Individual Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Paper - Essay Example It is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that the organization selects the right project. For the survival of the project, adequate resources are vital which will ensure its sustenance to the final stage. The projects should be in line with the organizational goals. Periodical review of the program is necessary for the achievement of its set goals. In case, the planned outcome and the actual outcomes are not in unity, the program management reviews the entire project regarding the allocation of resources and carries out necessary changes to ensure the achievement of major objectives (Butler, 2012) The program management office assists in the formulation and the enforcement of different policies and standards that govern the implementation of the program. It monitors the progress of the project and reports to the project management team for necessary actions. This is one of the best practices in project management due to the active monitoring of the projects. Project portfolio management and the project management office are essential for the success of a project. The project management team outlines the resource requirements for the completion of the projects and seeks necessary funds to finance the expenses. Every stage of the project lifecycle is important for its success from its conception, planning, implementation, evaluation, and control. For these reasons, many organizations formulate the project portfolio management and project management departments within their organizations (Mustafa, 2012). The program management office provides the foundation for portfolio management. They provide project management guidance to the project managers. It is the responsibility of the project management office to establish a project management process for the organization. Project management office is necessary throughout the project life. The office sets the standards that it uses for comparison and the

Rate of reaction Essay Example for Free

Rate of reaction Essay Evaluation: I think that overall, our experiments/investigation was successful except for minor things such as the occasional odd results. On the first graph, these can be identified as when the lines representing 1. 25 and 1. 5 molar kept on crossing over each other. They were very similar. In theory, all the lines should be apart because the rate of reaction should be increasing every time. Another odd result is that on the second graph, the point which represents 1 molar is no where near the line of best fit. All points should either lie on the line or be pretty close to it. I believe that we got these odd results because our human errors. We may not have collected all the gas produced. Or the gas could have been caught in the collecting tube and this may have resulted in the long time needed for the reaction. I believe that the method provided with us has a few faults that I would like to point out. Firstly, when the magnesium piece is dropped first, then the acid poured, time is taken for the all the acid to drop but as soon as the first drop touches the magnesium it will react. This means that hydrogen gas would have been produced when pouring in the acid and lost through the open top. To change this, I would say in the method that the acid should be poured in to the test tube first then the magnesium piece, as the cork can be replaced without the metal touching the acid and no hydrogen gas would be lost. Secondly, gas can get trapped in the collecting tube as it faces down. When the first amount of gas is produced, it is followed by more which results in the gas pushing forward for more space because it cant be compressed. When the last amount of gas is produced, nothing is there to push it forward so it just floats around without reaching the measuring cylinder. I dont really have any improvements for the method but you could try to keep the measuring cylinder closer to the test tube and keep it at an elevated position. This way, more gas reaches it. We should have taken more care when handling the glass equipment as a measuring cylinder had been pushed over the ledge of the worktop and smashed when it had contact with the ground. Overall, the method was good but like everything else, it could be improved. It was generally a fair test but a few things may have altered the results, such as after a few of the first experiments, one of the windows was opened in the room and cold air rushed in. I dont if this had anything to do with the experiment but it could be something to think over when planning the next investigation. I feel that the measurements were easy to take measurements as we didnt miss a single reading. We could have repeated the experiment once more to be a little more accurate, the more results there are, the better it is after all. All the graphs showed a pattern to do with the concentration levels of the acids, the trends got higher for rate of reaction, the time decreased for stronger acids and less time was taken to. We kept the few odd results we got as it gave us something to talk about and think about in the future. I strongly believe that the results that we got, supported our conclusion as no matter whose results you saw, all showed the same trend and this proves that the results were reliable. Next time, I would use more concentrations of acids, so that we can be even more accurate and sure about the results. Further investigations you could think about could be changing the temperature of the experiment and investigate if it alters your experiments at all. You could also change the surface area of the metal such as having a block, or reacting it in a powder form. Catalysts could be added to the reaction to see if they show a major difference. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Papa Dont Preach Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, tells the tale of a young orphan girl who is left under the jurisdiction of her dead uncle’s cruel wife and her family. Alone in the large estate and often subjugated to her aunt’s unjust punishments and her cousin’s fist, Jane becomes solitary and sensitive to the kindness of others. She awaits the liberation of adulthood to become self-sufficient and to find someone to love. Similarly, in The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier grows up in a motherless household with her authoritative father and treacherous sisters. She is often considered the model of female oppression and empowerment in the late 1800s, but her â€Å"awakening† actually results from her experiences in a cold and distant family. Edna’s suppressive childhood leads to her desire for independence in adulthood and helps her come to the realization that mothers play an important role in their children’s lives. Misinterpreted as hidden desires, Edna’s emotions towards love and freedom stem from the lack of familial love. Her father’s flippant thoughts towards her are shown when he tells Leonce that â€Å"authority, coercion are what is needed†¦ [to] manage a wife† [94]. He regards his daughter as just another woman and approaches raising her in the same manner that he treated his wife. Edna’s distant relationship with her sisters is shown in her refusal to go to the wedding [94] and her distaste for the motherly tones in her elder sister’s affections [22]. Coming from an isolated plantation, her youth was lonely and in result she grew to lack proper social skills and became more sensitive to kindness. This is supported by Adele’s statement to Robert, â€Å"...she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously.† ... ... follow them. While she had these unselfish undertones, the ultimate reason for her suicide was the desire to not be possessed by anyone; she had considered the children but this final act was her defiance. Taking her mother’s lead, she decides to not run away and to face her separation through death. Edna’s family had a profound effect on what her views and desires leading up to her awakening. The distance between them, geographically and emotionally, would eventually lead to her want of intimacy and warmth once found. The absence of a proper family structure in Edna’s childhood home set the foundation for her indifference to the roles of a wife and a mother, also creating a feeling of irresponsibility. Not until after making the acquaintance of a maternal and sensible woman, Adele, does Edna truly learn the burden of a mother’s position in her children’s lives.

Management Of Pacific Douglas-Fir Stands To Maintain Black-Tailed Deer Populations :: Environment Animals Environmental Essays

Management Of Pacific Douglas-Fir Stands To Maintain Black-Tailed Deer Populations Introduction Within the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, intensive, even-aged silviculture has simplified the structure and species composition of native forest stands. Within the range of the coastal Pacific Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), old-growth forests presently cover only 13 percent of the region; 60 percent of these remnants occur in patches less than 40 hectares in size. In this region, total land area consisting of old-growth forest before extensive logging has been estimated at 60-90 percent (Williams and Marcot 1991). As a result of intense clearcutting practices, early successional stages have become predominant and later stages have declined. Shifts in age classes of forests have been accompanied by changes in composition and abundance of fauna. Declines in population numbers, changes in conception dates, and an increase to 27 percent annual mortality (vs 5% in higher elevation old-growth stands) are a cause for implementing appropriate silvicultural practices in Douglas-fir stands managed for both timber production and a stable black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) population (McNay and Voller 1995, Brown 1992). This report will attempt to describe a fairly new and promising silvicultural method that can potentially be able to satisfy both of these criteria. Coastal Douglas-Fir Characteristics The habitat type that this report is concerned with is the Tsuga heterophylla zone which contains a large geographical area west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. Much of the central portion of this zone is occupied by subclimax forests dominated by coastal Douglas-fir (Williamson 1983, Scott 1980). The rest is dominated by western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). The original old-growth forest, whose origin was primarily periodic, catastrophic fire, frequently had understory components of western hemlock and western redcedar (Thuja plicata). On very xeric soils, Douglas-fir may be the major species of the climax stand. Douglas-fir is a species of medium tolerance, long life, large size, and rapid juvenile height growth. It does not sprout, but after 25 years of age bears good seed crops every 5 to 7 years. The seed disseminates well to about six tree lengths and up to one-half mile. Unmanaged stands vary between 81 and 190 cubic feet mean-annual increment at age sixty. Scott (1980) suggests that average yields of about 300 cubic feet per acre are possible in managed stands. For maximum yield, Douglas-fir is commonly grown on rotations of 40 to 60 years, depending on the site and the landowners' objectives.

Film Paper My Big Fat Greek Wedding Essay

For my paper, i have decided to write about My big fat greek Wedding and Philadelphia. I will say that I really enjoyed watching both films and there are a lot of interesting things to dicsuss about them. Both films varied in the amount of societal implications and interpersonal concepts but there were was plenty of it. Initially, i had trouble finding a good connection between the two films but i will be talking about something that i think both of these films do a good job of portraying. Both of these films are very interesting and i can honestly say i learned from them. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was absolutely hilarious in my opinion. In a sense the entire movie was about this relatively old below average looking greek girl who lived in a culturally bias greek family that wanted her to get married to a greek man. Her name is Tula and she is a smart girl working for the familys greek restaruant almost religiously day after day without a â€Å"life† as her father implies, which basically means she hasnt found a greek man yet. She eventually meets a non-greek man who she falls in love with and wants to marry but she is stressed out because she is afraid of her family reacting in a horrible way. Eventually, things somewhatwork out between both sides of the family and tula gets married. Love is a funny thing, what almost breaks the family apart brings them together in the end. There are a lot of interpersonal concepts in this movie but i think the biggest ones would be emotions, issues of self, and culture. From the beginning of her life, Tula was always looking down on herself and comparing herself to the other non-greek kids. She wanted to fit in with the cool culture and not with her greek family. She wasnt a good looking girl and her life never looked like it was going to get better. This obviously bothered her but she had no passion or drive to get her going. she gave up on trying because she created a distorted image of reality and opportunity. Well, until she met the love of her life, Ian Miller. This is where emotions played an even bigger role in the movie. Before Tula met Ian she was emotionally dead but when they fell in love Tula literally came to life. Change started with small emotions but eventually it led to her physical appearance, happiness, and view of life. Its amazing what love can do to a person. The concept of culture in this movie really is a funny topic. The entire family is so far greek that anyone else is not just considered inferior, but bad. Tulas father is the best example of bias because he relates everything back to the greeks and he always has a story to tell about his culture. His pride blinds him and the rest of the family from seeing people as they really are. Despite these issues, the family surprisingly accepts Ian into the family with a few exceptions ofcourse. At the end of the movie, Tulas father gives a humorous story basically stating that no matter what our differences are we are all just people. I think this film was trying to teach people alot about family and love. You can get rid of your friends or boyfriend/girlfirend but its much more difficult to get rid of your family because they are always going to be there. I learned to be a lot more grateful for my family after watching this because i could see the beauty in imperfection. We dont need to have the picture perfect family that we often try to portray. Honestly, That concept can go for all aspects of life. We are so hard on ourselves that we often try to be someone we are not just to gain approval from someone we dont even know. How sad is that? This movie showed that true love covers a multitude of things and people are willing to work through the storm to find a place of happiness and peace. In the end, love is what everyone really wants. Many things fade in life but people are loving until the day they die. Philadelphia is a movie that i had never heard of before this class. So i was very excited to watch it, especially because it starred Tom Hanks and Denzel washington was in it. The movie was Primarily focused on Andrew Beckett, a relatively young and bright lawyer who had a very promising future working at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia. Although he lives with his partner Beckett is not open about his homosexuality at the law firm, nor the fact that he has AIDS. He is eventually promoted to an important assighnment but his boss gains suspicion which ends up escalating to becket getting fired over a silly computer drive problem. Beckett beleives that someone set him up because he has AIDS and he goes to great lengths to get justice. He finally meets a lawayer named Wheeler who is willing to take a stand with him in court and bring justice to the situation. In the end, becket and wheeler win the case but beckett is rushed to the hospital after a nasty day at court. Beckett was finally ready for death because he got what he wanted, justice. This movie displayed a lot of interpersonal concepts but i will be talking mostly about perception and issues of self. You can only imagine how Beckett must have felt as a gay man with AIDS in the early 1990s. So much hatred and discrimination that people didnt even want to sit next to him. It really must be an awful feeling and the movie shows that the one thing worse then physical death is to be socially dead but still physically alive. what is the reason to keep on living in a situation like that? Beckett wasnt completely ashamed of his homosexualtiy but he kept it a secret after hearing his boss make horrible jokes about gays in the locker room. Its understandable to conceal that information in Becketts situation but it made things a lot more difficult for him in the long run. I think the movie showed the audience a different perspective on homosexualtiy. I had feelings of sympathy and empathy throughout the movie as i did feel bad for beckett but i honestly could not put myself in his shoes. I could imagine but i have never been in a situation remotely close to his so it was hard for me. The movie showed that Homosexuals arent these evil creatures or contagious diseases that need to be eradicated immediately or avoided. They are people with emotions, dreams, and thoughts just like everyone else. These two films do not seem connected in many ways at first glance but there is more to it then meets the eye. In both movies you have these main characters who are facing issues of self, emotion, and culture. It is hard to go against what society and culture say is the â€Å"right† thing to do. It takes a lot of courage to do that and that is exactly what Tula and beckett had. Both acts of courage also sparked life and innovation to the people around them, particularly the family members. I think both of these films displayed family in a big way. You got to see family intertwined with the main character in both films throughout the good times and the bad. You also got to see the love of family through hardships which always sparks my interest because it often goes beyond reason. Even when there are differences love often overcomes and it was cool to see the acceptance of family in both films. I really enjoyed watching both films. My Big Fat Greek Wedding really had me laughing while Philadelphia made me put my thinking cap on. I personally value a lot of the family union and tradition you see in My Big Fat Greek Wedding because my family is very similair. I could relate to the movie in a lot of ways while i couldnt relate to Philadephia as much. Philadelphia had more of an emotional impact on me as it had a bitter sweet ending. It just got me thinking a lot about other peoples feelings and beleif systems. You never really know what is going on inside a persons life. Everyone Face has a story behind it and its not right to judge anyone. I could say i gained more appreciation, patience, and love for family and i got to see a different perspective on people as individuals. In this example, its the life of a homosexual man but i can apply the knowledge i gained to varios situations and people.

Notes on Madonna and Child essays

Notes on Madonna and Child essays Madonna and Child, a tempera on panel piece from about 1215, utilizes rich, deep tones and smooth brush strokes to convey the reflective nature of this piece. Mother and child are shown both looking down, which leads one to believe that they are in deep reflection. The overall tone of the painting is rather somber, as expressed by the deep colors and shadowed effect on the subject of the piece. The composition is traditional portrait style, with a naturalistic approach to the subjects in a plain, centered orientation. This allows for the focus to lie on subject and child, which can be inferred to be Madonna and Child. The background of the painting shows a supposed view of a country road through the window, which adds a simplistic and calming feel to the painting. It can be inferred that the painter wished to portray the deep reflection Madonna and Child are enduring. This is done through the composition as a whole, but specifically, the physical positioning of mother and child, the deep tones and color palette chosen, and the stance and direction of the subjects glance. The focal point of this piece lies in the mothers grip of the child. By the manner in which she embraces the child, it is apparent that she is in deep reflection. The fact that they are looking downward is also significant, as that provides a saddened connotation for their thoughts. This also permits the piece to maintain its sentimental feel, which is empathized by the viewer. It is profoundly remarkable that the described sentimental, reflective disposition of the piece could be empathized by the viewer, and that positions the artist as doing his job successfully. Inherently, the viewer feels that there is some source of conflict to the right hand side of the subject and her child, as neither subject is engaged at the painter painting their portrait, but something off to the side of the portraits frame. The deep tones and...

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past

The Harris Matrix Tool Used to Comprehend the Archaeological Past The Harris Matrix (or Harris-Winchester matrix) is a tool developed between 1969-1973 by Bermudian archaeologist Edward Cecil Harris to assist in the examination and interpretation of the stratigraphy of archaeological sites. The Harris matrix is specifically for the identification of both natural and cultural events which make up a sites history. The construction process of a Harris matrix compels the user to classify the various deposits in an archaeological site as representing events in the lifecycle of that site. A completed Harris Matrix is a schematic that clearly illustrates the history of an archaeological site, based on the archaeologists interpretation of the stratigraphy seen in the excavations. The History of an Archaeological Site All archaeological sites are palimpsests, that is to say, the end result of a series of events, including cultural events (a house was built, a storage pit was dug, a field was planted, the house was abandoned or torn down) and natural events (a flood or volcanic eruption covered the site, the house burned down, organic materials decayed). When the archaeologist walks onto a site, evidence of all those events is there in some form. The archaeologists job is to identify and record the evidence from those events  if the site and its components are to be understood. In turn, that documentation provides a guide to the context of the artifacts found at the site. Context means that artifacts recovered from the site mean something different if they are found in the construction foundations of the house rather than in the burned basement. If a potsherd was found within a foundation trench, it predates the use of the house; if it was found in the basement, perhaps only physically a few centimeters away from the foundation trench and maybe at the same level, it postdates the construction and may be in fact from after the house was abandoned. Using a Harris matrix allows you to order the chronology of a site, and to tie a particular context to a particular event. Classifying Stratigraphic Units to Context Archaeological sites are typically dug in square excavation units, and in levels, whether arbitrary (in 5 or 10 cm [2-4 inch] levels) or (if possible) natural levels, following the visible deposit lines. Information about every level that is excavated is recorded, including depth below surface and volume of soil excavated; artifacts recovered (which could include microscopic plant remains discovered in the laboratory); soil type, color and texture; and many other things as well. By identifying the contexts of a site, the archaeologist can assign Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-10E to the foundation trench, and Level 12 in excavation unit 36N-9E to the context within the basement. Harris Categories Harris recognized three types of relationships between unitsby which he meant groups of levels which share the same context: Units which have no direct stratigraphic correlationUnits which are in superpositionUnits which are correlated as parts of a once-whole deposit or feature The matrix also requires that you identify characteristics of those units: Units which are positive; that is to say, those that represent the upbuild of material to a siteNegative units; units such as pits or foundation trenches which involved the removal of soilInterfaces between those units History of the Harris Matrix Harris invented his matrix in the late 1960s and early 1970s during post-excavation analysis of site records from the 1960s excavation at Winchester, Hampshire in the UK. His first publication was in June 1979, the first edition of The Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. Originally designed for use on urban historic sites (which stratigraphy tends to be horrendously complex and jumbled), the Harris Matrix is applicable to any archaeological site and has also been used to document changes in historical architecture and rock art. Although there are some commercial software programs that assist in building a Harris matrix, Harris himself used no special tools other than a piece of plain gridded papera Microsoft Excel sheet would work just as well. Harris matrices may be compiled in the field as the archaeologist is recording the stratigraphy in her field notes, or in the laboratory, working from notes, photos, and maps. Sources Barros Garcà ­a JMB. 2004. The Use of the Harris Matrix to Document the Layers Removed during the Cleaning of Painted Surfaces. Studies in Conservation 49(4):245-258.Harris EC. 2014. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London: Academic Press.Harris EC, Brown III MR, and Brown GJ, editors. 2014. Practices in Archaeological Stratigraphy: Elsevier.Higginbotham E. 1985. Excavation Techniques in Historical Archaeology. Australian Journal of Historical Archaeology 3:8-14.Pearce DG. 2010. The Harris Matrix technique in the construction of relative chronologies of rock paintings in South Africa. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 65(192):148-153.Russell T. 2012. No one said it would be easy. Ordering San paintings using the Harris matrix: dangerously fallacious? A reply to David Pearce. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 67(196):267-272.Traxler Ch, and Neubauer W. 2008. The Harris Matrix composer, a new tool to manage archaeological stratigraphy. In: Ioannides M, Addiso n A, Georgopoulos A, and Kalisperis L, editors. Digital Heritage, Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia:  Cyprus. p 13-20. Wheeler K. 2000. Theoretical and Methodological Considerations for Excavating Privies. Historical Archaeology 34:3-19.

Civil War hardships essays

Civil War hardships essays During the Civil War, there were many difficulties handed to the south by the Union. Export ships, non-slave labor, and grain production were just three of the many things that the Confederates lacked during the war. The advantages of the north against the south during the Civil War were manufacturing, iron production and their population. To begin with, Manufacturing was an important part of the Civil War. The south only had one fort while the north had many of them and tons of manufacturers. Manufacturers played an important role in the Union overpowering the south because of the making of vehicles. The south had to use the same vehicles for war while the north could constantly be building new ones. Also, they built supplies in order to give the Union a power boost. These supplies could have included armor, clothes, tents, etc. Anything needed by the north was made instantly thanks to manufacturers. Secondly, a beneficial advantage the Union had over the south was iron production. More weapons were being produced to replace broken or damaged ones. These weapons included rifles, bayonets, and cannons. Also, iron production meant that the Unions forts would be made using iron. Stronger forts meant more protection from enemy fire and infiltration. This was crucial if they wanted to protect their people and their soldiers. Therefore the Union outsmarted the south in order to get closer to victory. Lastly, a higher population means that the Union would have a much higher soldier count than the southern states. This gave them the advantage in military power because they could outnumber the southern armies in no time leading them one step closer to victory in a shorter amount of time. Also, if anything should go wrong during the war, they could call back for reinforcements, another advantage of having a higher population than the south. If for some reason the Union would fall in war against the ...

Information mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information mangment - Essay Example According to Nonaka, Krogh and Voelpel (2006), â€Å"organizational knowledge creation is the process of making available and amplifying knowledge created by individuals as well as crystallizing and connecting it with an organization’s knowledge system.† Studies have shown that creation of knowledge, retention as well as managing it is very important for the survival of the organization during the contemporary period as we move towards a digital economy (Alavi & Leidner, 2001). One way of generating knowledge in an organization is achieved through the use of learning. Learning in an organisation is particularly concerned with creating, acquiring and transforming knowledge and transforming this knowledge to improve the overall performance of the employees and the organization as a whole (Andriopoulos & Dawson 2009). Knowledge may be explicit and/or tacit, individual and/or collective. Basically, explicit knowledge refers to details of processes that have been codified an d it often acts as a manual to deal with certain queries or problems in the organization while tacit knowledge is knowledge of experience (Polanyi, 1983). In as far as tacit knowledge is concerned so the person concerned uses his or her experience to deal with a certain problem. As noted above, knowledge is a business asset given that much of organizations’ value mainly depends on their capacity to create and generate knowledge which can be used to transform the operations of the organization during changing period. It is important for an organization to create knowledge and transfer it to other employees since this can help the whole organization. As illustrated in the model of knowledge creation and diffusion illustrated above, it can be seen that there are various techniques that can be used to transfer knowledge from one person to the other in the organization. According to Nonaka & Takeuchi (1995), knowledge can be transferred through the following strategies in the comp any: tacit to tacit through socialization, tacit to explicit through a process of externalization, explicit to tacit through a process of internalization as well as explicit to explicit through a process of combination. Tacit knowledge can be transferred to tacit knowledge through the process of socialization. Basically, socialization is a process that loosely describes the way people in an organization are socialised or interact. Through interaction among employees in an organization, knowledge can be transferred from one person to the other. In this case, it is individual to individual where an experienced employee can impart his or her ideas and experience to the other employee who also can capitalise on this wealth of knowledge in his or her operations. Explicit to tacit knowledge can also be transferred through a process of internalization in the organization. Internal structures in the organization are created and these are meant to transform knowledge that is codified into ac tual experience that can help the employees to deal with different situations they may encounter in their operations. This process involves transfer of knowledge from the individual, group as well as organization. This helps to improve the overall performance of the employees as well as the organization a whole. The other strategy is tacit to explicit

How important is social stratification to civilization Essay

How important is social stratification to civilization - Essay Example uss the importance of social stratification to civilization by using examples such as Egypt, Rome, China, Vietnam, Egypt and Greece to show how societies in these countries depended on social stratification. Without social classes, the whole system will collapse as social classes hold it together. The king may turn into a dictator and order the killing of those who are not in support of him, the workers and slaves may commit mutiny, the merchants would refuse to sell their goods and even the high priests would all fight in order to get the throne. This would create a very chaotic scenario. Social classes, therefore, define the position of an individual in society be they a slave or a worker in the Army.1 An instance can be shown such as in Africa, Egypt; the society was structured like a pyramid. At the top were the gods who were believed to control the universe and so they needed to be kept happy as they had the ability to make the Nile flow for instance or cause famine and death. They could elevate some humans to be gods, the pharaohs, for instance, who had absolute power over their subjects and had many responsibilities among them protection of the people. Individuals in Egypt abused their powers by the establishment of leaders amongst themselves and hierarchy that was based on the wealth and individual importance. This led to destructive forces for the fragile societies leading to the disappearance of lasting civilizations. In Rome, there were two distinct political classes, the rich and powerful and the merchants, farmers, soldiers, and artisans. The patricians expelled the king and instituted a whole new government and monopolized all political offices in Rome. Even though the patricians were confident in their wealth, they could not survive without the others who mainly served to provide food. There was the lack of autonomy and welfare, and so social stratification did not exist. This serves as a basic example of the effects of a collapse in the social

Strategy of Samsung Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Strategy of Samsung - Essay Example The ultimate aim was to make Samsung a premium brand - one that, like Sony, would not have to compete on price. Steadily, it started building initiatives for transforming itself into a global brand and consolidates its presence in global markets. Samsung Company was established in 1969 as the flagship company of Samsung Corporation. After LG (Lucky Goldstar) and Daewoo, it was ranked the third largest player in the Korean electronics market. The Samsung Group comprises of The six elements of Samsung organization (Strategy, policies, structure, systems Climate, and culture) dynamically affect one another. Each element interacts with the environment as a business strives towards its goals. The problem definition/action planning process requires that a manager look at all six elements of the organizational model to determine which action levels will exist to implement positive change. If he environment changes, the organizational elements must adapt No organization exists in isolation. Every organization exists in an environment where it interacts with, and is influenced by, the general public, specific groups (whether they be customers, clients, suppliers, pressure groups, etc) and/or various government bodies. The organization is also affected by the economic, political, legal, social, technological and international variables of the times. All managers, whether they work in the public or private sector, operate in the same external environment. They face common pressures that the environment exerts on them. However, the nature of their work and the type of organization they work for will determine how these common environmental factors are perceived - whether they are seen as positive or negative, threats or opportunities. (Yvonne 15) Strategy is the most exciting part of manager's work in an organization because it gives the chance to put all his new skills to work. Strategic thinking involves a comprehensive analysis of a business in relation to its industry, its competitors, and the business environment in both the short- and the long-term. Ultimately, strategy is a company's plan to achieve its goals. Corporate managements often do not know clearly what they want or how they'll get there. Corporations need well thought-out strategic plans or inevitably they will become victims of the marketplace instead of being the victors who shape it. As well as being aware of the influence of the external

Plato's Republic and His Theories About Philosopher Rulers Essay

Plato's Republic and His Theories About Philosopher Rulers - Essay Example In this book, Plato claims that the best way to avoid abuses of power, and thereby avoid some of the worst problems of political life, is to concentrate power in the hands of the wise - philosopher-rulers. There are several reasons that make Plato think that concentrating power in the hands of philosopher-rulers will eliminate abuse of power. In this book, Plato ignores the power of justice and makes philosophy the subject of inquiry. He thinks that the power of a state should be concentrated on philosopher-rulers because of the nature of philosophers. He mentions the gifts of a true philosopher as courage, good memory and quickness. Such people have natural reasonableness or inherent goodness which other people can use to get good things even as they grow old (IDPH 354). According to Plato, the minds of philosophers always love the type of knowledge that reveals to them the external nature that does not differ from corruption and generation (IDPH344). This means philosopher-rulers a re in a position to make a quick detection of corrupt deals and corrupt individuals. Plato further explains that philosophers are lovers of all true being and therefore truthfulness is part of them. They are not willing to renounce others whether they are great or small, more honorable or less honorable. This means that philosopher-rulers stand for the truth in everything. This includes those issues that benefit them personally and those that may not benefit them directly or at all. This also includes truth in the smallest matters which many rulers tend to cover up. Even though such actions may not affect the citizens directly, the truth remains that it is abuse of power. They are therefore more likely to demand for openness and transparency in all actions that affect the larger population just to ensure that the highest levels of truth are maintained. Plato explains that because of their truthfulness, philosopher-rulers detest falsehood and will never receive in their mind falsehoo d intentionally. He goes further to describe truthfulness as the object of affection of philosophers. This is seen where he argues that truthfulness must be affirmed by philosophers. He says of them, â€Å"must be affirmed: for he whose nature is amorous of anything cannot help loving all that belongs or is akin to the object of his affections† (IDPH 344). To make it more convincing, Plato argues that there is nothing that is akin to wisdom as truth. His fellow philosopher Glaucon confirms the same as he states that someone cannot be a lover of wisdom and at the same time, a lover of falsehood. This is to say, wise people are lovers of truth and therefore, they are never lovers of falsehood. These are evident in philosopher-rulers. They would be the best watchdogs, condemners and stoppers of actions that that find their roots in falsehood like corruption and related actions like stealing. Plato ascribes the quality of being ambitious and loving ambitions to philosophers. Havi ng rulers who love ambition can mean nothing better than elimination of every action and person who kills fruits of ambition in the national. Generally, philosopher-rulers have zero tolerance to self-centered leaders who are after heaping part of the national resources for themselves. according to Plato, philosophers are lovers of learning. Plato explains that a true lover of learning must desire the truth right from their earliest youth (IDPH

Law of Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law of Evidence - Essay Example Evidence from the central cog around which all cases are based upon and in many cases the facts must align with all other circumstances in order for the case to be successful. In Goldsmith v Sandilands (2002) 76 ALJR 1024 (HCA), it was held that evidence is admissible generally only if it proves a fact under determination or a fact relevant to the case. In the past, the law of evidence was based on witness statements and other circumstantial evidence such as tools of crime, for example a gun or a knife found in possession of the culprit. These form the evidential component of the case which when put together with the law, the case become valid. In modern times, evidence has gained more legitimacy in courts of law as they form the basis around which many cases are established. In modern judicial jurisprudence, evidence from both sides of an adversarial system is weighed against each other and a final determination is undertaken based on the outcome of this comparison. A party whose case is founded entirely on weak evidential basis eventually loses the case. There are basically two broad types of judicial systems, that is one system is based on a jury system whereas the other system is purely based on a magistrate system. The jury system is mostly practiced in the United States whereas the magistrate system is in other commonwealth countries led by the United Kingdom. The role of these two institutions when it comes to evidence is quite diverse. Given the fact that both these offices are based on the need to have a final habiter on each court case, evidence becomes the only means through which a case can be determined especially in cases where the law is clear. This essay will examine the role of each given the fact that burden of proof is usually the basis around which every case is determined. In a jury system, a selection of individuals is randomly selected from the population and their views based on the evidence and the law will determine the

Plato's Republic and His Theories About Philosopher Rulers Essay

Plato's Republic and His Theories About Philosopher Rulers - Essay Example In this book, Plato claims that the best way to avoid abuses of power, and thereby avoid some of the worst problems of political life, is to concentrate power in the hands of the wise - philosopher-rulers. There are several reasons that make Plato think that concentrating power in the hands of philosopher-rulers will eliminate abuse of power. In this book, Plato ignores the power of justice and makes philosophy the subject of inquiry. He thinks that the power of a state should be concentrated on philosopher-rulers because of the nature of philosophers. He mentions the gifts of a true philosopher as courage, good memory and quickness. Such people have natural reasonableness or inherent goodness which other people can use to get good things even as they grow old (IDPH 354). According to Plato, the minds of philosophers always love the type of knowledge that reveals to them the external nature that does not differ from corruption and generation (IDPH344). This means philosopher-rulers a re in a position to make a quick detection of corrupt deals and corrupt individuals. Plato further explains that philosophers are lovers of all true being and therefore truthfulness is part of them. They are not willing to renounce others whether they are great or small, more honorable or less honorable. This means that philosopher-rulers stand for the truth in everything. This includes those issues that benefit them personally and those that may not benefit them directly or at all. This also includes truth in the smallest matters which many rulers tend to cover up. Even though such actions may not affect the citizens directly, the truth remains that it is abuse of power. They are therefore more likely to demand for openness and transparency in all actions that affect the larger population just to ensure that the highest levels of truth are maintained. Plato explains that because of their truthfulness, philosopher-rulers detest falsehood and will never receive in their mind falsehoo d intentionally. He goes further to describe truthfulness as the object of affection of philosophers. This is seen where he argues that truthfulness must be affirmed by philosophers. He says of them, â€Å"must be affirmed: for he whose nature is amorous of anything cannot help loving all that belongs or is akin to the object of his affections† (IDPH 344). To make it more convincing, Plato argues that there is nothing that is akin to wisdom as truth. His fellow philosopher Glaucon confirms the same as he states that someone cannot be a lover of wisdom and at the same time, a lover of falsehood. This is to say, wise people are lovers of truth and therefore, they are never lovers of falsehood. These are evident in philosopher-rulers. They would be the best watchdogs, condemners and stoppers of actions that that find their roots in falsehood like corruption and related actions like stealing. Plato ascribes the quality of being ambitious and loving ambitions to philosophers. Havi ng rulers who love ambition can mean nothing better than elimination of every action and person who kills fruits of ambition in the national. Generally, philosopher-rulers have zero tolerance to self-centered leaders who are after heaping part of the national resources for themselves. according to Plato, philosophers are lovers of learning. Plato explains that a true lover of learning must desire the truth right from their earliest youth (IDPH

Business Requirements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Requirements - Research Paper Example In addition, the report will offer an insight on the importance of Joint Application Development (JAD) and the significance attributed to the information package diagrams. The foremost function of requirement gathering in the development process involves the determination of the nature of requirements that are fit for the system development in terms of action, measurement, definition, testability and needs relative to the required design. In addition, this stage of gathering is critical in identifying the errors and correcting them before codes are given for the functions. This helps in reducing over 50% defects in the whole system (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The building of the a data warehouse and operational databases share commonalities in terms of technological support in terms of use of function based keys and views. Both are founded on a data model. However, differences between the two exist. The foremost being on the functional perspective whereby the operational database development transaction, offers solutions to the operational requirements, while in the case of warehouse database, the ad hoc questions are operational for management functions. The other difference involves the diverse functional requirements for the two types. In the case of operational database, the primary focus is on data security and coherence, while in the case of warehouse database the focus is on the economic analysis, which gives predictable indexes. In addition, the design of the two databases is different. Whereas the design of the operational databases are structured to fit online processing of the transactions, that of warehouse database is struct ured to fit and enhance data analysis (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The operational design helps in efficient large scale storage of transactional data storage. An example of this type of information includes current information that needs updates. It is imperative to note that,

Information Assurance Essay Example for Free

Information Assurance Essay Information Assurance (IA) can be referred to as the process that involves in the management of perils that are closely related to the usage, processing, storage and electronic transfers of information. This field has been birthed by information security, a field in computer security. Information Assurance is aimed at availability, authentication, non-repudiation, integrity and confidentiality of information and information systems thus serving as a defense and protection turf for electronic information. The process of Information Assurance commences with the act of specifying and classifying the assets of the information to be protected. This process of information specification and classification is done objectively taking into contemplation the nature, source and the purpose of the information in focus. This is followed by risk assessment that is done by Information Assurance practitioner who has to put into consideration the likelihood and the impact of the undesired actions that may negatively affect the disclosure of the information in storage to unauthorized individuals. It is at this stage that the both qualitative and the quantitative value of the risk in relation to the current situation and predictable hazard is determined. Moreover, the IA practitioner develops a risk management plan that puts forward the countermeasures that can probably mitigate, accept, eliminate or transfer the risks. The plans also puts into consideration the detection, prevention and response towards the emergent or prospective perils (Qian, Tipper, Krishnamurthy, 2008). During the plan development, various frame works can be employed such as ISO 17799, PCIDSS, ISO/IEC 27002 or CobiT. Procedures and policies such as frequent data and information backups and configuration hardening, installation of anti-virus programs and firewalls are among the countermeasures that can be used. Other activities included as countermeasures are trainings and the restructuring of the computer network systems which put in place computer emergence response team (CERT) or computer security incident response team (CSIRT). These countermeasures aim at managing, extenuating or totally eliminating the forthcoming risks in the most cost-effective manner. Later, implementation, testing and evaluation of the plan are undertaken through various designed methodologies such as formal audits. An overhaul, known as the service integrity service is put in place to protect the resources of the system from accidental unwarranted change, destruction or loss (Rogers, 2004). The system’s authenticator, also referred to as the system administrator, bears the entire authorization mandate and it is only through his certification and accreditation that a third party or any other person can access the information in store. In addition, liaison of the authenticator with the user representative and the program manager grants equal access rights to the protected information. The above three officials also have to decide agreeably on the most appropriate approaches to be instituted in an attempt to meet all the information security prerequisites. Once they have identified these methodologies, they also highlight on the security remedies that are satisfying. The authenticator’s leadership, these information system officials are bestowed with the obligation to oversee the activities of the information system security. So as to be able to access the information in the system, the authenticator has to issue a declaration indicating that approval has been granted to the any alleged declaration holder to operate the automated information system (AIS). Included in this declaration are the sets of standardized rules and regulations that must be adhered to the latter by all users having the right of access to the stored information. These prescriptions are aimed at safeguarding the information in store and the Automated Information System at large. Besides this declaration, data security can be ensured by the use of logins, passwords and digital certificates which are specifically issued to those users who are sanctioned (May, et al, 2004). The former is not so much campaigned for but instead, the latter and the use of biometric techniques such as voice and fingerprints as regarded as more secluded methods. Computer information attackers have devised ways to overwrite and also override these login passwords and as a result, this safety methodology is rarely relied upon. Once authentication has been granted, encryption of the sensitive data is done to avert it from eavesdropping and other related computer information crimes. During the process of authentication personal information is gathered and entered into the automated system which aids in the person’s identification. As a result, the party is issued with a credential. This credential validates the user identity claim when he/she is accessing the controlled and protected assets or information. In pursuit to ensure more safety over the stored information, multi-factor authentication has been employed. The multi-factor authentication process is subject to various environments and other technological rudiments and varies depending on these two aspects (Department of the Army, 2007). These techniques may include network architecture controls, remote network access, network sniffers and securing network ports. Failure to conform to or adopt any of the above mentioned authentication methodologies will expose the stored data to computer information systems defaulters who can craftily bypass weak technical controls. Consequently, they distort the information. This distortion may vary from mere acts such as modifying the main memory’s information after having read it to causing notable and probably irreversible behavior of the schedulers which are finally associated with the crashing of the entire information systems with large volumes data loss. In addition the can disable the firewall module packet filtering by transforming the image such that the agent’s in-memory store code starts working inappropriately (Larry, 2009). This may render the agent disabled from accessing the system. Once automated information attacker gains this unauthorized opportunity to access to the clients’ information he has the freedom to perform dynamic data modifications. Besides, he can access the system management memory (SMM) handler. The end result of this will be a system management random access memory (SMRAM) cache-based attack. Computer information criminals also alter the information system’s operating codes. Moreover, they can access client’s personal and confidential details such personal identification numbers and probably financial institution’s information thus ending up in a big loss in their finances. National and scientific databases have been prepared and managed by the governments of various states. Moreover, academic organizations and research institutions are also reliable. However, these stakeholders have to take keen attention during the auditing of the information, especially those received from partnerships with other organizations to avoid errors that may be disastrous in the future. In information assurance, the information flowing in the associated institutions should be confidential as earlier said and also the information’s integrity should be well safeguarded. In ensuring that the information meets these prerequisites, the British standards well implemented. Information assurance standards are also published a template in the IA website. Moreover, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) site contains these standards which are also coordinated with the MCNOSC. Therefore in conclusion, information assurance can be basically taken to mean the information operations (IO) aimed at information and information systems (IS) protection. This is achieved through the information assurance standards that see the achievement of information availability, its integrity, confidentiality, authentication and non-repudiation. The realization of these standards ensure the refurbishment of IS through the amalgamation of restoration, detection, fortification and reaction competences

Evaluating strategic management inside Honda Motors

Evaluating strategic management inside Honda Motors Honda is a Japan- based automobiles company. It is a well known company for the production of cars and motorcycles. Honda automobile company offers various varieties of vehicles, ranging from compact, fuel efficient cars to SUVs, minivans and trucks. It is one of the top automobile manufacturers in the world and is well known for producing affordable and reliable forms of transportation. This report contains a comprehensive study of Honda automobiles. It looks at the current strategies of Honda automobiles, that how they put their strategies to implement their objectives. The main purpose of the report is to analyze the business Honda automobiles and how they compete with their competitors. 2.0 Objectives To research into the current strategic position of Honda motors. To critical analyze the external and internal environment of Honda motors. To design a selection of strategic option utilising the internal and external analysis 3.0 Company Overview In the global market scenario, Honda is the worlds largest engine manufacturer and market leader in Automobile. Honda has been operating 120 manufacturing facilities in 29 countries and employs 167,231 people worldwide. Honda has expanded in main markets following years i.e. In 1959 Honda established its first overseas subsidiary, American Honda Motor Co. Ltd, 1964 Honda established its first Asian subsidiary in Thailand, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 1965 Honda (U.K.) Limited established in London (the first market of Honda in, Europe) 1971 Honda Motor does Brazil Ltd. established in Sao Paulo (presently Honda South America Ltda.) The key point lead to Hondas success is the continuous innovation that was found by Mr. Honda as a basis. In todays automobiles world Honda is a largest manufacturer of motorcycle and it stands at a 9 largest automobile manufacturer in he world. The market share of Honda until now is 10.2 percent and it is ranked as No.5 in UK (the most particular/fastidious market). In United Kingdom, North America and Asias automobile industries, Honda Company becomes a technological force in the motorcycle sector. 3.1 Mission and Vision: MISSION Maintaining a global view point and we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality, yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction. VISION Striving to be a company society wants to exist. The main focus of Honda is on the developing a technologies and products in the two areas, electro-motive technology and motorcycles to create breakthrough for the future. 3.2 Strategy of Honda Motors 3.2.1Enterprise Strategy Honda wants to have its operation in worldwide to supply the highest quality of products at a reasonable price, with a dedication of consumer satisfaction. With new challenges in pursuit of quality, technology and initiative, Honda is pursuing their vision by striving a company society who wants to exist through creating the new value, globalization and commitment for the future. Moreover, Honda wants to take new challenges with the pursuit of Initiative, Technology and Quality. 3.2.2 Corporate Strategy Hondas portfolio includes three businesses: Automobiles business, Motorcycles business, Power business. Even though stepping into Automobile industry rather late at 1963, Honda quickly leads the industry with characteristics like superior fuel economy, optimum safety, and driving pleasure. Hondas sales and production in this industry prove successful steadily not just in U.S. but also in many regions worldwide. Meanwhile, motorcycle business is the first business of Honda, from 1963 with the event of the first overseas plant in Belgium, Honda has devoted in one basic rule: build products close to the customer. Now Honda has its Research and Development operations in many countries like U.K, U.S, Italy, China, Germany, Thailand and India. In the future they will create a very promising and potential Honda. 3.2.3Business Strategy RD is sharpening the business advantage of Honda, together with the fierce competition between Honda and competitors, and they all define the business strategy of Honda. One of the proudest things about Honda is its RD system. With the systematic way of approaching, focus on durability, reliability and basic performance to establish a creative and innovative technical foundation. With the wisely approach to the future, the Honda products do care about the economical, environmental, and social issues. Honda keeping involving in the research and development that benefit people in the future through leading-edge technology and commitment to innovation that opens up new possibilities in mobility. With à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The Joy of Selling- The dealership of Honda is also one of its strengths. Through creating products and services that provide the core values that make Honda unique, the Hondas associates around the world keep creating such inspiring experience for its customer. 3.2.4 Operational Strategy Honda operates in the worldwide market with 134 production facilities in 28 countries and at 31 RD facilities in 15 countries, about 167000 Honda employees and associates serve 23 million customers worldwide annually. Hondas global operations are divided into 6 administrative regions responsible for operating. Hiring and engaging the people and philanthropic initiatives locally in the communities that Honda operates. Honda is pushing the independence of their local management and sales operations, at the same time with integrating and forward-looking plan for each region. They operate under the conduct guidelines that help member companies and associates in evaluating and managing risks, complying with laws and regulations, keeping a high level of transparency in operational level, thats all to maximize the worldwide customer satisfaction. 3.2.5 The Individual Strategy This strategy reflects the Hondas values the three joys. That is The joy of buying, the joy of selling and the joy of producing. The individual strategy of Honda is reflected through the Hondas philosophy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The Three Joyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- The Joy of buying, the joy of selling, and the joy of producing. With the joy of buying, the Hondas associates must try their best to exceed the customers expectation. Meanwhile, with the joy of selling, which concern not only about the relationship between the dealers and their customers, but they also feel the pride of having a positive relationship with their customers. And the last one, the joy of producing comes from manufacturing, research and developmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by producing quality products that satisfy customers worldwide, the Hondas employees can experience pride in exceeding the expectation of their customers. That all bring the strategies of Honda from their enterprise level, through corporation, business, operational level, to individual strategy level, that spread the Hondas strategic spirit throughout the company. 3.3 GLOBAL OPERTION AND MARKET PLACE In 2009, Honda able to building their products closes to the customers. Honda delivered 23 million units to the customer round the six different regions worldwide. Honda always conscious about its operations, that they do not have any impact on the environment. In concern with all these things, Honda started working on the environmental stability around the world. 4.0 Market Analysis: 4.1 SWOT Analysis: STRENGTHS Producing high quality of products Having the Pioneer engineering in hybrid technology Build products which are always close to the customer. WEAKNESSES In non luxury vehicles, prices are much higher as comparison to other automobile companies. Do not have a strong offering in a truck line. Product are fairly brand and inoffensive in terms of styling. OPPURTUNITIES Company have to work on work on the low emission vehicles and other alternative power sources. An offering in a truck line business would be profitable, because these kinds of vehicles have the highest profit margin among anyone else. THREATS à ¢-  Changes in the government rules and regulation à ¢-  Credit crunch 4.2 Competitive Advantage Honda posses a large number of advantages in the automobile industry that makes it the most running brand in the market among a large number of consumers. Reliability Hondas effort towards the building up of its quality has maintained its top position in the market. Its product quality can be easily tested from the fact that a large number of older Honda automobiles are still running excellent on the roads. Fuel efficiency Honda is just not only designing and presenting varied models but is most importantly insisting on the fuel efficiency. Honda is the only brand that has launched the concept of Hybrid vehicles to save the consumers pocket while enjoying luxury. Value Honda has been known for its offering a complete product to the customers in terms of value for money whether you go for luxury segment or sports. 5.0 External Analysis: 5.1 PESTEL Analysis Political/ Legal environment: The various government rules and regulation imposed over automobile and power product industries regarding level of pollution, noise pollution, fuel consumption, vehicle emission level norms and nitrogenous substances. This changes from time to time and is made stricter to follow. Economic environment: Hondas operations are diversified throughout the globe like Japan, Asia, Europe, North America etc. A bad impact over a countries economic situation resulting because of various factors like credit crunch, slowing down of economy, market hits due to recession and rising fuel prices could lead to decrease in a demand of Hondas product. Technological Environment Utilizing the most advanced information technologies, Honda has developed and innovated itself continuously. The changes in IT lead to almost Hondas operation were controlled more effective. On the production process: by using the innovation means of production and mode of production, like the auto fit machine, Honda can mass product to reduce the cost, save the time and increase the capacity Natural environment: The more industry develops, the more the environment is negative affected. Among the environmental problems, Global Warming and Pollution Level are the problems that take the most concern of community. Many Non-Government Organizations has requested industrial firms to reduce CO2 emission and toxic wastes. So, as to tackle these kinds of problems, Honda is making a continuous effort towards various research and development of new technology and product. 6.0 Industry Analysis: 6.1 Porters Five Forces: The stated five environments above, Porters Five Forces is to analyze the business and industries of a company. It encourages the managers and marketers not only to look outside the current competitors but also with their prospective competitors. Moreover, it helps the company to understands what its customers want and control its supplier more effective. Now we utilize the Porters Five Forces to analyze Honda Company. The threat of substitute products That is defined as the existence of close substitute products increases the propensity of customers to switch to alternatives in response to price increases (source from Wikipedia.org). This does mean that when a Hondas competitor can produce with high performance and economical price rather than Hondas. This product will replace Hondas product in the market. Hence, simultaneous reducing the market share and profit of Honda are the results. For example, the product line of sport motorbike, R6 of Yamaha is the close substitutes of Hondas F4. If Yamaha can achieve an modernism to produce R6 with the lower price against F4, It can in fact replace Hondas F4 on the market because customers have the same prospect with both the two products. The threat of entry of new competitors The hypothetical meaning is that in marketing with many existing competitors, the profit of each company will be lower than the maximum level. For example, in American Market the Ford and Honda is uncompromisingly fight together in this market to get the proper attention of the customer. Honda cannot get the upper limit profit in this market because of the policies of American Government protective domestically Company. Moreover, Honda has to spend money on accessing to distribution in American market. Moreover, it also finds difficulties in adopting the culture differences, etc. Those reasons will reduce the Hondas profit level. Rivalry among existing competitors: The above five characteristics is significant to the automobiles industry to analysis the competitive rivalry. The 3 main rivals that Honda has to compete violently are Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Ford Motor Co. (FM), and General Motor (GM). However the changes in the approach of one of those competitors will be influences on the performance of Honda. Honda as well as its three rivals always keeps on innovating, improving, researching and developing to compete effectively in this auto industry. For example, whenever one of these four company releases a new model, the others will catch up and have similar products to compete. Like when Honda just comes with a new technology that is FCX CLARITY, the fuel cell vehicle in the next generation, GM Motors come with a Chevy Equinox SUV and put their fuel cell platform into it. A well-known model of Honda, Accord, has been challenging with its chief rival, Toyota Camry since its first appearance. Since Accord was released in the market in 1976, and until 1983, Toyota has launched its sedan i.e. Camry. Since then, these two models have kept on competing with each other. GM Malibu and Ford Fusion are also two models that GM and Ford use to compete with Accord and Camry. For, Toyota, and GM all can replace Honda in this auto industry. So, what Honda has to do is trying to improve its technology, research and development to create a competitive advantage, maybe as a Greenest automake The bargaining power of customers In business, if a company wants to exist it must create a good relationship with customers. Honda is a global company, it means Honda have a lot of competitors. So customers will confuse when they make decision for what Brand will be the best choice. It depend not only the famous company but also the price and quality. For example, Honda introduced Air Blade Scooter with functions like sport and fashion model, more fuel-efficient engine technology. It rapidly attracted the youth; the supply was not enough for demand. Then it made the shortage of Air Blade in the market and pushed price higher. Customer want to buy it must order and wait around one to two months. No longer after, Suzuki has utilized maximize the advantage of its competitors to its product. Suzuki introduced new model Hayate Scooter that have the same functions of Air Blade but set the amazing price (lower than 23%) and customer can take their product immediately. As a result, many customers change of their mind, the refore the market share of Honda to shrink. The bargaining power of suppliers One of the factor helps the company competes against with other companies is the ability to reduce the cost. Therefore, suppliers plays an important role to make the companys success. Suppliers may refuse to work with the firm or increasing prices for unique resources. Realizing the serious element, Honda purchases raw material, components and parts, from numerous external suppliers. Moreover, Honda relies on some main suppliers for the items and raw material that use in the manufacture of it products. There are some key suppliers of Honda in term of Metal Stamping Part : Takao Kinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd; Hirata Technical Co., Ltd; Hongo Co., Ltd; Kikuchi Co., Ltd; Marujun Co., Ltd,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Among these companies, Kikuchi Co., Ltd deal with not only the supplier of Honda but also Nissans supplier. If Nissan was willing to purchase with higher price or had some benefit promotion than Honda, Honda might be affected on the capacity and increase the cost. 7.0 Financial Analysis As compare to fiscal year 2007 there was an increase of 8.3% in the net sales at the end of fiscal year 2008.This increase is fuelled by the higher sales of automobiles business. This was also due to the increase in the power product sales in Asia and from the effect of the foreign currency changes. 8.0 Conclusion and Recommendations The objectives of the company have been met, and then the strategies of the company that are followed are correlated with business environment and industry.

Cultural Relativism as Applied to Female Genital Mutilation Essay

Cultural Relativism as Applied to Female Genital Mutilation "I remember the blade. How it shone! There was a woman kneeling over me with the knife. I bit her; it was all I could do. Then three women came to hold me down. One of them sat on my chest. I bit her with all my might." These words reflect Banassiri Sylla’s account of her experience undergoing female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM), at the young age of eight in the Ivory Coast. This disturbing description of her struggle makes it hard to understand why any culture could support such a practice. Yet, it is estimated that about 132 million women and girls in about thirty African countries have undergone the same, or at least similar, cultural procedure as Banassiri. According to the World Health Organization, about two million girls undergo female genital mutilation every year and the percentage of women circumcised is as high as ninety-eight percent in countries such as Djibouti . Despite its popularity in Africa, FGM is under scrutiny by members of the international human rights community. In 1993, female circumcision was deemed harmful by the international Human Rights Conference in Vienna . The World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the UN Population Fund have planned programs designed to â€Å"completely eliminate [female genital mutilation] within three generations† , on the basis that FGM is a human rights violation. This gives rise to the obvious question as to whether human rights activists and organizations should be sensitive to the cultural practices of the people of Africa. Some human rights activists have even professed FGM as a â€Å"knock-down counterargument to cultural relativism†, and use the practice as an example of how hum... ...ture of others. Works Cited Dorkenoo, Efua and Scilla Elworthy. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: Proposals for Change†. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. (1992): 3-36. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: An Overview†. World Health Organization Publications. Geneva: 1998. Viewed 1 Dec. 2001. http://www.who.int/dsa/cat98/fgmbook.htm#2.%20Prevalence%20and%20epidemiology> Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn. â€Å"Cultural Relativism and Universal Rights†. The Chronicle of Higher Education. June 1995. Viewed 1 Dec. 2001. http://www.cs.org/publications/featuredarticles/1998/fluerhlobban.htm> Reaves, Malik Stan. â€Å"Alternative Rite to Female Circumcision Spreading in Kenya†. Africa News Service. Nov. 1997. Pp 1-3. Robinson, Simon. â€Å"The Last Rites†. Time Europe. Dec. 2001: Vol 158, No 23. 1 Dec. 2001. http://www.time.com/time/europe/af/magazine/0,9868,185799,00.html>

Antidepressant vs Placebo Essay -- Medical Research

Depression has grasped the lives of millions of Americans. There are those who claim these new cures, known as antidepressants, have helped many Americans escape from depression. The mind is what determines the outcome, the placebo effect is a way the mind heals itself without any medication. Placebo is a better and safer route to take for multiple reasons. First off, drugs can cause unpredictable symptoms. Secondly, there is the negative effect of self-withdrawal, the placebo effect does not always even have to be from a sugar pill, and lastly placebo works almost as well, if not just as well as actual antidepressants. Millions of Americans escape the deadly grip of depression by the help of popular drugs, such as Prozac, Zoloft, and other antidepressants (Turner et al). Only a select few know about my struggle with depression; [When I first received my medication, I took two prescribed pills of Prozac every morning. Not too long after taking it, I became more focused and driven at whatever tasks I was at hand. Anyone can safely start, a daily dose of antidepressants because they trigger the serotonin, one of the many brains signaling materials (Time Healthland). One of the negative points of antidepressants is that it can cause undesirable side effects. Doctors have prescribed antidepressants to patients who simply want to take an edge off of things, but the drugs can also cause distressing side effects. There are many levels of disability and symptoms of depression. Knowing these levels are a large part in knowing the effectiveness of the various antidepressants (Noonan et al, Newsweek). Antidepressants have side effects that include bleeding problems, and kidney or liver failure. The subject (people who use antidepressa... ...th-mental_health/t/placebos-power-goes-beyond-mind/#.T05fJmBuFl1>. Moerman, Daniel E., and Wayne B. Jonas. Annals of Internal Medicine. N.p., 19 Mar. 2002. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Connor, Steve. "Antidepressants Increase Suicidal Thoughts in Under-25s." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. . Alden, Wesley. "Dr. Oz: Sex and Exercise Reduce Stress The Fitness Center Orlando Sentinel." Dr. Oz: Sex and Exercise Reduce Stress The Fitness Center Orlando Sentinel. Orlando Sentinal, 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. .

PRODUCTION OPERATIONS & MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OF LABSA Essay

Sulphonation – The Process Most electrophilic substitution reactions are irreversible but sulfonation is an exception. Treatment of benzene with â€Å"oleum† (a solution of SO3 in concentrated sulfuric acid) will give the sulfonic acid, the electrophilic species being sulfur trioxide which is Lewis acidic. Fig – 1 Sulphonation : Benzene equation The sulfonic acid can be converted back by treatment with hot aqueous acid. The reason for this reversibility is the fact that the Wheland intermediate is overall neutral and therefore more stable than other, positively charged intermediates. Hence, under forcing reaction conditions, the energy difference in progressing in either the forward or backward sense from the Wheland intermediate is proportionately smaller compared to the barrier to activation and hence discrimination is lost. Fig – 2 Progress of Reaction against Energy This makes the SO3H a useful directing group if it is desired to carry our selective ortho– substitution of a monosubstituted benzene possessing an ortho/para– activating group. Under normal circumstances, para– substitution would dominate, despite the statistical favouring of the ortho– positions due to steric hindrance of the original substituent. Initial sulfonation para– gives a Disubstituted benzene in which both substituents direct to the same position. Subsequent directed electrophilic substitution and removal of the sulfonic acid group gives theortho– disubstituted product. Process Involved In the Manufacture of LABSA Fig 3 – Flowchart of the process behind the production of LABSA. The manufacturing of LABSA at Sasol gulf is a continuous process. An interval of 1 day after a period of 20-21 days for the purpose of shut-down and start-up is essential for maintenance purposes. The key reactions involved in the formation of LABSA are as follows: †¢Air Drying †¢Sulphur Melting – Ignition of sulphur (S) to sulphur dioxide (SO2) †¢SO3 Production – Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide (SO3) using catalyst vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) under optimum temperature. †¢Film Sulphonation – Reaction of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) with Sulphur trioxide to yield the end product LABSA. †¢Ageing & Hydrolysis †¢Gas Separation & Gas Scrubbing – Separation of LABSA from unreacted gases. Air Drying The air taken from outside is compressed and dehumidified by means of the following units: 1)Intermediate Cooling Unit. 2)Silica gel Dehumidifying Tower. The cooling has the purpose to remove the humidity from the air, up to a saturation humidity of 2 degree Celsius & also to convey low temperature air to the dehumidifying tower, thus favoring the water absorption in the silica gel. The silica gel air drying has the object to reduce to very low values (dew point -60 approx.) the moisture content of air intended for the sulfur combustion, & then for conversion. This reduces to acceptable values the oleum quantity produced in the conversion unit, which depends directly to the quantity of water contained in the air. Working The air filtered is sucked by the compressor that sends the process air to the refrigerating group. This unit removes the compression heat by water & moreover cools the air to 2 degree Celsius through the intermediate medium cooling unit which is kept at constant temperature. The equipment for air drying is a vertical cylindrical vessel, which is horizontally divided in  two parts by a partition containing insulating material. The two silica gel layers are placed on nets; 2 spaces are left free above and below such layers for air inlet and outlet respectively. On the plates, at the level of both silica gel layer, two light glasses are located to check visually their conditions. Some silica gel indicator is placed near the sight glasses, changing its color accordingto the quantity of absorbed water; thus saturating with water, it changes blue to pink. Fig 4 – Boiler to produce and supply steam. Characteristics of Silica Gel Appearance – white color, granules of 3-6 mm approx. Bulk Density: 700kg/dm3 approx The regeneration is carried out by heating with air at 150 degree Celsius. A checking about the effective regeneration is made by verifying the Silica gel indicator through the sight glasses, as well as by verifying the outlet temp., of the regeneration air on the recording thermometer. When the regeneration is accomplished the silica gel mass has a temperature quite near 150 degree Celsius. Therefore it is necessary to cool the silica gel thus allowing it to adsorb the humidity of the air crossing it. Note – The four way valves are provided with a drive by pneumatic cylinders which are remote controlled energizing some solenoid valve suitably. Air drying and cooling Air that is utilized in the production of LABSA has to be cooled first and then dried to ensure its feasibility for further reactions. Air is cooled by passing it through a heat exchanger containing the coolant mono-ethylene glycol; at a temperature of 0 to -2 degree Celsius. The coolant ensures condensation of air to around 5 degree Celsius. After cooling air to the required temperature it has to be dried to remove traces of moisture present in it. For this purpose air is passed through a cylinder filled with silica gel. The silica-gel brings the dew point of the water in the air down to stay -40 degrees Celsius. This means that the air is dry as if the air was cooled down to -40 degrees Celsius. In practice two cylinders with silica-gel are used; one for drying the air, the other is reconditioned. In general the changing of the cylinders is done automatically. Fig 5 – Air Drying Process Fig 6 – Glycol Tower In order to remove the compression heat and to condense the moisture, the air is first cooled by cooling water and then by a glycol solution in the glycol tower. The air flow is then conveyed at a constant temperature (less than 5â„Æ') to the silica gel dryers. Sulphur Melting Sulphur is melted to allow Sulphur that has been acquired has to be melted prior to its ignition. This is done by heating it in the melter at temperatures of 135â„Æ' to 145â„Æ'. If the temperature exceeds 145â„Æ' it would result in vaporisation of sulphur while temperatures less than 135â„Æ' would be insufficient to melt sulphur. Therefore a temperature of 140 is maintained to prevent wastage of sulphur due to the above mentioned causes. Fig 7–Sulphur Melting Tank. The solid sulphur is melted and filtered to avoid the pump valves clogging and then fed to the sulphur burner by a proportioning pump. The viscosity of molten sulphur is minimum between 135â„Æ' to 140 â„Æ'. Fig 8 – Viscosity Of Sulphur Molten sulphur is fed under mass control by means of a mass flow meter. The pump and the relevant piping are steam heated in order to to keep the temperature constant and to minimize sulphur viscosity. Fig 9 – Sulphur Burning SOâ‚Æ' Production The oxidation reaction of sulphur dioxide and trioxide is exothermic and heat produced by it is quite sufficient to keep the catalyst layers at the required at the required temp. to obtain a good conversion progress. In order to get the best efficiency, the gas inlet temperature in the first catalyst layer has to be about 420 degree Celsius. To start the reaction, the catalyst layers of the first & second stage of the conversion tower have to be brought to the necessary temperature. This is reached by preheating with hot air and the upper part of the catalyst tower is heated upto a temperature of 400-420 degree Celsius. Fig 10 – Catalyst Bed Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphur Trioxide Production The sulphur combustion furnace has been designed for this special purpose. In the furnace, the sulphur is fed through a pipe and falls on a surface of refractory balls, while the combustion air is supplied in counter current, thus obtaining the complete combustion of sulphur without its spraying through a nozzle; which might often clog owing to sulphur impurities. This system is quite simple; it does not require any maintenance and the gas composition does not change. The temperature of the gas at the burner outlet is around 700 degree Celsius (corresponding approximately to a SO2 concentration of 7% by volume). Thereafter a heat exchanger cools the gas so that it reaches the conversion tower at the required temperature. The conversion tower is composed of three layers of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) catalyst. The gas, passing from a layer to next one, crosses a heat exchanger to take the gas temperature to optimum conversion values on every stage. In order to allow quick startup, a preheating system has been  provided. The main characteristics of Ballestra pre-heating system have been provided: âž ¢No electric pre-heater is required because if it were used, being in the presence of SO3, it would be corroded very quickly. âž ¢Moreover, with Ballestra system there is no need to either cut off or regulate values in the circuit of conversion l ines, which should operate a temperature of about 500 degree Celsius in the presence SO2 / SO3, thus being easily corroded. âž ¢The gas temperature is of course too high to be suitable for sulphonation; therefore some heat exchangers in the series are used to cool the gas down to proper sulphonation temperature. The hot air coming from SO3 coolers is utilized for silica gel regeneration.[6] Fig 11 – SO2 / SO3 Production Film Sulphonation This group is composed by a film reactor, multi-tube type, having dimensions and number of tubes proportional to the plant capacity. The sulphonation gas is automatically fed on the reactor top and distributed in part strictly equal on each of the pipes composing the reactor. The raw material to be sulphonated is fed in co-current with the gas. Outside the reaction tubes in the reactor jacket the cooling water circulates in co-current with the film, thus allowing a control of the reaction temperature by heat removing. The distribution of the gas and the product to be sulphonated is designed in order to ensure a constant ratio between the two phases, inside each reaction tube. The sulphonated or sulphated product, coming out of the reactor is suitably degassed, aged and stabilized according to the fed raw material; and fed to the neutralization unit. In this connection the Ballestra sulphonation / sulphation system by film reactor has great advantages towards the other existing systems on the market since in the case of power failure an emergency system, included in the supply, avoids any damage to the product and the necessity of cleaning the reactor before resuming operation. This system can be also used during plant startup: the material to be sulphonated is fed and recycled to the reactor until optimum SO2-SO3 conversion is reached. Main Reactor Fig 12 – Top view of the Reactor Fig 13 – Bottom Nozzles Of the Reactor This SO3 is sent to the reactor where it reacts with Linear Alkyl Benzene. Due to presence of some water vapours in air some oleum is also formed. This should be avoided as it can cause blockage. The reactor has small tubes in which the SO3 passes and the LAB passes through its sides. The main reaction takes place at bottom of these tubes and during maintenance these tubes are thoroughly cleaned because if the LAB leaks to the centre part then the reaction will take place there only and no SO3 will pass through. Then this mixture of LABSA (desired product), LAB, SO3 and a mixture of other waste materials including oleum is sent to a separator. The liquid product is sent to the aging vessel and the gases are sent to cyclone. Fig 14 – Sulphonation Plant Arrangement Ageing & Hydrolysis This is used to stabilize the sulphonated DDB. It is composed by an ageing unit and stabilizer. The product after being sulphonated overflows into the bottom of the ageing unit. It is then conveyed into the stabilizer together with water. Afterwards it is transferred with the help of a pump to the neutralization unit. Fig 15 – Ageing Vessel Gas Seperation Cyclonic separation is a method of removing particulates from an air (or gas) stream, without the use of filters, through vortex separation. Rotational effects and gravity are used to separate mixtures of solids and fluids. Here a high speed rotating air-flow is established within a cylindrical or conical container called a cyclone. Air flows in a spiral pattern, beginning at the top (wide end) of the cyclone and ending at the bottom (narrow) end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream through the center of the cyclone and out the top. Larger (denser) particles in the rotating air stream have too much inertia to follow the tight curve of the air stream and strike the outside wall, falling then to the bottom of the cyclone where they can be removed. In a conical system, as the rotating air-flow moves towards the narrow end of the cyclone the rotational radius of the air stream is reduced, separating smaller and smaller particles from the stream. The cyclone geometry, together with air flow rate, defines the cut point of the cyclone. This is the size of particle that will be removed from the air stream with a 50% efficiency. Particles larger than the cut point will be removed with a greater efficiency and smaller particles with a lower efficiency. The liquid product and reactants which still have to react are sent to the aging vessel but the product in the form of vapour and gases are sent to Electrostatic Precipitator. Fig 16 – Gas Splitting Gas Scrubbing / Exhaust Gas Treatment The unit is designed to treat exhaust gas stream coming from the sulphonation reactor before being sent to the atmosphere in order to remove any possible organic, unreacted SOâ‚Æ' traces and unconverted SOâ‚‚. The exhausted gas coming from the reactor pass through a cyclone which provides to separate the acid mist before getting into the electrostatic precipitator and SO2 scrubber column. Fig 17 – Exhaust Gas Treatment In the electrostatic precipitator the organic substances and unreacted SO3 are separated and eliminated. The residual unconverted SO2 is absorbed in the scrubbing column in which a water and caustic soda solution is continuously recycled. The gas stream is contacted with a controlled stream of fresh organic raw material. Fig 18– Electrostatic Precipitator Functionality Details Fig 19 – Electro Static Precipitator Construction Details An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. The LABSA is separated and sent to the ageing vessel. Types of Heat Exchangers Shell and Tube heat exchanger Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a series of tubes. One set of these tubes contains the fluid that must be either heated or cooled. The second fluid runs over the tubes that are being heated or cooled so that it can either provide the heat or absorb the heat required. A set of tubes is called the tube bundle and can be made up of several types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned etc. Shell and Tube heat exchangers are typically used for high pressure applications (with pressures greater than 30 bar and temperatures greater than 260 °C. This is because the shell and tube heat exchangers are robust due to their shape. There are several thermal design features that are to be taken into account when designing the tubes in the shell and tube heat exchangers. These include: †¢Tube diameter: Using a small tube diameter makes the heat exchanger both economical and compact. However, it is more likely for the heat exchanger to foul up faster and the small size makes mechanical cleaning of the fouling difficult. To prevail over the fouling and cleaning problems, larger tube diameters can be used. Thus to determine the tube diameter, the available space, cost and the fouling nature of the fluids must be considered. †¢Tube thickness: The thickness of the wall of the tubes is usually determined to ensure: oThere is enough room for corrosion oThat flow-induced vibration has resistance oAxial strength oAbility to easily stock spare parts cost Sometimes the wall thickness is determined by the maximum pressure differential across the wall. †¢Tube length: heat exchangers are usually cheaper when they have a smaller shell diameter and a long tube length. Thus, typically there is an aim to make the heat exchanger as long as possible. However, there are many limitations for this, including the space available at the site where it is going to be used and the need to ensure that there are tubes available in lengths that are twice the required length (so that the tubes can be withdrawn and replaced). Also, it has to be remembered that lone, thin tubes are difficult to take out and replace. †¢Tube pitch: when designing the tubes, it is practical to ensure that the tube pitch (i.e. the centre-centre distance of adjoining tubes) is not less than 1.25 times the tubes’ outside diameter LAS/LABSA ( Linear Alkyl Benzene Suplhonic Acid ) – The Product Description of LAS Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is the largest-volume synthetic surfactant because of its relatively low cost, good performance, the fact that it can be dried to a stable powder and the biodegradable environmental friendliness as it has straight chain. LAS is an anionic surfactants with molecules characterized by a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic group. Alpha-olefin sulfonates (AOS) alkyl sulfates (AS) are also examples of commercial anionic surfactants. They are nonvolatile compounds produced by sulfonation. LAS are complex mixtures of homologues of different alkyl chain lengths (C10 to C13 or C14) and phenyl positional isomers of 2 to 5-phenyl in proportions  dictated by the starting materials and reaction conditions, each containing an aromatic ring sulfonated at the para position and attached to a linear alkyl chain at any position with the exception of terminal one (1-phenyl). The properties of LAS differ in physical and chemical properties according to the alkyl chain length, resulting in formulations for various applications. The starting material LAB (linear alkylbenzene) is produced by the alkylation of benzene with n-paraffins in the presence of hydrogen fluoride (HF) or aluminium chloride (AlCl3) as a catalyst. LAS is produced by the sulfonation of LAB with oleum in batch reactors. Other sulfonation alternative reagents are sulfuric acid, diluted sulfur trioxide, chlorosulfonic acid and sulfamic acid on falling film reactors. LAS are then neutralized to the desired salt (sodium, ammonium, calcium, potassium, and triethanolamine salts). Surfactants are widely used in the industry needed to improve contact between polar and non-polar media such as between oil and water or between water and minerals. MASS DENSITY AT 20 DEGREES C : ~ 1.070 g/cm3 VISCOSITY AT 20 DEGREES C : ~ 1500 – 2000 mPa.s. MELTING RANGE : ~ – 10 DEGREES C. BOILING POINT : ~ 315 DEGREES C. VAPOUR PRESSURE at 20 DEGREES c : Below 0.15 (0.001 mm Hg). FLASH POINT (PMcc) : >200 DEGREES C. DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE : > 100 DEGREES C. Ph : ~ 2. Applications of LAS Alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, as the raw material of detergent, is used to produce alkylbenzene sulfonic acid sodium (LAS), which has the performances of cleaning, wetting, foaming, emulsifying and dispersing, etc. The rate of biodegradation is more than 90%. The product is widely used for producing various detergents and emulsifiers for agricultural herbicides and in emulsion polymerization. It is mainly used to produce household detergents such as washing powder, detergent of dishware, detergent of light or hard dirt, cleaner of textile industry, dyeing assistant, degreaser of plating and leather making industry, and the deinking agent of paper-making industry, etc. Characteristics †¢Good Surface active properties †¢Low cost surfactant for detergents †¢Easy processing into dried powders †¢Desirable solubility in both liquid and powder formulation †¢Biodegradable †¢Compatible with other surface active agents Sales Specifications APPEARANCEViscous Light Brown liquid ACTIVE MATTER96.0% min ACID VALUE180 – 190 FREE OIL1.5% max WATER1.0% max COLOR, KLETTE50 max (5% Sol. pH=7, 40mm cell) FREE SULFURIC ACID1.5% max Advantages †¢Cost effective, anionic surfactant. †¢Biodegradable. †¢Due to its stable foam, suitable for detergent applications in combination with other surfactants. †¢Compatible with enzymes and builders. †¢Outstanding performance with other anionic surfactants due to its synergistic effect. †¢Consumes less alkali for neutralisation. †¢Ideal for liquid detergent application due to high solubility and low salt content. Packaging & Transportation LAB First the truck is parked in the heavy loading station directly under a valve. Laborers enter the truck and fix metal rods in grooves near the door. Then a cardboard perimeter is set up in order to provide support. A flexi-bag is spread out on the bottom of the container, above and within the cardboard perimeter. A hose is connected to the valve and to the flexi-bag. The initial reading is taken from the main LAB tank. The flexi-bag can withstand 20-25 tons of LAB. Calculations are carried out to transfer an approx. 20 tons. The meter reading must reduce by 52cm. Fig 20 – Flexi Bags within cardboard perimeter Sulphonic Acid The sulphonic acid is corrosive in nature and therefore requires a vehicle with a pre-fitted tanker. The tanker is made of a special material (commonly stainless steel) Also the tank must be able to keep the sulphonic acid at a desirable temperature. Fig 21 – Fitted Tank LABSA LABSA is packaged into plastic drums and then transported. Each drum contains 210kg of the product. Sasol buys second hand drums in order to cut costs. Once the drums are loaded with LABSA on a wooden platform a forklift will move them to the storage shed. At the time of loading the forklift will carry these drums to a loading station with an adjustable ramp. The forklift will carry the containers into the truck and load them there. Fig 22 – Plastic Drums for packaging Analysis Every two hours, regular analysis of the product is carried out to make sure the quality of the product is maintained. A sample of the product is taken in a beaker and taken to the analysis room. Color Klett Determination A Klett colorimeter allows light to pass through and determines the colour Klett of the substance. The beaker is put on the colorimeter and the value of the color Klett is obtained. Lesser the color Klett, better the quality of the product. The standard value for Klett is around 50%(maximum). Here at Sasol, it ranges from 5-10% and is therefore great in quality. Required Equipments: †¢Klett Colorimeter †¢Blue Filter No. 42 with 400-465mm wavelength range †¢Pair of cells with 40mm path length †¢Balance Required Reagents: †¢Ethanol 99.9% GPR †¢Methanol GPR †¢Propan-2-ol ( Isopropyl alcohol ) GPR †¢Distilled water Procedure: †¢Prepare solvent of ethanol 99.99%, methanol, propan-2-ol or distilled water or a mix of all. †¢Weigh 5g of active substance and dilute with a weighed amount of solvent so that a solution of 5% m/m is prepared for color measurement. †¢In case of 5% m/n color measurement , weigh 5g of active substance, then times the volume of solvent required by relevant solvent density and weigh solvent. †¢Mix upto complete dissolution. †¢Fill 40mm path length cell (clean and dry) with mixture and other cell as reference cell. †¢Colorimeter must be switched on 15 mins prior to the test. Acid value determination After finding the color Klett, the sample of the product is then titrated with ethanol, drop by drop after adding the indicator. Through this, the amount of ethanol required to reach the n point is noted and the acid level of the product is calculated. It should be approx. 180. If the acid value is higher or lower than the required value, the air flow rate is adjusted and analysis is carried out till the desired acid value is obtained. Required equipments: †¢250ml conical flask †¢10ml Burette †¢Lab analytic balance reading upto 3 decimal places Required Reagents: †¢Distilled water †¢Sodium Hydroxide Volumetric Solution †¢Phenolphthalein †¢Ethanol This method covers determination of acid value for sulphonic acid, however it can also be used for pure fatty acids. Procedure: †¢Weigh accurately about 2g of sulphonic acid into the conical flask and note the weight. †¢Add 25ml of ethanol and mix well to ensure the sample is dissolved completely. †¢Titrate with NaOH solution using phenolphthalein until the solution retains a faint pink colour. Note T1. Calculation: †¢Acid Value = ( T1 x Molarity of NaOH x 56.1 ) / Wt †¢Free Acid % = ( T1 x Molarity of NaOH x titrated acid molecular weight ) [10] Conclusion In a nutshell, the previous month at Sasol has been very productive in terms of the knowledge gained regarding the manufacturing operations of the LABSA plant in Dubai, UAE. Future Scope This is a detailed report on: Production Operations and Manufacturing Processes of LABSA. It is highly informative on processes such as Air Drying, SOâ‚Æ' Production, SOâ‚Æ' Treatment, Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonation etc. The report can be used to bring about the following functionality: †¢Set up companies †¢Set up detergent raw material supply †¢Improve plant production quality †¢Reduce production costs References [1] www.wikipedia.com [2] www.sasol.com [3] www.uaeincorp.com [4] www.users.ox.ac.uk [5] Sasol Gulf – Operation Manual [6] Sulphonation Technology in the Detergent Industry by W. Herman de Groot [7] www.lasinfo.org [8] www.mixmedicine.com [9] www.chemicalland21.com [10] Test Method Control Room File