Virgil Influence On Dante Essays - Divine Comedy, Inferno

Virgil Influence On Dante Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy in 1265. In his life, he created two major books of poetry: Vita Nuova and The Comedy. The Comedy, which was later renamed The Divine Comedy, is an epic poem broken down into three books in each of which Dante recounts his travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The first book of The Comedy, Dante's Inferno, is an especially creative narrative. He narrates his descent and observation of Hell through the various circles and pouches. An excellent poet himself, Dante admired much about Virgil, revering him to such an extent that he turned him into the guiding character, the teacher to Dante the pilgrim, in the Purgatory and Inferno. Dante borrowed from Virgil much of his language, style, and content. While Dante improved upon Virgil's works in many respects, his changes in the theological content in particular, reveal the differences between the religious views of the afterworld/underworld of the two authors' respective time periods. Other writers that I have encountered describe Dante's extremely ordered otherworld. A large portion of Dante's Inferno is merely an expansion of one book (VI -the Underworld) of Virgil's Aeneid. Though much of Dante's Hell is original, he seemed to use the Aeneid as a base and the parts which he did extract from the Aeneid, he carefully altered for his own purposes and beliefs. In pursuing his Christian vision of the afterlife, Dante created an otherworld theoretically and visually different from, yet still remarkably similar to Virgil's Underworld. Dante, of course, structured his Hell to fit the theology and dogmas of his Christian beliefs, but still used the Aeneid as his foundation. Thus, in order to portray the Christian universe and to represent the afterworld concepts of justice for one's actions during life, Dante used Virgil's Aeneid for both, the inspiration to create and the tools to do so. Similarities between Virgil's Underworld and Dante's Hell are fairly apparent. The entrance or gate to Virgil's Underworld in the Aeneid marks a distinct separation, as also found in The Inferno, between the land of the living and the land of the dead. A threatening gateway gives entry to the Underworld, intending to say that there will be no ease in this journey toward the heart of Hades, and to help remind them that this is the afterlife they chose. Inhabiting Virgil's gateway are the causes of death, imprisoned into spiritual forms as agents of death (Virgil, 274-280), but they are not clearly seen forms, nor are any of the forms in both, Virgil's and Dante's visions of Hell. All of the Underworld in Dante's and Virgil's interpretations is portrayed in a shadowy, colorless environment to create the illusion of death and hopelessness. "I am the way to the doleful city, I am the way into eternal grief, I am the way to a forsaken race. Justice it was that moved my great Creator; Divine omnipotence created me, and highest wisdom joined with primal love. Before me nothing but eternal things were made, and I shall last eternally. Abandon every hope, all you who enter."-reading on Vestibule Gate (Dante, 89). Virgil places high importance on this vestibule to delineate clearly one main difference between the Underworld and the outside: the first has an intangible, bodiless, and abstract quality to it, compared to the outside's concrete, physical reality. The presence of the agents of death, most notably "Sleep the brother of Death" (Virgil, 278), are here to symbolize the transition from the world of life outside the gateway, to a room full of the causes of death, and finally lead to the land of death itself, Hell. The vestibule can be considered to be a no-man's-land, you are not completely in Hell yet, but there's nowhere else to go except down. Dante's Hell is also preceded by a foreboding gateway which is home to the souls who could not decide to do good or evil with their lives. The angels who did not pick a side in the fight between Michael or with Lucifer (Satan) in the battle of Heaven reside here. This entrance of Hell begins the world of darkness and unidentifiable shades, colorless in their symbolization of lifelessness. Dante compares the lifeless shades to "'dead leaves fluttering to the ground in autumn', weightless and lifeless, as when falling leaves 'detach themselves' from the tree of life. All the souls descend 'one-by-one', like leaves falling 'first one and then the other'" (Dante, pp. 112-117). This comparison that Dante uses is almost identical to Virgil's description of

3m Executive Summary Essays

3m Executive Summary Essays 3m Executive Summary Essay 3m Executive Summary Essay Over 50,000 patents extended over 13 technology platforms ranging from abrasives to polymers  ¦ Global company – companies in over 60 countries and 139 plants worldwide  ¦ Strong recognition for standard innovations with practical applications  ¦ Operational efficiencies cost of sales declining and margin % increasing over the years  ¦ IBD’s new strategy was to transform from margin expansion to top line growth  ¦ Corporate brand strength and technology behind its products with exclusive supplier status, product driven organization with strong RD direction, and geographic specialization  ¦ Through lean programs IBD is in progress to shorten the time to go to market  ¦ IBD is acquiring product specialization in tapes and adhesives are 50%-60% division turnover and abrasives are 40%-50%  ¦ Access to experience and knowledge pool of the worldwide organization and profiting from close connection in the marketing strategies of over 50 divisions in 3M  ¦ Natural fit with the culture of the Special and Niche categories  ¦ Groomed employees grow and develop to become product experts Weakness  ¦ IBD had not concentrated on the MRO segment because it was fragmented with slight brand loyalty  ¦ Sales reps were not accustomed to dealing with large corporations driven by networks, procedure and protocol but to store managers of small to medium sized businesses  ¦ IBD did not obtain customer specialization Weak marketing and sales strategy for National accounts  ¦ Quick decision making is lacking because 3M is a large corporation and a bureaucracy  ¦ 3M’s had not changed in terms of product application, service delivery mechanisms, customer expectations and logistics requirements as it has in the Industrial sector  ¦ IBD did not have cadre of â€Å"channel† specialists to complement the product specialists  ¦ IBD does not have an incentive program with reduction in supply chain costs of the large National players  ¦ Lacked to be â€Å"best in class† in logistics fulfillment, standardizing SKU’s and Just-In-Time delivery  ¦ No additional marketing resources were available to IBD Opportunities  ¦ MRO was growing at a double digit rate with large players (mega corporations)  ¦ Currency (3M Canada manufacturer can become more competitive)  ¦ IBD’s share of distributor sales was a measly 2% of the distributors revenue  ¦ In MRO the market share and driving scale was the largest because of its big market, large distributors are surpassing the growth of MRO market, in most product lines there are vacant spaces waiting to be filled, and there is an opportunity area with potential for both revenue and margins in the private labeling  ¦ IBD had to look outside the OEM segment for clients and revenue  ¦ Filtration was a future growth area Based on current technol ogy platforms, the division had recognized 9 product opportunities as having growth potential  ¦ The National category was the fastest growing out of the 4 types to due ongoing distributor consolidation  ¦ National player has a massive sales infrastructure in terms of branches, delivery center, and sales force, therefore IBD’s opportunity the integrate into the market quickly  ¦ The price of goods composed of only 39% of the total cost; the remaining 61% represented a large area of opportunity for supply chain savings Threats  ¦ OEM segment had become mature  ¦ Labour – 1hr of labour and benefits in Canada costs $11. 00US at minimum wage point and China’s labor was less than $0. 5US  ¦ Tracking the customer needs will be more difficult in the MRO market since they are not the end users  ¦ The alteration of currency can change the market trend fairly easily  ¦ When there is a slowdown in the industry where OEM is a part, distributors are always the first to be affected and the last to recuperate  ¦ Decline in Canadian manufacturing was influencing the OEM segment  ¦ MRO segment is fragmented; products could not be specialized  ¦ Off shore trends was growing  ¦ The deficiency of legacy expenses (RD) lowered costs for new competitor  ¦ E-commerce was growing a solid ground; therefore IBD had limited resources to reach end users  ¦ Industrial market was changing in areas of products, service delivery mechanisms, customer expectations and logistics requirements; therefore IBD had to quickly changing with customers needs  ¦ To increase the National distributors power with the manufacturers, hey wanted to cultivate their private label business and build their own equity in the trade  ¦ Constraints and protocols were established by the National players, as a result customized programs for marketing were now required to be created Current State of 3M: IBD’s Business IBD is a global firm that has a strong corporate brand with technology supporting its quality products. There are two types of end user applications IBD has in place; production plants and servicing facilities. IBD is a product driven organization with strong RD and holds over 50,000 patents internationally. Their tapes and adhesives have 50% 60% distribution revenue and abrasives have an astonishing 40% 50%. They were known for regular innovations with practical applications. OEM and MRO are major customer segments for IBD. OEM’s market is maturing and is creating IBD’s growth to be slow. They demand what IBD can support; high-valued items and brand quality since it is a part of the finished product. On the other hand, MRO segment is fragmented with little brand loyalty; hence IBD has not concentrated in this market. The MRO market was growing at a rapid rate and IBD could not ignore this. They commenced lean programs to strive for going to market in 18 months not 6 to 7 years. New marketing strategies were also coming to surface. Today they only receive 2% of the distributors’ revenue. IBD’s current channel seems to be direct selling and their sales are relationship driven. Sales representatives would meet a customer in person to create customer linkage. They would bring a sales toolkit that entailed a line of potential 3M products and technologies together because they are perceived as a sales stimulus. IBD’s key gauge of sales performance was maintaining existing clients and generating repeat customers. Also their clientele was mostly OEM; consequently their end users. Key Stakeholders IBD’s key stakeholders are Mahesh Yegnaswami, Vice-President of IBD, George Buckley, and Senior Management. Mahesh Yegnaswami is IBD’s national accounts manager. He will be recommending a plan of action to the vice-president on how the division will achieve the MRO market and increase organic revenue. The vice-president will take into consideration the plan of action and make the decision to send it forward to the senior management. George Buckley is the chairman, president and CEO of IBD. As a CEO he envisions an annual growth rate to 12% 15% by 2008. His new strategy was to move from margin expansion to top line growth, productivity gains and cost savings to market development and promotions. The senior management are the decision makers in regards to the plan of action and its implementation. They need to have consensus if the new strategy can be successful in obtaining the organic growth goal rate of 12%-15% or not. At IBD there are significant problems that need to be addressed for a successful organic growth. Problems occurred in areas such as logistics, marketing program, and sales model. The most fundamental crisis is that their current sales model will not achieve anticipated growth rate as authorized by IBD in a targeted time-frame. The possibility of revenue may decline since OEM segment is mature. By remaining in the traditional sales model, IBD may lose the opportunity of the growing MRO market ($14 billion) that will allow them to achieve their goal. If IBD does not penetrate the large distributors quickly, the end user may get too comfortable with existing competitors product and not even consider trying 3M. In addition, there is a prospect to penetrate where vacant spaces in most product lines are waiting to be filled. Current sales strategy will not work in the new market because IBD sales force was geared to â€Å"what to sell† and not â€Å"how to sell†. Furthermore their current strategy has a long sales process, which gives the niche market an opportunity to service the OEM market more quickly than IBD. Because they are a large organization and a bureaucracy, their traditional ways of marketing will not penetrate the MRO segment quickly enough to be competitive especially with higher prices. The sales staff is not trained to do relationship selling to National accounts. If IBD does not have the accurate product for the appropriate industry this may damage their company brand. Their overall growth goal of 15% will not be achieved and may cause necessary staff cuts and lower employee moral if IBD continues the same course. Moreover the employees in every department will unintentionally spill their low moral on to their clients. Everyone including the company brand will be affected. Once the principal problem has been addressed, it is important to determine the alternatives that IBD should consider in order to resolve the principal problem. First, an alternative that could be taken is to change nothing that IBD is doing and remain on the current way of conducting business. This would allow IBD to continue selling to their OEM accounts that are willing to pay premium price for 3M products. IBD is aware the OEM market is declining due to a rising Canadian dollar and the growing trend of off shoring to China. This should be considered if IBD chose to run their business as usual. In addition, IBD remained with the current course because their strengths of product innovation, new product introduction, getting â€Å"specified† for in-process usage, building relationships with business customers and working with them closely to reduce their cost of operations. However, IBD will need to consider multiple alternatives in order to make a decision on the best way to solve their principal problem. Another alternative that IBD could pursue is changing the customer focus from the current OEM market to the MRO market. There are four types of distributors in the MRO market, these are: National, Special, General, and Niche. The special and niche types were losing their traditional competitive edge, due to larger players building up domain expertise by acquiring product/process skills also, technologies were going off patent, and the manufacturing was open to all. The market share and driving scale in the MRO market is larger then that of the OEM market. This is because of a variety of major reasons; first the MRO market is larger and estimated to be worth $14 billion Canadian dollars. Secondly, there are vacant spaces in most product lines waiting to be filled, and 3M could capitalize on this. And finally private labeling is an opportunity area with potential for both revenue and margins. Also, Yegnaswami stated that â€Å"changing the customer focus from OEM to MRO gives us (3M) additional sales in the targeted time-frame†. Lastly, a third alternative IBD may take interest on would be to focus and sell to the MRO market in addition to the OEM market. The products catering to the OEM market are those of high-value items that will became part of the finished product. While with the MRO market the products are completely different with a focus on consumables of a low value. In addition, this alternative would allow IBD to focus on both markets keeping existing business in OEM market and grow in MRO. Overall, IBD has three alternatives to consider in order to solve the principal problem of the existing traditional sales model not being able achieve an anticipated growth rate as mandated by IBD within a targeted time-frame. In order for IBD to determine which alternative to focus the company’s efforts, some criteria must be generated in order to conclude to a decision. The criteria is an essential step in the process because it will show how to track the success of the alternative to the principal problem that 3M is having. The criteria is needed in order for IBD to evaluate the alternatives to the main problem. The main criteria in which to base the choice on is if the alternative will be able to achieve the goal of stepping up IBD’s annual organic growth rate from 3 – 5% in recent years to 12 – 15% by 2008. The criteria can be measurable on a quarterly basis by evaluating price values versus target. Therefore IBD will be able to continue to track their growth rate, and see if the alternative chosen is helping them achieve desired results. IBD will be able to see if the chosen alternative is working and make necessary changes to adapt to their strategy and objectives. Each alternative needs to be evaluated, and weighed against the criteria. This is a critical step in the decision on what to do about the principal problem for IBD. Alternative One The first alternative that IBD could take is to continue with their existing strategy, and not change their way of conducting business. This would mean to stay with the focus on the OEM market. Pros This alternative has some positive attributes for IBD to choose this option. Selecting this alternative will allow IBD to keep brand loyalty because in the OEM market, the brand is an important aspect in the buying process. In addition, this alternative will also allow for IBD to maintain their current high margins; this is because OEMs are willing to pay a higher price in exchange for premium products that adds value to their finished product. Also, this alternative will avoid channel conflicts within the industry which benefits 3M by allowing them to sell directly to customers. Cons This alternative is not without its faults to because this course of action ill not allow the company to achieve the mandated growth rate because the OEM business is decreasing. The OEM market is currently declining due to low production costs in China ($11 US vs. .15 cents) and the rising Canadian dollar. Also, the OEM market is currently maturing which would result in a flat line or decrease in sales over the years. Alternative Two The second alternative is for IBD to change their customer focus from the OEMs to the MROs with a focus on the national distributors section. Pros An advantage of this would be that the MRO market is fast growing in double digit rates with mega corporations. This would result in bulk sales and low unit margins would be offset by higher volumes. Also, IBD would not have to invest money on marketing to OEMs because they were already selling to this market and were very experienced and good at it. The distributors will be able to pick up tasks such as marketing and selling for 3M. Finally, the national players have an immense sales infrastructure in terms of branches, delivery centres and sales forces (inside and out) and are secured with large contracts. This would result in 3M being able to capitalize on this by using the national players’ sales force, and large contracts to increase sales. Cons This alternative does have its weaknesses, by dealing with MROs, only the result would be low margins for large volume sales because the MRO market is focused on price. In addition, the MRO industry is highly fragmented and does not care about brand loyalty. This could result in MROs going to competitors as soon as they offer them lower prices. Alternative Three Finally, the last alternative that IBD should consider is to focus on selling to both the OEM market as well as the MRO market equally. Pros If IBD were to take this alternative the company would have to become everything to everybody. IBD would gain variable margins such as high margins with the OEMs as well as low margins for the MROs. Cons However, there are many downsides to this alternative for IBD. They will not be able to specialize in a particular market as they would be able to by selecting other alternatives. This alternative is also very expensive because IBD would have to market to both the OEM and the MRO markets. IBD had a mandate to increase annual organic growth up to 5%. A promising way of achieving this goal is to switch customer focus from OEM to MRO because this industry was growing rapidly and is estimated to be worth $14 billion. Gaining a small piece of this market will upscale their growth portfolio. Continuing with their existing sales plan does not guarantee optimistic results, therefore needing to alter their sales model to serve this new channel and achieve this goal. IBD needs to focus on the ten biggest distributors in the MRO market, particularly National. In order to do that the organization will need some assistance from manufacturers’ reps. These reps will provide access to industry knowledge and experience that was needed because the distributors controlled the MRO market more than the suppliers. Existing relationships and large contracts with these distributors and the manufacturers’ reps will be a large asset that will leap to new contracts with 3M. In addition to servicing the National accounts by manufacturers’ reps, IBD should add three to four customer account managers (internally groomed). They will service each National distributor and ensure that they provide quick responses and push the decision making process. This is imperative because these accounts are in need of great customer care and such requests will not inconvenience the salesperson from focusing on attaining new business. Internal sales force is inexperienced for this new strategy as they are not qualified in dealing with large corporations. Instead they excelled at dealing with managers at small to medium sized businesses. Internal sales representatives will be the key individuals that will get closer to the end users throughout all industries. Their tasks will continue to maintain existing business accounts (particularly the OEMs) in their regional areas and ensure that they carry on as repeat buyers. Products that are sold in this market become a part of the finished product and brand loyalty is significant. As an entering good, it does compromise the quality of the finished product. This segment was mature with little room to grow, however products were perceived as high value and there was more room for profitability. Internal sales representatives will also serve as second level technical support for their existing accounts and end users of National distributors. This will assist in keeping control of end user data and ensure that their full needs are met. Supply chain management can be improved by implementing incentive programs with National distributors to purchase in volumes. This can be done by providing quantity price breaks as enticement to purchase in large volumes. Such strategy will increase production efficiencies, lower costs and provide a healthy inventory turnover. Another incentive that should be implemented is service stock agreements for specialized items. It is an agreement between the manufacturer and the distributor that the supplier will keep requested quantities in stock for them alone. This will cut lead times for the distributor and prevent inventory from turning into slow or obsolete. 3M has already implemented the Six Sigma programs that decreased their lead times and they do not have to carry as much inventory. National distributors had an immense regional infrastructure; therefore they will provide local products to the end users. The next step that 3M must take is to alter their traditional marketing programs that were originally aimed at the â€Å"Regional Specialists† segment. A new focus needs to be directed towards the National distributors. The phase that needs to be addressed immediately is pricing. Products for these distributors are commoditized where price is the key to competing in the market. A new price book will also have to be re-designed to be used as a tool for selling in this industry. The first step of the implementation plan is to schedule a meeting to discuss the new strategy as accepted by the IBD management. This meeting should include the following departments: senior management, human resources, sales staff (inside and out), marketing and business development. Mr. Yegnaswami should assign project managers for each area of implementation; sales model re-design, marketing, and logistics. A project outline will be designed in this meeting to state each milestone and set a target date for completion. Project managers will be given 1 month to gather resources and plan their strategy to move forward. Marketing managers will be responsible to develop a plan to penetrate the new market and this is where the design for the new price book should begin. At this point, human resources and sales managers should begin their research for employers of manufacturers’ reps. Simultaneously, 3M could begin grooming existing employees into Customer Account Managers. They will gain industry knowledge, inside selling tips, pricing, quoting, and telephone skills. Following a month of research for manufacturers’ reps, the sales manager should begin interviews with a minimum of three companies. Their decision should be made within two weeks. A national sales meeting should be scheduled two weeks after the appointment of manufacturers’ reps. This meeting should be used to introduce all inside and outside sales staff, including the customer account managers that will be working jointly with the manufacturers’ reps. Technical salespeople together with the customer account managers (CAMs) will use this time to provide technical product information and company policies (i. e. orporate objectives, return policy, freight policy etc. ). At this moment, the price book should be complete and ready to be introduced to the market. Manufacturers’ reps should use this opportunity to do joint sales calls with the technical reps and use t hem as support for any questions that may be specialized to a product. As a goal to shorten the sales cycle, promote the price book, and provide an incentive for the National distributor, salespeople should offer a discount of 5-10% on the distributor’s first stocking order for all items ordered from the price book. The next step is to hold a quarterly sales meeting (either local or through net meeting). Topics that will be evaluated are: budget versus actual sales and key performance indicators such as number of leads generated, qualified leads and quotes made. At this time the sales manager should evaluate the progress of each manufacturer’s rep. If progress is unsatisfactory, additional support will be provided in order to improve. During the annual meeting A potential risk involved with the new strategy is that 3M could hurt their brand name by creating a cheap image of their product. Currently they sell to a market that values the brand and will pay a premium price for the value that they are getting from the product. Selling to distributors who are price sensitive, 3M will have to consider the fact that they will be leading the market with price and not a premium product. IBD could overcome this issue by carefully evaluating the price elasticity of their products. All changes in price should have a reasonably large effect on the demand. Keeping the elasticity level at one will maximize the revenue and in fact assist in keeping their well known brand. By focusing their marketing efforts on the MRO National distributors, there is a risk that they will be facing channel conflicts. This conflict could exist when manufacturers like 3M and their distributors compete against each other when selling to the same market. IBD must properly design its channel to reflect the products that are sold in their targeted market. They must also mutually establish and align their business goals with their channel partners. In addition effective communication must be a priority with their distributors as these partners are necessary and viable for 3M to gain success. A further risk involved is improper setting of inventory levels. This is crucial to the business with the proposal of selling in volume. If these levels are not set up at appropriate amounts, 3M could be facing stock outs or overstocks that will lead to slow inventory. This could make or break their business. Logistics department should carefully monitor the product movement and make any adjustments to stay proactive with the product demand. If distributors have predictable buying patterns, salespeople could work with them to place blanket orders to ensure that inventory will always be available and their products will be pulled from stock. The last risk involved is that there are a handful of national distributors and if they were to lose business of one distributor, their sales would drop drastically. To overcome these risks, 3M should build close relationships with their distributors, always pledge to have open communications and avoid any risks mentioned above.

Newly diagnosed with Multiply Myeloma, information on your planned Essay

Newly diagnosed with Multiply Myeloma, information on your planned treatment with Lenalidomide 2 - Essay Example There is also elevated levels of antibodies and also other plasma proteins. In vitro, effects of lenalidomide 2 include direct anti-tumor action. It inhibits the microenvironment support for the thriving of the tumor cells. It plays an immunomudulary role. In vivo, it leads to the apoptosis of tumor cells both directly and indirectly. It does this by inhibition of support for bone marrow stromal cells. It also has anti-osteocaltrogenic, anti-angiogenic, and immunomodulary activities. The choice of chemotherapy would depend on factors such as the health of the patients, future ability to undergo stem cell transplantation, age and also disease characteristics that indicate a high risk to MM. Treatment options for patients with high risk of multiple myeloma is indistinct. It is recommended that patients of that nature enrol in clinical trials. Patients who are unwilling to participate in clinical trials would have a regimen that should include a combination that has bortezomib. After initial chemotherapy, stem cell transplanataton is recommended. For standard risk MM, the treatment options include a drug without melphalan, such as lenalidomide 2 and dexamethasone (RD), or cyclophosphamide , dexamethasone and bortezomib (VCD). In case the patient would not undergo stem cell transplantation, treatment should include thalidomide, melphalan and prednisone (MPT) or prednisone, bortezomib and melphalan (VMP). Another suitable combination is lenalidomide 2, with dexamethasone in low doses (RD). Lenalidomide 2, an immunomudalting agent, is usually effective in the treatment of MM. It is most often used in combination with dexamethasone. The combination is taken in the form of pills for between 3 to 4 weeks, dexamethasone being taken weekly. Due to the tendency to lead to formation of clots, warfarin or aspirin is given to reduce the risk. Kumar, S., Flinn, I.W., Hari, P.N. et al (2009). Novel three- and four-drug combinations of bortezomib, dexamethasone,

Strategy Required to Improve Project Management Outcomes - Approved Case Study

Strategy Required to Improve Project Management Outcomes - Approved projects align with corporate strategy - Case Study Example It is very clear from the internal memorandum sent by the chairman to the senior project manager wherein he has shared his concern over declining number of such projects delivered in right time and budget although the project managers are capable of technical knowhow and follow principles based management practices. Let’s hope that ideas offered by all of us on how to implement latest project management principles and processes to better manage time and cost factors could help the our organization. Our objective is to provide inputs on effectively managing new projects through our individual ideas on why project success rate is falling down while keeping the principles of project management in view. The past experience in project management has not been remarkable. That’s why opinions of the team members have been sought by the chairman. Actually, the company is lagging behind the goals earmarked. It was expected by the top management that with the given expertise and technical hold, we will enter the global market very soon but overseas projects taken so far have not helped us in capturing foreign market; the gap between the goals and outcomes is widening. Our aim is to rework on current management theory to see that approved projects align with our organization’s strategy. Accountability needs to be determined so that in case a project fails, responsibility is fixed. A number of factors determine the success of a project. Sometimes, it is seen that dedicated support for the project is not provided by the senior members of the board. Without overall and individual level support by top brass of the organization, project starts staggering. When the project reaches certain stage, another urgent project comes by for getting attention of the project team as it has to be completed before the ongoing project. The role of the senior management becomes very crucial in the organization

Accounting System of a Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting System of a Firm - Essay Example Certain step must then be followed in planning a systems development project plan. Typically, this procedure starts with the identification of the problems as well as the objective for conducting the project. Along with the identification of the capability of the organization to support the project, designing the system to be applied is then created. In order to ensure the efficacy of the designed system, this will undergo a series of tests and evaluation procedures. After which, the system is then installed. The process however does not stop here as the system will have to be monitored continuously. Furthermore, the employees who will be using the new system must be trained properlyThe process involved in a systems development project plan is indeed an essential tool that enables project developers and managers to ensure the efficacy of the system employed. The systematize process provides significant controls that helps in people and task management. Following a specific project pl an also allows the project staff to identify potential problems that could arise. Thus, this organized procedure helps the staff to prepare alternatives and solutions that could address these possible problems. In order to comprehend the process of implementing a systems development project plan, a case of a small accounting firm will be taken as an example. With the expert help of an IT consulting firm and a sixty thousand dollar budget, the firm intends to have a system that will integrate its main operations including administrative functions and report production. In this case example, the objectives of the project, the role of the project manager and the problems that could occur during the different phases of the project plan will be identified. The small accounting firm aims to implement a systems development project. With this main goal, the firm intends to achieve the following objectives: To design and apply an integrated system that will allow it to perform administrative functions and produce essential accounting reports To develop a specific step-by-step procedure for the project's application To implement an effective system development project within a limited budget To have the system installed in eight weeks time Though these established objectives will help in directing the project team, certain constraints could hinder their achievement. Time and budget for instance are significant constraints for this project. Within eight weeks, the integrated system must be installed in the firm. Unlike bigger corporations, smaller firms have fewer resources to support long term project plans. Thus, the project team must work rapidly so as to meet the deadline and avoid financial shortage. These factors in turn add more pressure to the project staff. Putting the project team into much pressure can cause the members to prioritize time over quality, which can significantly affect the efficiency of the project. When the main objective of the project team is to finish the project on time, the long term success of the project may be negatively affected. Quality is also an important factor for a successful project. However, working under time pressure while maintaining work quality can be difficult and can burnout and stress among the participants (Gobeli, Gray & Larson, 1991). Time is indeed a major constraint in project management, especially when the firm expects to see the project results within an unrealistic time span (Baumgartner, 1979). Unrealistic work schedules can not only cause stress among the staff but can also affect their motivation to finish the project. Handling people is also a major constrain

Effect of Temperature on Water Properties

Effect of Temperature on Water Properties Life is inseparable from water. This dependence of life on water can be attributed to the unique properties of water, water is directly intimately involved in all details of animal physiology but because it is so common, water is often regarded with indifference as an inert space, filter in living system. The special properties of water are so important to life stem directly from its molecular structure. Therefore it is important that we should begin by understanding its molecular structure. Not only that water is also a driving force of all living organisms, hence the saying â€Å"water is life, conserve it.† MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF WATER The shape of water and of all organic molecules is necessary to the structure and functional roles they playin living organisms, for example, hormones having specific shapes that allow them to be recognized by the cells in the body. We can stay well only when the antibiotics combine with disease- causing agents like a key fits into a lock, similarly homeostasis is only maintained when enzymes have the proper shape to carry out their particular reactions in cells. The shape of a water molecule and its polarity makes hydrogen bonding possible. Water’s shape also enables it to support life as shown below Water has several functions due to its unique properties that make it vital to living organisms. The following are some of the properties of water which can either be physical or chemical and its significance to living organisms. Water is said to be; UNIVERSAL SOLVENT Water is said to be an excellent universal solvent for polar substances like salts which contains charged particles, as shown below; From the diagram above of a salt molecule it can be seen that water is able to surround a salt molecule, which makes it to be dissolved by a water molecule, hence the reason for water being a universal solvent that is enabling it to dissolve nutrients in other living organisms, also water being a universal solvent means that more substances both organic and inorganic are dissolved in water than in any other solvent. For this reason water is rarely pure, being almost always in solution containing dissolved substances. (Lacksonetal 1995:14) Hence because of water being a universal solvent it plays an important role in living organisms, it is suitable for life in which diffusion and osmosis occur easily, that is it helps in the diffusion of gases to facilitate gaseous exchange in insects as well as in fish which usually uses oxygen that has dissolved in water. Aquatic organisms such as fish, amoeba and so on benefit from water by making use of the dissolved oxygen in water for their respiration. Water also acts as a transport medium as in the blood, lymphatic and excretory systems, such as in the removal of water products in the body such as urine, as well as in the alimentary canal of a living organism and in the xylem to transport mineral salts in plants and in the phloem to transport manufactured food. It is also an important solvent in which most of the bodily solute are dissolved, it also plays an important part in metabolism processes as well as helping organisms to transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. The tendency of water to cause amphipathic molecules to form in cells is important in the formation of biological membranes in living cells and may have provided the basis for the first cell-like organisms of living system in the organic-rich shallow seas in which the beginning of life is believed to have undergone its first stages (Eckert and Randi 1978:20) DENSITY AND FREEZING PROPERTIES OF WATER When we consider this property of water having less density when in solid state (ice) than liquid water which has a maximum density at a temperature of 40c we see that ice tends to float on water. When water is cooled to form ice the hydrogen bonds become more rigid but also more open causing water to expand thus increasing in volume. This reason explains why a cans containing water bursts when placed in a freezer for a long period of time. It is generally observed that matter expands upon heating hence the behavior of water to expand when heated is sometimes referred to as â€Å"the abnormal behavior of water.† The ability of ice to float on water prevents the whole body of water (ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans) from freezing solid because it acts as in insulator on the water surface, as a result this property of water protects aquatic organisms and enables them to survive through the winter. HIGH HEAT CAPACITY Heat capacity is the amount of energy required to change the temperature of a substance by 1oc. water is said to have a high heat capacity because water has the ability to retain a good amount of energy with only a little fluctuation in its own temperature. This means that for water to have a change in its temperature it requires a lot of energy. This property of water is important not only to aquatic life but for all living organisms because the temperature of water rises and falls slowly organisms are better able to maintain their normal internal temperature and are protected from rapid temperature changes. COHESIVE AND ADHESIEVE Cohesion refers to the ability of water molecules to cling to other water molecules due to hydrogen bonding. Because of cohesion, water exists as a liquid under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. Cohesion in water contributes to the transport of water in plants living because water molecules are strongly attracted to each other, and its surface tension makes it possible for water striders, a common insect to walk on the surface of a pond (Mader 2010:29) Furthermore, high surface tension and cohesion are also important properties of water which makes water molecules to stick together. The high surface tension or cohesion of water molecules is important in cells and many organisms such as insects which rely on surface tension to settle on water. Below is a diagram illustrating the structure of water that makes it cling to other water molecules due to hydrogen bonding. ÃŽ ´+ H H ÃŽ ´+ ÃŽ ´+ H O †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦. H O 2ÃŽ ´ 2ÃŽ ´ ÃŽ ´+ Hydrogen bond Key: ÃŽ ´+ : slightly positively charged H : Hydrogen atom ÃŽ ´ : slightly negatively charged O : Oxygen atom Taylor etal(1997:37) HIGH HEAT OF VAPORIZATION High heat of vaporization is also another important property of water. Latent heat of vaporization is the measure of the heat energy required to vaporize a liquid- that is the energy needed to overcome the attractive forces between its molecules that they can escape as a gas. The energy transferred to water molecules to allow them to vaporize results in the loss of energy from surrounding that is cooling taking place. As a result this property is made use of in the cooling of the temperature of living organisms through sweating and panting. It can be concluded that the properties of water are vital to all living organisms and it plays important roles by ensuring that living organisms survive. It can be seen that the properties of water outlined in this discussion have a direct link to the survival of living organisms and that without water life on earth as we know would not exist. Therefore water is life conserve it. REFERENCES Berner E. eatal (1987), The global water cycle.  prentice- Hall inc: New Jersey. Eckert and Rand (1978), Animal physiology 2nd edition.  C.B.S publishers: New Delhi. Raven J. (2000), Science of biology.  Cambridge university press: New York Silver Mader .S. (2010), Biology 10th edition  McCraw Hill Companies: New York. Taylor DJ.T. etal (1997), Biological Science 1st and 2nd edition.  Cambridge University press: New York.

Music in Twelfth Night Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Critics call Twelfth Night one of William Shakespeare’s most poetic and musical plays. Shakespeare writes poetic lines for the major characters, Viola, Orsino, and Olivia, and gives the Fool, and other minor characters, songs to sing throughout the play. The particularly romantic lines of the play make it seem as if the characters are professional poets themselves. Shakespeare also uses the music and poetry in Twelfth Night to foreshadow what is going to happen for the rest of the performance and to reveal major themes in the play. Music and poetry become major characters in the play themselves. The opening soliloquy of Act I Scene I, given by Duke Orsino, is another perfect example of Shakespeare using music to show the upcoming storyline of the play. At first, Orsino is using music as a metaphor that feeds the appetite of love. He speaks for a minute about his love for the music playing, and then changes abruptly by saying, â€Å"Enough; no more† (7). Already Shakespeare is foreshadowing Orsino’s fickleness when it comes to music which in turn stands for love. Of course, further into the play, it is shown that Orsino truly is fickle when it comes to love. As soon as he finds out that Cesario is in fact the woman Viola, he instantly forgets all the passion he had for Olivia and marries Viola. Another part of Orsino’s opening speech that shows a piece of the future plot is the part where he talks about love being â€Å"receiveth as the sea† (11). This can be taken to show that love will come by the sea. In the very next scene, Viola appears in Illyria from a shipwreck. Sebastian, although Shakespeare does not say so at the time, also comes onto the scene because of the same shipwreck. Shakespeare forecasts, very subtly, that these are t... ...one of the antics at the start play to woo Olivia succeed for Orsino and Viola’s initial plan in the beginning does not blossom. This line concludes the part of Feste’s song in which he is giving a synopsis of the play. The last two stanzas are addressed to the audience and Feste thanks them. Shakespeare craftily uses music and poetry to guide the audience through the play and give them an inkling of what is to come, if the audience chooses to play close attention. However, it is not always clear what the song means and, depending on the character delivering the song or poem, comes off as more comedic than meaningful to the performance. By the end of the play, the audience has accepted that music and poetry are just as much themes in the play as disguise and love, but are blended so painstakingly that neither poetry or love overshadow anything in the performance.

Food Inc. Essay

1. Incorporation (Inc. ) means to form a legal association of individuals, created by law or under the authority of law, with a continuous existence independent of the existences of its members, and with powers and liabilities distinct from those of its members. Therefore, Food Inc. implies that food system of the modern day has become more of a combination of monopolized businesses, whom only care about their profits, rather than the farmers from the obsolete agricultural system. 2. Walking through a supermarket many food items are plastered with images of farms and pastures creating a facade to the true factory farming that’s occurring in today’s society. These images are creating a pastoral fantasy of the agrarian America of the 1930’s. 3. Using Monsanto’s soy beans for this timeline all seeds begin in a lab. Seeds are genetically altered (GMOs). They are then sold to farmers who have a contract with the Monsanto Company. Then they harvested in large amounts and shipped out to be processed, but some of the beans are used a feed for cattle and other livestock. At the factory they are packaged, and are shipped out to local supermarkets for national consumption. 4. The McDonald brothers revolutionized the fast food industry. They â€Å"brought the factory system to the kitchen. † Increasing profit, while decreasing costs, and with this came an increase in the unhealthiness of food by focusing on the three things humans’ desire most: sugar, fat, and salt. 5. Factory farming is the precise systematic farming of livestock in a factory setting an example being chickens. Today, chickens are often raised in huge metal buildings with no access to light or fresh air, confined together with thousands of birds in one building, and made to grow so quickly that often their bones cannot keep up and they can lose their ability to walk. 6. In Food Inc. the phrase â€Å"growing chickens† creates a negative connotation. It would seem that the process that’s usually referred to as raising chickens has become so systematic that there is no longer a personal connection between the farmer, and his chickens. They become property, which are only used for financial profit. 7. With all the diversity found in the supermarket, one would think there are hundreds of different companies that provide the different foods. Truthfully, about eighty percent of all products in the supermarket are produced, and distributed by four major companies. This creates an illusion of diversity which, unfortunately, most consumers are unaware of. 8. Monsanto Company, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, and Perdue Farms were all asked to be interviewed for Food Inc. and all declined the opportunity. Declining the opportunity to explain their motives give many a reason for doubt. Showing they have secrets or motives that would not be explainable without legal confrontations. 9. Environmental contamination is a major result of the newly developed farming system. Manure mixed with run-off water can contaminate surrounding vegetable farms causing Salmonella and E. coli contamination in plants such as spinach and lettuce. In South America, a major beef producer, deforestation has become a huge problem which is created by companies trying to make space for factory farms. This deforestation causes the displacement of animals and ecosystems. Smoke produced by factories can lead to smog, and air pollution in concentrated amounts. 10. Not only does the modern food system have a negative effect on the environment it harms humans as well. With animal feed being treated with antibiotics any bacteria present has a chance to become immune. This bacteria can then be acquired by consumption of raw meat, and with it being immune to some antibiotics, it will cause an increase the difficulty of treatment, and may result in death. With the food system being based so highly on the consumption of fat, salt, and sugar, a major concern for humans is heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Type two diabetes, acquired diabetes, used to only be contracted in adulthood, but now its arising as early as age seven. 11. There is a direct relationship between food and health. The major goal of the new industrial agricultural system is to grow everything faster, fatter, and bigger. We’ve grown right along with the companies who own these farms. Michael Pollan evaluates the problem by comparing it to the past: â€Å"Over the course of human history, we were struggling to make sure we had enough food and enough calories for a sizable percentage of the human race. Now the problem is too many calories. † 12. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Companies such as Tyson may use GMOs to produce more efficient and more profitable livestock. GMOs should be clearly labeled when present in food. Although not all GMOs are harmful, a customer should be privileged to know what their food contains. Labeling the presence of a GMO may also prevent a lawsuit against the major corporations if anything was to happen. 13. The documentary Food Inc. , being very factual, used many different sources to acquire all the information needed. Sources such as first-hand accounts on what occur, hidden cameras, accredited websites, other documentaries, classical farmers, award winning authors familiar with the topic, and many well educated informants. 14. Food Inc. is sectioned into chapters. Each chapter pulls the veil away from the consumers eyes on somewhat different, but connected topics: fast food, food contents, food safety, right to healthy food, meat industry, chicken industry, major companies, lives lost, and what consumers can do to change the system. 15. Being a documentary the main purpose of Food Inc.is to educate people on the problems of food production, and to persuade consumers to make healthier food choices. It may also be trying to inspire change in the everyday persons eating habits. 16. Food Inc. is directed towards middle class citizens who shop at the supermarket without really knowing what they are eating. 17. The strategies used throughout Food Inc. covered a wide range of tactics. Rhetorical questions, hidden camera footage, creditable statistics, personal anecdotes, music, religion, and the most heart wrenching strategy used was on location filming of the factory farms. 18. Food Inc. had a very informative, and cautious tone. There were many facts, and just as many warnings. 19. An interesting revelation made in the duration of Food Inc. is how naive people can ben to their surroundings. Maria Gonzalez believed that â€Å"everything was healthy† which justified her family visiting Burger King for almost every meal. It would be understandable to know that she couldn’t afford anything healthier, but to not know that the food she was consuming was unhealthy, it just shows how manipulative large corporations can be.

Pulp Fiction and religon essays

Pulp Fiction and religon essays Throughout the movie Pulp Fiction runs many ties to the Bible. Jules recites and later analyzes a passage from the Bible and which portion each person would represent. There is a character, Lance, who shares a strong likeness with Jesus. Lance is Vincents dealer that Vincent can get is euphoric feeling from, and later helps him to resurrect Mia Wallace. The stories themselves within the move also share similarities to those in the Bible . A strong theme throughout the instances with Jules and Vincent is the acknowledgement of God and his presence. In one of the most intense scenes in the movie, Jules and Vincent go to an apartment to retrieve a briefcase for Marcellus. What Jules and Vincent are picking up at the apartment is a briefcase for Marcellus. The camera never shows what is inside the briefcase, but is supposed to be the most beautiful thing everyone has seen. Any person who ends up looking at its contents becomes momentarily entranced by what they see, it is Marcellus soul. The briefcase must be unlocked with the code 666, which is the number of the beast (devil). The briefcase emits a glow as a soul would if it were materialized. In the Bible, when the devil takes a soul, he takes it from the back of a persons head. When we first see Marcellus in the movie, all that is shown is the back of his head with a large Band-Aid on it. Later we see that at the end of this scene, a person that was hiding in the bathroom comes out firing a hand cannon at Jules and Vincent. They look at the wall behind them and there are bullet-holes behind where they are standing. Vincent plays off the incident as though it werent a big deal, but Jules sees it as divine intervention. It is possible that God spared these two due to the fact that they are saving and holding onto a persons soul, just reason for divine intervention. ...

Sulfur Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Sulfur Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements SulfurBasic Facts Atomic Number: 16 Symbol: S Atomic Weight: 32.066 Discovery: Known since prehistoric time. Electron Configuration: [Ne] 3s2 3p4 Word Origin: Sanskrit: sulvere, Latin: sulpur, sulphurium: words for sulfur or brimstone Isotopes: Sulfur has 21 known isotopes ranging from S-27 to S-46 and S-48. Four isotopes are stable: S-32, S-33, S-34 and S-36. S-32 is the most common isotope with an abundance of 95.02%. Properties: Sulfur has a melting point of 112.8Â °C (rhombic) or 119.0Â °C (monoclinic), boiling point of 444.674Â °C, specific gravity of 2.07 (rhombic) or 1.957 (monoclinic) at 20Â °C, with a valence of 2, 4, or 6. Sulfur is a pale yellow, brittle, odorless solid. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in carbon disulfide. Multiple allotropes of sulfur are known. Uses: Sulfur is a component of gunpowder. It is used in the vulcanization of rubber. Sulfur has applications as a fungicide, fumigant, and in the making of fertilizers. It is used to make sulfuric acid. Sulfur is used in the making of several types of paper and as a bleaching agent. Elemental sulfur is used as an electrical insulator. The organic compounds of sulfur have many uses. Sulfur is an element that is essential for life. However, sulfur compounds can be highly toxic. For example, small amounts of hydrogen sulfide can be metabolized, but higher concentrations can quickly cause death from respiratory paralysis. Hydrogen sulfide quickly deadens the sense of smell. Sulfur dioxide is an important atmospheric pollutant. Sources: Sulfur is found in meteorites and native in proximity to hot springs and volcanoes. It is found in many minerals, including galena, iron pyrite, sphalerite, stibnite, cinnabar, Epsom salts, gypsum, celestite, and barite. Sulfur also occurs in petroleum crude oil and natural gas. The Frasch process may be used to obtain sulfur commercially. In this process, heated water is forced into wells sunk into salt domes in order to melt the sulfur. The water is then brought to the surface. Element Classification: Non-Metal Sulfur Physical Data Density (g/cc): 2.070 Melting Point (K): 386 Boiling Point (K): 717.824 Appearance: tasteless, odorless, yellow, brittle solid Atomic Radius (pm): 127 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 15.5 Covalent Radius (pm): 102 Ionic Radius: 30 (6e) 184 (-2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.732 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 1.23 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 10.5 Pauling Negativity Number: 2.58 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 999.0 Oxidation States: 6, 4, 2, -2 Lattice Structure: Orthorhombic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 10.470 CAS Registry Number: 7704-34-9 Sulfur Trivia: Pure sulfur has no smell. The strong smell associated with sulfur should actually be attributed to compounds of sulfur.Brimstone is an ancient name for sulfur that means burning stone.Molten sulfur is red.Sulfur burns with a blue flame in a flame test.Sulfur is the seventeenth most common element in the Earths crust.Sulfur is the eighth most common element in the human body.Sulfur is the sixth most common element in seawater.Gunpowder contains sulfur, carbon and saltpeter. Sulfur or Sulphur?: The f spelling of sulfur was originally introduced in the United States in the 1828 Webster dictionary. Other English texts kept the ph spelling. The IUPAC formally adopted the f spelling in 1990. References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) International Atomic Energy Agency ENSDF database (Oct 2010) Quiz: Ready to test your sulfur facts knowledge? Take the Sulfur Facts Quiz.Return to the Periodic Table

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Psychology - Essay Example Repression is an unconscious reaction to a traumatic event or threatening feelings that enables a child who suffered abuse, for example, to completely block all memory of the event out of their mind. Denial is somewhat similar to repression in that the mind works to ignore a situation, threatening impulse or other unpleasant idea, but in this case, there is some conscious understanding of what has taken place yet the individual denies to themselves that the event occurred the way it did or that it had an effect on them. Displacement allows an individual to transfer negative feelings to a less threatening target as a means of relieving tension. In this case, an individual who has a difficult relationship with their boss might come home from work and be mean to their pet or roommate or drive home aggressively, cutting people off in traffic and yelling at people passing by (Just, n.d.). In addition to the development of the mind, Freud identified several psychosexual stages of development through which a child must pass to become a healthy adult. These begin with the oral stage in which all pleasure comes to the infant through the mouth. The next stage is the anal stage in conjunction with toilet training and represents the child’s first battle between the id and the ego and superego and can shape personality into anal retentive or anal expulsive characters. The phallic stage is when the child becomes aware of his or her genitals and begins to identify with either the mother or the father and results in the child wishing to possess the parent of the opposite sex. Once these stages are navigated, the child enters a latency period in which the sexual drive is dormant, but it reemerges with adolescence in the genital stage as individuals begin focusing their attention on heterosexual relationships in the teenage years. Attributions are basically the human need to offer an explanation for a variety of events. External

The major problems that emerged from the fall of the wall for the Essay

The major problems that emerged from the fall of the wall for the newly united Germany - Essay Example Reflecting upon and referring to the events outlined in the lesson, this paper will give the writer’s opinion on what the major problems emerging from the fall of the wall were, and if and how they could have been avoided. The problems Germany faced after reunification arose from the initial causes of the division. Although it was clear by 1990 that both East and West Germany intended strongly to reunite into a common German federal republic, the most notable problems were political, economical and social. In East Germany, not only did the Party of Democratic Socialism undergo heavy defeat in the first free elections, but East Germany’s infrastructure and economy almost collapsed (Muller, Judd & Yzerbyt 2005). East Germany may have been considered the most vigorous economy in the Soviet bloc, but I think it’s economic near-collapse was a manifestation of its shaky and ill-planned communist foundations. Rather than gaining stability from its relative wealth, East Germany’s relative poverty destabilized it. There continued to be different mentalities between those from the East and those from the West. East Germans had been guaranteed the right to work, with 80 percent of its women employed, and outstanding childcare had been provided by the state. In contrast, the West, whose systems were driven by the markets, social services were continuously being cut and getting jobs was difficult. The reunion made it even more difficult for workers from East Germany to get jobs (although those who got them benefited greatly) because they had to adapt to new systems that rendered them insufficiently trained (Muller, Judd & Yzerbyt 2005). My opinion is that this was a consequence of the conception of two new identities which had no roots in the history of the country prior to 1949. Four decades of division had created a social problem in which West Germans (Wessis) were perceived by foreigners as well as most West