Perfume History Essays - Toiletry, Cosmetics, Olfaction, Perfumes

Perfume History The human use of scents, aromas and fragrances has its origins lost in ancient times. Why, when and how people first started to prepare them may never be known, but archeological findings, early written texts and oral tradition show that the history of aromas goes deep back in time. Early civilizations offered scent flowers, herbs and resins in worship of their Gods. When burned, some plants released stronger aromas and scented smoke fires became part of religious rituals, a mystical mean of communication between heaven and earth, a tradition followed by many religions until present day. When looking back into history, many agree that the Egyptians, during Queen Sheba's rule, were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture. From the religious ceremonies involving the burning of incense to the embalming of the dead, perfume was an integral part of Egyptian life. Even scents like myrrh were considered more valuable than gold. In the Bible, one of the Three Wise Men brought this as a gift to the newborn Christ. But perfume did not only linger in spiritual ceremonies: the Egyptians were also the first to anoint their bodies with the scents of cinnamon and honey. Depicted on the walls of the temple of Edfu, one can also see the depiction of the art of floral extraction as perfume is distilled from the flowers of the white Madonna lily. This "essential accessory" was reserved mostly for the powerful and the wealthy. Both men and women alike wore the precious scents. With the death of the mystical Cleopatra, so also died the Egyptian grandeur and appreciation of beauty. For thousands of years perfumes had been used widely as an integral part of their culture even though almost all of the herbs and flowers were from abroad, from Palestine, Persia, India, and Arabia. In Persia, perfume was also a sign of rank. In the palaces one could see kings with crowns of myrrh and of labyzuz and smell the aromas of sweetly smelling scents drifting in the air of their apartments. In the backyards of homes belonging to the wealthy, one could find exquisite gardens holding jasmine, lilacs, violets, and the famous red rose. This rose whose petals covered the floor when Cleopatra first met Mark Antony and that would become the symbol of the House of Lancaster during the War of the Roses, was known all over the world for its perfume which increased in intensity as the petals dried. The Persians began to master the art of preservation by placing the rose buds in sealed jars to be later opened for a special occasion. Persians also used perfumes after bathing. It was not until after Alexander the Great, with his desire for conquest, defeated Darius III of Persia and moved to Egypt that he adopted the use of perfumes. It is said that his floors were sprinkled with scented waters and that his clothes were imprinted the perfumes of fragrant resins and myrrh. But the perfume found its magic in the folds of ancient Greek religion. The Greeks believed the Gods were perfume's inventors and it was said that the visit of a God or Goddess was marked with the sweet smell as a token of their presence. They held a special place in ceremonies. It is interesting that the first "gold medal" in the Olympic Games was a piece of art in the shape of a golden violet. Perfume was an integral part of Greek society, even though some of the greatest philosophers like Socrates found them "effeminate". However Greeks also made their mark on the world of perfume. They played an important role in the science of perfume by categorizing them by the part of the plant from which they were made and documenting their compositions. The Romans first celebrated scent around 750 B.C. in religious ceremonies to celebrate the Goddess of Flora. Each year the ceremonies would be held to celebrate the first flowers of the season. Later, the ceremony was held each year on April 28, four days before May Calend (this ceremony was adopted by the British and is now known as May Day). The Romans were also known for their gardens, but the flowers were mainly used for garlands to be worn in their maiden's hair. When the Roman's began their world conquest they began to adopt the use of perfume into their own culture. Greek influence was especially prominent in the use of perfume in religious ceremonies. As the Roman culture began to adopt these scents, one could see

Stem Cells essays

Stem Cells essays During the election there were many issues debated between President Bush and Senator John Kerry. One of the most controversial was stem cell research. Both candidates felt strongly about their opinions. The voter was asked to choose between the two positions. However, when voters were asked about what a stem cell was people knew vaguely that is was something about medical research and had many misconceptions about the issue. Many people still have questions about stem cell research. What do all the terms mean that are used in stem cell research, for instance what is a hematopoietic stem cell? What are human embryonic stem cells? What classes of stem cells are there? Where do stem cells come from? Why do scientists want to use stem cell lines? Why are doctors and scientists so excited about human embryonic stem cells? Have human embryonic stem cells been used successfully to treat any human diseases yet? What will be the best type of stem cell to use for therapy? Which research is be st to use? Why not use adult stem cells instead of using human embryonic stem cells in research? May individual states pass laws to permit human embryonic stem cell research? How many different types of stem cells are there? Stem cells can divide to become other types of cells. The stem cells found in umbilical cord blood and bone marrow can divide and become red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. They have been used as part of the treatment therapy in nearly 40 different cancers, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders. More opportunities are being discovered every year but, since each case is different, there is no guarantee that a cord blood transplant will be an appropriate treatment therapy or that it will provide a cure. Stem cells are used therapeutically for their ability to help restore function to the blood-making and immune systems. This is especially valuable when the systems have been damaged by radiation or chemotherapy. Th...

Druge abuse Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Druge abuse - Annotated Bibliography Example There is also an in depth coverage of how a design can be adapted to come up with more drug abuse averting intercession. The authors give an analysis of how individuals with substance use disorder have inhibitory control insufficiencies in comparison to non-abusers. The reason as to why adolescents have the urge to abuse substances as a behavior is also discussed in the book. As the book keep on explaining on why some behavior are related to substance abuse, neurobiological approach as a means of treatment is broadly discussed and researched. The major setback of the book is the fact that prevention measures to substance effect have not been tackled in the book. The importance of inhibitory control cannot be underestimated as indicated in the book, â€Å"Inhibitory control, broadly defined, refers to factors that regulate the performance of inappropriate or maladaptive behaviors. Failure of inhibitory processes increases the probability of maladaptive â€Å"impulsive† behaviors, such as drug abuse.† (Bardo, Diana and Melic, 13). The study in the book helps to add more importance to the topic under discussion. The study provides more emphasis to the fact that there is a substantial effect of drugs usage to the non-abusers. Non-abusers are persons close to the abuser of substance which include family members and friends. In addition the studies in the book will also aid the research to provide strong evidence on how control measures can be adapted by drug abusers to minimize this jeopardy. This book analyzes the abuse of drug from a legal perspective, and focuses on the laws that are concerned with drug control in America. The studies in the book are meant to investigate whether some drugs should be legally available to Americans since 19th century. Arguments ranging from court cases, laws, speeches and opinion pieces discuss America’s war on

Knowledge of Human Cognitive Abilities and How it Can Help People to Coursework

Knowledge of Human Cognitive Abilities and How it Can Help People to Learn Computer Systems - Coursework Example And cognitive abilities are the processing skills of a brain to carry on a particular task. As Per (Michelone) â€Å"Cog ­ni ­tive abil ­i ­ties are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the sim ­plest to the most com ­plex. They have more to do with the mech ­a ­nisms of how we learn, remem ­ber, problem-solve, and pay atten ­tion rather than with any actual knowl ­edge†. Generally speaking, cognitive abilities are the mechanism by which our brain operates to accomplish different tasks of our daily life. An in- depth study of cognitive skill greatly help a person to improve his learning capacity and task performing ability. Any learning or activity task can be segregated according to cognitive functioning and process can be made simpler and convenient accordingly. Everyone today knows that our world is operating extensively with the support of computers .And obviously, learning and performing computers tasks requires ample amount of c ognitive abilities and skills. So, if a person could enhance his cognitive abilities he can very well upgrade his level of understanding about the working system of computers. It not only essential for him to perceive thing systematically but also should be able to clearly differentiate every functions to make the learning process easy and less complicated. Learning computer is not a very easy task; it needs extensive use of memory, logic and cognitive skills. In computer learning there are different stages in which the learner pass through to achieve successful learning. Mainly the basics of computer learning may not require intense cognitive skills or capabilities. But as one cross the basic level and enters in to more complex learning session, the knowledge of cognitive skills becomes necessary and helpful. In advanced level of computer learning, like software development and data processing, high scale of information processing skills and decision making ability is required. Acc ording to (Singley,24) â€Å"When students are gives tasks beyond their skill level, the variability among students decreases. The better students are able to span the gap; the worst students are not†. Learning of programming and applying reasoning ability in the decision making process requires a great deal of memory, logic and brain processing. If a learner has knowledge about his cognitive abilities and have deeper understanding about the way in which brain operates, then he can learn things faster and easier. Decision making skill and problem solving skills are important in computer learning and if a learner understands his cognitive abilities he can gain much confidence in his learning process. Most Psychological theories consider that cognitive skills are multi faceted and are correlated with other abilities of an individual. It is usually seen that some people understand, grasp and solve things more quickly, while others require more time and energy. The understanding of personal cognitive ability is very essential for a person to develop his ability in learning process of computer systems. One should understand how the brain perceive things, process information and store information in short term and long term memory. The stability, diversity and growth of our personal mental processing and use and transformation of our external and internal information to think, learn and communicate are highly related. If we understand well the mental processing and brain mechanism then the learning of computer systems can be made simpler and less time consuming. It is very essential to understand the cognitive abiliti

Health Systems Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Systems Administration - Essay Example St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare, a $2.1 billion, 13-hospital system. In BJC's business model, the hospitals openly compete with each other on a wide range of fronts. There is not a combined medical staff, so referrals and revenue are fair game to all. BJC's marketing aim is to increase total revenue by gaining market share. By using a unique organizational model, it appears to be achieving both. BJC's model advocates local autonomy. Individual operating units set their targets and strategies to build their respective books of business. The corporate marketing department provides key resources in marketing consulting, market research, database management, and a call center for business development. On behalf of its facilities, the corporate office fields 425,000 calls to the call center a year and manages 2.5 million records in a master customer database, euphemistically referred to as its corporate memory. In comparison with other multihospital system models, BJC's corporate marketing supports rather than dictates strategy. "We are essentially a consulting resource to our facilities," said Tess Niehaus, director of corporate marketing for BJC. ... key term for organizations pursuing competitive strategy--is strategically appropriate and beneficial in one or more service lines for most organizations. Monitoring capabilities will be present and external benchmarks will be accessed, but leaders are not acting on the information they receive. Some of the other warning signs typical of organizations with pending distress include board and senior management acceptance of poor financial performance, poor physician relations, lack of middle management depth, lack of accountability or illogical reporting relationships involving managers/ supervisors, erosion of a profitable payer mix, and steadily declining operating margins or increasing losses. Another company, Bain & Company is a global business-consulting firm. Its main business is to assist the organizations to become more profitable through the use of various strategic techniques and leadership qualities. Bain is working to help companies find the next wave of profitable growth in turbulent economic times. Growth strategy is a core product of Bain & Company, and work with growth businesses around the world. Bain focuses on growth in terms of revenue, cash flow and shareholder value, all of which are needed for sustainable, profitable performance. Bain focus on the fact that to grow successfully, a company must first properly define and focus on its profitable core. An organization can pursue business adjacencies that substantiate its core, that reinforced the capability to contemplate and quickly react to the competition, and that develop processes to eliminate or circumvent the inherent organizational inhibitors to growth. And when the core formula has run its course, or faces industry upheaval, it times to renew your strategy and capabilities. They help managers

Challenges for Supply Chain Management

Challenges for Supply Chain Management introduction The biggest challenge facing the Vancouver manufacturing plant was that for the rest of Hewlett Packard, there was no problem; When it comes to real dollars, inventory costs do not enter into the P L statements, but losses hurt our revenues. Dont talk to us about inventory-service trade-offs. Period. Vancouver was held up as a model of efficiency (Kanban) and the DeskJet printer range was a runaway success. A culture of territorialism and poor communication exacerbated the lack of urgency. Damaging internal rivalry was rife as a result of disjointed an myopic decision-making in the absence of any truly global approach to the supply chain key performance indicators (KPIs); the bullwhip effect was writ large all over the firms supply chain. The problems brewing were real and mounting and we argue that the best solution would require a fundamental overhaul of HPs production and supply chain resulting in the need to establish a new manufacturing plant in Europe. The consumer electronics industry is the very embodiment of [key] aspects of supply chain management and related risks, (Sohdi, 2004), due to the short product lifecycles, tough competition, and global nature of the business. The DeskJet printer business presented a new challenge for HP as the firms expertise was in highly customized, low volume, and long lead-time manufacturing and supply chain. In DeskJet, high volume, short product lifecycles, and high obsolescence risk were the name of the game. Printers were in transition from an innovative product to a functional product but the supply chain did not reflect this. HP used OEMs to source components and then did their own assembly. HP made high margins on the cartridges, and the printer was the conduit. HPs success in Europe was beginning to rival the home market in sales, adding further complications due to the need to modify power sources and languages for local markets. In Europe, product option AB had the highest monthly mean demand, and demand was more dispersed over the options than in North America, where virtually the entire sales were in option A. Monthly standard deviation in demand for the popular options was quite high at +- 30%. Even more importantly, the company was holding large and expensive safety stock due to the long shipping lead times and the prohibitive cost of air freight. The success of HPs DeskJet printer range in spite of an un-optimized supply chain suggests that there were significant potential gains in profitability if the right solution were found. In addition, despite high inventory levels, stock-outs were still occurring, threatening the most precious asset of all in the highly competitive printer market: customer loyalty and sentiment. Questions of internal efficiency and customer fulfilment had to be evaluated against the backdrop of a rapidly growing printer market, which was exploding along with the proliferation of desktop PCs. Despite organizational inertia and competing priorities, a number of avenues were open to HP at the time, including inventory management-the benefits of postponing final assembly-product design, and the introduction of JITD. We examine each and delve deeper into the business and customer benefits of launching a production site in Europe to fully capitalize on the surge of the printer market. The market is evolving rapidly and needs a strategic realignment of its supply chain. Creating a European manufacturing facility, plus integrated financial performance and risk management (Hahn Kuhn, 2009) will also improve shareholder returns (by improving inventory management and hence cash flows) and will mitigate risk. Postponement strategy To be successful the DeskJet supply chain must match customer demand. It must be in the zone of strategic fit, with a better match in Europe between responsiveness and uncertainty. It must integrate sales, manufacturing, distribution, and operations. Postponement is a solution to support future DeskJet expansion in Europe and to meet European demand. A successful postponement strategy requires significant degrees of cohesion; departmental barriers will need to be brought down, processes restructured and products redesigned. However, the rewards of implementing a successful postponement strategy are great. HP is not without challenges to implement a successful postponement strategy. Significant organisational change and coordination would be required. As Pagh and Cooper state (1998), The notion of postponement is to maintain the product in a neutral and noncommittal status as long as possible in the manufacturing process. In order to support this, characteristics of the DeskJet that have to be localised should be added at the last moment. Standardising the DeskJet would make inventory management and forecasting easier. It is also a way to allow cost-effective end user customisation. By creating customisation, additional lines can be introduced and consumer needs are met more easily. Customisation will assist HP in differentiating itself and in capturing the market. Based on Cooper (1993), we propose the use of the deferred packaging postponement strategy. The DeskJet peripherals are not common to all markets whilst the formulation is common. Postponement requires tight integration of processes and the formation of a holistic view. In the case of DeskJet printing, redesigning the product to make it more modular will increase manufacturing costs, but would lower the total supply chain costs. A modular design will standardise the design and thus standardise procurement processes. Making the DeskJet design more modular will also limit the inclusion of components that differentiate the product until the latest possible moment. Other benefits of modularity are identified by Feitzinger and Hau (1997), including the ability to manufacture modules separately or in parallel, thereby reducing production time and assisting with problem diagnostics in identifying quality problems. When considering a supply chain strategy, all elements from the design, procurement, manufacture, sales and distribution must be considered in unison. For example, making the DeskJet power supplies universal voltage may be more expensive, but it would provide HP with a more flexible use of inventory and would reduce forecasting errors. Marketing must be involved in the design process to validate that product variety and customisation meet market requirements. Finance must be engaged to provide activity-based costing, (ABC) statistics to support scenario analysis. All stakeholders and their differing viewpoints must be considered in order to build a holistic model of the revised supply chain. Successful postponement requires that organisational boundaries are traversed. HP should work with resellers and distributors to provide some product localisation and customisation tasks. In many cases resellers will require significant support, training, and systems to carry out these tasks. The long term value outweighs the short term investment. In all cases, postponement partnerships must be made on the basis of empirical evidence and having considered the interdependencies of the model. The decision to build European manufacturing capability and interfacing this capability with European distribution is crucial to support DeskJet sales in Europe. We support establishing a European plant as a strategy given European demand. However, in addition to the plant, distribution centres across Europe should be capable of managing product localisation and replenishment of all localisation materials. Opening a new facility in Europe Companies becoming global and enjoying growing revenue and expanding market shares across geographies face an important challenge: inertia. Being agile and being able to react quickly to changing conditions sometimes requires risky decision in volatile, uncertain environments, and sometimes mandates direct investment in foreign locales. The company must admit that what sustained past success will no longer work and must be adapted. This is the challenge Hewlett Packard faced when the Vancouver facility, which served the U.S. market, at the time HPs largest, could no longer meet the needs of growing overseas markets which were becoming progressively more important in terms of units sold. (Monthly mean of 23,108 units in Europe vs. 26, 611 units in North America). Hewlett realized that in terms of lead time, inventory optimization, transportation costs, and localization/customization, trying to serve European clients with its U.S. manufacturing facility was no longer viable despite var ious attempts at technology innovation and optimization, changes in product design, and shifts in its logistic processes; the problem could not be solved. (Transit time by sea takes up to five weeks.) As the European market matured, it needed one or more manufacturing locations geographically close to local suppliers and to end customers. However, selecting the correct locations in which to put one or many distribution centers and manufacturing facilities required performing scenario analysis (Sodhi, 2003) and considering several important criteria in a holistic framework for value-based performance and risk management in [robust] supply chains (Hahn Kuhn, 2009): Customer and supplier location, concentration and importance: the ideal location is a center of gravity based on weight clustering, transportation cost, the geographical location and relative importance of difference suppliers and customers. Order delivery time is a critical unifying dimension (Tempelmeier, 2001) when selecting a location that serves downstream needs. However, the center of gravity has to be modified by introducing additional constraints as listed below. In other words, optimization under many constraints must be performed. And this has to be done dynamically, including current data and future projections. Labor: The skills, training, and demographics of the workforce, unemployment trends, productivity, cost of labor, unionization, work regulation, work culture all vary widely across Europe and have to be considered. Cost and availability of land: The real estate environment of the area under consideration has to be analyzed: sites, building availability, construction cost, regulation, including environmental regulations, the availability and reliability of utilities, local construction companies, and maintenance providers. Corporate taxes and incentives: taxes are another layer of costs that have to be taken into account. Local authorities and governments may be competing to attract foreign direct investment and job-creating investments, offering tax and other financial incentives which can contribute to returns and lower risks. Logistical infrastructure: HP needs to evaluate connections to highways, rail transport, and the proximity to airports and seaports, all of which have to be reliable and cost effective. They also have to find credible logistic/transportation partners. Other criteria include the local climate and exposure to natural disasters. Finally, the company must provide expatriate personnel to manage the operation and its labor so quality of life issues must factor into the selection of the location. The process of selecting the optimal location is a multi-stage, top-down one, where initial screening produces a short list of countries or regions and then additional and more demanding criteria are added to narrow down the initial list through several iterations until one or two final locations are selected. The benefits of a manufacturing facility in Europe are significant and affect every step in the supply chain which now has a better strategic fit. Physical, financial, and information flows are better aligned. The market is as large as the U.S. but more diverse and will be better served. Raw materials procurement becomes more streamlined. Inventory days fall because one benefit of standardization (with local customization) is that inventory can be moved from one region to another so as to avoid piling up inventory in one region and stock-outs in another. The chain has moved to more of a push-pull system. Lead times are shorter. Finished product also does not pile up. The cost of manufacturing goes down and since printers were rapidly becoming a commodity product, economies of scale and cost savings are vital since customers choosing between two inkjet printers of equal speed and quality will make their decision based on cost and reliability. From a management perspective, handling th e supply chain becomes easier since it is optimized to regional needs but still integrated in a global framework that captures the benefits of HPs scale in buying power. The supply chain better serves customer needs and enables the company to grow more effectively in Europe and also is a model for other regions as they develop. The company can better manage its risks; it has reduced its exposure to inventory and transportation risk and improved its ability to manage supply chain supply and demand uncertainties in Europe. (Uncertainty metrics like margins, forecast error, stockout rates are all lower.) Finally, the improved supply chain should improve shareholder returns since operating margins, asset turns, and cash flow are positively affected. Other Improvement Opportunities As HPs management moves forward, it should take into account the following additional recommendations: A clear, overarching strategy for Europe needs to be defined and implemented across HPs corporate headquarters. Conflicting and competing corporate interests need to be reconciled with a clearly delineated command and communication structure. A clear company-wide and bottoms-up consensus should be reached about the framework necessary to achieve lasting success in Europe. HP needs to adopt improved corporate communication and defined spheres of responsibility and accountability across the organization. The case reveals that some of the companys most important technological advancements have been discovered by happenstance. Enhancing its technological advancement process with a more rigorous collaboration and innovation model would render technological and supply chain process improvements less susceptible to chance. For example, common global KPIs on inventory would be a good starting point. HP should remove organizational barriers to reduce lead time. (Billington Lee, 1992). The company should establish a dedicated European Localization Management Team to assess current local market trends as well as the viability of the suggestions above. The company should explore further trade opportunities within the European Union and in Eastern Europe, beyond just the tax and other cost-savings options. HP should exploit e-commerce, using the internet to take orders and organize distribution. The company should develop a supply chain risk-management framework to anticipate and mitigate any disruptions. A new or enhanced supply chain is an opportunity to integrate currency risks, cyber attacks, failed communication with suppliersterrorismnon-compliance. (Bosman, 2006). HP should modify its local marketing strategies based on national and cultural consumer demographics. The marketing and PR teams should also utilize available resources to identify such opportunities and participate within the European supply chain community. There are green opportunities within the supply chain that could be exploited. Technology Information processing: JITD New systems and better forecasting will make the problem visible but not solve it. The greatest gains are fundamental: Streamline design of the product to facilitate manufacture at the DCs and build capability at the DCs. However, there are still technical gains that can be made. Conclusion The HP case is an example of how effective supply chain management requires both a revised management paradigm (strategic change) and more sophisticated tools and techniques (optimization). The postponement strategy is a better strategic fit between the supply chain and HPs product life cycle across the key strategic and competitive variables: innovation, customer service, and cost leadership since printers are rapidly transitioning to maturity. Establishing a manufacturing plant in Europe, a major change in HPs printer supply chain, will improve the companys performance in four critical areas: costs, customer satisfaction, shareholder returns, and risk management. The companys physical flows, financial flows, and information flows will all be more aligned and efficient. After the initial capital cost of establishing the plant, the company should experience substantial cost savings from lower material costs, better predictability, improved supply assurances (no shortages), and lower inventory carrying costs. There is a tight linkage between sales, inventory, and product availability, (Raman et al, 2009), and so customer satisfaction, as measured by lower lead times, reduced variability in demand, fewer stock-outs, and enhanced ability to customize by region, should improve. The company will also position itself for future growth. HP should see the benefit of improved customer satisfaction in rising sales and market share in Europe. Shareholder value will be enhanced by the positive impact the supply chain changes will have on inventory and working capital and hence on operational value drivers like operating margins, asset utilization, and cash flow. Finally, the company will enjoy significant improvements in risk management. (Hahn Kuhn, 2009, referring to others). Certain risks, like being out of stock of a key component or product, will be entirely eliminated. Others can be mitigated through improved ability to contingency-plan and catch problems earlier. Th e company will be able to offload other risks or share them with suppliers and customers. And it will be able to consciously select risks, rather than passively absorbing them. Overall, the revised supply chain and the new manufacturing plant in Europe will be a catalyst for dramatic improvements in HPs operating and financial performance, not just on the Continent, but around the world. Bibliography Billington, Corey, Lee, Hau L. (1992, Spring). Managing Supply Chain Inventory: Pitfalls and Opportunities. Sloan Management Review, Volume 33, Number 3. Bosman, Ruud. (2006, April). The New Supply Chain Challenge: Risk Management in a Global Economy. FM Global. Cooper, James C. (1993). Logistics Strategies for Global Businesses. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 12-23. Feitzinger, Edward, Lee, Hau L. (1997, January-February). Mass Customization at Hewlett Packard: The Power of Postponement. Harvard Business Review, pp. 116-121. Hahn, Gerd Jurgen, Kuhn, Henirich. (2009, October 30). Value-Based Performance and Risk Management in Supply Chains: A Robust Optimization Approach. Working Paper. Department of Production and Operations Management-Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Germany. Intermarine USA. (2009, December). Heavy-lift Air Transport Faces Capacity Loss, Competition. Intermarine Industry News. Lee, Hau L. (1995, Sept.-Oct.). The Evolution of Supply-Chain-Management Models and Practice at Hewlett Packard. Interfaces, Vol. 25, pp. 42-63. Raman, Ananth, DeHoratius, Nicole, Kanji, Zahra, (2009, June 12). Supply Chain Management at Hugo Boss (B)-the M Ratio. HBS Case No. 609-055, Harvard Business School Technology Operations Mgt. Unit, University of Portland and HBS. Sodhi, ManMohan S., (2003, Fall). How to Do Strategic Supply Chain Planning. Cass Business School Research Paper. Sloan Management Review. Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 69-75. Sodhi, ManMohan S., Lee, Seongha. (2004, October 1). Global Supply-Chain Risks in the Consumer Electronics Industry. City University London, Sir John Cass Business School, Cass Business School Research Paper. Tempelmeier, Horst. (2001, December 31). Inventory Service-Levels in the Customer Supply Chain. OR Spektrum, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 361-380.

History of the Development of Brakes :: Design and Technology

History of the Development of Brakes The first brakes were drum brakes. They were metal upon metal, and made a terrible noise, although they did work. Since then, brakes have been made with asbestos, which is heat resistant, hard wearing, and relatively silent. Drum Brake (1890s~1980s) The working parts of a drum brake are contained in a hard metal drum that is attached to the hub of a wheel and revolves with it. Inside, but unattached to the drum, are a pair of stationary curved brake shoes that are normally held away from the drum by springs. When the brake pedal is depressed, fluid is forced through the brake lines and into the wheel cylinder. Pushrods in the cylinder then apply pressure to both shoes, overcoming the spring tension and pressing the shoes against the drum. Hydraulic drum brakes can also be mechanically activated as parking brakes by a cable attached to the lever. When pressure is removed from the brake pedal, springs on the brake shoes force the shoes back to their normal released position. This movement of the shoes forces the pistons inward, returning the fluid to the master cylinder reservoir. Power Brakes (1940s~present) Power brake units used on passenger cars are of four general types: vacuum suspended; air suspended; hydraulic booster, and electro-hydraulic booster. Most power brakes use vacuum suspended units, which contains a large vacuum-powered booster device to provide the added thrust to the typical power-brake. Pressure on the brake pedal pushes forward a rod connected to the pistons of the two master cylinders. The pistons begin forcing fluid into the front and rear brake lines. At the same time, the brake-pedal pushrod positions the vacuum-control valve so that it closes the vacuum port and seals off the forward half of the booster unit. The engine vacuum line then draws off the air, creating a low-pressure vacuum chamber. Atmospheric pressure in the control chamber then pushes against the diaphragm, dividing the two chambers. The pressure on the diaphragm, which is locked to the pushrod, forces it forward, supplying even more pressure on the pistons. The safe driver is always ready to apply the total force needed to stop their vehicle, even if the engine quits (removing the power assist). Disc Brake Disc (1970s~present) Brakes use a clamping action to produce friction between the wheel and the suspension members which hold the wheel. Firmly mounted to the spindle, the caliper works like a c-clamp to pinch the rotor which is attached to the spinning wheel. "Floating" calipers allow themselves to move slightly when the brakes are applied, because only one pad moves (in relation to the caliper). History of the Development of Brakes :: Design and Technology History of the Development of Brakes The first brakes were drum brakes. They were metal upon metal, and made a terrible noise, although they did work. Since then, brakes have been made with asbestos, which is heat resistant, hard wearing, and relatively silent. Drum Brake (1890s~1980s) The working parts of a drum brake are contained in a hard metal drum that is attached to the hub of a wheel and revolves with it. Inside, but unattached to the drum, are a pair of stationary curved brake shoes that are normally held away from the drum by springs. When the brake pedal is depressed, fluid is forced through the brake lines and into the wheel cylinder. Pushrods in the cylinder then apply pressure to both shoes, overcoming the spring tension and pressing the shoes against the drum. Hydraulic drum brakes can also be mechanically activated as parking brakes by a cable attached to the lever. When pressure is removed from the brake pedal, springs on the brake shoes force the shoes back to their normal released position. This movement of the shoes forces the pistons inward, returning the fluid to the master cylinder reservoir. Power Brakes (1940s~present) Power brake units used on passenger cars are of four general types: vacuum suspended; air suspended; hydraulic booster, and electro-hydraulic booster. Most power brakes use vacuum suspended units, which contains a large vacuum-powered booster device to provide the added thrust to the typical power-brake. Pressure on the brake pedal pushes forward a rod connected to the pistons of the two master cylinders. The pistons begin forcing fluid into the front and rear brake lines. At the same time, the brake-pedal pushrod positions the vacuum-control valve so that it closes the vacuum port and seals off the forward half of the booster unit. The engine vacuum line then draws off the air, creating a low-pressure vacuum chamber. Atmospheric pressure in the control chamber then pushes against the diaphragm, dividing the two chambers. The pressure on the diaphragm, which is locked to the pushrod, forces it forward, supplying even more pressure on the pistons. The safe driver is always ready to apply the total force needed to stop their vehicle, even if the engine quits (removing the power assist). Disc Brake Disc (1970s~present) Brakes use a clamping action to produce friction between the wheel and the suspension members which hold the wheel. Firmly mounted to the spindle, the caliper works like a c-clamp to pinch the rotor which is attached to the spinning wheel. "Floating" calipers allow themselves to move slightly when the brakes are applied, because only one pad moves (in relation to the caliper).

Representative Democracy

A Representative democracy is define as The form of government that rests on the principle of the people being represented by individuals they elect;it is government that holds the belief that elected officials represent the people. Countries that have representative democracies include the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. A Representative Democracy is the only type of governance that provides the order of having a hierarchy with the satisfaction of the people having control.Representative democracy is the most successful form of government because the people have the power, The human rights are highly respected and protected, and The welfare of the society would not be put aside for the needs of the individual. Giving people the power to vote for their leaders in government is a way to have the majority of the peoples ideas be brought up. Having specifically designated elected officials in government can help simplify the needs and problems of societies with everyone agreeing on the decisions made.Governments that represent the views of the people tend to have higher success rates and less rebellion. In a representative democracy form of government the human rights are held to the highest standards. The right to life and liberty acknowledges that all human beings should be free. Freedom of speech also primarily guarantees that the government itself would not prohibit the people from voicing their opinions. Equality and fair treatment for everyone is also giving to the people by the government to show that everyone has the same opportunities.The welfare of the society would not be sidelined for the needs of the individual. Decisions would be made based on the common good of the people. Everyone is also encouraged to go voice their opinions and vote for what the believe is right. and everyone is entitled to free and public education and giving the ability to seek knowledge to better themselves and there society and take part in government decisions if the choose to.These are some of the many reasons why a representative democracy is the most successful form of government. Direct democracy may work very well among a small group of people, but the larger the group the more difficult it is to run effectively. Representative democracy eliminates this difficulty by operating on a much smaller scale the majority of the time Most people do not really want to vote all the time on political issues.Voting for a representative who agrees with you takes less effort, doesn't require you to do anything about issues that don't concern you and does not require you to learn about complex issues. Sources: (William P. Meyers (2002)The Original America: Republic or Democracy? ] [Held, D. (1996) Models of democracy] [Ankersmit, Frank R. (1996). Aesthetic Politics: Political Philosophy Beyond Fact and Value. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ] [Nadia Urbinati (2006) Representative Democracy: Principles and Genealogy. )

Romeo & Juliet-Fate vs Action essays

Romeo & Juliet-Fate vs Action essays Q: In the prologue of the play, Romeo and Juliet are described as "star-crossed lovers", (victims of fate and destiny), but the action of the play shows that their tragic deaths are the result of human action. Do you agree? While Romeo and Juliet had the final choice to kill themselves, their circumstances meant that their love was always going to be ill fated (Romeo foreshadows this before the party, "My mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars" Act 1, Scene 4). The importance of fate can be determined by how much control Romeo and Juliet have over what happens, and while they control their lives, they can't change what is yet hanging in the stars. In the quote, Romeo speaks of a 'consequence' because although fate is playing a role, it does not mean that he cannot influence the situation, he can make choices, but these choices will inevitably have consequences and the consequences have already been decided. Coincidence is an important aspect of fate. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are considered tragic not because of the fact that they killed themselves, indeed that was more an act of love, but rather because their deaths were preventable and that circumstances seemed to conspire so cruelly against the young lovers. Friar Lawrence agreed to help Romeo and Juliet with the best of intentions but the timing, or coincidences, that led to the downfall of his otherwise workable plan are to blame for the lovers dying as they did. When Romeo hears that Juliet is dead he says, "Then I defy you, stars!" Act 5, Scene 1, and heads out to defy fate by making the choice to kill himself. This choice, however, is made under the false impression that Juliet is dead, and when Romeo, in his last act of defiance kills himself, he does so because of an unhappy coincidence that leaves him a victim of the fate which has been prophesised since the prologue of the play and truly, to use his own words ...

Why Levitt’s Analysis is Awry Essays

Why Levitt’s Analysis is Awry Essays Why Levitt’s Analysis is Awry Essay Why Levitt’s Analysis is Awry Essay In chapter 3 of Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Levitt demonstrates how false predictions are often led by conventional wisdom and why drug dealers still live with their moms. I agree with the author that conventional wisdom is often wrong or plainly insufficient to answer many important questions.   Crime did not keep on soaring in the 1990s, money alone does not help politicians win elections, and drinking eight glasses of water a day has never actually been shown to do a thing for one’s health.   Conventional wisdom is often shoddily formed and devilishly difficult to see through as it is associated closely with confusion of association and causation and also fallacy of composition.   While it is true that a healthy person may drink eight glasses of water each day, it does not necessarily mean that drinking eight glasses of water a day is good for one’s health.   Association and causation are entirely different.   Just like smoking cigarettes does not necessarily cause cancer – simply because two events are associated (in time, for example), it does not necessarily follow that one is the cause and the other is the effect.à ‚   People often confuse association and causation become it is convenient to assume that the apparent, easy answers are the correct ones.   The erroneous view that what is good or true for the individual is necessarily good or true for the group is another example of conventional wisdom that cannot be explained by reality in all its manifestations.   All the same, it is very convenient for people to just accept conventional wisdom, especially while the media and advertisement are also enforcing it.   This is one of the reasons why most people in the world do not turn into scientists. Indeed, it is possible to analyze the truth or untruth of conventional wisdom by asking the right questions.   There even exists a basic procedure that is used in many scientific works to avoid conventional wisdom in building and testing theories.   The procedure follows a set of guidelines.   First, the researcher decides what it is that he or she wants to explain or predict.   Second, the researcher identifies the variables that he or she believes are important to what he or she would like to explain or predict.   Third, the assumptions of the theory must be stated.   Fourth, the hypothesis must be stated.   Fifth, the theory must be tested by comparing its predictions against real-world events.   Sixth, it is recognized that if the evidence supports the theory, no further action is necessary, although it is a good idea to continue to examine the theory closely.   Seventh, if the evidence rejects the theory, the researcher must either formulate a new theory or ame nd the old theory in terms of its variables, assumptions, and hypothesis.   As an example, a researcher may have predicted that the housing market would experience a boom in the coming years.   If this does not happen, he or she is required to change the old theory or create a new one altogether.   But it if happens, the researcher would be required to continue monitoring the conditions of the market to actually prove his or her hypothesis.   The fact that the housing market actually experiences a boom does not necessarily imply that the boom will create economic growth or not turn into a slump soon enough, thereby invalidating all growth processes expected for the boom period, and which had supported the boom theory of the researcher. Bearing in mind the various stages of scientific analysis, I disagree that the drug dealers still live with their moms – as Levitt proves in chapter 3 – because they have incentives other than making profits that compel them to work at lower than the minimum wage for such a high risk job.   I believe that the main motivation for countless people who are willing to do such risky jobs is high profits for sure.   Considering the costs and benefits, as Levitt demonstrated in chapter 3; the marginal benefits for the foot soldiers to sell drugs are much smaller than the marginal costs, if indeed the income of drug dealers is very low while drug dealing is a very high risk job.   There seems to be no incentive for the foot soldiers to perform a high risk job for low incomes.   Only those who are drug addicts already may accept the job because of their poor mental condition as well as the fact that they need the drugs to keeping entering their bodily systems.   Moreov er, the marginal costs continue to increase as the longer they sell drugs on the street the more chances there are for them to get caught or shot.   Marginal benefits, on the other hand, continue to decrease.   Seeing that the marginal benefits will never equal the marginal costs, there is definitely no efficiency in drug dealing.   If Levitt is correct to state that the drug dealers are working at lower than minimum wage, then no one would want to sell drugs as human beings are rational but selfish, and risk- and effort- averse. It is important to consider the four meaningful factors that determine a wage – which Levitt uses to explain why the typical prostitute earns more than the typical architect.   The factors help explain why the typical drug dealer actually earns a high wage.   Just as little girls do not typically grow up dreaming of becoming prostitutes, individuals cannot be expected to grow up dreaming of becoming drug dealers and ending up being imprisoned or killed.   The skills of the drug dealers, while not necessarily specialized, are practiced in a very specialized context.   The job is unpleasant because of the high chances faced by the drug dealers of being imprisoned and getting killed.   Yet, the demand for service that the job fulfills is extremely large.   The office of national drug control policy has estimated that Americans spent $140 billion on illegal drugs in 1990 and about 1 in 15 Americans aged 12 and over currently uses drugs.   The estimates for worldwide drug use may also be considered to get a clearer picture of the demand situation for drugs.   After all, drug supply around the world is part of a global business with innumerable links. The incentives for the street drug dealers that Levitt demonstrated in chapter 3 do not apply to the majority of drug dealers in the United States.   The examples of drug dealers that he used are only the poor black people who have grown up in a housing project on Chicago’s south side.   To them the path to a decent legitimate job was practically invisible and crack dealing was a glamour profession.   If the same sampling bias is used on the prostitutes, they would be impossibly earning more than the architect.   Just as the typical prostitute earns more than the typical architect, the typical drug dealer earns more than most people sitting behind office desks.   Many teenage drug dealers have managed to earn well enough to be able to afford private art schools and nice cars.   Furthermore, many of the drug dealers are able to lead lives of luxury.   It is the type of neighborhood that they sell drugs in that makes the biggest difference in their lifestyles.   In other words, it is the business environment and the income of the consumers in their immediate market that actually determines whether drug dealers would live with their moms or in their personal mansions.   After all, the drug dealer who sells drugs to the rock stars and movie stars in Hollywood is not expected to live with his or her mom, while the drug dealer who deals in the tenderloin in San Francisco probably would. Levitt also compared the crack dealing business with the entertainment business in the sense that a lot of people are competing for a very few prizes in these businesses.   Criminals, like everyone else, would like to believe that maybe one day they would become the leaders of the crack cocaine dealing business and afford to lead lives of luxury.   This coincides with my belief that the monetary factor is what actually drives the drug dealers.   Levitt explained that crack dealing is similar to the glamour professions, whether they concern the movies or sports, although there is a different dynamic at play.   Swarms of bright young people throw themselves at grunt jobs that pay poorly and demand unstinting devotion as they all have to play the same game viewed as a tournament.   In the entertainment industry, like all other highly competitive industries, the workers at the bottom are poorly paid.   At the same time, however, people are usually willing to work long and har d so that they can move up and eventually get paid more.   The high-school quarterback, infamous actors and actresses, as well as musicians and designers may earn lower than the minimum wage before hitting big.   Thus, before the drug dealer or the entertainer is made famous, he or she must be poorly paid. Drug dealing is the opposite of many competitive industries in a variety of ways, despite the fact that it shares important business principles with them, e.g. the quest to maximize profits.   There is no dearth of jobs in the drug business, as the demand is extremely huge.   Additionally, there is very high risk attached to the job, while the job itself does not make the drug dealers proud.   Needless to say, people are not expected to be attracted to drug dealing as a job unless they are drug addicts who do not mind the risks.   Hence, it is important to consider the labor supply of the market for drugs.   As the demand is extremely large and inelastic because cocaine and crack are very addictive, the prices of the drugs are higher then the equilibrium price.   Levitt mentioned that cocaine is, indeed, very expensive.   It is but commonsense that the selling of cocaine must yield high profits.   Indeed, this is the very incentive for which the labor supply increases . This is also the strong incentive that causes the drug business to expand.   After all, the drug business is virtually uncontrollable and constantly expanding throughout the world.   Oscar Danilo Blandon helped to establish a link between Colombian cocaine cartels and inner-city crack merchants.   According to his explanation, the supply curve shifted outwards as the price of relevant resources decreased because there was no middle man.   Thus, the invention of crack as the invention of a new technology resulted in increased supply.   The drug dealers around the globe are making bigger profits than the technology experts perhaps.   People continue to be more driven to sell drugs. Drugs dealers do, indeed, make a lot of money. They still live with their moms because the nature of this business involves high risks.   Thus, it is very unstable.   Because of the high chances of getting caught or shot for drug dealing, many dealers quit before they have made enough money to support themselves for the rest of their lives.   Even so, there are drug dealers in America who make a huge amount of money selling to the rich and famous.   Indeed, the income of a drug dealer is dependent on the socioeconomic status of his or her customers.   The business is unregulated in most parts of the world, so therefore its prices are unregulated.   Moreover, the expanding drug business around the world proves that drug dealing must be highly profitable for numberless people.   The drug business must also have its role to play in global economic growth.   If it is underground, it does not necessarily mean that the business does not help the economy grow.   Thus, conv entional wisdom must always be questioned for the researchers to find the best possible answers to our burning questions.   Settling for less, that is, inappropriate albeit simplistic answers, is not sufficient for the level of intelligence that is conducive to high economic growth.

Service Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service Report - Essay Example In this manner, people begin to want certain things and end up saving for them. After the purchase thus, if the product ends up not suiting their needs, it forms a void and unhappiness with respect to their purchase. The product thus loses its goodwill eventually as well. The objective of this paper is to underline two incidents regarding a good and a bad choice of purchase during the last year and comprehending the gap analysis of the companies with respect to the same in order to understand the discrepancies faced with the usage of the product. During the last year, a memorable product that I purchased was the iPhone 4; this phone had been released after a heavy bout of advertising and proclamations, over various sources of media and networking. Most people were excited about the launch of the iPhone because of the high class that it possessed. Its application and music market had already begun to soar in the good books of the consumers and thus there were thousands of pre orders given for the purchase of the iPhone on the very day that it would be launched. After conducting months of research and waiting for the phone to come out, I too was excited and hoped for the best for the release because of the expenses that I was putting into the same. Having saved up for a long time, the phone was finally in my reach and did not disappoint me one bit. Almost every service related to the phone exceeded expectations and the distributors and retailers selling the phone also provided excellent consumer services. All this added up to an extremely pleasant consumer purchase on my part and to date I am very happy with my phone because of the many things that it can do. On the other hand, I went ahead and bought a Blackberry 9360 recently in order to keep up to date with contacts belonging to the Blackberry Messenger world. This

Enlightenment and the Great Awakening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enlightenment and the Great Awakening - Essay Example Such changes made North America to become a great contributor in the colonial America’s economy. As a result of the major changes taking place in the cities, there was an increase in the rural urban migration. This was attributed to the fact that there was need for them to search for employment in the industries that had been established in the urban areas. The growth of the plantations also encouraged the migration as the plantations required laborers. There were numerous productions of raw materials for the factories and this maximized production by the industries. As a result there was a continued intake of laborers a step that made it impossible to eradicate rural urban migration. During the same period, North America experienced revivals in terms of religion, government and human nature. The role of enlightenment was to focus on challenging the existing religious standards and the divine rights that had been adopted by the people. It was through accepting the religious beliefs and tolerance among different individuals that they could be able to successfully experience enlightenment. It was through religion that they could be able to unify themselves. That is why they argued that religion was the opium of society an avenue through which individuals would understand each other.