and services to its customers Internet Banking Online Banking Profit Rates ATM Network Unclaimed Deposits Deposit Account SME Agriculture Other Services Corporate Leasing The department has a total of 6000 employees all over Pakistan, the information flow and the data transfer rate thus is very high and poses a great challenge for the Information System of the department to maintain and keep it secure. Functional Hierarchy of the Department Technical specifications Allied Bank after its privatization has been following a pro I.T policy. The switch from the manual system to a more automated Information System requires certain infrastructure (PCs, Softwares etc) and ABL in this regard didnt compromise on quality; they have a contract with Digital World Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. (DWP) to provide state of the art computers with the best softwares to run the M.I.S system. The CRBG dept of ABL has the following I.T infrastructure: Hardware Specifications Personal computers- 14 in total Consisting of 9 desktop PCs and 5 laptops Desktop PCs Specs: Intel Pentium 4 2.5ghz, 512MB RAM, 80 GB hard-disk Laptop PCs Specifications: Intel Dual Core2 2Ghz, 2gb RAM, 160GB Hard-disk HP Printers 3 in total 2 HP LaserJet 1010 Colored Printers, 1 HP Desk-jet Black and white printer HP Digital Scanner IBM P5 Mainframe Server Specifications: Four 1.65GHz 64-bit POWER5 processors L2 cache: 1.9MB (2-way); 3.8MB (4-way) L3 cache: 36MB (2-way); 72MB (4-way) 32GB of 266MHz DDR1 memory Two 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports Optional 2 Gigabit Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 4x InfiniBand ® adapters Two USB, two HMC and two system ports Software Specifications Application Software CRBG department Employees uses the following application softwares; Microsoft Office 2007 2010 McAfee Anti-Virus 2010 Adobe Reader 8 System Software The departments computers were found to be using the following system softwares; Operating System: Windows XP for Desk-top PCs and Windows Vista for the Laptops. Windows NT server for mainframe server. Core Banking Solution The software currently in use is UNIBANK, however T24 has been introduced in one branch in LAHORE. Query Software ABL employees generate queries through these softwares, for example if I want to view a customers demographics I will put in a query in the Discoverer Viewer which will then seek the data from the Central Database Discoverer Viewer It is just for viewing of data, Discoverer PLUS The queries here can even be edited and employees have limited access to this software Network Type Allied bank is using the client/server network because the employees easily share the data and its cheaper than others and maintainable. All the data is saved in Central Database (CBS) and employees can easily access it. This type of computing system provides an easy access and efficient flow of data, which increase the functionality of organization. End-User and training In this era of cut-throat competition and diminishing profit margins Banks are becoming more lean, service oriented and efficient. As mentioned before Banks in order to keep this trend of efficiency going upward are adopting new information systems and updating the existing ones however one barrier to this are the employees, there is already a shortage of computer literate people in Pakistan and for this reason when new softwares or In our case a new CORE BANKNG SOLUTION is introduced it requires rigorous training session to train the employees so that they are able to use the software. The effectiveness of core banking systems is directly related to the skills and knowledge of those operating them; therefore training is an essential investment and not an expense. The training session have been divided into three stages When we talk of the end user its the employees themselves here, they use the information available and make different queries accordingly as mentioned before currently the Core Banking Solution (CBS) namely Unibank is being change to Temenos and this requires that the support and operations staff be trained to use this CBS. For this reason different training sessions have been organized by the Bank and the Temenos technical team itself. Apart from this Temenos, to support the contracted BANKS, also provides the following courses to their employees: Open Training Courses Bespoke Training courses End User Training (EUT) Training consultancy for design and development of EUT courses eLearning and Computer Based Training (CBT) The Train the Trainer approach The benefits of attending these training programs include dedicated premises and training equipment, and the added advantage of minimizing interruptions for the duration of training course. Information Intakes and Flow CRBG has information flow daily from all over Pakistan, the department has the responsibility to effectively manage the liabilities of the Bank. The information accessible by this department through the Information system includes: Daily Monitoring of Deposits The deposits intakes and off takes during the day Maintaining a minimum balance of funds ATM monitoring Monitoring the downtime of each ATM Monitoring which area has a consistent network/server issues Customer Demographics ABLs information system is linked to NADRAs system for verification of Customers IDs CRBG has access to all the information of its customers and employees as it is responsible for managing the liabilities section Account Opening Run Rate The accounts opened each day along with their balances Employee Check in Check out time Through monitoring of this data employee efficiency can also be measured. Query Regarding an Employee Employee Record Information Flow We observe TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM functional in this department apart from the Office Automation Systems, all the activities and transactions done throughout the chain of command in this department is recorded first at the Branch level then after EODs (End of Day) are Run all the data of that days transactions are transferred to the ORACLE CENTRAL DATABASE located in ABL HEAD-QUARTERS LAHORE. Real-time Monitoring is being done of this information flow by the department, once the days information is saved in the ORACLE CENTRAL DATABASE in their respected fields and tables, it can be accessed through the DISCOVERER VIEWER/PLUS Software the next day by creating a query for it. Issues with the Information System To function effectively as an interacting, interrelated, and interdependent feeDatabase Administratorck tool for management and staff, MIS must be useable. The five elements of a useable MIS system are: timeliness, accuracy, consistency, completeness, and relevance. The usefulness of MIS is hindered whenever one or more of these elements are compromised. The IS at Allied Bank, although effective to a great extent, has certain weaknesses as we found out: From a branch centered approach, the bank has moved to a centralized system. Transactions at the branches, previously used to be stored and processed at the branches only. It was only at the day end, that all data and information was relayed to the head office. Now, however, this practice has changed. Branches only facilitate interactions with customers, whereas the information is directly send to the head office and is processed there in real time. The problem with this is the time lag that results subsequently. Data flow from the point of transaction to the head office, back to the point of transaction is a longer and hence a slower process. Also the security procedures inbuilt in the new software, Temenos, make processing slower. In the new IS, cash transactions taking place go from a Temenos account head to a buffer account and then to the customers account. Previously, the cash transactions were directly debited/ credited to the customer account. Buffer accounts created, although increase the overall security; make the processing of data slower. Too much reliance on information systems also means that in the scenario when server crashes down, or gets hanged, banking transactions will be completely disrupted. Security Measures and Backup One of the major concerns of organizations using information technology to carry out their business processes is how to secure the data against internal and external threats. With modern advancements, mitigating information security threats has become an ongoing battle. Viruses, worms, hacker attacks, spam, phishing, and instant messaging attacks are just some of the problems. Data bank faces risk of security breaches not only at the hands of customers and outsiders, but also from the employees working within the organization. Therefore it is highly crucial to build security parameters to detect whatsoever threats there might be and also to ensure data safety. At Allied Bank, data security is the thing that cannot be compromised at all. For this reason, the MIS department has taken stringent measures to ensure data security. The Corporate and Retail Department which deals primarily in confidential data of bank customers has taken numerous steps to avert security threats. Employees have individual Ids and passwords that they use to log-in to the system database. But this does not mean that all the employees have same access to the data and information. There are proper hierarchy levels: which implies that there are gatekeepers at each level, supervising who access what data! Password protection is there to prevent just everybody from viewing confidential data. Moreover, Allied Bank uses SSL certified encryption to secure its data channels. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used in the protection of online transactions with customers. Encryption of data exchanged by customers and the bank ensures that data security, even if breached on its way, will make decrypting and understanding the data difficult. Anti-virus and anti-spam packages like McAfee Anti-Virus are also installed to secure data against viruses, spam, etc. There is also a Disaster Recovery System in place, in case of fire, raids, and other unforeseen and unexpected events. The backups are stored at both hot and cold sites. The head office in Lahore is the hot site. It is the central database of Allied Bank where all the transactions taking place in the eight hundred or so branches are recorded and updated on a real time basis. The cold sites are at the twenty seven regional offices all over Pakistan. These cold sites are updated at appropriate intervals, on a weekly basis sometimes. In accordance with the State Bank of Pakistan regulation, data and information of three years is stored and maintained at these cold sites. Also, USBs are widely used as potable storage devices. Future Plans Allied bank is planning to replace the current Core Business Solution Uni Bank with Temenos. This transformation is in its phase I. The software is being tested in one branch near the Head Office in Lahore. This testing phase will end on June 30th. Training of employees is being conducted and further more sessions are in the pipeline Allied bank plans to introduce Temenos in 107 branches out of the whole network of 800 braches within six months. Implementation in further branches is still unplanned. Allied Bank has opened its branch in Kashmir and plans to extend its network and reach in the remote areas of the country. Recommendations The disaster recovery system at Allied Bank is inappropriate to bear the load of 800 branches. There is one common hot site of all the branches at the Head Office and cold sites at the regional offices, 27 in number. But we feel that these backups are too less, keeping the current security scenario in view where banks have even been raided and burned by mobs. Therefore the backups should be set up at places other than the bank branches. The training period for a batch of 50 people is three weeks on average. We feel that this is insufficient as the new banking system Temenos has far complex procedures as the user interface is not friendly. Proper temperature controls are needed for the server to operate efficiently. We feel that the current infrastructure is insufficient to support the system. References http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/topics/0,295493,sid14_tax299811,00.html http://tldp.org/HOWTO/SSL-Certificates-HOWTO/x64.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_recovery http://info.ssl.com/article.aspx?id=10241 http://www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/mis.pdf http://www.temenos.com http://www.abl.com.pk http://www.oracle.com

Terminator Technology :: Agriculture Agricultural Technological Papers

Terminator Technology Introduction: What is Terminator Technology? Terminator Technology is a reality that threatens the very existence of traditional agriculture. Where in previous times farmers depended on saving seeds from year to year in order to subsist, we are ebbing upon a time where genetically modified organisms, or GMO's as they are commonly referred to, have become a commercial reality and venture in agriculture. This commercial venture was surely the focus of a seed company Delta and Pine Land Company. In March of 1998, the DPL (Delta PineLand) company along with the cooperation of the United States Department of Agriculture acquired a patent for the control of plant gene expression. One such application of this patent is the plan to engineer crops to kill their own seeds in the second generation of its life. After the second generation, it would be impossible for farmers to save and replant their seeds for the next crop. Hence, the adoption of the name "Terminator Technology." Such technology has not only economic and environmental impl ications, but secular ones as well. There were most likely other reasons for developing Terminator Technology. One reason may be the way in which Terminator's effect differs from hybridization. In Terminator technology the second generation of the seed is killed. With hybridization, although with unpredictable combinations any genes present in the hybrid will be present in the second generation and at least the second generation is alive. One argumentation that supports the use of Terminator technology centers on the fact that if you use Terminator in combination with a genetically engineered variety it will help to cease any release of GMO's into the environment. If GMO's escape into the environment then the consequences are hard to predict, but if the repercussions were dangerous then having the entire second-generation seeds die would take away this hazard. Basically, to sum it up succinctly, the implications of such technology are not understood until we look into just how the science of these self-terminating orga nisms works. How Does Terminator Technology Work? To delve into the clockwork of this technology we must start from the beginning. A plant starts its life as a single celled organism; the sperm within pollen fertilizes an egg. This egg (cell) divides to form the tissues and organs of a species. As development proceeds cells grow unique of one another and change. Different cells make up different things (ex cells in the stalk of the plant are much different than those of the piston) and these differences are attributed to the fact the different amounts of proteins in each cell.

Strengths and Weakness

By conducting such a preliminary assessment, teams will be In a better position to instruct the most efficient and satisfying strategy for fulfilling the team's purpose. Answer the following questions with typed responses. Each question below contains multiple subtopics. Each question, Including all subtopics, should be answered In 25-50 words. 1. What are the academic goals of each team member? What are the career goals of each team member? How do the academic goals of other members relate to their career goals? My (Tina) academic goals are to become an accountant.My goals are to get through school with a degree. I am thinking of trying to work for the government, so I can get the schooling paid for. Have good benefits and so on. My current job keeps me very motivated and the money will not be a bad thing. 2. What are the strengths of each member of the team? How have these strengths been demonstrated in the past (at work, at home, or in college)? How have each team members' strengt hs contributed to the overall success of the team in accomplishing team objectives and projects. At home, my goals are to get through school and get my degree.So I am dedicated to accomplishing this task by going to the university of Phoenix. At work, I demonstrate customer service, by being on the front-line. Friendly, and compassionate and we all work towards customer satisfaction. At college, I help to get all the group members together and listen and learn. While they do the same to me. Our goal is to do well, and we all do that through trial and error. We all want to accomplish our projects on time and planned out nicely, and in a timely manner. 3. What are the weaknesses of each member of the team?How have these weaknesses been demonstrated in the past (at work, at home, or in college)? How have the team members worked together to overcome Individual member's weaknesses to help team members and the team become successful? I believe my weakness Is taking charge or being the fac ilitator. I also, have trouble following some of the concepts of the projects assigned. My group helps me out by Glenn me stories of examples that relate to the Ideas of the projects. 4. What are the technology skills of each member of the team regarding operating systems, software, etc?What technology Is available to each team member on systems at home or at work)? How will team members address technology needs to meet the objectives for the team successfully? I am not a guru In the computer Industry, however, I have learned by leaps and bounds lust from doing schoolwork. As, with Word, and Power Point and it has been a do the team goals relate to the individual goals? What quality of academic work are the team members committed to and how will this quality be demonstrated in teamwork when writing papers and preparing for presentations? Strengths and Weakness Crooks is a lively, sharp-witted, black stable-hand, who takes his name from his crooked back. Like most of the characters in the story, he admits that he is extremely lonely. When Lennie visits him in his room, his reaction reveals this fact. At first, he turns Lennie away, hoping to prove a point that if he, as a black man, is not allowed in white men’s houses, then whites are not allowed in his, but his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. Like Curley’s wife, Crooks is a disempowered character who turns his vulnerability into a weapon to attack those who are even weaker.He plays a cruel game with Lennie, suggesting to him that George is gone for good. Only when Lennie threatens him with physical violence does he relent. Crooks exhibits the corrosive effects that loneliness can have on a person; his character evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behavior are made evident. Perhaps what Crooks wants more than anything else is a sense of belonging—to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to enter the bunkhouse or to play cards with the other men.This desire would explain why, even though he has reason to doubt George and Lennie’s talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden. Candy One of the book’s major themes and several of its dominant symbols revolve around Candy. The old handyman, aging and left with only one hand as the result of an accident, worries that the boss will soon declare him useless and demand that he leave the ranch.Of course, life on the ranch—especially Candy’s dog, once an impressive sheep herder but now toothless, foul-smelling, and brittle with age—supports Candy’s fears. Past accomplishments and current emotional ties matter little, as Carson makes clear when he insists that Candy let him put the dog out of its misery. In such a world, Candy’s dog serves as a harsh reminder of the fate that awaits anyone who outlives his usefulness. For a brief time, however, the dream of living out his days with George and Lennie on their dream farm distracts Candy from this harsh reality.He deems the few acres of land they describe worthy of his hard-earned life’s savings, which testifies to his desperate need to believe in a world kinder than the one in which he lives. Like George, Candy clings to the idea of having the freedom to take up or set aside work as he chooses. So strong is his devotion to this idea that, even after he discovers that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he pleads for himself and George to go ahead and buy the farm as planned.

Peckham Library: A Case Study

Peckham Library. Case Study. Introduction. Peckham Library is a library and community edifice situated in Peckham, southeast London. Peckham Library opened to the populace on 8 March 2000, with an official gap by Mr. Chris Smith, secretary of State for civilization, media and athletics. The library was designed by Mr. Will Alsop from Alsop & A ; Stormer Company and it received the 2000 Stirling Award for architectural invention. It besides won the Civic Trust Award ( April 2002 ) for excellence in public architecture, along with the London Eye and Tate Modern and the Copper Cladding Award for it’s vivid Cu outside. The edifice looks like an upside-down capital missive ‘L’ , with the upper portion supported by thin steel pillars set at random angles. The edifice includes meeting suites, children’s countries and the library. There is besides an Afro-Caribbean subdivision which attracts many visitants. Peckham Library is one of the busiest and most visited libraries, with about half a million visitants a twelvemonth and over 245,000 issued points. The library was designed to be dramatic, to do people funny about what lies indoors and to dispute the traditional position of libraries as staid and serious environments. The building of the library cost 5 million lbs, including 1,25 million signifier Single Regeneration Budget plan. This plan besides covered the creative activity of new low-rise lodging //9 a mixture of owner-occupied and societal lodging ) , Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Center, Peckham Square and Peckham Arch. Peckham Library is considered to be one of the best 5 l ibraries, along with libraries in Zurich, Chicago, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Southwark council, ( Peckham country council ) , tries to agitate off the violent image of the country with usher to draw in tourers, that is why constructing like Peckham Library were built.In the 1890ss, Southwark was the ssecond most disadvantaged council country in England, and Peckham was one of its worst countries. Housing was hapless, unemployment high and the GCSE base on balls rate was a 3rd of the national norm. The country used to hit the headlines for it’s less wholesome reputes as a hot spot for offense, or cheapjack public lodging. Roger Young, caput of the reclamation squad stated: â€Å"We don’t pretend that the topographic point is perfect, but what we are stating is that there is a batch traveling on here that people should come and see. What people hear about the country comes from flooring headlines, but we have some first material here. Peckham has a electrifying mixture of civilizations, history and architecture† . The undertaking was finished by 1998 and it formed a new inner-city place in London southeast territory of Peckham. Other well-known undertakings of Alsop and Stormer are the North Greenwich station in London and a ferry terminus in Hamburg. The end of this, ( Peckham Library ) edifice was to excite, pull and pull people’s attending so they would get down interweaving with the Library. The library clears at 9am and closes 8pm and includes 70 grownup reading infinites, free cyberspace entree, word processing installations and handicapped entree lavatories. There are many events during the hebdomad which pull local people to the library, such as 1 ) vocalizing Sessionss for kids every Monday 2 ) babe and yearling Sessionss every Tuesday 3 ) book nine Sessionss every Wednesday 4 ) prep aid bead in for kids every Wednesday 5 ) over 50s nine every first Friday of every month Peckham Library has become a really popular topographic point and has reduced the hooliganism around the country. Mr Alsop said in a inquiry: â€Å"If you build a semi-decent edifice, it will non pull vandalism† . Air. Air is the unseeable gaseous substance environing the Earth, a mixture chiefly of O and N. ( Picture of composing of air ) Air travels from countries of high force per unit area to low force per unit area. ( image of how the air moves in a room ) Peckham Library has 22 Windowss which are most of the times shut. The edifice has no air-conditioning, therefore it is of course ventilated. There is shadowing in many different countries around the edifice ; therefore the Sun visible radiation can non easy go through through.This sort of airing is named inactive chilling The concrete frame of the edifice, which is exposed to the soffit, besides helps with the airing, because cross airing occurs and helps the concrete in footings of the air temperature, which prevents heat from come ining the inside ( heat addition bar ) . The window panels, which are laminated with four different movie beds with different coloring material movie, are really utile themselves, because during winter they help to maintain the cold air off and the warm air to stay inside the edifice. However the Windowss can be easy opened, because a library is a topographic point with many people and it needs a certain sum of air so it won’t acquire smothering. The edifice has a radiation system on the walls and the floor, so the room gets a certain sum of warm air during winter clip. ( Diagram of the conditions in the UK ) Pulling figure 1. ( In the floor ) . Pulling figure 2. ( in the wall ) . Light. The Windowss in the ceiling and the Windowss on the sides of the edifice let a large sum of visible radiation to come indoors, but unreal visible radiation is besides used because there is non adequate visible radiation during winter clip or in the early forenoons and late eventides. During my first visit I’ve noticed that the visible radiations in the library were switched on and some of the bulbs which are set in the high ceiling were consecutive illuming the country. The visible radiation made the infinite more pleasant for the visitants and easier to read. Some visible radiations were more inside the ceiling and surrounded by a mirroring consequence, which helps the visible radiation to distribute across the room. This shows that Mr. Aslop was non trusting on natural lighting, as the edifice has 300 visible radiation bulbs. If the visible radiations in the library of all time needed to be changed, it would take four yearss for the work to be done. The closing angered Southwark council leader Stephanie Elsy stated: â€Å"This is merely non acceptable and we ca n't let it to go on again† she said. â€Å"It ‘s quite unbelievable that it has to be closed to make everyday care work. I ca n't believe this is the lone approach† . ( Light around my edifice ) Pulling figure 3. ( speedy drawing of the visible radiations in the 4th floor of the edifice ) ( Pulling of the Windowss on the left side of the Peckham Library edifice ) ( Free manus drawing of how the visible radiation comes in the flat four of the edifice ) Land. Land is the solid surface of the Earth. Earth is made out of many things. Deep inside Earth, near its centre, lays Earth ‘s nucleus, which is largely made up of Ni and Fe. Above the nucleus is Earth ‘s mantle, which is made out of stone that contains Si, Fe, Mg, aluminum, O and other minerals. The bouldery surface bed of Earth, called the crust, is made out of O, Si, aluminum, Fe, Ca, Na, K and Mg. Earth ‘s surface is chiefly covered with liquid H2O and the ambiance is chiefly nitrogen and O, with smaller sums of C dioxide, H2O vapour and other gases. Land is really of import to the procedure of constructing a edifice. Before the planning of a edifice, designers and contrivers are being asked to mensurate out the site and to turn up the piping and electricity. It is besides known that if person wants to cognize about what type of land has an country, he has to look at the old houses at the peculiar country. In old old ages builders used stuffs that were easy found around the country they were construct the house. Peckham Library on the other manus, is modern and futuristic and at first glimpse, it doesn’t look to be the same as the edifices around it. It is made out of concrete, metal, Cu and glass, while the edifices around are made out of bricks. The designer used these specific stuffs both to do it outstand and suit into the country at the same clip. ( Picture of earth’s stuffs ) All the stuffs that are used to construct a edifice semen from Earth. Peckham library is made out of: 1 ) Copper cladding steel [ used on the bulk of the outside ( South, East, West and roof ) ] . ( Picture of Cu on its first signifier ) ( Copper at Peckham Library ) 2 ) Glass ( both field and fluorescent, used for Windowss and doors ) . ( Picture of glass at Peckham Library ) ( Pulling of the Indian Sandstone Paving outside Peckham Library, at the front side ) 3 ) Metallic element ( used for the shells and the back uping columns on the Plaza ) . ( Picture of the back uping columns ) A important part of the constructions exterior is covered in Cu steel. Traditionally copper steel is being used chiefly for pipes ; nevertheless the Cu supplied by TECU, a German fabrication company, is used in an unconventional mode in Peckham Library. Alsop’s design required a stuff that would be cheerful but challenging hence TECU ®-Patina supplied the green horizontal sheet cladding which has a really typical visual aspect. By utilizing sheet stuff, Alsop was able to hold the stuff cut in to linear signifiers which produce ‘seams’ . These ‘seams’ run down the frontage which draws attending to the slanted steel supports. The steel mesh which protects the glass is slightly unexpected because there is no demand for protection of the glass although criminalism in Peckham country is really high. The steel mesh is a Sambesi450 merchandise which is made from unstained wire overseas telegrams and rods which are an norm of 7mm midst and weigh approx. 11.2 kg/ m? . Steel is besides used in the slanted rods which support the overhang. Even though I believe that these stuffs where chosen to do the construction lively, playful and absorbing, chiefly because Mr Aslop wanted to pull and pull peoples’ attending so they would get down interweaving with the Library, I besides believe that the stuffs used were intended to stand the trial of clip and survive Acts of the Apostless of hooliganism and inauspicious conditions conditions in Peckham country. Water. Water is a colourless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the footing of the fluids of life beings. Information about the H2O and the pipes in Peckham library edifice could non be found, as the people in the library stated that such information is confidential. Alternatively, I found the program of flat four of the edifice and searched for the lavatories. This is where the pipes are more likely to be. The H2O in Peckham Library is black H2O, which means that it is used merely in the sanitation system of the edifice, as the library does non supply other countries that H2O is needed. ( Plan of degree five that illustrates where the lavatories situated in the edifice ) Energy. Energy is the power derived from the use of physical or chemical resources, particularly to supply visible radiation and heat or to work machines. â€Å"Energy can non be created nor destroyed within a system† . Energy can be used for transit, or the industry, or for residential and commercial grounds. There are plentifulness of energy types: 1 ) Oil 2 ) Nuclear 3 ) Solar 4 ) Wind power 5 ) Geothermal 6 ) Hydropower 7 ) Fuelwood 8 ) Coal 9 ) Natural gas ( Picture of fuel ingestion ) Peckham Library has heat demand of 369. ( This information was received from DeMAP ) First the window facade of the edifice is made out of Vanceva Interlayer Colours Windowss. They are made out of different colored beds assembled between beds of clear glass. Therefore when the heat approaches the glass it is redirected back into its environment, which means it provides a good thermic insularity. Second the Cu, which the edifice is made from, is by and large considered to be a good sender of heat, this suggests that the edifice is good stray, nevertheless non all heat is kept in ; some of it is released back to the ambiance. The window frontage is made out of four beds, hence as the heat approaches the glass it is redirected back into its environment, that means it provides a good thermic insularity. Energy within the edifice is used in the signifier of electricity. It is used chiefly for illuming, but for the machines as good ( computing machines, lifts, warmers, run offing machine and automatic doors ) . The energy comes from a generator, which is situated at the back side of the edifice. ( Energy beginnings in a modern edifice ) Recycle. Recycling is a procedure to alter stuffs ( waste ) , into new merchandises to forestall waste of potentially utile stuffs, cut down the ingestion of fresh natural stuffs, cut down energy use, cut down air pollution ( from incineration ) and H2O pollution ( from landfilling ) by cut downing the demand for â€Å" conventional † waste disposal, and lower nursery gas emanations as compared to plastic production. In architecture, recycling chiefly means the reuse of energy, but it can besides intend the reuse stuffs, such as glass bottles can be used to do a wall, or coins can be used for doing floorings. Peckham Library has one recycle bin and one general waste bin on the 4th floor. It doesn’t seem to actuate people to recycle, even though the room has some postings about recycling. There are besides general waste bins and recycle bins at the plaza country. When I visited the library, the flood lamps were on, even during the twenty-four hours. Ironically Southwark Council has published suggestions for low cost ways to be green yet the big cantilever makes the infinite below devoid of sunshine, even on cheery yearss. Harmonizing to a web log reexamining sustainable edifices, the inundation visible radiations cost an estimated ?4,800 a twelvemonth in energy costs. ( Picture of bins on the left side of the library ) Synthesis. Synthesis is the combination of constituents or elements to organize a affiliated whole. The construction of the edifice is a synthesis of two rectangles. Mr Alsop wanted to do something that is attention-getting and really hard to lose. The most obvious structural characteristic of the edifice is the big overhang which is supported by thin, slanted metal columns. From the exterior it appears that the library floor is balanced 12m in the air by the poles and the remainder of the edifice is steadfastly grounded. ( Picture of the combination of the forms of the edifice ) The construction on the interior of the Library is instead interesting. It seems that there are three smaller edifice inside the edifice, in which you can acquire inside and read. ( Picture of programs and lift of the edifice ) The stairway at the dorsum of the edifice is really unusual ; it is made out of concrete, metal and glass. The glass is placed in the center of the stairss so it allows the visible radiation through the whole back portion of the edifice. ( Picture of the synthesis of the stepss ) What I would change/add. If I had a pick to alter something in the edifice I would add a little coffeehouse at one of the three cods or at the roof. I believe that it would be a good thought and that it would pull even more people than it does now. Peoples would hold the opportunity to loosen up and bask a cup of java or tea while they read or relax. Decision. Peckham Library is a public edifice that attracts many people and gives a opportunity to larn about different civilizations and civilizations. This undertaking managed to convey a positive promotion to the country and attract people to come and see it. That has a positive affect non merely at the economic state of affairs of the country, but at the cultural every bit good. Peoples exchange sentiments, learn from each other fitting new people and they broaden their skylines. Beginnings: Voyager Magazine, Archello, KME, The Guardian, Building.co.uk, Website: Southwark Council, Website Physics, User Peckham2 on tumblr, Wikipedia, Website: Recyclart, Website: Coevals of Energy-Efficient Patio Houses With GENE_ARCH, Peckham’s Library file about the library, DeMAP, pictures from Google,

Free Essays on Life Of Fredrick Douglas

Stripped of love By:Andrew Rogers Stripped of love, caring, happiness and joy, toiled and nearly naked to the evils of a strange world. European settlers escaped a repressive governing empire in search of a new start and a new life. Europeans brought the African’s to America in order to escape the further hardships of creating this new home. Wholly unseen as individuals simply rounded up and corralled like animals for the slaughter; slaves suffered unrelentingly. Not knowing who you are and scarcely knowing where you are, to be a slave and to be nothing as long as you shall live is a punishment worse than death. What evils ravaged the minds of Europeans, was it environment, survival, religion, or upbringing that plagued the European mind. How was this institution of slavery created, and what were the roles of slaves in the formation of America. Colonial America, wild and deadly, a land entirely to pristine and vast for any European eyes to gaze upon, nothing but death and disease followed the European conquests throughout the world. The trials of time have brought evidence of European horror, from religious wars and persecutions of ethnic cleansing to mindless killings and mass destruction. The Europeans have touched in one way or another most every part of the world with its evil hand, all in the name of greed, glory and power. The effect of the European empire has left the world in a worse state forever remembering the horrors of first contact. Native Americans suffered first and foremost the destructive ways and deceitful days of the European conquest of the North American continent. Crushing the Native American peoples into submission and almost eradicating the people from the very existence of North America. Was it human nature of the Europeans, was it religion or was it just accepted to have entirely no regard for any life other than your own. Making it entirely to easy to revel in the sick and twisted torments of i... Free Essays on Life Of Fredrick Douglas Free Essays on Life Of Fredrick Douglas Stripped of love By:Andrew Rogers Stripped of love, caring, happiness and joy, toiled and nearly naked to the evils of a strange world. European settlers escaped a repressive governing empire in search of a new start and a new life. Europeans brought the African’s to America in order to escape the further hardships of creating this new home. Wholly unseen as individuals simply rounded up and corralled like animals for the slaughter; slaves suffered unrelentingly. Not knowing who you are and scarcely knowing where you are, to be a slave and to be nothing as long as you shall live is a punishment worse than death. What evils ravaged the minds of Europeans, was it environment, survival, religion, or upbringing that plagued the European mind. How was this institution of slavery created, and what were the roles of slaves in the formation of America. Colonial America, wild and deadly, a land entirely to pristine and vast for any European eyes to gaze upon, nothing but death and disease followed the European conquests throughout the world. The trials of time have brought evidence of European horror, from religious wars and persecutions of ethnic cleansing to mindless killings and mass destruction. The Europeans have touched in one way or another most every part of the world with its evil hand, all in the name of greed, glory and power. The effect of the European empire has left the world in a worse state forever remembering the horrors of first contact. Native Americans suffered first and foremost the destructive ways and deceitful days of the European conquest of the North American continent. Crushing the Native American peoples into submission and almost eradicating the people from the very existence of North America. Was it human nature of the Europeans, was it religion or was it just accepted to have entirely no regard for any life other than your own. Making it entirely to easy to revel in the sick and twisted torments of i...

Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Sample

Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Sample Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Example Solar Energy Systems Analysis Essay Example Currently, the question of the energy future of the world is one of the most considered and urgent problems of the humanity. It would seem that the solution to this problem is obvious: more power plants should produce more power. However, usage and maintenance of existing and built-to-be power plants need more fuel, which is derived from the natural resources of oil, gas, and coal that are not infinite. Nowadays, scientists and engineers around the world are searching for new sources of energy that could not only maintain and replace exhaustible natural resources, but also improve the ecological picture of the planet. Energy has numerous branches, depending on the main source type: nuclear, coal, gas, hydropower, and alternative, which is based on the use of renewable energy sources. Alternative energy includes wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal wave and solar energy. Comparing all these energy industries on the basis of environmental and economic criteria and indicators of safety, it is possible to conclude that solar power is the most promising. Current paper examines the problem of modern humanity that is the crisis of energy resources. In this regard, using new sources like alternative energy becomes necessary. Main attention is given to the areas of solar energy’s application as a clean and renewable source of energy. Besides, the paper describes existing inventions, their design and function. Solar Power Systems and Devices The most appropriate type of energy for the majority of autonomous objects is the energy of the sun. At the moment, solar energy is almost the only one, the reserves of which are completely inexhaustible. The amount of energy received by the Earth from the sun in one hour is equal to the total energy consumed by people in a year and at the same time this type of energy has almost no economic constraints (Tsao, Lewis. and Crabtree). It is quite natural that the development of solar energy and the attempts of its practical use, especially in the US and Western Europe, are extremely intense in the whole range of possible applications, ranging from micro electric for a few tens of watts for a variety of independent members to solar power plants for the industrial use, including applications such as spacecraft and solar powered cars. The amount of solar energy reaching the Earth is greater than the energy of the worlds reserves of coal, gas, oil, and other energy resources. Usage of only 0.0125% of solar power could provide all the needs of today’s global energy (Kravchenko). Advantages of the technologies using solar energy are seen by the fact that solar installations do not provide heat added into the surface layers of the atmosphere where the greenhouse effect is not generated and there is no air pollution. However, there is a lack of solar energy. In particular, it is dependent on the state of the atmosphere, time of a day, and season. Use of solar energy mainly goes in two ways: in the form of thermal energy through the use of various thermal systems or by photochemical reactions. The most widely used technology in the world to use solar energy is hot water supply and heating. For this purpose, low-temperature energy is sufficient. Plants and solar heating systems are divided into passive and active (Fricke). In passive systems, absorption and storage of solar energy are provided directly by the elements of building constructions with little use of additional devices or without them. Throughout the history, the humanity has learnt how to use the sun’s heat during the construction of houses. In many countries, buildings are characterized by thick walls, accumulation of energy, and orientation of windows on the sunny side. Even at the current time, there are new methods developed, which improve such system. The wall facing the south is black, before a wall there is a glazed surface, and there is air between them, which is heated and then circulated in the building by convection. A water wall can be used instead of the stone one formed by water-filled containers from fiberglass. Active systems are based on the use of solar thermal collectors that convert solar energy into heat. Usually, a solar collector consists of energy absorbing plate glass and tubes disposed between the plate and the glass. Heated liquid circulates through pipes by a pump. Solar collectors can be used in a variety of low-temperature processes. For example, those can be used in the food industry for pasteurization of products, cleaning of cans, bottles, laundry in laundries, drying of agricultural produce, and so on. Reflecting solar collectors that concentrate the heat and light of the sun by chasing the sun’s movements are used for getting higher temperature or for implementing any mechanical work. Such collectors have either mirrors or lenses. Mirrors can be parabolic, spherical, or paraboloid. The concentrated sunlight falls on the central heat sink and heats the liquid, which is then pumped. This system includes the storage tank for the heated fluid. The main problem of the widespread usage of solar thermal systems is related to their economic efficiency and competitiveness as compared to traditional systems. The cost of energy generated by solar installations is higher than the cost of the energy obtained when using traditional fuels. However, the use of solar is more cost-effective for areas remote from centralized power supply (Corkish, Green, Watt and Wenham). A more efficient way of using solar energy is its direct conversion into electrical energy using solar cells. Photovoltaic cells are light-sensitive plates made of semiconductor material: selenium, silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon, diselenide, etc. (Corkish, Green, Watt and Wenham). Photovoltaic is produced when light particles (photons) create an electric current that is absorbed by the semiconductor. Solar panels can be of different capacities, from portable units in a few watts to power wattage, covering millions of square meters. In order not to depend on seasonal and diurnal solar cycle and atmospheric conditions, there are technical energy storage methods such as electrochemical storage batteries and mechanical accumulation (using rotating flywheels) in the form of hydrogen. It is also possible to mix cells with other energy sources such as the most likely combination with wind turbines, as well as systems with fossil fuels. Photovoltaic systems (solar panels) require minimal maintenance and they do not use water. Thus, they are well-suited for remote and desert regions. This method of converting solar energy is durable and environmentally friendly. It can also be used to improve environmental conditions at the place of use and in the future to regulate environmental conditions in large areas. Basic needs in solar cells include: lighting, functioning of electronics (radio, TV, refrigerator), and pumps for lifting water in remote rural areas. It also helps to provide energy supply to environmentally friendly public recreation areas and treatment, as well as for radio and telecommunication systems, lighthouses, buoys. Installations of solar energy are not only environmentally friendly, but also have a positive impact on other areas of life. For example, the use of solar panels in hot desert regions such as a sun umbrella provide favorable conditions for growing underneath melons and citrus fruit, for which intense sunlight is not advisable. Another example is the use of solar panels or solar collectors as building elements for facades (Chiras). Production of Solar Equipment In many countries, there is a constant increase in the production of solar collectors. Their current global installed capacity is estimated at 15 GW (Sterner). The total area of solar collectors in the world, according to incomplete data, exceeds 21 million of square meters, while annual production of solar collectors exceeds 1.7 million of square meters. At this point, leading countries are (in millions of square meters): Japan 7, USA 4, Israel 2.8, and Greece 2. Photoelectric conversion of solar energy is one of the fastest growing trends in the domain of renewable energy. Currently, the total installed capacity of solar photovoltaic systems is over 938 MW. The annual growth rate has been 30% during the last 5 years. At this point, leading countries are: Japan 80 MW, the United States 60 MW, and Germany 50 MW (Kalogirou). The extent of the use of photovoltaic solar cells are limited to the higher cost of electricity generated as compared to the energy produced by the use of traditional energy sources. The unit cost of power flat solar modules on the world market is 4 5 $/W and the cost of photovoltaic installations is 7 10 $/Wt (Wolfe). The cost of electricity generated by the modules ranges from 0.2 to 0.3 / $/kWh, which is significantly higher than the cost of electricity from conventional sources. However, worldwide there are large areas with centralized energy supply experiencing an acute shortage of energy, thus resulting in significant losses, including material and financial ones. There are regions remote from centralized power like individual settlements, villages, and operating points. The use of renewable energy sources, including solar energy, would solve social and economic problems of these regions and remote locations. Therefore, the question of economic opportunity and efficiency must be addressed taking into account socio-economic conditions, including energy deficiency, the cost of fuel, as well as geographical and climatic conditions. Main Inventions Scientists estimate that a small percentage of solar energy is sufficient to provide transport and industrial and domestic needs both now and in the future. The energy balance of the Earth and the state of the biosphere are not to be affected irrespective of whether or not the energy is used. However, one cannot overlook one major drawback. Solar radiation falling on the Earth’s surface does not have a fixed place of concentration. Thus, it is necessary to catch and turn this energy into a form that could be possibly used for human needs. In addition, there is a need in some way to stock solar energy to maintain the power supply at night and on cloudy days. At present, this problem is easily solved. The main thing is a correct usage of this resource to reduce its cost to a minimum. Moreover, taking into account day-by-day improvement of technology that becomes more expensive and, most importantly, traditional exhaustible resources, solar energy will find more fields of applica tion. Thus, below are the main of them. The task of solar collectors is accumulation of solar energy as efficiently as possible. Several well-known principles have been used in the design of the solar collector. For example, the heater is based on the property of solar rays, which freely pass through the transparent medium into the closed space and, being converted into thermal energy, are no longer able to come back through the transparent roof installation. The hydraulic system works by the principle of thermosiphon effect. That is known by the property of the liquid being heated to climb up, displacing the colder water and forcing the latter to move to a place of heat. It should also be noted that the development of solar energy has considered the effect of the accumulation and preservation of heat. Accumulated solar energy converts into heat energy that persists for a long time. There are different types of solar collectors differentiated by the external form of surfaces or by principles of absorbing surfaces and accum ulating methods. A flat solar collector is the most common type of solar collectors used for domestic water heating and heating systems. This solar collector has a glazing panel encasing the absorber plate. Absorber plate is made of metal with a good heat capacity (Kalogirou). The most frequently used metal is copper as it conducts heat better and is less susceptible to corrosion than aluminum. The plate is treated with a special highly selective absorber coating, which keeps better absorption of sunlight. This coating consists of a very strong thin amorphous semiconductor layer deposited on the metal base and has a high absorptivity in the visible region of the spectrum and low emissivity in the long wavelength infrared region. Heat loss reduces due to the glazing since frosted glazing glass with a low iron content that transmits only light is typically used in flat solar collectors. The bottom and side walls of the solar collector are coated with a heat insulating material, which further reduces he at loss. In the vacuum solar collector with direct heat transfer water, vacuum tubes are arranged at a certain angle and connected to the storage tank (Kalogirou). From it, water from a loop heat exchanger flows directly to tubes, heats up, and comes back. Advantages of this system concern a direct transfer of heat to water without other elements. Thermosiphon systems work on the principle of natural convection phenomena when warm water aspires upwards. In thermosiphon systems, the tank should be located above the collector. When water in tubes of the solar collector heats up, it becomes lighter and naturally rises to the top of the tank. Cooler water in the tank flows down into the tube; thus, it is circulated throughout the system. In smaller systems, the tank is integrated with solar collectors and is not designed for rail pressure. Therefore, thermosiphon systems need to use either water supply from upstream capacity or through reduction of pressure reducers. This type of solar collector has a minimum flow resistance. The system is required to be non-pressurized (open expansion tank) for tubes to avoid pressure. The drawback of such system is a slightly larger volume of water loop heat exchanger. There could also be a case of leaking water if the tube of solar collector is broken. However, the main advantage is low cost with all the benefits of a solar collector with vacuum tubes. The first prototype of a solar vehicle appeared in 1955 in Chicago thanks to William Cobb (Freestone). The model had a design with a length slightly larger than a foot and consisted of thirteen selenium solar cells on the roof and a small electric motor. It was the first attempt at creating silent and environmentally friendly transport. In the late 80-ies of the 20th century, the idea spread around the world. The idea is certainly unique, but also quite expensive. To make a solar power car able to compete with the motor car, one must use the most lightweight and durable construction materials, as well as a high-performance drive system, the latest achievements in the field of electronics, electrical engineering, and aerodynamics. Mobile station photoelectric is an autonomous energy source that can be used both in an open remote place and for the stationary use. However, of course, the main purpose of the station is the battery charging. The principle of operation of mobile photovoltaic plant is direct conversion of sunlight into electricity through solar cells. The station consists of modular solar panels, collapsible structures, and inter-module cable. Solar cells used in the modules are protected with light-resistant film on the front side and on the back side they have a rigid substrate. All this helps to protect them from mechanical damage and environmental influences. Solar modules are suitable for storage and transport as they are created in a convenient folding design. Concerning power characteristics of such installation, the cable can switch in parallel all the modules for charging a nominal voltage of 12 V, while series-parallel to the voltage of 24 V. In order to achieve voltage of 48 V, one must c onnect all modules with their own current leading in a daisy chain (Kalogirou). Portable solar power system is intended primarily for energy supply to DC house and special equipment with power up to 60 W and is based on solar photovoltaic modules. The structure of the portable system includes: a solar battery, a sealed rechargeable battery with charge controller-level, a warning device, a network adapter, and a lamp with a fluorescent lamp. Features of the system are the following: Accumulation of energy from different sources, including thermoelectric solar batteries and charger power; Ease of use and assembly of the technology implemented through the use of electrical connectors; Light weight and undeniable compactness that are important for the mobility of the system. Solar kitchen is household solar plants intended for cooking. The main element is a solar concentrator that focuses the sun’s rays on the surface of the radiation detector dishes in which food is prepared. Often, solar concentrators used for solar dishes have a low accuracy of the focusing solar radiation; however, it is enough for everyday usage’s convenience. Rotation after the apparent motion of the sun is carried out by hand and efficiency of the plant reaches 55-60% (Hesselbach and Herrmann). Benefits of solar kitchen are its compactness for the use in open space conditions, indispensability of the absence of gas, and, of course, budget of the installation. Lamps with solar batteries: today, there cannot be a huge surprise in case someone uses photovoltaic systems for night illumination of streets, highways, and other areas. These systems are autonomous power supply, which are based on solar module that allows making the lighting less expensive. The principle of operation of such systems is reliable and simple. During the daylight hours, the photovoltaic cell recharges batteries, turning solar energy into electricity. At night, the light automatically comes on and stays on until dawn. Intensity of solar radiation does not affect charging abilities of the battery; it can be recharged even in cloudy weather, not to mention the winter season. The structure of the photovoltaic system includes: PV module that converts sunlight into electricity; Battery that accumulates energy. Sealed and maintenance-free batteries are commonly used, the service life of which does not exceed 10 years; Controller, which optimizes the level of charge/discharge of the battery and automatically switches on the light at night and turns off the light in the daytime; An inverter, which converts direct current into alternating; Lighting unit, including the ceiling and the lamp. Of course, all electronic devices equipped with a photovoltaic system are protected against short circuit, overload, and overheating, while providing reliability and efficiency of the system. In conclusion, the main thing is that solar energy is one of the most renewable and readily available sources of energy. The fact that sunlight and heat are available for free in large quantities and do not belong to anyone makes them one of the most important alternative energy sources. Currently, the potential of solar energy is extremely high in addition to a large number of positive aspects in favor of the use of this resource in comparison with conventional energy. However, as mentioned in the beginning, there is one major drawback. Despite the fact that the amount of solar energy is enough to supply all the energy needs of the world, unfortunately these huge potentials will hardly be ever implemented on a large scale. This is impossible because of the low intensity of the solar lighting. Moreover, the use of a large number of collectors involves considerable material costs. Perhaps, the situation will change for the better in case cheaper materials for collectors are created an d applied.

Do You Need a Book Editor Why Authors Have to Hire Editors

Do You Need a Book Editor Why Authors Have to Hire Editors Do You Need a Book Editor? Why Authors Have to Hire Editors Do you really need to hire a book editor- especially when you self-publish?Let’s face itGone are the days when an aspiring writer only dreamed of publishing. Technology has made self-publishing about as commonplace as learning to drive.Heres what youll learn about hiring a book editor:Why do you need a book editor?What does a book editor do?What the self-editing process isWhen to hire an editing teamWhat is a good book editorHow much does a book editor cost?Accepting that you need an editorNOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereWhy do you need a book editor?Tried and true strategies for creating, producing, and organizing content are readily available to any aspiring author along with a wide range of self-publishing courses from self-publishing companies and free resources that decode the once mysterious process of writing and publishing a book.An yone willing to put in the time, energy, cost, and effort can crank out and self-publish a book. It’s really that simple. Well, that’s the good news.Far less straightforward, however, is the multifaceted, often undervalued topic of book editing- the essential step that makes your manuscript actually worth reading.Working with an editor is, in fact, so important that some authors, particularly fiction writers, begin their writing process with an editor’s support. Most authors seek the help of an editor at the end stages of their process, and, depending on how much work was put into the first draft, hiring an entire editorial team may be necessary. If this sounds costly and time-consuming, it definitely can be, but these are included in the cost of publishing a book. Fortunately, the work and cost of editing your manuscript can be mitigated by educating yourself about the process, incorporating editing costs into your overall budget, and learning how to self-edit your manuscript, so you can be prepared for the last step in turning your manuscript into a finished book. And you thought writing the manuscript was the hard part!The Self-Editing ProcessAfter the grueling first draft is complete, many first-time authors find themselves dismayed by the unforeseen cost of editing. Not to mention overwhelmed by the extensive rewriting they are suddenly burdened with just when they thought the heavy lifting was over. Most novice writers are unaware that revision is 80 percent of the work involved in book writing. So if you get to that glorious moment when you finish your rough draft only to feel beaten down when you realize just how much revising you have to do, you’re not alone.For those unaware of what it will ultimately take to polish your manuscript for publication, the back-end job you are presented with at the last stages of writing a book can be both costly and extensive if you didn’t devote ample time to editing early drafts.But there is hope!Considering the following can help you prepare your draft for editorial review and save you money.When to Hire Your Editing TeamYes, I said â€Å"team.† When I worked in traditional publishing, every manuscript went through no less than four separate editors. Sometimes close to a dozen rounds of editing.And you know what? There were still usually a few typos that slipped through!Let that sink in for a second.Just as producing a manuscript involves a varied skill set- writing, formatting, cover design, etc.- so does editing it. Depending on your genre, writing skills, experience, and how much time you put into revising your draft and incorporating the feedback of trustworthy readers, you can determine which kind of editor you need to get you to the next phase without spending extra time and money. Estimating editing costs (along with the approximate time it will take to complete each stage of the editing process) in your budget and timeline will also save you ti me and energy finding top-notch editors you can afford. What makes a good book editor can I afford one?Well, yes. But only if you are willing to put the time and effort into your manuscript.Before you start reaching out to prospective editors, it is important to assess the work you’ve done from an objective standpoint so you can shop according to your budget and particular needs.Consider the following before hiring a book editor:Your overall budget for editingHow many beta readers have provided feedback (people who read your rough draft)Your experience levelYour timelineHow much time has been spent reworking the textIf you’ve never worked with an editor before, it’s important to know who does what and when to employ their services.There are a few different types of edits to be aware of before hiring an editor.Developmental editors address the big picture, looking closely at the content to analyze structure, plot, and characters in works of fiction and the rheto rical concerns, organization, and overall flow of ideas in non-fiction. Content editors analyze the existing content in the book itself. Specifically paragraph flow, tense, voice, and readability. Just remember that all editing is subjective. What one editor likes, another may not. So it is super important to find someone who specializes in your book genre for this stage.Copy editors focus on the nitty-gritty of grammar, syntax, punctuation, and clarity and may also revise and rework particular sentences or paragraphs. Proofreaders are the last readers/editors in line who myopically comb through the manuscript for any remaining errors. Just remember, if you didn’t have your draft copyedited first, the proofreader is unlikely to catch everything.Keep in mind no one is perfect. Typos happen. It’s just life.Depending on your genre, skillset, and budget, you may want to consult with developmental editors after you’ve written several chapters or even as you outline y our book and brainstorm.This will help you steer clear of major revision (hopefully) and set you on course for a smooth book writing process. In general, it’s a good idea to start assembling your team as you near the end stages and prepare yourself and your manuscript for editorial review.Heres an example of what you can (and should) find regarding the different types of book edits when you research your own editor.How Much Does a Book Editor Cost?Most editors do not charge by the hour. Book editing costs are assessed based on word count or by the page, and editing rates differ depending on the type you need. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $.05-.18 per word for copyediting, $.03-.07 for developmental editing, and $.01-.02 for proofreading.These costs vary greatly depending on the editor’s experience, reputation, demand, and the amount of work they will need to put into your draft. It is not uncommon to spend several thousand dollars editing a full-lengt h book. But fear not! There are various approaches you can take to keep costs low if money is an issue.Heres how you can save money when hiring an editor:Assemble a team of beta readers who can provide feedback for revisions during the writing process. Share several chapters at a time, incorporate any feedback into your revisions, and choose people who are willing to give you honest notes. This can be particularly helpful for content-related issues.Consider hiring a college student or reader with a background in English who has a passion for editing and won’t be concerned about hurting your feelings.Check out freelance websites like UpWorkor even a great site called Scribendi. (Warning: if you source an editor from these sites, make sure you hire another, professional set of eyes to go over it afterward. There is no way to know what you are getting otherwise. Just because the draft comes back better than it was before, does not mean it was well-edited!)Take the time to educat e yourself about grammar, punctuation, outlining, and other technical issues, especially for nonfiction works. Rely on websites such as The Owl at Purdue for style guidelines and support with grammar, punctuation, and research concerns.Fiction writers may want to join a writers group or workshop to benefit from the help of others who have experience with your genre and can help you develop your craft, challenge flaws in your narrative or character development, and help you improve the overall quality of your story. A flawed plot or character is much harder to revise after you finish writing your book, so it’s important to catch such problematic aspects of your book early on.Don’t overestimate your skills and brilliance as an author! At least not when you’re working your early drafts. Even the best writers agonize over and discard much of what they initially produce, as there is simply no way around combining inspiration with structure.Read books on writing, seek information about the kind of writing you’re doing, and find ways to approach your work with a fresh perspective.Give yourself ample time and space away from your project so you can see it as clearly and objectively as possible.Accept that you will never be totally objective about your writing, and that you will need, no matter how great your book is, the help of others to turn your manuscript into a masterpiece.Your Book is Still Your BookWhen all is said and done, just keep in mind this is your book and no one else’s. The beauty of self-publishing is that you have the final say in your own work.There is no big, bad publisher denouncing your creative freedom.If you don’t agree with some of the suggested edits, delete them! Your editors don’t know your book-baby as well as you do. So, while expert feedback is essential to creating a polished, professional-quality book, have some faith in yourself and your writing.You chose to write for a reason. So keep that in mind as your editor chops up the book you worked oh-so-hard on.When you find the right editors (and it may take a few tries), whom you work well with, hold onto them! If you do, it will be mutually beneficial as you create and build together.Happy editing!Are you ready to publish your book for success?Hiring a book editor is just one of the many steps necessary in the publishing process.In order to avoid making mistakes when publishing, watch our free training that goes into depth on how to succeed as a self-published author.

Ethics Awareness Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Awareness Paper - Essay Example According to the Ethics Awareness Test I had taken, my ethical perspective is based on what is good to be, the virtues and characters of an individual as opposed to what is good to do, i.e. the actions of individuals when faced in circumstances where they are forced to make a choice. In this paper, I will apply the results of this Inventory Test to my personal and professional development and thus explain how my experience in Education has contributed to the development on how I think ethically. I will also address the use of ethics in decision making and discuss potential conflicts that will arise in situations where people have different ethical perspectives compared to mine. According to the test, my ethical perspective is based on the obligation of an individual on what is morally good to be. In my professional and personal life, the results of this test indicated that I will most definitely look at the person’s actions and character to determine the intention of the said individual. For instance, as a law enforcement officer, while investigating a crime, I will first look at the character of the suspect and later on come up with a conclusion of the intentions of his actions. The test supports the idea that I look beyond actions to determine an individual’s character; uprightness and integrity are the key elements of my analysis. For instance as an interrogation officer within the police department, I may face difficult circumstances that will warrant me to make a choice. For example, while conducting interrogation on a bank robbery suspect, the robber confesses to me where he hid his loot but offers to pay me a substantial amount of money if I sit on his confession and let him go. My actions at such a scenario will depend on my character. My character will determine if I follow the Codes and Ethics of Law enforcement officers and use this confession to facilitate his prosecution (Corey and Callanan, 1998). I will be unable to act morally and in accordance with the codes and conduct of Law Enforcement agencies if I do not possess the character of honesty and Integrity. My ethical thinking and view are greatly shaped with my education experience. My experience in Studies on Criminal Justice Administration has changed my ethical view point from focusing on my selfish interests without looking at what my actions could lead to in the enforcement of the law. Before attending my studies on Criminal Justice Procedures, I thought of my own interests and did not have a clear picture on what results my actions have in the criminal justice system and the society at large (Campbell and Pfister, 2002). However, I have learnt that these elements - honesty, integrity and the urge to do right; significantly affect one’s ethical views besides building their characters. My ability to make decisions is based on my perspectives of ethics. For instance, some things might appear to be good but in reality they are not. Based on this, I am an individual who will examine facts about a particular situation or event, analyzing the characters of individuals involved in relation to their actions at the same time looking at what the impact of my decision will be to the criminal justice system and society. Based on the test, I have realized that people have their own ethical perspectives, beliefs and behaviors that they strictly adhere to. As an individual, I respect their views and behaviors with a condition that they do

Phase 2 Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Phase 2 Discussion Board - Assignment Example Therefore, the demand is inelastic, meaning that a change in price would not significantly affect the quantity demanded. When elasticity of demand is referred to as unitary, this means it equals one and as such, any change in price will have an equal impact on quantity demanded. Price elasticity of demand (PED) refers to change in quantity demanded due to percentage change in price. The value of price elasticity is similar at all points along the demand horizontal curve. The same case applies to price inelastic demand (PID) which is represented by a vertical line. According to Gupta (2008), PED is defined as a measure of responsiveness of quantity demanded to changes in price. Demand is said to be elastic when PED is greater than one. Further, this indicates that consumers are very sensitive to changes in price. One percentage change in price will lead to a drop in quantity demanded by more than one percentage. Similarly, when PED is less than one, it is interpreted that consumers are insensitive to price changes and any increase in price will cause a decline in quantity demanded by less than one percentage. Ideally, the effect of price increase has a significant effect on Autoedge total revenue. As such, PED becomes paramount for the company as it seeks to maximize revenues. In this regard, if Autoedge finds its PED to be relatively inelastic, it may decide to raise prices since the auto parts would be sold at high prices without adversely affecting sales. Similarly, if Autoedge finds its PED to be inelastic, it may choose to lower prices in order to enable the business increase the number of units sold and hence revenue without necessarily losing customers. It is worth noting that when demand is perfectly elastic as represented by a horizontal curve, any increase in price leads to zero units demanded. On the other hand, if the demand is found to be perfectly

Module 2 Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module 2 Case - Assignment Example By contacting its consumers companies and customers across the globe, the company is in a position to create strong brands that are competitive. For example, Philips undertook a survey that involved interviewing 26,000 respondents across the world. In order to ensure that the company brands are effective and meet the customer needs, Philips undertakes qualitative research by the use of small focus groups that included professionals such as hospital surgeons who are regular users of scanning equipments (Eeva, 2014). The research that was undertaken in various countries such as Brazil, UK, Germany, US, AND China among others indicated that Philips makes the lives of its consumers better and that they believe they can rely on Philips brand. Philips relies on developing new brand as well as improving the existing ones. This is one of the aspects that make professionals to have strong positive brand-customer relationship. Phillips branding indicate emotions such as innovation, power to th e customers by means of technology, hope, liberty regained and aspirations. Apple, a US based electronics company believes in the production of state of art and style brands. Being one of the top brands in the world, the company adopts product diversification as way of meeting the diversified needs of its customers (Linzmayer, 1999). Some of the brands produced by Apple include computer parts, mp3, laptops and computers among others. The company state of art brands are made through the use of a digital hub as a strategy. Through innovation and research, Apple has produced quality brands that meet ready demand globally. The use of customer experience as well as unique user interface the company has become some of the core capabilities that have created strong positive customer-brand relationship in the company. Basically, Apple branding involves focusing on their products as well as the

Processing the Crime Scene and Establishing Identity Case Study

Processing the Crime Scene and Establishing Identity - Case Study Example Murder is suspected as there is no reason for the girl to have committed suicide. It is an open and shut case, as the mother has named the suspect. After completing the formalities of investigation, it will become clear to establish motives and nail the suspect who is a school drop out and has been stalking the girl. She agreed for a date the previous night but failed to return until the suspect brought her home in an unconscious condition. According to the mother, she was a bright girl and did not need to be woken up. She had agreed to date the boy on the condition that he never asked her out again. Probably she felt he would see reason if she talked to him and encouraged him to resume schooling. She wanted the best for him. She was the type who met challenges head on. The police had come and sealed off the bedroom. The photographer was taking photographs from various angles. There were others with the police to take fingerprints, analyze DNA samples, footwear experts, and another person who looked after computer forensics. The fingerprint and DNA samples were taken. The computer forensics was only present to see first hand the body position of the deceased. The forensics report would have to wait as it came under analysis that took place at the general hospital.

Project finance deals usually require some form of Governmental Essay

Project finance deals usually require some form of Governmental support. What Governmental or Legislature actions create better - Essay Example It can be well depicted from the definition provided by Benjamin C. Esty, which states that â€Å"Project finance involves the creation of a legally independent project company financed with equity from one or more sponsoring firms and non-recourse debt for the purpose of investing in a capital asset†3. Project financing include various features which in turn develops the entire process to be complex and multifaceted. Few of the major characteristics involved in project financing relates to the nature of the contract among the project company and the parties who are financially responsible for the completion of the project. Project financing also involves the legal agreement between the financially accountable parties and the project company, focussed on the availability of cash to assist the operational expenditures and fulfil the requirements of debt services in any circumstances. Another major attribute of project financing is that the process includes a legal consent from the involved parties which intends to secure the process of the project financially in case of any defaults arising even after the completion of the project. Thus, the process involves various risks in form of credit and commercial threats4. The basic features identifiable from the above provided description and definitions of project financing imply that it is a legal process and requires strong and effective regulatory interventions in its course to reduce the risks involved. This signifies the role of government to be quite significant in structuring the legislative actions concerned with minimisation of risks involved in project financing. However, in project financing, not only the regulatory frameworks, but other macro-economic factors also play crucial roles which can be controlled by governmental support. Based on this thought, the paper will intend to recognise and critically evaluate the governmental measures that can effectively support project financing in the modern day context. The Complex Structure of Project Finance With a general point of view, it can be stated that project finance intends to create an entity which is based on a special-purpose and aimed at the achievement of a particular goal, unlike any other commercial institution. For instance, an entity created with the aim to develop a power plant or a petrochemical unit or a toll road or even railways and operate it with the sole purpose for serving the state5. Thus, it is quite apparent that the purpose of project finances is predominantly broad which involves multiple facets and disciplines for its achievement. It is in this context that the structure of project finances are divided into two broad disciplines, i.e. the development of the project and finance. Both the disciplines are termed to be quite significant. The progress of the project deals with the functions performed by corporate players entitled to develop the project. Similarly, the finance discipline concentrates on the fu nding of the project representing the relationship between the financial lenders and the project development6. According to the experts, project financing is a complex process which involves mu