Marketing and the Fast Food Industry Essay

The ultimate themes of fast food chains are high visibility and global recognition. The earliest establishments, ostentatiously designed in an attempt to attract attention, were strategically placed alongside highway off-ramps in order to draw in customers. Simplistic logos, such as the legendary golden arches, began to bring recognition to the fast food chains. The fast food industry’s ability to sell convenience and taste then allowed the popularity of fast food to gain momentum. Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, explores the various tactics used by the industry in order to achieve global recognition, target children, and why it is more productive to reach children than to target other age groups. One method used to achieve global recognition was to apply the concept of synergy. Synergy can be defined as the cooperation between two or more organizations to produce results greater than the sum of their separate effects. In simplistic terms, two or more companies combine forces in order to benefit themselves more than they could have done individually. Two companies who have effectively utilized this concept are the Walt Disney company and the McDonald corporation. They were able to propose marketing deals, provide giveaways, and swap executives amongst their companies. The cross promotion strengthened ties between Hollywood and the fast food industry, allowing the McDonald corporation to gain global recognition. Studies show that children have an easier time identifying characters such as Ronald McDonald than major political figures such as the president of the United States. Half of Australian nine and ten year olds thought that Ronald McDonald was an authority on what they should eat. In Beijing, all of the primary school children recognized Ronald McDonald, saying that he ‘understood their hearts’. Germany has more than one thousand McDonalds, many popping up inside of Wal-Marts, because they know lots of children get lugged to Wal-Mart every day. (Schlosser 231). The McDonald corporation had accomplished its goals to reach ‘global realization’, and this achievement paved the way to pursue early targeting. Children became the target group within advertisement, â€Å"the decade of the child consumer† (Schlosser 43). In order to exploit children effectively, focus groups were created solely for the purpose of finding effecting means of targeting ads towards children and collecting demographic information. â€Å"89% requested personal information from kids† through the internet and most children supplied it without parental consent (Schlosser 45). Soon, products such as Coca- Cola and Dr. Pepper were marketed to schools and fast food advertisements were littered throughout the education system. Advertisements were placed on school buses, in school newspapers, written on stadium banners, and announcements were made over the stadium’s public-address system during games (Schlosser 51). Children were not only faced with these ads during their time period at school, but at home too. The media played a huge role in promoting fast food. Television commercials, the internet, and the radio were employed to â€Å"get kids to nag their parents and nag them well† (Schlosser 43). The adults set out to prey on children’s immaturity and to â€Å"exploit their present- mindedness† (Schlosser 46). Unsurprisingly, fast food companies became recognizable household trademarks. Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, and McDonald’s renowned golden arches are a few of the most identifiable symbols today. Companies believed that by propagandizing children at an early age, they would influence the children to remain loyal customers to their company. This leads to ask why marketing to children is the most worthwhile tactic. Foremost, children are impressionable. According to Consumer Reports magazine, young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world. â€Å"Children are still establishing their tastes and habits†, making them ideal customers because they have many years of purchasing ahead of them (Schlosser 54). â€Å"America’s fast food culture has become indistinguishable from the popular culture of its children† (Schlosser 48). The coalition of the fast food and entertainment industry allowed fast food companies to market toys based on current trends in entertainment. â€Å"The key to attracting kids is toys, toys, toys† (Schlosser 47). In return, the entertainment industry promoted their current trend. Children’s identities should not be defined by their consumer habits. Yet, that is the main way their are portrayed in the media– as consumers. Children were also described as â€Å"surrogate salesmen† (Schlosser 43). Schlosser explains that children need to persuade others in order to get what they want which again, gets kids to â€Å"nag their parents and nag them well† (Schlosser 43). As an incentive to get children to want to eat at their restaurants, the McDonald corporation created playlands in their establishments based off of Disney’s theme park, Disneyworld. â€Å"Playlands bring in children, who bring in parents, who bring in money† (Schlosser 47). Since children need to be accompanied in order for them to get what they want, more customers, such as parents and siblings of the child, are brought into the company as well, thereby benefiting the company. Schlosser argues that the fast food industry’s marketing tactics aim to achieve global recognition, victimize children, and explains the importance behind targeting children. He portrays children as naive individuals who are drawn into fast food through the fast food industry’s strategic efforts, and in most cases, they are. Children are bribed with playplaces, toys, cartoons, movies, and videos, and are reached through contests, sweepstakes, games, clubs, and the media. Schlosser questions the ethic and moral values of the advertisers in the fast food industry for feeding off of the children’s naivety. However, children, susceptible to the world of advertisement around them, continuously fall prey to the marketing industry.

The Pros and Cons to Physical Education

The Pros and Cons of Physical Education Most of us remember gym class. For many of us, it was the most hated or the most anticipated class. Those that were a little bit heavier or not as athletically inclined may remember the class as a nightmare, while others may remember it as the most exciting time of the day. Either way, physical education was required. Today, however, the necessity of physical education classes is up for debate. Parents, faculty, council members, and even the government are weighing the pros and cons of allowing physical education in school.I believe that even though the funding being used to pay for equipment and gymnasiums could be better spent on books and materials for other classes, physical education should stay in school because it provides healthy exercise for children and teens. It also gives the less fortunate but deserving children a chance to play and excel in sports. Obesity is a huge concern in America today. We see more children, teens and adults eating unhealthy foods and not receiving enough exercise than any other point in history.According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website, in 2008 between 16% and 33% of children and teens were considered obese . That is approximately one in four children who is over the suggested body fat limit for their age. What causes these children and adolescents to become overweight? Lack of exercise and a healthy diet are the main reasons. â€Å"In the 2009 edition of America’s Health Rankingsâ„ ¢, it is estimated that obesity will cost the United States about $344 billion in medical-related expenses by 2018, eating up about 21 percent of the nation’s health-care spending. (National Association for Sport and Physical Education. 2009) Though school system cannot control what these children do and eat at home but they can control the food they eat at school . The school system can also provide the minimum amount of exercise needed in a child’s life. By insisting that they attend and participate in at least 60 minutes of physical education a day, the school system is ensuring that each child is given a chance to exercise and a chance at a healthier lifestyle. Children, especially when started at a young age, are easy to mold.If they participate in daily physical exercise they are more inclined to establish a lifelong habit of daily exercise that will help to prevent obesity in adulthood and reduce the chance of expensive medical bills due to health issues in the future. There is, of course, a down side to physical education. Many children, but especially teens have self-esteem issues. If they happen to be a little bit overweight or advancing through puberty more rapidly than others or sometimes, for no reason at all these children feel the need to hide themselves.Unfortunately, a class like physical education is not the best place to hide. No parent wants his or her child to be miserable, which is why some parents are say ing that they believe the physical education class should not be mandatory. JoAnne Matthews-Saunders, a creative movement specialist, states that â€Å"few individuals, whether or not they have a disability, are willing to try new conce pts, and they are even less likely to try them while surrounded by their peers. The idea of â€Å"failing† is not a concept that anyone embraces. I, as an adult, have a difficult time when it comes to failing or not measuring up to some of my peers, especially when it concerns sports. Teens and children are the same but many, as yet, do not have the skills to accept the fact that they will not always be the best. This leads to feelings of defeat and again, low self esteem . Added to that, there is always peer criticism, which is very hard at any age but imagine a young person entering middle school or high school and being told that they would have to shower and dress with the other students of their gender .That alone could cause anxiety but for those students with self-esteem issues, in their mind it would be close to torture . There are, however, parents, teachers and other professionals who believe that physical education will raise a child's self-esteem. Professionals have stated that â€Å"youth receiving additional physical activity ten to show improved attributes such as increased brain function and nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels, changes in body build affecting self esteem, increased self esteem and better behavior†¦ (Cocke, 2002)(Tremblay, Inman, & Willms, 2000)(Dwyer, Coonan, Leitch, Hetzel, & Baghurst, 1983)(Shephard, 1997)(Scheuer, Mitchell, 2003). As one can see, there are conflicting opinions on the subject of allowing students to choose whether they want to participate in physical education. It would seem that the health benefits outweigh other arguments but parents and psychologists still suggest that the physical education class raises psychological issues. Another issue that has been raised is the cost of physical education classes.Many parents, faculty and concerned taxpayers believe that the money used to provide gym equipment, uniforms, fields, gymnasiums and the like could be better spent in different areas of the school There are so many schools that are lacking in materials, books and computers , the money being spent in physical education classes could be used to provide these items and perhaps give a child a better education then he or she may have otherwise received . According to the 2010 Federal Budget Update on US Department of Education Grants, the President is proposing a $78,000,000 budget towards the Carol M.White Physical Education Program. The website does state, however, that â€Å"the President has proposed a budget, but no Congressional action has been taken on the 2010 Education budget yet. At this point in the process, it we do not yet know which programs will materialize and at what amount. Congress may reject or change part or all of the proposed budget, though the President’s suggestions do seem to be more in line with Congressional efforts in recent years than the previous administration’s education proposals . † (2009) As one may be able to see, even Congress is debating the cost of school programs.There is no information stating how much of that funding would be going toward physical education classes but the question still remains of whether it should be used toward providing for other programs. While the placement of funding is still up for debate the fact that physical education classes provide a chance to play sports is not. At the private school I attended the school paid for the field and transportation for our sports but equipment, such as soccer balls, had to be donated or we would need to provide our own. My uniform, for example, and all other equipment I needed for my position as goal keeper, my parents had to purchase.Policies are different at every school and most state-fu nded schools supply the equipment needed. Even though some schools may, not every school provides transportation to and from home to extracurricular activities. For children whose families are unable to shuttle them back and forth to their practices and games when other transportation is unavailable, physical education is the only time they have any chance to play a spor t. It provides children and teens a chance for competitive exercise, companionship, teamwork and a desire to participate in sports and healthy activities outside of school.In the end everything boils down to the same question: Should physical education be mandatory? According to a report from Education. com â€Å"physical activity produces overall physical, psychological and social benefits. Inactive children are likely to become inactive adults. Physical activity helps children with controlling weight, reducing blood pressure, raising HDL (â€Å"good†) cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes, and improve d psychological well-being, including gaining more self-confidence and higher self-esteem. † (n. d. This statement as well as others that have been provided show that there are more benefits to mandatory physical education in schools such as health benefits, sports, and teamwork but the cost of the class and possible emotional stress still leave many questioning its necessity. I personally believe that the class should be mandatory. Children and teens should be allowed to make certain choices in their young live s but in this case I believe that it is in their best interest to participate physical education classes.

Agile versus Waterfall Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Agile versus Waterfall - Assignment Example Each of these methods has its own area of influence in which it is applicable. I briefly present the background of two methodologies before comparing them. Waterfall is traditionally defined to be a sequential approach or linear method for project management and implementation. In this approach, the project is completed in distinct stages with proper planning from start of the project right till the end. Each segment of the project is completed by different sections or groups of the team for ensuring the timely completion of the project (WATERFALL vs. AGILE METHODOLOGY, 2008). The stages of the waterfall method are presented below. Design: In this phase of project analysis and implementation, design of the software is performed. The desired IT solution is proposed that considers the use of specific tools like programming languages or other software and algorithms required for implementation of projects. This is a classical approach. Modern software and IT developers are moving towards modern tools like Agile framework that is based on iterative approach. The salient features of Agile Software Development approach are presented below (Kroll, 2004). Figure 3 shows the comparison between two approaches for project management in the light of various factors as time scale between specification and implementation, discovery of problems time duration, distance between customer and developer, and planning scale. We can observe, each project management approach has its own applications and none can be universally regarded as better over the other. Figure 4 shows the cost of changing the requirements of the project for the two approaches of project management. It is pretty much clear that, we cannot reverse the project implementation in sequential style of waterfall. While in Agile approach, we are continuously adapting our approach according to the results and requirements. The implementation is not planned completely. It adapts to the

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cause and effect - Essay Example Racial separatism can be seen on campus-black theme dorms, black student unions, black yearbooks etc. The dorms for the white people will be arranged separately and the white students were allowed to form separate unions for their activities because of the racial discrimination policies adopted by the authorities. Most of the members of the authorities are actually against such discriminations. But only a minority still insists separate activities for the black students. Liberal attitude is more prominent in America at present which has been reflected in the recently concluded president elections. Black students have always the lowest Grade Point Average (GPA) as per the norms formulated by most of the university authorities. But the authorities will never take any conscious actions to increase the GPA of the black students. They feel that, it is not necessary to raise the grades of the black as that will be harmful to the interests of the white. Black students were always blamed for whatever the unhappy incidents happening in the American universities. It is difficult for a black student to prove his innocence in front of the authorities if the person on the other side happens to be a white. The efforts for finding out solutions for the current discrimination in American universities should start from the grass root level. The authorities should never allow any discrimination in their campus as far as racial differences are concerned. The blacks and the whites should be encouraged to mingle freely in the campus and all the campus activities must be conducted with the equal participation of both black and whites. The behaviours of the authorities should never inject a false feeling of â€Å"being privileged† in the minds of the white. The campus violation of the rules by both the black and white must be treated and punished equally. The below

Emotional Intelligence and Employee Productivity Essay

Emotional Intelligence and Employee Productivity - Essay Example Scientific literature is filled with innumerable definitions and descriptive models of the term at hand; however, the ability and trait EI models are the most widely recognized to be the pertinently valid models of emotional intelligence measurement and description. There has been considerable chatter on the notion that whether emotional intelligence is indeed real or is it merely a subsection of the basic human intelligence; and if it has additional applicability over the conventional Intelligence Quotient and the major five personality facets. (Kluemper 2008, 8) This puts forward another question i.e. how can emotional intelligence be measured which would help us decide that who is more emotionally intelligent? Researchers came up with two basic modeled EQ tests. One of them is called the ability-based measure of EQ and test taker goes through maximal conditions whereas the self-report measure is conducted in ordinary conditions. The first model that will be discussed is commonly k nown amongst literary circles as the ability-based model. This model incorporates emotions in the simplex as the appropriate avenues of information that help the test taker understand as well as properly traverse through the social society that they find themselves in; either in the workplace or at school or even at home. The basic proposition constitutes that every individual varies from one another in their ability to understand and compute information in an emotional genre as well as connect the emotional procession of information with their overall intellect and understanding. This attitude is seen in a certain set of behavioral traits and actions. Salovey and Mayer divide emotional intelligence abilities into four areas -- in their four branch model: (Mayer et al 1997, 4) The ability to correctly preempt emotions. The ability to utilize emotions for assisting the thinking process. The ability to understand emotional connotations. The ability to manage emotions.

Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Modernism - Essay Example Most modern homes had sliding doors, open floor plans, innovative design, and they were all built using the angular shapes. These modern houses are completely different from the previous houses that were built in ranches (Quinn 176). The main idea behind these designs developed because of modernism was to develop a modern outstanding architecture that did not present anything in the past. Evidently most of the constructions are a complete change from the past. Quinn says that these modern designs reflected modern social way of life in that the structures attempted to interlock the environment outside with internal living area (176). The use of glass walls made people get in contact with their natural environment. The use of open floors integrated their living experience with modernity during that time. Large spaces in the houses were to be used for various purposes within the residents. Architects during this time were in a position to use different techniques and materials when doing their constructions. Use of natural lights was very important during this time and most houses were built with the aim of allowing the penetration of natural lights in the homes (Quinn 176). Most of these modern homes were furnished using devices and domestic device ranged from roast collections, broilers, toasters, bicycles, mix masters for every member of the family, to storage rooms for all these equipment. The leading principle in the mid-century modern designs was production with conceptual creativity that was achievable through natural objects within the environments (Quinn 176). Therefore, the following are the major characteristics of mid-century modern designs; the utilization of steel, huge flat windowpanes, clerestory frames, decorative curtains, cantilevered rooftops, flat ridges, flat rooms, influence from Japan, half-done walls, assembled block, and amalgamation with

Amazon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Amazon - Research Paper Example Since its inception, the company has witnessed significant growth to become a member of Fortune 100 Company in the US. It specialises in selling a variety of goods and services online. 1.1 Mission and strategy of Amazon According to its official website, the company’s mission is: â€Å"to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.† The company uses the strategy of selling a variety of products online and it targets customers from all corners of the globe. 1.2 Products or services of the organization Amazon.com offers millions of unique new, refurbished, and used items in categories such as books; movies; music & games; digital downloads; electronics & computers; home & garden; toys; kids & baby; grocery; apparel; shoes & jewelry; health & beauty; sports & outdoor; and tools, auto & industrial (Amazon, 2013). The company has also incorporated thousands of sellers and software developers which use its trademark across the globe. 1.3 SWOT analysis â€Å"A SWOT analysis is used to identify internal strengths and weaknesses of a business and external opportunities and threats facing it,† (Strydom J. p 31). This section outlines these environmental factors facing Amazon. Organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses Strengths Regarded as the world’s best online retailer of various products Technological innovation has driven the growth of Amazon.com to offer a wide range of products to the customers conveniently and at lower prices. It operates international retail websites, and worldwide network designed to fulfil the needs of the customers across the globe Amazon is comprised of teams that work across the world on behalf the customers and it provides 24/7 support to the consumers. Weaknesses The company is mainly present in developed parts of the world where some developing countri es are not fully covered The payment methods used by Amazon are not compatible with other countries’ banking sectors Organization’s external environmental factors Opportunities The company has opportunities to partner with different retailers which will help it to increase the revenue it generates. New information and communication technology is continuing to develop hence the company is poised for continual growth. Threats Online retailing is now characterised by competition since a wide range of organizations have also adopted this strategy which is very convenient. 1.4 Staffing in terms of employee categories Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and it is committed to staff a diverse workforce on the basis of a barrier-free employment process. The company employs about 88  400 people around the world and it has offices fulfilment centers, customer service centers, data centers, and software development centers around the globe (Amazon, 2013). The company is gui ded by the provisions of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans'

Health politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Health politics - Essay Example Food firms produce large quantities of food using cheap, unhealthy ingredients, thus escalating the rates of obesity (Chung & Muntaner 2007, 89). This is the phenomenon that accounts for the ascending numbers of obese people in England. In this respect, there is need to have policies that stem the impact of this governance and economic mechanism to have a healthier nation. The White Paper attempts to find the solutions to the deep seated problem. Definition of Policies in Health Context Policies refer to the aims and objectives that a party or a government intends to achieve and uphold in the interest to the nation and its citizens. In health industry, policies are made by the government to maintain a healthy society. From 1970s, implementation and drafting of health policies has been based on preventive measures rather than curative measures as was earlier done (Chung 2007, 21). Health sector and stakeholders in the health industry have realized through rigorous studies that curativ e measures are expensive and yield no marginal benefits. Policies regarding health of the society are drafted and formulated for implementation by the government with wisdom and prudence in provision of superior health management (Erickson & Wilson 1994, 32). A health policy is usually a course of action and a method of intervention selected from among other alternatives to guide the present actions and determine future course of actions in the future. Health policies are high level general plans that embrace the overall goals and acceptable processes within the health sector. Features of Obesity Policies As this work deals with health policies in relation to obesity, it shall discuss some of the pertinent features of a policy in connection with the subject matter. Foremost, a policy must have a decision and an action. The government acknowledges the effect and degree of obesity in the society and makes a decision to curtail its negative effects. According to researches, there is a correlation between obesity and economic status of the affected people. The government acknowledges the fact that obesity is a chronic condition caused by behavioral factors (Boswell 2005, 24). In coming up with the policies to combat obesity, the government makes a decision to deploy means of nullifying all the negative externalities that accrue to social and health effects of obesity. The other feature of policy is action. The process of putting in place a policy to guide the public on issues relating to obesity is not complete with mere decision of the government to curtail obesity. The government must go a step further to take practical actions to curb obesity. The action should be geared towards reducing the costs of obesity treatment. The earlier measures and policies governments placed of curing maladies have been faced out due to their high costs (Borrell 2009, 43). Curative measures have led to elimination of infectious diseases, but not social and behavioral complications such as obesity. An action plan that attempts to provide formidable solution to prevalence of behavioral complications such as obesity involves formulation and implementation of health policy that recognizes intricacies of behavioral complications. Such a policy is geared towards making everyone custodian of his own health. It is a policy that makes everyone responsible for his health, and devolves the responsibilities of

The British Prime Minister Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The British Prime Minister - Essay Example Apart from that, he also has patronage elsewhere such as the appointment of junior ministers The Prime Minister also chairs a number of select committees; at present the Defence and Overseas Policy Committee, the Constitutional Reform Committee, the Intelligence Services Committee and the Northern Ireland Committee. In these committees the Prime Minister has to be very influential in the determining of policies in these committees. Another function of the Prime Minister is to represent the country internationally. The queen is Britain's head of state, but the Prime Minister is Britain's de facto representative abroad. Political instinct alone seems to dictate the American president as 'the world's most powerful man' in the sense that most powerful politician in any of the world's democratic nations. He heads the world's most modern military force and the world's largest economy. In America, the president is the best known among politicians. This by itself gives him a great deal of authority as many people within their own states cannot name their own representatives in the House, Senate or governor. The title of president gives him enormous authority and power as he is the main figurehead within the whole of the massive American political structure. The British Prime Minister, in comparison, does have the same international standing as the president. In the crisis involving Iraq, the driving force behind any move against the leadership in Baghdad has been the American president, George Bush, while the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair has been referred to as clinging onto the coat tails of Bush. Britain simply does not seem to have the international standing to overtly influence policies. Such a position does not allow the Prime Minister to drive an international agenda which the US president is capable of. In this sense, the power of the US president abroad is far greater than that of the British Prime Minister. Taking domestic politics into picture, it is pretty much a reverse case scenario. Although the president can select his own cabinet with which he can work, it has to be ratified by the Senate but it does not necessarily mean that the president might have to work with people he did not initially select for his cabinet. The Prime Minister on the other hand, has no such restrictions. He selects all those people he wants for his cabinet and can remove them if they fail to satisfy his expectations and standards. He does not require consultation and approval from anybody over this though he might discuss it with an inner circle of very close colleagues. Least of all does the Prime Minister have to have his cabinet agreed to be the House of Commons or Lords. The president is not head of his party. The British Prime Minister is not only prime minister; he is also a serving Member of Parliament and head of his party. As such, he commands huge respect within that party and does a great deal to drive the policies of that party in power. With a large parliamentary majority, it is almost certain that prime ministerial policies will eventually become the actual policy and law. He is

Bioterrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bioterrorism - Research Paper Example This paper will study through previous researches and three different journals the barriers for the community health nursing for surveillance and identification of diseases caused by bioterrorism agents. Defining Bioterrorism: Bioterrorism is a form of terrorism in which different biological agents are released in order to make the people, plants or animals sick in masses. The consequences are in a number of deaths. These bioterrorism agents are usually viruses, bacteria, or toxins. However, these agents are present in the surrounding already but they are modified and reworked in a way that their ability is increased and that they also become resistant to the current medicines available so that there is no cure for them. The mediums usually used in order to multiply these bioterrorism agents are water, air and food sometimes. One of the major reasons for bioterrorism is that, that terrorist adopts this kind since it cannot be detected quickly and easily. These agents take time to rea ct, sometimes days and sometimes even weeks (A†¡ankaya & Kibaroglu, 2010). The significance of the study: The subject of bioterrorism in the community health sector in the US was not of major concern until 2001. The use of ‘Anthrax’ has created a serious fear of bioterrorism among the communities. Moreover, these bioterrorism attacks have also created realization and a sense of consideration for the healthcare department particularly community health nurses that their role during such attacks are very significant. Therefore proper education and training are very important factors for the community health nurses in order to overcome the chaos at the time of any bioterrorism attack (Mellehovitch, 2004). Bioterrorism and Community Health Nurses: Across the US, the issue of bioterrorism among the public health sector has become a core issue. Usually, the public and the US community rely initially on these primary healthcare departments for the inspection of any disease or unusual biological conduct. The community health nurses are the center of attention for this entire process and for delivering their services. However, cases have been observed where the lack of training and education among the health care nurses to handle and manage any bioterrorism attacks were observed, creating chaos and panic as a result. Not only this, the shortage of community of health nurses was also observed while any attack of bioterrorism. It is very obvious that the community health nurses need training for the bioterrorism preparedness so that they are ready to handle and are pre-prepared if their community is attacked by bioterrorism in a professional manner (Rebmann, 2006). According to a research journal on bioterrorism by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) it was observed that many of the community healthcare staff and nurses did not follow any formal training or education in order to manage or handle any bioterrorism attack. Out of the hundreds of nurses interviewed by (Gerberding & Hughes, 2002) very few of them took courses and fhealth careation in community healthcare and for bioterrorism. While the remaining nurses made complaints to the researchers that were not able to conduct their studies on bioterrorism because of the shortage of the staff who will take coverage of their nonattendance. As a result they had to take help and lessons from those nurses

The Status Quo Essay Example for Free

The Status Quo Essay In Howard Zinn’s book, Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice, Chapter 1 entitled, â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† begins with a discussion of a few instances in history where groups of people believed that other races and social classes were inferior to others (Zinn 1). The end result of these instances was that many, if not all, of the inferior people were killed (Zinn 1). From these occurrences, Zinn concludes that our thinking does not merely spark debates, but ultimately is a variable of life and death (Zinn 1). He also believes that although we live in a democratic country, the ideas of ethical behavior that were formulated by our forefathers has condemned us to accept them as right, without questioning why they are right (Zinn 3). These ideas were not framed by a group of conspirators, nor were they accidental; these ideas were a result of natural selection in which ideas were encouraged, financed, and pushed forward by those who were in power or by those who had great influence on the general public (Zinn 3). Although these beliefs were written off as correct, Zinn believes that if we decide to reexamine these beliefs, and see that they are not â€Å"natural† ideas, we have come to a major turning point: we are examining and confronting American ideology (Zinn 5). These ideas that are expressed in â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† are very sound because they help me to see why it is important to challenge the status quo. If I sit back and just allow people to feed me information about one fact or another, and I just absorb it all in, then I may not really be formulating my own beliefs, but accepting someone else’s. There should be a deeper meaning to what I believe further than what someone has dictated to me to be correct. I should ask intuitive questions about why someone views something as correct, and by that process, I might begin to clearly see their idea as acceptable. Oftentimes, many people, including myself, suppress what they believe in because as Zinn mentioned, these dissenting ideas are most often drowned in criticism because they are outside of the â€Å"acceptable or popular choices† (Zinn 4). By doing this, those who believe that their idea is right, maintain power. In a real world example, you may be hanging out with a group of friends at a party when all of a sudden, your friends start smoking marijuana. Everyone but you is an avid believer that smoking it is cool, and is acceptable because everyone else is doing it. You have never smoked marijuana a day in your life, but under the circumstances, you fall into peer pressure when a joint is passed your way. In this instance, you know you believe that smoking marijuana is wrong, but you suppress your beliefs since every single one of your friends is doing it, and by speaking up, your belief will most definitely be covered in criticism. The end result is that your group of friends maintains power over you, and will find it that much easier to influence you to smoke marijuana again. Metaphorically speaking, a great representation of how Zinn portrays the ideas of those in command is through â€Å"weeds.† A weed is a plant that overtakes the area in which it is located. Once it begins to grow, unless someone is willing to take the time to go and remove it from the area, it remains there. Likewise, the ideas that are seen in â€Å"Introduction: American Ideology,† are like weeds because they are established and passed off as right to the general public. Once these ideas are in place, they are hard to get rid of, even if many people dissent them. It must then take a strong group of people to try to â€Å"uproot† the ideas, and replace them with what the public believes is right. Moving forward, I can use the information that I have written about and apply it to my own life. I should begin to feel comfortable in challenging what I do not believe in, rather than being neutral about the issue because as Zinn mentions, in this day and age that we live in, neutrality is seen as a sign of acceptance in the way things are now (Zinn 7). I now see that I should begin to be my own self, and not just another grain of sand on the beach, living by the status quo. Works Cited Zinn, Howard. Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.

Issues of State Intervention in the Market Economy

Issues of State Intervention in the Market Economy Free Market Economy The free market economy is designed to operate with a minimum of state intervention. However, as this paper will show, there are certain issues that can only be addressed by state intervention. These include avoidance of unfair trading, employee and supplier exploitation. In many cases, such as the expansion of the power of supermarkets, economists are of the opinion that the state does not go far enough in protecting the public (Marguand, 1977, p.5). This report shows that, whilst a free market is good for economic growth, there is a need for intervention from the state, however limited, to protect public services and the rights of the individual. Introduction Although many economists and politicians have concluded that the â€Å"free market economy† is the most appropriate form of trade, it seldom is allowed to operate without some measure of state intervention. The purpose of this paper is to study the concept of a â€Å"free market economy† and, at the same time provide an understanding of the reasons for and operation of state intervention. To provide an example of how such intervention manifests itself in practice, its recent impact on the Tesco supermarket chain is explored. The basic premise of a free market economy is one where the distribution of resources is determined solely by market forces, without any state interference (Philip Allan Updates, 2006). The main condition of is that exchange of resources should be undertaken freely, without duress or deceit. In a free market, the price of goods or services is agreed between buyers and sellers, and there is no government restriction imposed upon this process. If the state interferes by influencing price for any purpose, be that to aid the consumer or seller, a free market cannot be said to exist. Proponents of the free market system believe that it can provide its own solution to problems and that state interference is a hindrance to that process (Ian Adams, 1998, p.23). Essentially, the free market operation is based on the laws of supply and demand. A buyer, by offering to pay a given amount for a product creates the demand. Conversely, a producer, by offering to sell a product or service at a price creates the supply. In a free market, an exchange between a buyer and seller takes place when the amount offered by a buyer matches the price requested by the seller. The optimum price will normally be determined by the level of demand and supply. If the supply is higher than demand, there being not enough buyers, prices will tend to fall as suppliers compete to sell their products and buyers look to reduce the price offered. In such circumstances, suppliers may also choose to reduce their production or even cease business altogether. The suppliers who remain will be those whose product unit cost is at the lowest level, allowing them to retain profitability levels despite price reductions. When the reverse occurs, in that demand exceeds the number of products available (the supply), prices will rise. In this situation, the seller is in command of the market. An excess demand situation may also lead to existing suppliers increasing production levels, and may tempt new producers into the marketplace. However, businesses that achieve rapid growth, even when an excess demand arises, are typified by sellers who maintain lower than market demand prices, such as supermarkets. Often this is achieved by constraining supplier prices. It can be seen therefore, that a free market is very much based on an enterprise system, where entrepreneurs are the most important factors (Marquand, 1977, p.159). Many economists agree that the free market cannot exist without some state intervention. For example, â€Å"Keyness argument [is][1] that the only way to stop the market wreaking havoc is for the state to intervene in the economy.† (Quoted in Peter Morgan, 1999). However, economists often disagree about the extent of such intervention. In an ideal version of a free market economy, the state role would be limited to ensuring freedom of competition remains and to protect the marketplace from incidences of intimidation, conspiracy or deceit. Therefore, if a situation develops where a group of sellers agree to maintain prices at an artificial level, forming a cartel for the purpose of price fixing irrespective of the market demand, the state may intervene. Similarly, the state may intervene if a large corporation endeavours to force suppliers to meet restrictive conditions including price, in order to an unfair competitive edge over other sellers, or attempts to achieve dominant market share by maintaining artificially low prices. Included within this area is the concept of free and unencumbered competition. This presupposes that no one corporation, or group of corporations, should be allowed to dominant their sector in a way that precludes other suppliers from entry (Erik Ringmar, 2005). In order to address these situations, state intervention usually occurs by the introduction of anti-competition laws and regulations, unless a self-regulatory code of ethics and conduct is agreed. To reduce the incidence of fraud by corporations most states, nationally and internationally, have introduced a combined system of codes and laws designed to combat this problem. In the UK, such laws include the consumer protection act, anti-competition laws and corporate governance regulations, supported by the company’s acts. A significant part of the role of these acts also serves to protect consumers from abuse by corporate action. In this respect, the state considers that the consumer needs to have access to accurate information, such as pricing and content of products, which they might otherwise be denied. In recent decades, state intervention has also focused on protecting the rights of the workforce, to stop workers being exploited, unfairly treated or discriminated against by the businesses they work for. To achieve this many acts have been instigated, the latest of which is the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 Another area where governments intervene in the free market scenario is to protect and provide public services. These include the National Health Service. Despite the move to greater privatisation on public services, generally the ordinary member of the public favour these being run by the state (Erik Ringmar, 2005, p.136). To fund their role in the economy, the state imposes taxes upon the enterprises that occupy the market. Although in theory, such taxes should be limited to this purpose, in reality governments also use taxation as another form of intervention. For example, in an effort to address health and environmental issues, such as tobacco and alcohol addition and global warming, additional taxes have been levied on products that cause these addition and the use of which exacerbates environmental problems. Thus, in the UK we have seen the introduction of additional levies on such items as cigarettes, beers, wines and spirits, and fossil fuels and energy usage. Margaret Thatcher, during her terms as Prime Minister, was a strong supporter of the free-market, believing it to be a moral and sound way to develop the economy (Ian Adams, 1998, p.79). In the UK, one of the commercial sectors that have benefited most from the freedom of trade under the â€Å"Thatcher† years was Supermarkets. This ethos has been carried through the Blair years, although some ministers now admit that such freedom is not necessarily the right path (Stephen Byers, 2003). As a result, supermarkets have experienced almost unprecedented growth, creating an imbalance in many market sectors, to the extent that the high street is dominated by four major chains, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Safeway (now Morrisons) (Joanna Blythman, 2003). Of these, Tesco’s is the largest and accounts for one eight of all consumers shopping and over a third of groceries. Because of increased concerns over supermarket power and competition issues, the government has taken a direct approach in terms of intervention. For example, the monopolies commission was instrumental in stopping further consolidation of supermarket numbers by subjecting the Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury bids for Safeway, the fourth largest, to full inquiries, allowing Morrisons to succeed (Richard Northedge, 2003). For Tesco’s, a number of similar planned expansion projects, to extend its stores numbers through construction or acquisition, have been thwarted by various government methods. However, the supermarket chain responded to these measures by achieving expansion through a different route. Using the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) own two-market view of grocery retailing, namely that one-stop and convenience shopping were separate markets, Tesco has expanded into the latter field, despite concerns expressed by some ministers (Julia Finch, 2005). The corporation has aggressive ly built a six hundred-store presence in this marketplace, with plans to double this in the near future. In 2002, in response to continuing concerns and complaints regarding the supermarket’s treatment of their suppliers, which included Tesco, the Office of Fair Trading, a government-funded body, introduced a supermarket code of practice (Joanne Blythman, 2003). Since then, there have been no further complaints. However, it is widely believed the reason for this is not so much satisfaction with the working of the code, but more the enormous influence supermarkets such as Tesco’s exercise over their supply chain. It is considered that this influence is used to deflect intervention (Joanna Blythman, 2003). In respect of the protection of employees, over the past few decades the UK government, partially driven by European Commission regulations, has intervened by introducing laws including the Protection of Employee (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003, together with numerous other Acts that deal with a wide range of discrimination issues, such as race, disability and age. In addition, to further reduce the possibility of exploitation of workers and to provide them with a reasonable standard of living, a system of setting a minimum wage was introduced. In an effort to enable employees to bring complaints against employers, a tribunal system, together with an independent body, ACAS[2] has been set up to intercede in these issues. In most cases, supermarket chains, such as Tesco, have pre-empted these regulations, by introducing their own human resource strategy to deal with the issues. For example, before the age discrimination act that came into force in 2006, Tesco had previously taken steps to address the problem. Such was their success in this area that they won the â€Å"Personal Today 2004 Age Positive Award† (Tesco Website 2006), which acknowledged the steps they had undertaken to eliminate age discrimination. Although historically it can be seen that the free market system has led to significant economic growth, a side effect was that it also created problems and, in some cases, misery for many people (Erik Ringmar, 2005). To redress the balance required state intervention. It can be seen from the research carried out for this paper that, certainly in an effort to counteract the power of supermarket giant’s such as Tesco, a free market economy needs to have a certain element of state intervention in order to protect suppliers and employees. References Adams, Ian (1998). Ideology and Politics in Britain Today. Manchester University Press. UK. Anon (2006) Price and resource allocation. Philip Allan Updates. Retrieved 14 December 2006 from http://www.philipallan.co.uk/images/532-T2.pdf Blythman, Joanna (2003). Lord of the aisles. The Guardian, UK. 17 May 2003 Byers, Stephen (2003). I was wrong. Free market trade policies hurt the poor. The Guardian, 19 May 2003 UK. Finch, Julia (2005). Calls for an end to Tesco’s bully-boy tactics have grown too loud to ignore. The Guardian, 12 November 2005. Marquand, David (1997). The New Reckoning: Capitalism, States and Citizens. Polity Press, Cambridge. UK. Morgan, Peter (1999). The new Keynesians: staking a hold on the system? International Socialism Journal. Issue 82, March 1999 Northedge, Richard (2003). Morrisons profits will boost Safeway bid. The Scotsman on Sunday. UK. Ringmar, Erik (2005). Surviving Capitalism: How We Learned to Live With the Market and Remained Almost Human. Anthem Press, UK. Statement (2006) Older Staff. Tesco website. Retrieved 13 December 2006 from http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspx?pointerid=DE09B90CFDD44BE995DFE562405EAF38 The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. London. UK. Footnotes [1] Words in brackets added [2] Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (UK)

E-Business Distribution Systems and Value Strategies

E-Business Distribution Systems and Value Strategies Srishti Mittal What is a business portal? Ans. The term business portal is used to describe a feature on a company website that allows authorized users to access restricted content or information. This tool is growing in popularity, as it provides a single gateway for staff to access different applications. Some of the most common features of a business portal include customer relationship management, expense submissions, recording of staff time, and requesting vacation days. The technology required to create and maintain a business portal has decreased significantly in price in the past few years, making it much more feasible for both small and medium size enterprises. There are two primary aspects to the creation of a business portal: hardware and software. The hardware used varies widely, depending on the applications that are going to be distributed via this tool, the target user group, number of users, and reliance on other systems. The greater the number of users and the more robust the services, the more hardware that is required to support them. Many projects begin as a proof of concept, and then quickly expand. Make sure your hardware is sized to meet the needs of your users. What is meant by the term co-opetition? Ans. Coopetition or Co-opetition (sometimes spelled coopertition or co-opertition) is a neologism coined to describe cooperative competition. Coopetition is a portmanteau of cooperation and competition. Basic principles of co-opetitive structures have been described in game theory, a scientific field that received more attention with the book Theory of Games and Economic Behavior in 1944 and the works of John Forbes Nash on non-cooperative games. It is also applied in the fields of political science and economics and even universally [works of V. Frank Asaro, J.D.: Universal Co-opetition,2011, and The Tortoise Shell Code, novel, 2012]. Coopetition occurs when companies interact with partial congruence of interests. They cooperate with each other to reach a higher value creation if compared to the value created without interaction, and struggle to achieve competitive advantage. What is a first mover? Ans. In marketing, first-mover advantage or FMA is the advantage gained by the initial (first-moving) significant occupant of a market segment. It may be referred to as Technological Leadership. This advantage may stem from the fact that the first entrant can gain control of resources that followers may not be able to match Sometimes, the first mover is not able to capitalize on its advantage, leaving the opportunity for another firm to gain second-mover advantage. What is meant by a frictionless market? Ans. A Frictionless market is a financial market without transaction costs. Friction is a type of market incompleteness. Every complete market is frictionless, but the converse does not hold. In a frictionless market the solvency cone is the halfspace normal to the unique price vector. The Black-Scholes model assumes a frictionless market. What does SWOT stand for? Ans. The abbreviation SWOT is commonly used in reference to strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. SWOT may also stand for Sydney welcome orientation and transition, student with outstanding talent, study without teacher or special weapons for operations timelines. Exercises: List the strategic alternatives can e-business businesses are using. Ans. Business environments are highly uncertain and executives need to be innovative and flexible to survive. They achieve this through strategic alternatives that enable their companies to maintain a competitive edge over rivals. For instance, executives can adapt through safer small investments or risky and costly changes, according to the Harvard Business Review. Some alternative strategies include price focus, differentiation, diversification and adjacent businesses. Price Focus Price focus is a market niche strategy where a company competes on cost. This strategy targets a small buyer segment and the company needs to have a low-cost structure compared to rivals. This strategy is effective when a business is new, it cannot pursue a bigger market, customer segments are different, or when no other competitor is focusing on the targeted segment. Differentiation In cases where competition is stiff because of the proliferation of similar products, a company can come up with features that differentiate their products or services from those of rivals. The differentiating features need to be valuable to customers so that they are ready to pay premiums for them, and difficult for rivals to copy. When introducing new features, executives need to ensure that the product is affordable and that it complements customer’s needs. What advantages can pioneering firms gain? Ans. One of the most valuable competitive brand strategies any company can undertake is what I refer to as the Pioneer Advantage. The Pioneer Advantage is what the name implies: being first to enter an emerging market or creating a new market altogether. Business history is full of pioneer companies that have outsold the latecomers for years. Market pioneers Coca-Cola, Tide, Pitney-Bowes, Lipton Tea, and Levi Strauss continue to be the best selling or most profitable brands in their categories. The competitive advantages are significant for the market pioneer. One of the most significant advantages the pioneer owns is product awareness. There is much research that shows that buyers do not recall all brands equally. The customer is more familiar with certain brands over others and they will recall those brands more easily. The Pioneer is most likely the highest profile of any brand in the category and, as a result, it is often recalled first. How can an e-business build barriers to other businesses? Ans. Today, people often turn to the Internet first for information about businesses and products – whether they are shopping online, or simply looking for a business’ address or phone number – making an online presence one of the most important assets for any business; not just to share information, but to build credibility. According to a recent survey of millions of consumers by Weebly, 56 percent said they do not trust a business without a website. List some of the advantages of having a brand name. Ans. Successful brand-building helps profitability by â€Å"adding values† that customers are prepared to pay for. Strong brands inspire customer loyalty leading to repeat sales and word-of mouth recommendation. The brand owner can usually charge higher prices, especially if the brand is the market leader. Better access to distribution retailers, distributors and other sellers usually want to stock top selling brands. With limited shelf space it is more likely the top brands will be on the shelf than less well-known brands What are some of the advantages of having large amounts of resources for competing on the Internet? Ans. competition is the rivalry among sellers trying to achieve such goals as increasing profits, market share, and sales volume by varying the elements of the marketing mix: price, product, distribution, and promotion. Merriam-Webster defines competition in business as the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable termsIt was described by Adam Smith n The Wealth of Nations (1776) and later economists as allocating productive resources to their most highly-valued uses and encouraging efficiency. Smith and other classical economist before Cournot were referring to price and non-price rivalry among producers to sell their goods on best terms by bidding of buyers, not necessarily to a large number of sellers nor to a market in final equilibrium. Later microeconomic theory distinguished between perfect competition and imperfect competition, concluding that no system of resource allocation is more Pareto efficient hand perfect competition. Competition, according to the theory, causes commercial firms to develop new products, services and technologies, which would give consumers greater selection and better products. The greater selection typically causes lower prices for the products, compared to what the price would be if there was no competition (monopoly) or little competition (oligopoly). It is generally accepted that competition results in lower prices and a greater number of goods delivered to more people. Less competition is perceived to exhibit higher prices with a fewer number of goods delivered to fewer people. Describe the different types of Internet portals and whom they target. Ans. A portal may use a search engine API to permit users to search intranet content as opposed to extranet content by restricting which domains may be searched. Apart from this common search engines feature, web portals may offer other services such as e-mail, news, stock quotes, and information from databases and even entertainment content. Portals provide a way for enterprises and organizations to provide a consistent look and feel it access control and procedures for multiple applications and databases, which otherwise would have been different web entities at various URLs. The features available may be restricted by whether access is by an authorized and authenticated user (employee, member) or an anonymous site visitor. Examples of early public web portals were AOL, Excite, Netvibes, iGoogle, MSN, Naver, Indiatimes, Rediff, Sify and Yahoo.. See for example, the My Yahoo! feature of Yahoo! which may have inspired such features as the later Google iGoogle (soon to be discontinued.) The configurable side-panels of, for example, the modern Opera browser and the option of Speed Dial pages by most browsers continue to reflect the earlier portal metaphor. How can firms use alliances and acquisitions to gain advantages? Ans. A strategic alliance is when two or more businesses join together for a set period of time. The businesses, usually, are not in direct competition, but have similar products or services that are directed toward the same target audience. Alliance means cooperation between groups that produces better results that can be gained. Because competitive markets keep improving what you can get from transactions, an alliance must stay ahead of the market by making continuous advances.1 Strategic alliance is a primary form of strategic alliance is a partnership between firms whereby resources, capabilities, and combined to pursue mutual interests. Professional Development: Choose and industry. Develop a business model for how that industry currently operates and then develop an e-business based model. Identify how this new model can gain a competitive advantage over other models in the industry. Ans. Amazon is a classic business model, it uses the Internet to get maximum leverage out of its fixed assets, and once it achieves enough volume of sales, the sum total of profits from all those sales exceed its fixed cost base, and it turns a profit. It already has exceeded this hurdle in its past. References Kleindl, B. (2002). Strategic electronic marketing : managing e-business. Cleveland, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.

The New Deal And Reagan :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The New Deal provided motivation for governmental action for fifty years. The material conditions of the nation could be cast into the frame of the New Deal and would motivate public action to address them. The way that they were addressed was framed by the New Deal's notion that the dispossessed of society were dispossessed because of the irresponsible actions of those at the top of the American economy. Government would become their representative in addressing the failures of capitalist leadership to protect the common man and woman. Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted the New Deal, which consisted of the Workers Progress Administration, and Social Security among several other programs. At the time, conservative critics charged it was bringing a form of socialism into the capitalistic American system. Conservatives sustained this argument until the 1980's when President Reagan actions brought conservative economic beliefs into fruition. Ronald Reagan was to succee d in defusing the political power of the New Deal motive. In doing so, he managed the public/private line, moving many concerns back to being private concerns that the New Deal form had seen as public matters. Reagan was to accomplish this by substituting another motive that replaced the faith of Roosevelt with the faith of Reagan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the programs, which the New Deal instituted, was the Workers Progress Administration. The stated purpose of the Workers Progress Administration was to provide useful work for millions of victims of the Great Depression and thus to preserve their skills and self-respect. The economy would in turn be stimulated by the increased purchasing power of the newly employed, whose wages under the program ranged from $15 to $90 per month. Although this administration lasted only 8 years it gave the understanding that a middle class American society would have to commence, for the economy to operate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The assistance, which was given to workers during the New Deal, was to be eroded by the Reagan administration. Reagan's economic policies towards middle to lower class workers recognized the economic imbalance of American society as a problem, which could not be solved by so called subordination of the American taxpayer. The implication of this was that the government would not subsidize, using taxpayer money, administrations and programs that were similar to those of the New Deal. One can derive this conclusion by looking at Reagan's policy towards cutting unemployment insurance and his hesitation towards raising the minimum wage.

The Third World :: Society Leadership Governmental Essays

The Third World The Third World has undergone an intense transformation over the past century. It has encountered the slow progression from a traditional society to the brink of modernization. Two of the most influential components of this extensive transformation are leadership and ideology. They have left an indelible mark on the Third World and have helped to define the direction of this revolution and its influence on the rest of the modern world. Third World leadership has played a significant role in the success and implementation of reform which has resulted in the legitimacy and stabilization of governments. It has also produced a formidable presence on the global scene in terms of economic trade and a strong military threat. The personality of many of these leaders is defined in their charisma and nationalism. One of the first prominent leaders of the Third World was Nasser of Egypt. He leaped upon the scene during the infamous Alexandria speech. During his address, an assassination attempt failed as four shots were fired and missed him. The crowd ducked in chaos, but rose to the voice of Nasser as he uttered "I live for Egypt, I die for Egypt." Immediately, the crowd and the rest of Egypt rallied behind Nasser. His reign resulted from a military takeover that succeeded the speech. He was seen as a type of God and his charisma resulted in revolutionary reform that included agrarian reform and the seizure of the Suez canal from the British. Nasser single-handedly brought the ancient feudal system to a halt by closing the gap between the rich elite and the poor through comprehensive agrarian reform. He also defied the British and their hold on the Suez canal. He displayed tremendous imagination in his successful stand against the invasion of England, France, and Israel by inspiring the civil ians to take to the streets and fight with their teeth, knives and fists. Instantly, his fame spread throughout the Third World. He became a source of inspiration and precedence in the modernization of the underdeveloped world. Later, other charismatic leaders such as Quadafi of Libya, Castro of Cuba, and Hussein of Iraq helped solidify the trend of centralized military governments led by strong dictators. These men are disliked and beguiled by most of the developed world, but they are beloved by their people. This affection is seen by the overwhelming approval ratings of these leaders.

Racism and Racial Profiling are Better than Political Correctness :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Racism and Racial Profiling are Preferred Over Political Correctness I am beginning to detest political correctness! Perhaps I just want to know how people really feel. It's not that negative opinions don't hurt - of course they do. But I would take a cross-burning-hate-spouting-hood-wearing Ku Klux Klan member over a person who thought the same things, but never dared to express those thoughts until sometime in the future when it could hurt me more (i.e. job hiring). At least with the KKK member, I know what I am getting. As a black female born and raised in the South, I have dealt with racism and discrimination all of my life. But I expected (or hoped for) a little more from our university. Yet what is the first thing that happens when I come to campus? The "ghetto party!" What followed were anger, discussions and learning. But was anything really learned? Every year, there is another incident of some kind: the "luau party," Jewish hate mail, vandalism on the door of Asian students, and most recently, the incident at the fraternity, just to name a few.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So I have a new idea. If the university wants to strengthen community, it does not need to just have discussions where people learn what not to say or do. People need to feel the effects of their words and actions. So I propose we build a machine that transforms the "offender" into the "offended." Instead of hearing how their words and actions hurt someone else, let them walk in that person's shoes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Think you know someone who is racist? Put her in the machine and let her know how it feels to be a person of color for a lifetime. As part of the experience, she will be followed in stores as if she's about to steal something. As a child, instead of having teachers help her in school, they will write her off as a lost cause, label her a delinquent, or prematurely put her in a special education class. Or when she does not understand, people will act surprised and say, "Aren't all of you good in math?" When people insult her race, her objections will be judged as over-sensitivity (considered a common attribute of people like her). Her success will be seen as a threat to others. When she tries to show pride in or help others have pride in their race, she will be labeled

Compare and Contrast the “White Public Opinion” Essay

Public opinion is simply the complex of preferences expressed by a significant number of persons on an issue of general importance. Blacks were included in national polls and surveys in numbers reflecting their proportion of the population, but typically these surveys yielded too few respondents to produce valid and reliable findings or to explore opinion differences internal to the black community in terms of such things as gender, class, age or region. Black opinion was seen as a mere derivative, secondary and less important compared to white opinion. Research shows that White Americans are not racist in the old fashioned way; instead they resent or are hostile to blacks because of the whites’ commitment to basic or core American values, particularly individualism. White Americans resist equality in the name of self-reliance, achievement, individual initiative and they do so not merely because the value of individualism provides a socially acceptable pretext but because it provides an integral component of the new racism. It’s a perceived belief that whites are more intelligent and better than blacks, but the problems facing the black community have been ignored, because they feel like the black community is inferior and don’t have anything better to do. So therefore they refuse blacks the resources they need for a good foundation, like education, jobs and so on. The pervasive and deep sense of alienation from and distrust of the American government as well as the deep racial divide between blacks and whites was reflected in public opinion on hurricane Katrina. There is a lack of attention and urgency in handling the problems which are facing the black community, both in the past and present. Another powerful function of the press was to attack and remake the stereotypes and negative characterizations that the white press visited on the community. They see the issues affecting the black community and use it to pass negative comments and judgments against them, Instead of addressing the situation and seeking amends. The mainstream or white media tend to ignore the internal life of the black community, thus the black media serve as a vehicle of intragroup communication and solidarity. The mainstream or mass media gathers and reports news of interest to the mass public, which are mostly middle class whites. Since the 1950’s, content analysis of the mass media has consistently shown that the routine, day-to-day coverage of African Americans is predominantly negative and stereotypical; blacks are portrayed as poor or criminal and they are shown as entertainers or athletes. The fact is that, black Americans have being fighting for equal rights and opportunities for some time, but discrimination against minorities still exist. We have to keep fighting for any changes we want done in our community and take it upon ourselves to transform some of those issues, because the mass media focus on the problems facing the majority of the American problems in the white community.

Body language Essay

I wasn’t too sure on what to wear when I performed my interaction. From previous research into communication I am aware that this can affect the quality of communication. For example dark and gloomy clothes sometimes can indicate you being in bad mood and could prevent clients approaching you. However if you were to wear bright and colourful clothes then it would give the impression that you are happy and friendly and easier to approach. I decided to go for clothes in the middle of bright and dark, however I am still unsure whether this had an effect on the communication shown. At the end of my interaction I gave a member of the group my questionnaire to fill in about the interaction (appendix 1). I wanted to make sure that I gained some feedback from interaction to see whether I was effective in achieving my purpose. I structured that questionnaire very simply, and clear so the child would have no problem in being able to fill it in. the child who I asked to complete my questionnaire filled it all in, and they ticked YES for every box. This would indicate to me that my interaction was a success on the basis of that it was fun, exciting, and there was nothing too bad that affected them in the interaction. This would show that I was successful in achieving my purpose, which to me is a great accomplishment. I got some feedback from this pupil on the questionnaire which was very interesting and useful, however I wanted to make sure that I had an assessment sheet filled in about me to look more specifically at my skills that I demonstrated, what was good about them, what was bad and also to see if I achieved my purpose. Therefore I gave Mrs Paterson, an observation sheet about me to fill in (appendix 2) you can see from the sheet that Mrs Paterson rated me highly on most of the skills. However there were a few points which she had to make. PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ACTION PLAN One of my main problems that occurred during this interaction was that I found it very hard to observe the type of communication, group layout which was going on as well as performing my own personal communication skills within the group. I think that if I was going to do the interaction again I would probably video record it therefore I could go back and see what I did wrong but also what type of communication skills and patterns occurred. This would be a very effective way in which I could evaluate myself critically in order to create a more efficient action plan. I expressed before about how I felt very nervous and intimidated by the interaction. I think that this could be improved by practice, and just making sure that I remain as calm as I possibly can. Being aware of my body language too is essential too. I also feel that to improve the quality of the interaction I would need to find out ways in which I could include other group members, which were lacking in joining in. I am not entirely sure on a method which I could choose to help me learn this other than teacher training, and obviously this is not possible. However what would be possible is to talk to some teachers, to find out information about how to make clients feel valued and belonged within the group more than what I know already. I gave the observation sheet to Mrs Paterson to write about my interaction. Mrs Paterson did rate me slightly lower on a couple of issues. These were really useful to me in aiding me to create a realistic action plan. For example she quoted: Tone of voice – at times she found it difficult to calm her voice down, due to nervousness. Â  Appropriate responsiveness and calmness – again Leanne found it hard at times to remain calm, however it did improve towards the end. I completely agree with the comments that Mrs Paterson made about my poor communication. I knew that I was finding it hard to calm down and make my voice and body language relaxed during the interaction. I did feel that I made an improvement towards the end whilst I got into the activity more. This is definitely something I need to work on and improve for further interactions such as this. I am going to make a conscious effort to improve on the poor things about my interaction, because it is vital that I can be effective whilst communicating. Im going to make sure that when I’m in an interaction such as this I am going to try and calm myself down before I enter the group interaction. There were so many things that I have become aware or further whilst doing this interaction. And again I feel that it is essential for me to be trained, or get more experience in interacting within a group. For me to improve my interaction I would need to study my assessment sheet to look at where I went wrong, and how I could improve it to make sure that a next interaction is I’m proved and that I have learnt from my poor communication. CONCLUSION This experience has been a very large learning experience for me. Before this I had learnt about all the different types of effective communication, however I never actually knew how incredibly difficult it is to put them into practice. There is so much for and health and care social worker to remember when interacting with their clients. I think that it takes a very talented person to be good at their job within this area. I enjoyed my interaction with the group so much, and I have already decided to go back in the future, to try my group interaction to perhaps try out my action plan. What made this experienced even more enjoyable is the fact that the children relished the activity as much as what I did. When I went to go after my interaction I was actually disappointed on how quickly the time had gone. The children who I was working with seemed to have formed a bond with me and were also upset to see me go too. I think that I was very successful in achieving my purpose of the interaction, and this was reflected through not only the effective communication skills I demonstrated but also that of the amount of enjoyment we all experienced. This has certainly given me a lot to contemplate on, I have learn a lot about myself, as well as how imperative effective communication is in this type of setting. Another thing, which I think has been a vital learning point, is the fact that health and social care workers give so much to their clients. Teachers need to make sure that they are demonstrating communication skills the whole time, but also to leave their own personal or emotional problems at home, because it can effective the relationships between them and the clients. This must be extremely hard to do. I would imagine that this job is very satisfying.

Study of Electromagnetic Clutch

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It gives us great pleasure when a certain task is accomplished with great zeal and enthusiasm. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and deep sense of gratitude to all those who helped us in completing this project. First and foremost, we feel greatly indebted to Mr. D. M. SINGH and Mr. UBAID AHMAD KHAN, from the core of our heart for their constant support and valuable guidance time to time, because they encouraged and persuaded us to complete the project. We are also thankful to entire faculty members for their support.In order to complete the project we have taken help from various sites, books, study material etc. INTRODCTION A clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation, which can be engaged and disengaged. Clutches are useful in devices that have two rotating shafts. In these devices, one shaft is typically driven by motor or pulley, and other shaft drives another device. The clutch connects the two shafts so that they can either be locked together an d spin at the same speed (engaged), or be decoupled and spin at different speeds (disengaged). The clutch disc (centre) spins with the flywheel (left).To disengage, the lever is pulled (black arrow), causing a white pressure plate (right) to disengage the green clutch disc from turning the drive shaft, which turns within the thrust-bearing ring of the lever. Never will all 3 rings connect, with any gaps. TYPES OF CLUTCH DOG CLUTCH A dog clutch is a type of clutch that couples two rotating shafts or other rotating components not by friction but by interference. The two parts of the clutch are designed such that one will push the other, causing both to rotate at the same speed and will never slip.Dog clutches are used where slip is undesirable and/or the clutch is not used to control torque. Without slippage, dog clutches are not affected by wear in the same way that friction clutches are. Dog clutches are used inside manual automotive transmissions to lock different gears to the rota ting input and output shafts. A synchromesh arrangement ensures smooth engagement by matching the shaft speeds before the dog clutch is allowed to engage. Wet and dry A ‘wet clutch' is immersed in a cooling lubricating fluid, which also keeps the surfaces clean and gives smoother performance and longer life.Wet clutches; however, tend to lose some energy to the liquid. A ‘dry clutch', as the name implies, is not bathed in fluid. Since the surfaces of a wet clutch can be slippery (as with a motorcycle clutch bathed in engine oil), stacking multiple clutch disks can compensate for the lower coefficient of friction and so eliminate slippage under power when fully engaged. Cone clutch A cone clutch serves the same purpose as a disk or plate clutch. However, instead of mating two spinning disks, the cone clutch uses two conical surfaces to transmit torque by friction.The cone clutch transfers a higher torque than plate or disk clutches of the same size due to the wedging acti on and increased surface area. Cone clutches are generally now only used in low peripheral speed applications although they were once common in automobiles and other combustion engine transmissions. They are usually now confined to very specialist transmissions in racing, rallying, or in extreme off-road vehicles, although they are common in power boats. This is because the clutch doesn't have to be pushed in all the way and the gears will be changed quicker. Centrifugal clutchA centrifugal clutch is a clutch that uses centrifugal force to connect two concentric shafts, with the driving shaft nested inside the driven shaft. Centrifugal clutches are often used in mopeds, lawnmowers, go-karts, chainsaws, and mini bikes. Fluid coupling A fluid coupling is a hydrodynamic device used to transmit rotating mechanical power. It has been used in automobile transmissions as an alternative to a mechanical clutch. It also has widespread application in marine and industrial machine drives, where variable speed operation and/or controlled start-up without shock loading of the power transmission system is essential.Torque limiter It is also known as safety clutch. A torque limiter is an automatic device that protects mechanical equipment, or its work, from damage by mechanical overload. A torque limiter may limit the torque by slipping (as in a friction plate slip-clutch), or uncouple the load entirely (as in a shear pin). The action of a torque limiter is especially useful to limit any damage due to crash stops and jams. Torque limiters may be packaged as a shaft coupling or as a hub for sprocket or sheave. A torque limiting device is also known as an overload clutch. Electromagnetism What is an electromagnet?An electromagnet can be made by sending current through a coil of wire wound around an iron core. When current passes through a conductor, magnetic field will be generated around the conductor and the conductor become a magnet. This phenomenon is called electromagnetis m. Since the magnet is produced electric current, it is called the electromagnet. In short, when current flow through a conductor, magnetic field will be generated. When the current ceases, the magnetic field disappear. The direction of the magnetic field formed by a current carrying straight wire can be determined by the Right Hand Grip Rule or the Maxwell Screw Rule.What is magnetic field pattern? A magnetic field pattern can be represented by field lines that show the shape of the field. Magnetic field lines which are closed together represents strong field. Field direction is defined as the direction indicated by a compass needle placed in the magnetic field. Force on current carrying conductor If a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field produced by permanent magnets, then the field due to current carrying conductor and the permanent magnets interact and cause the a force to be exerted on the conductor .The force on the current carrying conductor in a magnetic field depends on:- 1. The flux density of the field, B teslas 2. The strength of current, I amp 3. The length of the conductor perpendicular to the magnetic field 4. The direction of the field and current When the magnetic field, the current and the conductor are mutually perpendicular to each other then force exerted: F=IBL Newton When the conductor and magnetic field are at an angle, then the force exerted: F=IBLsin? Where; I=current, B magnetic field, L=Length of conductor ?-angle between conductor and magnetic field.Right Hand Grip Rule Grip the wire with the right hand, with the thumb pointing along the direction of the current. The other fingers give the direction of the magnetic field around the wire. The Maxwell's Screw Rules The Maxwell Screw Rules sometime is also called the Maxwell's Corkscrew Rule. Imagine a right handed screw being turn so that it bores its way in the direction of the current in the wire. The direction of rotation gives the direction of the magnetic fie ld. Electromagnetic clutch Electromagnetic clutches operate electrically, but transmit torque echanically. This is why they used to be referred to as electro-mechanical clutches. CONSTRUCTION A horseshoe magnet has a north and south pole. If a piece of carbon steel contacts both poles, a magnetic circuit is created. In an electromagnetic clutch, the north and south pole is created by a coil shell and a wound coil. In a clutch, when power is applied, a magnetic field is created in the coil. This field (flux) overcomes an air gap between the clutch rotor and the armature. This magnetic attraction, pulls the armature in contact with the rotor face.The frictional contact, which is being controlled by the strength of the magnetic field, is what causes the rotational motion to start. The torque comes from the magnetic attraction, of the coil and the friction between the steel of the armature and the steel of the clutch rotor. For many industrial clutches, friction material is used between the poles. The material is mainly used to help decrease the wear rate, but different types of material can also be used to change the coefficient of friction (torque for special applications).For example, if the clutch is required to have an extended time to speed or slip time, a low coefficient friction material can be used and if a clutch is required to have a slightly higher torque (mostly for low rpm applications), a high coefficient friction material can be used. In a clutch, the electromagnetic lines of flux have to pass into the rotor, and in turn, attract and pull the armature in contact with it to complete clutch engagement. Most industrial clutches use what is called a single flux, two pole design. Mobile clutches of other specialty electromagnetic clutches can use a double or triple flux rotor.The double or trip flux refers to the number of north/south flux paths, in the rotor and armature. This means that, if the armature is designed properly and has similar banana slot s, what occurs is a leaping of the flux path, which goes north south, north south. By having more points of contact, the torque can be greatly increased. In theory, if there were 2 sets of poles at the same diameter, the torque would double in a clutch. Obviously, that is not possible to do, so the points of contact have to be at a smaller inner diameter.Also, there are magnetic flux losses because of the bridges between the banana slots. But by using a double flux design, a 30%-50% increase in torque, can be achieved, and by using a triple flux design, a 40%-90% in torque can be achieved. This is important in applications where size and weight are critical, such as automotive requirements. The coil shell is made with carbon steel that has a combination of good strength and good magnetic properties. Copper (sometimes aluminium) magnet wire, is used to create the coil, which is held in shell either by a bobbin or by some type of epoxy/adhesive.To help increase life in applications, f riction material is used between the poles on the face of the rotor. This friction material is flush with the steel on the rotor, since if the friction material was not flush, good magnetic traction could not occur between the faces. Some people look at electromagnetic clutches and mistakenly assume that, since the friction material is flush with the steel that the clutch has already worn down but this is not the case. Clutches used in most mobile applications, (automotive, agriculture, construction equipment) do not use friction material.Their cycle requirements tend to be lower than industrial clutches, and their cost is more sensitive. Also, many mobile clutches are exposed to outside elements, so by not having friction material, it eliminates the possibility of swelling (reduced torque), that can happen when friction material absorbs moisture. HOW DOES IT WORKS The clutch has four main parts: field, rotor, armature, and hub (output) . When voltage is applied the stationary magne tic field generates the lines of flux that pass into the rotor. (The rotor is normally connected to the part that is always moving in the machine. The flux (magnetic attraction) pulls the armature in contact with the rotor (the armature is connected to the component that requires the acceleration), as the armature and the output start to accelerate. Slipping between the rotor face and the armature face continues until the input and output speed is the same (100% lockup). The actual time for this is quite short, between 1/200th of a second and 1 second. Disengagement is very simple. Once the field starts to degrade, flux falls rapidly and the armature separates.One or more springs hold the armature away from the rotor at a predetermined air gap. Engagement time There are actually two engagement times to consider in an electromagnetic clutch. The first one is the time that it takes for a coil to develop a magnetic field, strong enough to pull in an armature. Within this, there are two factors to consider. The first one is the amount of ampere turns in a coil, which will determine the strength of a magnetic field. The second one is air gap, which is the space between the armature and the rotor. Magnetic lines of flux diminish quickly in the air..Air gap is an important consideration especially with a fixed armature design because as the unit wears over many cycles of engagement the armature and the rotor will create a larger air gap which will change the engagement time of the clutch. In high cycle applications, where registration is important, even the difference of 10 to 15 milliseconds can make a difference, in registration of a machine. Even in a normal cycle application, this is important because a new machine that has accurate timing can eventually see a â€Å"drift† in its accuracy as the machine gets older.The second factor in figuring out response time of a clutch is actually much more important than the magnet wire or the air gap. It involves cal culating the amount of inertia that the clutch needs to accelerate. This is referred to as â€Å"time to speed†. In reality, this is what the end-user is most concerned with. Once it is known how much inertia is present for the clutch to start then the torque can be calculated and the appropriate size of clutch can be chosen. Most CAD systems can automatically calculate component inertia, but the key to sizing a clutch is calculating how much inertial is reflected back to the clutch or brake.To do this, engineers use the formula: T = (wk2 ? ?N) / (308 ? t) Where T = required torque in lb-ft, WK2 = total inertia in lb-ft2, ? N = change in the rotational speed in rpm, and t = time during which the acceleration or deceleration must take place. There are also online sites that can help confirm how much torque is required to accelerate a given amount of inertia over a specific time. Circuit design and analysis OBJECTIVE A control circuit is to be designed to control the motor and drive unit. The Design specifications are to be fully implemented.An incomplete circuit and equipments are given and once it is understood appropriate values for the different components should be decided. These values should allow the circuit to perform as specified. Design Specification A circuit is to be designed which is 1. Allows the angular speed of the motor to build up to a value of 20 revolutions per minute (rpm), in a time of 2 seconds (s). 2. Maintains the angular speed of 20 rpm for a time of 3s. 3. When clutch pedal is pressed it brings the machine to a halt in a time of 1s. 4.Builds up the angular speed again to 20 rpm, in a time of 2s, except this time in the opposite direction. 5. Maintains the angular speed of 20 rpm for a time of 6s. 6. Brings the machine to a halt in a time of 1s. 7. Repeats the cycle above (1-6) indefinitely when powered on. The motor must not be in dynamic braking mode at the same time as it is being driven. CIRCUIT OPERATION The initial design for the complete circuit is shown below. All references to components refer to this circuit diagram. * ANALOGUE SECTION When power is supplied to the circuit the 555 Timer switches on and its output pulses high.The initial high pulse is longer because the 555 Timer is initially at 0V. The capacitor C3 usually charges from 1/3Vcc to 2/3Vcc. However initially it has to charge from 0V to 2/3Vcc. The duration of this initial high pulse is ta = 1. 1(R6 + R7)*C3 After the initial high pulse a constant charge time is the capacitor charge time is given as tc= 0. 693(R6 + R7)*C3 (1) The output of the timer is brought up to +5V by R5. Pin 3 of the 555 Timer is at +5V when the output is at logic high.TR2 is then forward biased due to the fact that it is a NPN transistor and its collector is grounded. TR2 has a base current limiter R4. TR1 has a base current limiter R2. Transistor TR1 is now reversed bias (i. e. it is open circuited) and C1 now charges up via resistor R1. As a result the motor turns on. If suitable values of resistor R1 and capacitor C1 are used then the required waveform will be obtained for the analogue output. The duration of this low pulse is td= 0. 693(R7)*C3 (2) Pin 3 of the 555 Timer goes to 0V.TR2 is then reverse biased due to the fact that it is a NPN transistor and its collector is at +5V. Transistor TR1 is now forward biased (i. e. it is short-circuited) and C1 now discharges. The motor is now switched off. * Digital Section The voltage at the collector of TR2 provides the input clock pulse for IC2, which is configured so that it is triggered on the rising edge. Both the inputs A1 and A2 are always grounded. When the output from pin 3 of the 555 Timer is high the transistor TR2 forward biased. Therefore the input to IC2 is high. It is seen that when this occurs the output Q is high.This in turn becomes a clock signal for the J-K flip- flop (IC3) and provides Logic 1 on one of the OR-gate inputs of IC4. After IC2 is triggered, it remains high fo r a time determined by the formula tw= C2*R8*ln2 (3) C2 and R8 control the length of time of braking as well as switching the direction of the motor. When IC2 is reset a pulse is sent to the negative edge triggered J-K flip-flop (IC3). From the Data sheet for (IC3) it is seen that with the clear high and both the inputs J and K high the JK toggles.Assuming that the initial state of (IC3) is Q = 1 and Q = 0, A is initially at logic 0 and B is at logic 1. Therefore the motor will rotate to the left in an anti-clockwise direction. When IC 2 is being triggered logic 1 will be applied to both of the OR-Gates of IC4. As a result A and B will be high. The motor will now be in dynamic braking mode. When the IC 2 is reset, Q now is logic zero and Q is logic high. Therefore A will be high and B will now be zero. The motor will now run in a clockwise direction. When the IC 2 is re-triggered it will again be in dynamic braking mode.Circuit Simulation PSpice Before building the circuit that the group had modified and it was necessary to simulate its operation to see if the design we had would work correctly i. e. within the parameters. The simulation was carried out in an electrical simulation package Pspice. Pspice is a useful design tool that allows the testing of electrical circuits without the necessity to build them. It allows designs to be modified quickly and easily so that new ideas and improvements can be incorporated, before the circuit is constructed.This saves time and a considerable part of the effort when de-bugging the wiring and operation of the circuit. There were a number of reasons that the group simulated the circuit before going to the actual building stage. The main advantage was that Pspice allowed us to use theoretical values for components so we could get the timing of the circuit-very important in this case- exactly right. Although this does not mean that ‘ideal’ components may be used in practice it allowed us to narrow the range of available components that were required. This saved time when building and testing the circuit.Another advantage was that the wiring of ICs (Integrated circuit) was made simpler because we could use the Pspice schematics as a visual aid COMPONENTS USED Resistors The resistor's function is to reduce the flow of electric current. This symbol is used to indicate a resistor in a circuit diagram. There are two classes of resistors; fixed resistors and the variable resistors. They are also classified according to the material from which they are made. The typical resistor is made of either carbon film or metal film. There are other types as well, but these are the most common.Fixed ResistorsA fixed resistor is one in which the value of its resistance cannot change. Carbon film resistorsThis is the most general purpose, cheap resistor. Usually the tolerance of the resistance value is  ±5%. Power ratings of 1/8W, 1/4W and 1/2W are frequently used. Carbon film resistors have a disadvantage ; they tend to be electrically noisy. Metal film resistors are recommended for use in analog circuits. The physical size of the different resistors is as follows. METAL FILM RESISTOR| | Metal film resistors are used when a higher tolerance (more accurate value) is needed.They are much more accurate in value than carbon film resistors. They have about  ±0. 05% tolerance. They have about  ±0. 05% tolerance. Resistors that are about  ±1% are more than sufficient. Ni-Cr (Nichrome) seems to be used for the material of resistor. The metal film resistor is used for bridge circuits, filter circuits, and low-noise analog signal circuits. From the top of the photograph 1/8W (tolerance  ±1%) 1/4W (tolerance  ±1%) 1W (tolerance  ±5%) 2W (tolerance  ±5%)| Rough size| Rating power (W)| Thickness (mm)| Length (mm)| | | 3| 1/4| 2| 6| 1| 3. 5| 12| 2| 5| 15| |VARIABLE RESISTORThere are two general ways in which variable resistors are used. One is the variable resistor which value is eas ily changed, like the volume adjustment of Radio. The other is semi-fixed resistor that is not meant to be adjusted by anyone but a technician. It is used to adjust the operating condition of the circuit. Capacitors The capacitor's function is to store electricity, or electrical energy. The capacitor also functions as a filter, passing alternating current (AC), and blocking direct current (DC). This symbol is used to indicate a capacitor in a circuit diagram.The capacitor is constructed with two electrode plates facing each other, but separated by an insulator. When DC voltage is applied to the capacitor, an electric charge is stored on each electrode. While the capacitor is charging up, current flows. The current will stop flowing when the capacitor has fully charged. Electrolytic Capacitors (Electrochemical type capacitors) The most important characteristic of electrolytic capacitors is that they have polarity. They have a positive and a negative electrode. [Polarised] This means that it is very important which way round they are connected.If the capacitor is subjected to voltage exceeding its working voltage, or if it is connected with incorrect polarity, it may burst. It is extremely dangerous, because it can quite literally explode. Make absolutely no mistakes. Generally, in the circuit diagram, the positive side is indicated by a â€Å"+† (plus) symbol. Electrolytic capacitors range in value from about 1 µF to thousands of  µF. Ceramic capacitors Ceramic capacitors are constructed with materials such as titanium acid barium used as the dielectric. Internally, these capacitors are not constructed as a coil, so they can be used in high frequency applications.Typically, they are used in circuits which bypass high frequency signals to ground. These capacitors have the shape of a disk. Their capacitance is comparatively small. TRANSISTORSThe transistor's function is to amplify an electric current. Many different kinds of transistors are used in ana log circuits, for different reasons. This is not the case for digital circuits. In a digital circuit, only two values matter; on or off. The amplification abilitiy of a transistor is not relevant in a digital circuit. In many cases, a circuit is built with integrated circuits(ICs). Transistors are often used in digital circuits as buffers to protect ICs.For example, when powering an electromagnetic switch (called a ‘relay'), or when controlling a light emitting diode. (In my case. ) Two different symbols are used for the transistor. PNP type and NPN type INTEGRATED CIRCUITSAn integrated circuit contains transistors, capacitors, resistors and other parts packed in high density on one chip. Although the function is similar to a circuit made with separate components, the internal structure of the components are different in an integrated circuit. The transistors, resistors, and capacitors are formed very small, and in high density on a foundation of silicon.They are formed by a v ariation of printing technology. There are many kind of ICs, including special use ICs. DIODEA diode is a semiconductor device which allows current to flow through it in only one direction. Although a transistor is also a semiconductor device, it does not operate the way a diode does. A diode is specifically made to allow current to flow through it in only one direction. Some ways in which the diode can be used are listed here. A diode can be used as a rectifier that converts AC (Alternating Current) to DC (Direct Current) for a power supply device.Diodes can be used to separate the signal from radio frequencies. Diodes can be used as an on/off switch that controls current. This symbol is used to indicate a diode in a circuit diagram. The meaning of the symbol is (Anode)(Cathode). Current flows from the anode side to the cathode side. RELAYThe relay takes advantage of the fact that when electricity flows through a coil, it becomes an electromagnet. The electromagnetic coil attracts a steel plate, which is attached to a switch. So the switch's motion (ON and OFF) is controled by the current flowing to the coil, or not, respectively.A very useful feature of a relay is that it can be used to electrically isolate different parts of a circuit. It will allow a low voltage circuit (e. g. 5VDC) to switch the power in a high voltage circuit (e. g. 100 VAC or more). The relay operates mechanically, so it can not operate at high speed. | WIRING MATERIALWire is used to electrically connect circuit parts, devices, equipment etc. There are various kinds of wiring materials The different types of wire can be divided largely into two categories: single wire and twisted strand wire, single wire is used to connect devices (resistors, capacitors etc. together on the PWB. It is also used for jumper wiring. Twisted strand wire can bend freely, so it can be used for wiring on the PWB, and also to connect discrete pieces of equipment. If single wire is used to connect separate equip ment, it will break soon, as it is not very flexible. It is convenient to use the single tin coated wire of the diameter 0. 32 mm for the wiring of PWB. If the diameter is larger, soldering becomes a little bit difficult. And if the diameter is too thin, it becomes difficult to bend the wire the way you want it to stay.DiscussionsElectro-Magnetic CompatibilityElectromagnetic compatibility is a field which is becoming ever more important in the modern world as the use of electronic devices becomes even more widespread. It refers to the effect of electromagnetic waves on an electrical device and the degree to which this device affects other devices in the neighbourhood. This interference can act in a number of ways. Conduction – the interference occurs because of a current flow into the circuit from an external source or from one part of the circuit to another via an unintended path. e. g. a loose wire.Inductive coupling – the interference is caused by a magnetic field i n the neighbourhood of the device. This can affect the electrons flowing in the wires of the device. Capacitive coupling – the interference is caused by an electric field in the vicinity of the device. This also affects the current flowing in the device. Radiation – this type of interference is caused by waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. One example of this is radio waves being affected by radiation from a nearby mobile phoneIn the control circuit for the de-burring machine there were very few sources of EM interference.The voltage levels used meant that any waves generated would probably not be of sufficient power to affect external devices. The time was not available to measure the interference being generated by the control circuit but if a real company was planning to develop this product they would have to test it thoroughly to ensure that no compatibility problems would exist under normal operating conditions. For example in a factory environment it is possi ble that the circuit could be placed near sensitive devices such as computers.The reverse is also true the manufacturer must check to ensure that the circuit is not adversely affected by the other forms of EM interference generated in the workplace by devices such as robots, air conditioning systems and motors. One advantage of the control circuit for the de-burring machine is that it is very compact so it would therefore not be too expensive to construct a case which would shield the device from external sources of EM waves and also contain any emissions generated by the device. It would also be possible to put a filter on the analogue output from the circuit to remove any noise being picked up by the circuit.This would ensure that the analogue output was not seriously affected; however it is not really necessary. The analogue output level for the device was chosen to be 1. 2V because this gives a relatively low RPM however it could be raised so that any noise picked up would only alter the analogue output by a very small percentage. The gearing could then be adjusted to give the correct speed. The largest source of EM emissions from the de-burring machine would probably be the motor itself. This is because of the magnetic fields generated by the rotor and stator coils.As stated on the motor data sheet no testing has been carried out on the EMC of the motor but no effect has been noticed on the circuit. The simplest solution to any problems caused by the motor would be to place some form of shielding around the motor or to place the motor a distance away from the control circuit. GearingThe motor and control unit used in the construction of the circuit was not suitable for operation at the low RPM required for the drum of the de-burring machine. The lowest voltage possible speed input to the control unit was 500 rpm when the input voltage was 1V.In order to scale down the speed of the drum it was decided to use a gearing unit. In order to meet the specificati ons of the design brief it is required to drop the speed of the motor to 20rpm. Given the current design of the circuit the output voltage of 1. 2V gives a speed of 800rpm. This means that a gear ratio of 800:20 or 40:1 is required. This can be achieved by using two gear wheels with diameters in the ratio 40:1 but this would not be practical as it would require one wheel to be a great deal larger than the other. Using 2 gear wheels would also result in the drum turning in the opposite direction and this is undesirable.Gear TrainsAnother possible gear combination to achieve the required reduction in speed would be to use three cogs. The first two would be in the ratio 8:1 and then the second two in the ratio 5:1. To achieve this a ‘gear train’ would have to be formed as shown in figure 5. 1. This would save space and also correct the problem of the drum rotating in the wrong direction as the second cog would reverse the direction then the third would return it to normal. Planetary GearingAn even more compact method of gearing would be to use what is known as a planetary gear.In this type of gearing mechanism the smaller cogs are fitted inside the larger cogs as shown in figure 5. 2 below. The red cogs are held stationary and the yellow gear is connected to the input. This saves space by having the input and output on the same axis and also makes the mechanism more robust by using three central gears instead of one. This would reduce the servicing required by the machine which is an important consideration in industry. The red and yellow gears would be in the ratio of 5:1 and the blue and red gears would have to be in the ratio 8:1 to give the required 40:1 reduction.Worm GearsThe final type of gear to be considered is the worm gear (figure 5. 3). In this system the reduction factor can be very large which would allow one cog to make the 40:1 reduction? Worm gears also have the useful property of being one way. The angle between the worm and the gea r teeth is such that the worm can turn the gear but the gear cannot be used to turn the worm. This would be particularly useful as an additional form of braking for the drum of the de-burring machine however the circuit would have tobe re-designed to slow the analogue output from its full voltage to zero gradually.If this were not done the gears would lock when the motor stopped and the sudden jerk would place a great stress on the components. If the circuit was to be re-designed as suggested the dynamic braking of the motor would be redundant. Improvements to DesignAfter completion of the circuit it was evident that a number of improvements could be made to the design that would make the circuit more versatile or better suited to its task. These will be covered in this section with the aim of showing possible routes for further development of the circuit. Had time permitted some of these could have been tried in the laboratory.Perhaps the simplest of the possible routes for improvi ng the circuit is the replacement of resistors R6 and R6 with variable resistors. This would allow the forward and reverse times for the drum spinning to be altered. In this way the most suitable length of time for the parts to be de-burred can be found without the need to re-build the circuit. It would also mean that different components, requiring different lengths of time, could be de-burred in the same machine, although not at the same time. This would allow the machine to be more flexible and save the company money.By using variable resistors the times could also be fine tuned to compensate for any errors in the timing caused by the tolerances of the components used and also any extra resistance caused by the non-ideal nature of the components. Another improvement to the design would be to eliminate the extended first pulse from the 555 timer which causes the drum to rotate longer on its first cycle. Because the pulse is part of the operation of the 555 timer it is hard to alte r before it affects the analogue out so one solution would be to have some form of clutch system between the drum and motor.This would disengage the drum from the motor at start-up and not allow the drum to be turned until after the first cycle. Some form of circuit could be designed to control the clutch and only engage the motor after the first cycle has passed. Another alternative would be to have the clutch only engage after a set time equal to the duration of the first cycle. This could either be a mechanical or electrical timer and would be required to engage the clutch after 7. 746†¦ +1+8=16. 75sec. Some form of switch could also be incorporated into the circuit to reset the JK flip-flop each time the circuit is switched on.This ensures that the flip-flop always starts in the correct state and that the motor is always turning in the right direction for its first rotations. This switch would also allow the cycle to be restarted without turning the power off. Such a functi on could be simply implemented by connecting the reset pin to +5V via a switch. A final consideration when improving the circuit would be to alter the switching circuit for R6 in such a way that one resistor is always connected and connecting a second resistor in parallel with it alters the total resistance as shown in figure A.A-Alternative Switching CircuitPractical ConsiderationsWhile the motor circuit worked as required in the laboratory test, a number of other factors must be brought into consideration when the circuit is being designed for use in industry. One of the major factors has already been discussed in the section on EMC but there are many more will be briefly covered in this section. One of the most obvious differences between the test equipment and an industrial system is the motor being driven.For safety reasons the motor connected to the circuit was a low power motor but to drive a large drum a larger motor with a higher torque would be required. While the controll er card used can only support motors with an operating voltage up to 30V, a similar controller could be designed to operate at much higher output voltages while still being run off of the same circuit. Another possibility would be to run a number of motors off of on control circuit. This would allow a much greater number of parts to be de-burred without the need for an exceptionally large drum. This would introduce the problem of fan-out however.The relatively low analogue output voltage of 1. 2V would have to be increased if a large number of controller cards were to be driven. The same is true of the voltages from the OR gates controlling direction. This is problem is easily rectified by using op-amps to boost the voltage. When the system is being used in a factory environment there are also a number of environmental issues to be deal with. There could be a great deal of dust or fine particles of metal in the air from the de-burring process, it is also possible that in an automate d process the factory may not be heated.Placing the control circuit in a sealed container can resolve some of these issues, as this will prevent dust from affecting its operation. It would also be possible to incorporate shielding into this casing to improve EMC. The temperature issue is not very important, as it is unlikely that the operating ranges of the IC would be exceeded. For 74 series chips this is in the region of 0-70? C and 54 series chips have an operating range of about –50-120? C. The final consideration when constructing a system for industry would be ease of manufacture.If a large number of these machines were required the circuit would have to be laid out in such a way that it could be easily constructed on printed circuit boards. There are computer programs available to aid the designer in this process and it would be unlikely to cause a major problem. ConclusionsHaving designed and constructed the circuit it was felt that it met all of the given specificati ons although there were still a number of improvements that could have been made. These improvements have been covered briefly in the discussion section and given more time they could have been implemented in the circuit.As already mentioned the only specifications not met were that on start-up the machine should rotate for 3 seconds in one direction before braking and reversing. Using the clutch method mentioned in the discussions could solve this but the design brief given did not extend to cover the drum so has not been included in the final design. During the course of the project a number of other points became evident which greatly ease the process of designing an electronic circuit. Simulation using a computer package such as Pspice saves a considerable amount of time by allowing the circuit to be easily laid out and tested.Any changes required can be made easily without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Another advantage of Pspice is the ability to produce graphs of the ou tputs from the circuit, which can then be scaled, formatted and printed as required. To do this for the actual circuit requires very specialised and expensive equipment. In conclusion, the group felt that all objectives had been met and that the final circuit was successful in fulfilling its role. A number of important lessons were learned about the problems involved in designing a circuit to meet a real-world need and ways of overcoming these problems were found.BILL OF MATERIALS S. NO. | ITEMS| Quantity| PRICE | 1. | motor| 1| | 2. | Diode | | | 3. | capacitor| | | 4. | 555 timer| | | 5. | Relay switch| | | 6. | Coils| | | 7. | resistances| | | 8. | transformer| | | 9. | Wiring materials| | | 10. | Integrated circuit| | | 11. | Wiring board| | | References[1] Schematic Capture with Microsim Pspice Herniter Prentice Hall 3 Ed. Rd P250-252[2] http://www. emclab. umr. edu/An Introduction to EMCUniversity of Missouri-Rolla EMC laboratory[3] http://reality. sgi. com/csp/scvemc/emcdef. tmlEnsuring Compatibility Between the Electromagnetic Environment and Electric and Electrical Devices Kimball William, Chairman, IEEE EMC Education Committee[4] http://www. howstuffworks. com/gears. htmHow gears Work[5]www. scribd . com[6]www. mechanicalprojects. comBackground Reading * Digital Fundamentals Floyd Prentice Hall 7 Edition t h. * Introductory Circuit Analysis Boylestad Prentice Hall 9 Edition t h. * Machine Design – R. K. Rajput. * Kinematics Of Machine – R. S. khurmi. * Automobile Engineering – R. K. Rajput | | |