The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist: Following your dream is no easy task. Thesis Statement: Paulo Coelho’s book, The Alchemist (1988), demonstrates a boy named Santiago following his dream, also known as his â€Å"Personal Legend†, and encounters various obstacles, which will convey him to what he will become. The connection made by Paulo Coelho in this manuscript was, all that is around him will eventually assist the effort made by the individual (Santiago). Paulo Coelho reveals many spiritual/religious references tied with the acts and decisions of Santiago, and how they guide him, and how he follows them up to obtain his desired dream.Introduction: An old man that he had met in his village awakes Santiago, a young shepherd. Awoken in the sense that this man declared he was a King, and had inspired Santiago to follow his â€Å"Personal Legend†, basically, his dream, and had served knowledge to this young fellow. Throughout Santiago’s journeys, good omens had ma de him pursue his goal. The shepherd encounters various strangers, which help him, willingly or not, to chase his goal. During his quest, he awakes various senses he never had before, such as profound wisdom, communicating with nature, a spiritual connection with God, and the art of Alchemy.Santiago constantly takes life-threatening risks, which are considered challenges in the face of God. Throughout his whole journey, Santiago persistently follows his one and only reason of being, his dream, which is to find the treasure he dreamed of as a shepherd, and throughout his whole adventure, every little detail that crossed him, every lesson that he had been taught, with or without words, the soul of the world that he understood to communicate with, every little detail had defined his true treasure. Body Essay: As pointed out, Santiago was a dream chaser, he wanted to discover his Personal Legend†, what pushed him to do so was a wise old king Melchizedek. The fact that a King would speak to a shepherd is very odd, although the King was doing it for several reasons, it may include the fact that he wanted to make other people realize and drive them to know their â€Å"Personal Legend† as shown: â€Å"Why would a king be talking with a shepherd? † the boy asked, awed and embarrassed. â€Å"For several reasons. But let’s say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your Personal Legend. † (21) This explains how the king is trying to help the Santiago realize his reason of life.As stated previously, he had overcome an obstacle that had given him patience, wisdom, and a lesson. He necessitated to understand that everything had a soul, which when he was an apprentice crystal merchant, had taught him these qualities. â€Å"Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive . . . and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us. But in the crystal shop you probably realized that even the glasses were collaborating in your success. (79) This spiritual reference indicates that if he insisted on succeeding his dream, everything around him, conscious/unconscious will be of assistance to him. Long travels were endured by Santiago; yet, he was on the verge of giving up his â€Å"Personal Legend† for a woman, which is natural. The love he felt for Fatima, (the woman he loved), was an asset that pushed him to go further on and chasing his dream, yet, at the same time, it made him doubt the fact that if this was all worth the chase, the gamble of life and death. â€Å"During the third year, the omens will continue to speak of your treasure and your Personal Legend.You’ll walk around, night after night at the oasis, and Fatima will be unhappy because she’ll feel it was she who interrupted your quest. But you will love her, and she’ll return your love. You’ll remember that she never asked you to stay, because a woman of the desert knows that she must await her man. So you won’t blame her. But many times you’ll walk the sands of the desert, thinking that maybe you could have left . . . that you could have trusted more in your love for Fatima. Because what kept you at the oasis was your own fear that you might never come back. At that point, the omens will tell you that your treasure is buried forever. (120) Here is another example of the proverb shown in the book, â€Å"†¦when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it†, as which everything around him drives him to go further and pursuit his dream. He realized that his dream had shown him all these magnificent experiences; nothing would stop him at this point, even Santiago, a shepherd, a boy, did not fear death. His dream meant everything to him. Conclusion: Santiago, a simple shepherd, made it very far in life by just pursuing in an extremist way his true goal i n life, his Personal Legend.He had overcome every obstacle God and nature intended to test him with, and succeeded in a redeeming way. It is wonderful how Paulo Coelho shows that when you pursue what you love in life, everything around you, living or unconscious, will help you. Santiago proves bravery, strength, wisdom, patience, and various other qualities. It is astonishing how by doing things with love, and joy, you connect with the world and God. Santiago at this point, had completed his emptiness, he achieved his one true meaning, his dream and goal.

Banking Concept of Education: Paulo Freire Dislikes Essay

Paulo Freire severely scrutinizes the banking concept of education. He dislikes everything about the traditional teaching method, where the teachers just fill the students with information and hope the students retain it long enough to spit it back out to them on tests. He argues that students are led to â€Å"memorize mechanically† the information lectured by a teacher. He would strongly oppose the use of grades in the schooling system. Truly, students are getting graded on how well they can memorize random facts as the tests that encourage memorization of material make up a very large portion of the grading system. In his strong argument against the banking concept of education, Freire gives in a little to the opposition, as he admits, â€Å"they [students] do, it is true, have the opportunity to become collectors or cataloguers of the things they store.† I feel that this is the key to individuality in school. Freire is correct in the way that he portrays the schoolin g system. Students mostly just receive and memorize information from their teachers; thus, they never really critically think about the material. Nevertheless, the techniques that each individual student learns and masters to accomplish these demands shape his/her success later in life. I agree with Freire that, with respect to truly learning the material and retaining the knowledge for a long period of time, simple memorization is very poor. Last year, I took an AP United States History course. The material covered in the course was the same as the material I â€Å"learned† in my eighth and ninth grade United States history classes. The only difference was that this time around, we were going to study the content further in-depth, which Freire might find pleasing. Once the course got underway, I soon realized that I had to completely relearn the material, as I had completely forgotten everything I learned in the eighth and ninth grade classes. It was not because I did poorly back then, but because after the ninth grade class was over, I had no need to retain that information. I was no longer being graded on United States history, and thus, I flushed that information out of my brain to make room for new material to memorize. Once my senior year AP course began, all of the similar material seemed new to me. In Doing School, Denise Clark Pope explains a very similar phenomenon that Eve Lin experienced. â€Å"Once she took an exam, she said most of the facts she had memorize ‘emptied out of her brain.’ She was required to move on to the next assignment to keep up with the pace of the class. Taking time to reflect or to engage with the material would only slow her down and adversely affect her grades.† (Pope 155-56). Freire would oppose this. He would want students to slow down and really analyze the information thoroughly. On the other hand, I feel that in today’s fast-paced society, being able to sh ift gears so quickly is a necessary trait. I attended a medium-sized school, Saucon Valley School District, all the way up from kindergarten. With about two hundred students graduating each year, we all knew each other fairly well. However, since sixth grade, I embarked on a journey with about twenty other students. We chose to follow the path of an â€Å"honors student† taking more rigorous classes than others. We attended almost all of the same courses every day of the year and got to know each other and hang out with each other outside of school a lot more than with others in the grade. By high school, we were so closely knit that someone came up with the name, the â€Å"honors family,† and it just stuck with us ever since. The label was true though. It was like a family, as study sessions were conducted before big tests and all-nighters were pulled for group projects. We pushed each other to do better and worried when others were falling behind. Yet, just like most of the students in Doing School, we were very competitive about our grades as we strove to get the highest marks on a test or paper. I do not believe any of us went as far as Eve Lin did though, in relation to keeping her summer college class a secret just so that she had an edge on everyone else (Pope). Although it was not as extreme as in Faircrest High School, competition in the â€Å"honors family† at Saucon Valley was definitely present. Competition, motivation to succeed, and enthusiasm was amongst the â€Å"honors family.† I wish the same could be said about the rest of the grade. During my senior year, I decided to take Calculus I and II at Lehigh University, and thus, had scheduling conflicts at high school. The Honors Government and Economics class overlapped with my Calculus courses, so I needed to simply take the regular class of Government and Economics. Here, I got a glimpse of how other classmates performed in class. I interacted with many of these students in extracurricular activities and even in Physical Education, but very rarely in a core class. The desire to learn was very low in my Government and Economics class. It was not that these students were not intelligent. They just merely did not care about their grades, GPA, or class rank. Many of these students were perfectly fine with getting a C in the class. After all, a C was a passing grade. Passing was all that mattered to them. Many were fine with doing the minimum to get by just so that they could graduate high school and adventure out into the work force. The teacher seemed to realize the situation as well; she gave very little work to the class throughout the semester and based the tests off of the already-filled-in note packets she handed out regularly. Very little material was covered, even though the class lasted over ninety days. Overall, this class seemed like a complete waste of time for me. I was not coping with stress, competition, or a rigorous curriculum like I had for the rest of my classes. There was very little motivation for me to truly gain knowledge from the class as well, since I was already getting an A in the class and did not need to take time away from my other classes to study for tests. After taking the class and looking back upon it now, I realized that I can take literally nothing productive from it. It was a waste of time that did not provide me with any skills necessary or helpful for my life after schooling. Unlike the average students’ classes, the â€Å"honors family† classes gave me the necessary practice for the real world. I received so much more knowledge than others on how to succeed even with obstacles in my way. These traits and techniques on how to succeed are very similar to those Denise Clark Pope outlined in the conclusion of Doing School. Throughout high school, I gained and perfected an absolutely necessary trait of success: time management. The five students at Faircrest High School were always making the best of their time. They worked on homework during class periods and took free periods and weekends as a time to catch up with their work (Pope). Similarly, I needed to do the same if I wanted to keep up with the â€Å"honors family† work. I participated on the school soccer team in the fall, basketball team in the winter, and baseball team in the spring. The time after these extracurricular activities was insufficient to complete my work. I needed to use as much free time throughout my day as possible to complete assignments. As one might imagine, one evil coming from such a workload and extracurricular activities is stress. The students Pope researched at Faircrest all underwent stress. I, as well, was under an enormous amount of stress. Big projects seemed to always be due at the same time, and final exams were always clumped together in a two-day span. Many members of the â€Å"honors family† sacrificed their well-being through a reduced social life and poor sleeping habits in order to complete the workload. In return, we mastered the skills of coping with stress and managing out time. These skills will benefit us in the long run as we enter adulthood and the work force. Often times I did not understand why I was pushing myself to such a limit. I thought to myself that most of the students not motivated to achieve success had such an easier life. They went through school carefree and had loads of free time after school and on the weekends to hang out with friends. Nevertheless, I knew why I chose to push myself to the limits. I knew that my time to shine would come later in life and all my efforts would be worth a life full of success; the characteristics for success were instilled in me through the competit ion of grades and the workload I endured in school.

Economic Problems of the Philippines Essay

Economic problems of the Philippines are very similar to those being battled by other underdeveloped and developing nations. After a long tryst with colonization, the nation is now grappling with increased imports and a mixed economy that is still to stabilize. The Republic of the Philippines is located in Southeast Asia and Manila is its capital city. The country comprises 7,107 islands and ranks as the 12th most populous country in the world. Like most other southeast Asian regions, the Philippines too has a history of European colonization. It was a colony of Spain and the USA. The country is now home to multiple cultures and traditional ethnicity. It is also looked upon as a perfect example of a ‘mixed economy’. Industrialization is a new development in the Philippines. Traditionally, the economy stabilized on the agrarian contributions and the manufacture of garments, pharmaceutical products and semiconductors. In the last decade, electronic exports added to the exports, including various products obtained by mining. The economy of the nation also largely depends on the remittances from Filipinos residing overseas and investing in the homeland. However, exports are not evenly balanced by the imports that include heavy electronics, garments, various raw materials, intermediate goods and fuel. The influence of the Manila galleon on the nation’s economy during the Spanish period, and bilateral trade when the country was a colony of the United States has resulted in the preference of a mixed economy over a centrally planned or market based one. It is very important to understand the shift during the Ferdinand Marcos leadership, from a market economy to a centrally planned economy, to relate to the economic recession that the country is now facing. With adverse global trends and the world economy entering a protracted depression, in 2011, the Philippines faced another economic downturn. The country’s lack of internal economic strength due to the absence of core manufacturing sector and an absence of firm and bold domestic policy initiatives have led the economy to be dependent on the state of the global economy. Thereby making it vulnerable to external shocks. Here we try to look at three possible challenges posed to growth and real development of the economy in 2012, based upon the insights provided by the economic policy-making and decisions by the Aquino administration in 2011. Major Financial Problems of the Philippines Over-dependence on Global Economy The growth of the Philippines economy drastically slowed to just 3.6% in the first three quarters of 2011, which is significantly less than the 7%-8% growth targeted by administration’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP). Though the slowdown may have been due to the ongoing global crisis, it was markedly slower in comparison to other South-East Asian neighbors. Economic performance figures indicated a contraction in exports and a drop in FDI. Though the remittances from overseas Filipinos to the country grew in the first ten months of 2011, however the compensation that overseas Filipinos received actually fell, in peso terms, due to an appreciating peso. In 2011 the Aquino administration sought a FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with the EU and join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The administration further allowed the US to even more directly influence Philippine economic policy making in its self-interest, by entering in a Partnership for Growth (PfG). These partnerships will consequently further the dependence of the economy on the global economy, whereas a regional arrangement between less unequal Southeast Asian countries is potentially useful. Greater attention has to be paid to addressing to the internal problems of the economy and enhancing domestic-oriented growth. A policy of removing structural impediments to growth has to be adopted with lesser focus on foreign investors and exporters. Unemployment The official unemployment figures for the Philippines in 2011 are among the worst in Asia, higher than its South-East Asian neighbors and according to the International Labor Organization the country is among the worst one-fourth in the world in terms of unemployment rates. Without a strong manufacturing industry or real Filipino industry, the economy will be unable to create enough decent paying jobs. Till then manufacturing or services will remain substandard, or of low value-addition. According to employment figures, jobs in the Philippines manufacturing sector increased by just 8% of the total employment. Nearly three out of every ten people in the labor force are looking for work or are jobless. The mining sub-sector said to be one of the fastest growing industry in 2011 failed to generate new jobs (just 0.6 % of total employment). Steadily rising inflation has contributed to the erosion of the value of the minimum wage. Though the Aquino administration increased the minimum wage and announced cash dole-outs but lack of quality decent paying jobs and higher real wages continue to be a problem. The government’s policy to encourage foreign capital, even if in just low value-added assembly operations will continue to hinder real growth and development of the manufacturing sector. The Aquino administration needs to plan over the long-term, and prepare an industrialization program that encourages value-addition manufacturing or services and builds Filipino-owned industries. Misplaced Fiscal Austerity Practicing fiscal austerity just to get favorable credit ratings can be counterproductive. The Aquino administration, in 2011, pursued fiscal austerity and spent 2.1% less in the first 11 months than it did in the same period last year. This along with increased revenues brought down the fiscal deficit and subsequently international credit rating agencies Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch upgraded the country’s credit ratings and outlooks. In 2011 the government cut spending on economic services, including infrastructure, in the same vein did not fill in for shortfalls in education, health and housing sectors. As a result, over the first three quarters of 2011, income from public construction contracted by about 46% whereas government consumption reduced by a mere 1.7% in comparison to the same period last year. Misplaced austerity measures and an exaggerated concern about credit ratings contracts the economy, reduces demand and undermines future growth. The proposed public private partnerships (PPPs) are a poor substitute to real investment and public expenditure, because the former are majorly driven by short-term profit while the latter play a vital role to create development. These are just some of the economic challenges looming large over the Philippines. The country is facing significant decline in industrial production, gross domestic product, income and employment and sales. The Aquino presidency supposedly is getting the support of the people, as indicated by its high approval ratings, for the necessary economic measures that are in the general public interest. In 2011, the Aquino administration’s policy choices to give greater weight to narrow foreign and domestic elite interests, unfortunately, underscores the challenge of pushing for real reform in 2012.

Katzs Business Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Katzs Business Strategy - Case Study Example Further, the Firms 6 mission strategies ensure that the company remains innovative to cater for the emerging needs of the customers, while also being readily accessible to help the businesses whenever they need the company’s help (Katz, Sapper & Miller, n.d.). Katz’s business strategy: â€Å"Don’t just have clients; have partnered for life† means that businesses are treated as relationship partners since they are treated in a way that makes them feel valued by the company. Katz, Sapper & Miller ensure superior customer service and client satisfaction through looking into the factors that are affecting their clients' businesses, beyond just the accounting information, and helping such businesses come up with strategies for addressing such issues. They offer superior customer service by helping the clients business understand the likely problems it could face in advance and thus prevent such problems from occurring (Ananth, n.d.). The company is interested in the success of the businesses it serves, and operates on the basis of integrity, thus serving its customers well. The managing partner ensures that there is a strict adherence to the federal regulatory and ethical requirements, through ensuring that the employees stick to the company’s code of conduct and the rules guiding the accounting, audit and tax operations, which are in line with the federal regulatory requirements (Bill, n.d.). Any differences in opinions or any impasse that might occur between clients and company consultants are addressed through negotiations, which ensure that an agreeable conclusion is reached by the parties involved. The management process of KSM, to attract high-level employees, entails a rigorous recruitment process that sifts the most talented, motivated and visionary employees, who are capable of steering the vision of the company ahead.  Ã‚  

Aba riot, woman and African economy Research Paper

Aba riot, woman and African economy - Research Paper Example Nigeria provides such an ideal opportunity to study the contribution and state of African women. It is one of the most populated nations in Africa with varied ethnical groups. People of all economical classes are present and education levels also vary. The nation has a lot of resources though it still has economical downturns. Therefore the study of Nigerian women provides a good basis for understanding the difficulties experienced by other African women as they go through their economic activities. In this regard, I agree with Chuku that women were formidable in their contribution to the economic, political and social development1 During the 1920s, women of Ngwa community experienced increased burdens and threats towards their sovereignty in the market and their use of earnings. Despite this situation, women struggled to retain their status. Men somehow got despaired while the women remained closely focused to maintaining the production of food and palm. Martin says that â€Å"at a time when the adoption of cassava was increasing their farming and cooking duties, they managed to increase their production of kernels and to retain their control of the income obtained from selling them†2. In addition to this, they began to trade in oil and kernels. Despite their hard work, social responsibilities prevented them from spending their income on other investments such as joining enterprise opportunities and other trading activities. In fact, they were denied opportunities to own property such as bicycles. While all these were happening, the European firms decided to increase their pricing and new measuring arrangements among the traders. Women were the most affected since they had ventured into trading activities more than their men. By this time, women relied most on trades so as to make their livelihoods. The situations became unbearable for them as they were not able to offset their losses with the little gains that they could manage;

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Business Ethics - Essay Example In this case, there are no ifs and buts. However, a close look reveals the fact that applying Kant’s principles into the modern business world is a tough task due to many reasons. The first such issue that requires attention is the fact that Kant proposes that the same maxim can be applied to two moral dilemmas. However, it seems that at times, there are issues of conflicting duties. For example, the United States in the 1990s witnessed the shutting down and massive layoffs of many enterprises. A closer look reveals the fact it becomes impossible to assess this situation using Kant’s ideology. To illustrate, the Kant’s philosophy would argue that the employees, in such cases, are being used as mere means to enhance the shareholder wealth, and hence, it is immoral from the part of the company to shut down. If someone agrees that it is immoral from the part of the company to shut down, and that the company should run irrespective of the consequences of that action, the issue gets more complicated. For example, the company is showing injustice towards its shareholders. In other words, when the company resorts to showing morality towards the employees by avoiding layoffs, it fails to show the same morality towards its shareholders. Thus, it becomes evident that Kant’s theory of categorical imperative is not absolute in nature. Yet another example is the forced retirement of employees in a company so that the company can pass through a financial crisis by reducing expenses. It is very evident that according to the widely accepted notion in the business field, it is justifiable to crucify a few innocent if it does good to the majority. However, the Kant ideology is in stark contradiction with this ideology. In both the cases, it seems difficult to find a solution that can do justice to all the stakeholders. However, a solution to this kind of issues comes from the notion of open book management. This method was developed and implemented by Jack Stack at the Springfield Manufacturing Company. According to Schuster, Carpenter and Kane (227), under the open book management system, the company informs its employees about the financial situation of the company on a regular basis. Thus, when the employees possess sufficient knowledge about the performance and financial situation of the company, they too have an equal responsibility in the running of the company. It is very evident that in open book management, employees get a chance to take wise decisions about their performance and career. So, if the company faces a situation like layoff, the level of suspicion and confusion will be far less, and sometimes, the committed employees may propose to work for a limited wage to face the crisis. Anyhow, it is highly unlikely from the part of employees to allege that they are deceived by the company. Thus, it becomes evident that a proper understanding of the Kant ideology and its application in the workplace will make more meani ngful workplace by enhancing self-respect and freedom. In addition, it means the removal of a layer of supervisors as the company no longer requires supervisors to monitor its employees. To sum up, when the employees are allowed autonomy, when they are provided reasonable salary and conducive workplace, and when the company does not interfere with their moral development, one can say that Kant’s theory of categorical imperative is accepted in spirit. II Principles of affirmative action are the principles which are intended

Biomedical Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biomedical Engineering - Essay Example Before the body part is replaced, compatibility of the biomaterial and the living tissue is of great consideration (Ratner 2004). Biocompatibility is the acceptance of the synthetic biomaterial by the immediate and surrounding tissues and by the body generally (Paul & Kelvin 2009). Appropriate host response is shown by lack of blood clotting, normal heating and resistance to bacterial colonization. It is essential therefore to study the biomaterial composition and also the way in which they react with the environment in which they are put which is the surrounding tissue (Pruitt 2011). Hence, biomaterial selection involves the logical sequence of analysis of the problem, consideration of the requirement and consideration of the biomaterial properties. Biomaterials that match the properties of the bone and teeth These biomaterials have their physical characteristics that are needed to match the properties of the teeth or bone being replaced with (Ratner 2004). The mechanical properties of these biomaterials involve tensile testing that provides data on the characterization of the biomaterial. ... Good heat conductors hence have high conductivity. Coefficient of thermal expansion or thermal expansion coefficient It is by definition the fractional increase in length of a body for each degree (in centigrade) rise in temperature. ?=?L/Lo oC-1 ?T Where ?L is the change in length Lo is the original length of the biomaterial ?T is the change in temperature The values of ? are very small like for amalgam biomaterial, the value of ?=0.0000025 oC-1P.P.M Table showing the thermal conductivity coefficient of different biomaterials in parts per million (P.P.M) The original length of the tooth and the length attained when there is temperature change are calculated in order to determine the length of the biomaterial to be used in teeth filling. Expensile structures ensure that the biomaterial conforms to the irregular bony defects (Paul & Kelvin 2009). This also helps prevent the undesired movement of the fibroblast into the graft site and these yields in optimizing the quality of the repla ced bones. Coefficient of thermal expansion is widely considered in filling materials such as for the teeth with cavities. The above table shows different thermal conductivity values of different conductors used as biomaterials. Thermal diffusivity (D) Thermal diffusivity is defined by the equation; D=K Cp? Where, K is the thermal conductivity Cp is the heat capacity ? is the density A low value of thermal diffusivity is preferred however there are occasions when the high diffusivity level are preferred to the low ones like if the base material to be used is denture. It is necessary since it retains a good response to both cold and hot stimuli in the mouth (Ratner 2004). Physical properties Physical structures and stability of the

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning Case Study

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning - Case Study Example Other criteria that will be considered is the frequency and sustainability of each market: while the need for ornamental art might be erratic, a long-term advertising campaign would provide a much more stable demand and is therefore a more profitable market. Related products can be grouped initially into â€Å"commercial† and â€Å"non-commercial.† Commercial products are mostly composed of advertising and similar artwork, which can be further broken up into long-term advertising campaigns, singular advertisements, and miscellaneous items. Non-commercial products would include decorative artwork and illustrated content. Products are defined mostly by the need for the products that are produced by the aforementioned artist. Purchasing habits, as dictated by influences such as socio-economic status, demographics, location, and other psychologically-influenced factors will also be taken into account. The commercial art would mostly be targeted at business and advertising agencies. As the artist in question has a degree, he is therefore more likely to be hired by an advertising agency or business for long-term campaigns. This makes long-term campaigns the most profitable market, as individual art for businesses can be sporadic. Also, singular advertisements are not so dependent on the stipulation that the artist has a degree, making it a less-profitable, though still primary, market. Ornamental and content-based artwork will be a secondary market. Ornamental artwork and content-based artwork can be sold to individuals. The price range required in order to make decorative artwork profitable as a primary limits the market to wealthier individuals, but as a secondary market, there is opportunity for smaller works to be offered to culturally-aware individuals throughout the upper- and middle-class. Also, there is significant competition in this field, which makes it a less profitable market. Content-based artwork, which includes web-based art

HR Audit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Audit - Assignment Example In some cases, the productivity may be at par despite the fact that some of the human resources are underperforming. In such a scenario, the best step would be to apply the HR audit, as it is the best tool to identify such hitches in an organization. Besides helping to make decisions at crucial times the HR audit can also be a very comprehensive source of data on an organization, which is essential in carrying out research work on the organization’s human resource. First step before carrying out an audit; it is best to first come up with the problem area in which the results of the audit need to address. The success of the audit in finding the cause of problems or level of performance in some areas is very high. It is for this reason that the HR audit is a reliable source of data that can be linked to the audit to solve the problem. A lot of thought must be considered when choosing who to conduct the audit and major argument should revolve around the objective of the audit. An in-house staff could be good because of their familiarity with the staff, and again this could be the disadvantage depending on the cause for the audit. Third-party staff is another best solution but sometime could be expensive and unnecessary. The main reason for the audit is to evaluate the organization’s HR and its performance; therefore the results from the audit s what determines the next step of action. According to an article by ABC NEWS Business Unit one of the five highest paid CEOs but worst among the five worst performers is the CEO of Nabors Industries (Gomstyn, 2009). The article states that the CEO is handsomely paid despite his poor performance delivery to the shareholders. This offers a good situation where there is need for the HR audit. Its objective is to find out the root cause of the company’s poor performance and if there is enough reason to retain the CEO. The weakness

Disparities between the Poor and the Rich in the Early to Mid 1800s Research Paper

Disparities between the Poor and the Rich in the Early to Mid 1800s (Pre Civil War) - Research Paper Example Pre-civil period in America was a time for innovation and changes. The nation consisted of farmers and it was mainly underdeveloped. Still, the society managed to turn into a powerful economic nation, which was able to develop economy and make their country a more progressive one. The North in America was an industrialized region, at the same time while the South was an agricultural one. Therefore, it is no wonder that there was an evident split between the rich and poor layers of the society. The Northerners turned into a powerful middle class, which was striving for economic and social improvements in the name of democratic future and the Southerners stuck at feudal principles of governing and relied on free labor power of the slaves. The background events of pre-civil war years in America The first step towards civil war events in America can be found during the period of the Market Revolution. There was a need to introduce a social and technological shift and to make a transitive step from the agricultural economy to the economy based on wages and the exchange of goods and services. This transformation was a great challenge for the North and the South in America. Eli Whitney was the initiator of the cotton gin production and he developed the process of manufacturing of goods with the interchangeable parts (). Cyrus McCormick introduced the mechanical mower-reaper and in such a way the process of grain production in the West was revolutionized (). There are also many other essential background events happening in the country at that time. For example, the emergence of Erie Canal and the Cumberland Road were associated with introduction of the steamboat and railroad. These facts can be considered as the improvements towards the perfection of economic relations between the North and the West of the country (Collier and Sambanis, 2005). We can see that America during antebellum years was moving towards urbanization and industrialization. In 1820 there were mill ions of migrants in the country. People were not satisfied with the lives they had and wanted to have something better. They left their farms and rushed into urbanized and developed cities of the North. In order to advance industrial economy, the North of America needed more and more workers. Consequently, farmers flooded the Northern part of the country together with immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. Therefore, there was a coming split between rich and poor social classes in America. This social turmoil resulted in dramatic background of the civil war in America. The changing society The abovementioned revolutionary events should be considered from the positive perspective as well. Thus, the introduction of the wage labor system was a determinant factor for the development of the first middle class. Various reforms were initiated by the representatives of this class, which consisted of white-collar workers and professional laborers. For example, this social class made an emphas is on the necessity to reduce alcohol consumption, abolish prostitution, improve living conditions in prisons and insane asylums, invest more money into and develop education, remove slavery as a social phenomenon (Sheehan-Dean, 2011). At the political level of the country, different changes and reforms occurred as well. Thus, the rights of the different states were the most striking issues during that period of time. There were

Dividend Policy at Fpl Essay Example for Free

Dividend Policy at Fpl Essay In 1994, Merrill Lynch published a report that disclosed the change in their investment rating for the FPL Group, Inc. . They had downgraded this rating as they expected the directors would choose not to raise the annual dividend. This also happened to be the first time in 47 years that the FPL Group had not raised dividends. This tweaked the interest of a certain electric utilities analyst at the First Equity Securities Corporation, Kate Stark. She now was faced with the decision whether or not to amend her own recommendation of â€Å"hold† on FPL Group, Inc.’s stock (her recommendation of hold was based on the assumption that FPL will keep its dividend at $2.48 per share, or increase this slightly). James Broadheld, chairman of the FPL Group, understood the issues of an ever changing marketplace, and knew that the industry was on the verge of being deregulated, and thus implemented a strategy that focused primarily on a strong commitment to quality as well as customer service, while focusing on the utilities industry and expanding capacity in order to improve its own cost position. He believed that this approach to business would result in a future of â€Å"full and open† competition amongst all competitors. As a result, as of May 1994, the FPL Group was faced with a critical question – to decrease their dividend payout ratio or not? Prior to Broadheld’s entry to FPL, chairman Marshall McDonald expanded the types of industries FPL were involved in during the 70’s and 80’s, leading to extensive diversification. Examples of such industries include real estate and insurance, just to name a few. As Broadheld stepped in, FPL’s diversification decreased and as a result the firm saw an improved efficiency. Exhibit 7 revealed that FPL’s capacity margin is 8.6%, which is alarmingly low in comparison to the other provided companies. The overall average is approximately 11.39%. This lower capacity margin shows that not much growth is to be expected of the firm, and this is of course relative to other firms. The same exhibit illustrates cost-management problems. More specifically, FPL’s transmission cost of $0.0019/kWh is significantly greater than the other firms provided with an average of $0.0010. Also, considering the fact that the company purchases 30% of the power used from foreign firms, FPL’s respective power costs can be high as they are exposed to the risk of changing (and increasing) power prices. The case presented a wide variety of changes in the industry’s regulatory standards. For example, 1992’s Wholesale Wheeling allowed companies to buy power from another with the help of a third party. In addition, the Retail Wheeling of 1994 allowed actual customers to not only buy from the monopoly, but from other utility firms (again through third parties). Also, many firms have lost of a substantial amount in market value, including the SP Electric Utilities Index with a decline of 20%. Turning to an evaluation of the firm, many concerns have been raised over FPL’s ever-increasing interest expense since 1993. Analysis Total earnings are the sum of dividends paid and retained earnings. Dividend-paying firms attract investors. Generally speaking, shareholders either look for growth and/or income when purchasing shares. The former tends to pay less attention to dividend payments and more on the capital gain, whereas the latter prefers a regular income for the investment made. If Kate Stark wishes to revise her current suggestion, she needs to consider the pros and cons in doing so. Focusing first on the negative effects of cutting back on dividends, signalling is undoubtedly one of the biggest issues at hand. Since lower dividend payments may be perceived as a red flag in the company’s finances, this information will likely cause a negative reaction in the market. Therefore, concerns in a decreasing stock price are justified. As for the benefits of lowering the company’s dividend policy, the company can now use a larger amount of funds that would have normally been kept aside for dividend payments. This definitely makes changes to the firm’s financing sources. The money can thus be used for value-increasing projects. From the point of view of an investor, it may not be such a bad idea, considering that dividends are taxed more than capital gains. This results in a potentially large amount of savings for the investors. Also, one of the main benefits of reducing the dividend policy is to lower the risk of market volatility and deregulation.

Highfield video store currently Essay Example for Free

Highfield video store currently Essay Highfield video store currently uses a paper system to perform all the functions required for this business. Before I reach a decision on how to produce an advanced and improved system to the existing system it is imperative to choose the correct software to overcome this situation. I will need to evaluate and consider the factors that need to be tackled on producing this system by evaluating the end users requirements and expectations f the system to ensure the software chosen has the capability to overcome these requirements successfully and competently. As the company is looking for a more flexible data management system, so a database system is likely to be the right solution. Using Microsoft Access as a solution Advantages: o Microsoft Access is a relational database management system which allows a one to many relationships between tables. Thus greatly reduces data inconsistency and data redundancy. o Uses a familiar interface to perform a range of tasks such as; setting up tables, forms, queries, macros and reports. o This software allows complex procedures such as querying, report and form creation, filtering to be produced and mastered by inexperienced users via the use of wizards. o Access can provide a variety of user friendly forms for different functions through the toolbox features of this software which include list boxes, command buttons, check boxes, labels etc. This allows forms to be customised and concurrently have a familiar look and feel of the forms. o Contains advanced features such as queries which can answer complex requests which the user may have and provide a combination of data from multiple tables and place specific boundaries on the data retrieved. Report features have the capacity to produce attractive professional formatted summaries of data contained in more than one table. Also macros can also perform complex or numerous operations with a click of a button/icon. Disadvantages: o This software package very large and complex piece of software. Therefore, it requires a lot of patience and perseverance to familiarize and learn the vast number of features available in this database package. o Microsoft Access is designed to manage small number of database records and the performance of the system will reduce with an increase in records as the software is a low capacity database. Using Microsoft Excel as a solution Advantages: o Numerous functions are available to perform a range of diverse tasks. These include VLOOKUPS which looks for a value in the leftmost column within a table and then returns a value in the same row from a column you specify. Other functions include COUNTIF, DCOUNT, MATCH etc. Also contains macro which can automate a series of commands and functions. o Excel forms can also be customised to satisfy the users requirements with different methods of data entry and appearance of the forms. o Graphs can be created to summarise data in a number of different graphs to allow the data to be more understandable to the user and also produces a professional outlook. Disadvantages: o The recording of macros can be problematic as it is easy to make a mistake and the whole process needs to be repeated again. This requires an experienced person with sound knowledge of macros and formulas to perform this task. o Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet package and doesnt features such a relational database which are available in Access. Therefore data and tables need to be entered again leading to unnecessary data redundancy and data consistency. o Creating and editing macros needs to be done via Visual Basic Editor program in Excel. Users of this program need to be experienced in using this program as the macros commands need to be programmed by the user. This requires a sound knowledge as it requires commands to be written in a specific way and have the ability to remember the language to execute these commands. Solution using Lotus Pro Chosen solution From a detailed analysis of the Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and Lotus Pro software I have decided after discussion with the end user to use Microsoft Access to produce the system I will create. Database packages are used for storing and retrieving information or data. With this type of software the user can set up table with relationships, set up queries, set up macros and make reports. The wizard features on certain database packages allows the complexity of administration tasks to be greatly reduced. The system I will produce will be created from using the Microsoft Access database package because of the following reasons: o Microsoft Access has the capacity to produce relational tables. This leads to a reduction in data redundancy and data inconsistency as data doesnt need to be entered again due to the relationships which can be imported from one table into many other tables if needed. o The system can be customised to provide the end user with an interface which he requires. The forms can be customised to look and allow data entry in the method which the user requires. The toolbars can also be customised to allow the system to be even more user friendly. o A number of tasks which require a series of functions will be repeated a number of times when the system is in use. These series of function can be automated with the use of macros which Microsoft Access has. o Microsoft Access can provide customised reports to summarise a set of data. Access allows data to be brought together in a report which can be tailored to the user choice. So a professional output which is in line with the companies image can be produce whereas as other software such as Microsoft Excel would not have the capacity to do this. Data would need to be summarised into graphs and is difficult to suit the companies image so the output and interface of a system using this software would need be as professional compared to the software being use to created this system. o Access has the capability to update records in any table by setting up queries to update the necessary records. This will lead to more consistent data is it is more likely to be update and accurate. o Data and information that needs to be stored can be done so more easily due to the set up of the system. Tables are clearly defined and related, which is not the case with other software such as Microsoft Excel as relationships between tables cannot be emplaced.

Argentina Environmental Laws And Regulations Environmental Sciences Essay

Argentina Environmental Laws And Regulations Environmental Sciences Essay The protection of water resources is ruled by National Decree 674/89 modified in part by Decree 776/92 on waste effluents discharged into sewage systems or water coursesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The territory of application is the City of Buenos Aires and the districts of the Province of Buenos Aires. (Consoli et al). This applies to facilities that are in the territory of application, which create waste effluents originated in the discharge of said effluents into sewage systems, rain drains or water courses, which may contaminate the water sources, damage Waterworks, installations or affect the public health. Industrial plants and facilities subject to this decree must have duly authorized effluent treatment plants and are required to file an annual affidavit that holds all the data required by the relevant regulation. This also establishes certain prohibitions like the release of effluent exceeding the tolerated contamination levels, the discharge of effluent without previous authorization, t he discharge of effluent in public places and the storage of solid wastes which may contaminate surface or underground water. Air Pollution Law 20.284 establishes rules to determine air quality and the allowed concentration of pollutants. It includes motor vehicles, machinery, equipment, facilities installations and incinerators, emitting substances which may produce atmospheric contamination. If not followed, subject to fines or temporary or total closure of the polluting source. Law 24.040-the control of substances which deplete the ozone, rules on the use and trade of CFCs. Hazardous Waste Law 24.051rules the generation, transport, handling, treatment and final disposal of hazardous waste, establishing duties, responsibilities and liabilities of generators, operators and transporters of waste. Law 24.051 is a local law but it is followed by the whole national territory (Nonna). A hazardous waste is any waste that can damage living beings or contaminate land, water, air or the environment. Individuals and legal entities subject to this law (generators, transporters and operators of hazardous waste) have to register with the National Registry of Hazardous Waste Generators and Operators. They need to do this to be able to receive the annual environmental certificate that allows them to operate. Generators of Waste Means Waste generators have to pay a levy. The levy is calculated by how hazardous the waste is, and how much is generated. Transporters of Hazardous Waste Hazardous waste can only go from the generator to the transporter. It has to be with a manifest that contains all the data identifying the generator. The transporter cannot: 1) mix hazardous waste with other waste or with incompatible hazardous waste; 2) store hazardous waste for more than ten days; or 3) transport, transfer or deliver waste not properly packed. Treatment and/or Final Disposal Plants Authorizations are for ten year for the operation of these plants. But they have to have annual renewals of the environmental certificate. They must keep a permanent operation record that follows the requirements established by authority. Argentina Faces the Dilemma of Unconventional Oil and Gas Vast reserves of natural gas and oil trapped underground, whose exploitation would signify major environmental impacts, will be the greatest challenge facing YPF, the Argentine oil company that recently returned to state control. The study assessed the viability of 48 shale gas basins in 32 countries and estimated Argentinas shale gas reserves at 774 (TCF), 60 times greater than the countrys current conventional reserves. The shale gas formations are in four basins, but the Neuquà ©n basin is the most promising. This is where the Vaca Muerta and Los Molles formations are found, which stretch across the subsoil of four provinces: Neuquà ©n and Mendoza, in western Argentina, La Pampa in the centre of the country, and Rà ­o Negro in the centre-south. The report states that, although there is a high degree of uncertainty, studies by the Undersecretariat of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Neuquà ©n estimate that there are 170 TCF of recoverable gas in the Vaca Muerta formation and between 130 and 192 TCF in Los Molles. The exploitation of these reserves would significantly increase gas production, create employment and promote the development of new technologies, but would also take a heavy toll on the environment. This is the dilemma facing the new YPF, after the expropriation of 51 percent of its shares, which were held by the Spanish oil company Repsol until the May 3 passage of the bill that President Cristina Fernà ¡ndez de Kirchner submitted to Congress on Apr. 16. YPF, created by the Argentine government in 1922, has thus returned to state control as a private corporation with a majority stake owned by the government and the rest held by national and foreign private companies and stockholders. The article, Gas y petrà ³leo no conventional: Perspectives y desafà ­os para su desarrollo en Argentina (Unconventional Gas and Oil: Prospects and challenges for their development in Argentina), outlines the opportunities offered by exploitation of these resources, but warns that the effects on the environment pose serious questions. A report published in October 2011 by the National Academy of Engineering of Argentina, Gas de reservorios no convencionales: Estado de situacià ³n y principales desafà ­os (Gas from Unconventional Sources: Current situation and key challenges), concurs with the warnings voiced by Matranga and Gutman. *The writer is an IPS correspondent. This story was originally published by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramà ©rica network. Tierramà ©rica is a specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank. Top of Form Environmental sustainability situation in Argentina The following statistics give perspective to the ongoing environmental sustainability situation in Argentina: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Disappearances of Forests: In 1914, there were 105 million hectares; since 2005 there is an estimated 33 million remaining hectares of forest à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase in Pesticides: In 1991, agriculture reported using 40 million liters of pesticides; by 1997 that number had grown to 100 million liters à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High Levels of Lead: In the province of Jujuy, 59 percent of children from the Abra Pampas have an unsafe amount of lead in their blood; the impact to local flora and fauna is unknown à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The burning of forests generates more greenhouse gases than motor vehicles à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Since 1985, the amount of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 140 percent; whereas carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulates have increased 60, 56 and 100 percent, respectively à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Since 1914, two-thirds of Argentinas native forests have been destroyed. If this destruction continues unchecked, all of Argentinas native forests will be gone by the year 2024. Challenges for Future Nationalised Oil Co. in Argentina:- One of the big challenges facing the Argentine government in its plans to regain state control of the countrys biggest oil firm, YPF, is to make up for the time lost under private management, when production and exploration fell. President Cristina Fernandez decreed intervention of the YPF board and sent Congress a bill Monday Apr. 16 to expropriate 51 percent of the shares of the company, which is controlled by Spanish energy firm Repsol. The move radically changes the countrys energy scenario. YPF, founded as Yacimientos Petrolà ­feros Fiscales (State Petroleum Reserves) by the Argentine state in 1922, is the largest oil and gas producer in the country. It was privatised in two stages, in 1993 and 1999, under the administrations of former president Carlos Menem (1989-1999). Since then the state has held less than one percent of the shares of YPF. Fà ©lix Herrero, the vice president of the movement for the recovery of Argentinas energy sovereignty (MORENO), told IPS he was in complete agreement with the bill, which declares the achievement of self-sufficiency in oil and gas to be in the public interest in order to guarantee economic development with social equity. . In Lamothes view, the government has waited too long to take action on an energy policy that has been failing to encourage investment. The authorities allowed most of the profits to be transferred abroad, and now there is an eight-year backlog in investments, he complained. He added that the future state-controlled company would have to move towards a model of partnerships with the private sector in order to fund necessary investments. And he thought it was premature to celebrate the governments move this week. At the unveiling of the initiative, Fernà ¡ndez said YPF would continue to be a sociedad anà ³nima or public limited company, with private participation. I want to make it clear that this is not nationalisation, but the restoration of sovereignty and control over an essential instrument, she said. She maintained that Argentinas plan is not a new invention, and ran through a list of industrialised and developing countries where the state controls the oil and gas industry. For example, she noted that in Brazil, the public sector owns 51 percent of oil giant Petrobras. But on this point, Herrero said, the president is mistaken. Constitutionally, the Brazilian state cannot own more than 51 percent of Petrobras, and actually owns 32 percent, while the rest of the company is in the hands of federal states, the state-owned National Development Bank (BANDES), workers mutual funds and private individuals and corporations, he said. Air, Water, and Noise Pollution Aging diesel buses may be the primary culprit in deteriorating urban air quality, but private vehicles (some still using leaded gasoline) and taxis contribute more than their share (some taxis and private vehicles, though, burn natural gas). Superannuated factories, with their subsidized smokestacks, are another source. A different sort of air pollution is the deterioration of the antarctic ozone layer, which has exposed both humans and livestock in far southern Argentina to ultraviolet radiation in summer. Though ozone depletion is a global problem over which Argentines have little control, they suffer the consequences of the growing ozone hole. Just as motor vehicles cause urban air pollution, they also produce most of its noise pollution, due partly to inadequate mufflers. According to one study, vehicular noise accounts for 80 percent of noise levels that, at corners like Rivadavia and Callao in Buenos Aires, exceed 80 decibels. Buses and motorcycles are the worst offenders. Drinking water is normally potable, but a historical legacy of polluted waterways derives from, first, the proliferation of European livestock on the pampas, followed by the processing of hides and livestock, and then by heavy industry. The textbook case is Buenos Airess Riachuelo, in the working-class barrio of La Boca, which more closely resembles sludge than water; its bottom sediments, thanks to chemical runoff from factories here and in nearby Avellaneda, are an even greater toxic hazard. The construction of riverside pulp plants in Uruguay continues to be a hot-button issue in Entre Rà ­os Province, but this is a complex issue characterized by much cynical posturing on the Argentine side. Solid Waste Buenos Aires and other cities produce prodigious amounts of garbage-Buenos Aires alone, for instance, generates 5,000 tons of solid waste per day. The capital ships its garbage as far away as the city of Olavarrà ­a, 400 kilometers to the southwest, but a new law stipulates that it will reduce the waste sent to landfills by half by 2012, and by 75 percent by 2017. Sidewalk pickups take place daily, but in the aftermath of the 2002 economic crisis, garbage-strewn streets became more common because of spontaneous recycling by cartoneros who ripped open plastic bags in search of reusable materials like cardboard. Theres another dark side to this recycling, as some cartoneros-apparently in league with criminal elements-have also absconded with valuable metals covering utility boxes and other similar objects accessible from the street. Sold and melted into ingots of bronze and other metals, these are almost untraceable. Another sort of solid waste is even more problematic. Greenpeace Argentina has protested an agreement with Australia to import that countrys nuclear waste for reprocessing near the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza. Argentinas constitution prohibits storage of nuclear waste, though Argentina has its own 357-megawatt Atucha I reactor near the town of Lima, northwest of the capital. Energy Mismanagement and disinvestment are threatening Argentinas self-sufficiency in fossil fuels, so that the country is now having to import natural gas, at above-market prices, from Bolivia. The country does have hydroelectric resources in the subtropical north and along the Andean foothills, but Argentine governments have promoted nuclear power since the 1950s. While the country has renounced any intention to build nuclear weapons, the 357-megawatt Atucha I reactor has powered the capitals electrical grid since 1974. For much of the time since then it has operated at reduced capacity thanks partly to cheaper hydroelectricity, but also due to inadequate maintenance; the controlling Comisià ³n Nacional de Energà ­a Atà ³mica (CNEA, National Atomic Energy Commission) is not known for its transparency. Atucha I is due to close in 2014. Even hydroelectricity is no panacea, as the creation of the massive Yacyretà ¡ dam along the Paraguayan border in Corrientes Province may be raising water levels in the Iberà ¡ marshlands; this could sever the floating islands, on which their wildlife depends, from their anchoring soils. Similarly, upstream water diversions on the Rà ­o Iguazà º could affect the flow over the spectacular falls that are one of the continents greatest natural features. Soil Conservation and Deforestation Centuries of livestock impacts, both grazing and trampling, have caused serious erosion even in areas where there were never native forests, such as the pampas and the Patagonian steppes. Even today, some forested national parks-most notably Lanà ­n and Los Glaciares-have been unable to eliminate grazing within their boundaries. There has been pressure to create presumably sustainable forest-exploitation projects in the Magellanic woodlands of Tierra del Fuego. The hot-button forest issues, though, are in the northern subtropical forests. In Misiones Province, agricultural colonists and commercial tea and yerba mate plantations have cut over much of the selva misionera, a diverse, wildlife-rich rain forest that cannot easily reestablish itself when its natural recycling mechanisms are disturbed. In Jujuy and Salta Provinces, the yungas cloud forest on the edge of the Andes has already suffered deforestation from construction of a nearly pointless natural gas pipeline over the Andes to Chile, and from widespread clear-cutting to extract just a few prize timber species. Beans taking over forests Research in Argentina has shown that deforestation due to agricultural expansion of soybean is threatening the Yungas cloud forest, and the Chaco ecoregion, one of the largest forested biomes (a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities) in South America. In Argentina, while most recent expansion in soybean agriculture has relied on available agricultural land, there are aggressive targets to expand the agricultural area to increase soybean production for export.1 The cattle threat Beef production in Argentina also poses a threat to natural habitats. Beef feeding, located on land that used to compete with agricultural crops, has been concentrated in the Espinal Ecoregion (an area of thorny deciduous shrubland forest) threatening grasslands and forests. Similar impacts have occurred with cattle breeding, which has expanded into the Chaco ecoregion and is threatening forests. These processes are closely linked with an increasing demand for suitable land for soy cropping.2 Other environmental problems Argentina also faces the issue of energy consumption and management and the inefficient use of non-renewable resources. COMPARISON OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND INDIA DEFORESTATION : ARGENTINA Argentina has over 33 million ha of forest, representing over 12% of the countrys land area. Between 1990 and 2005 Argentina lost 6.4% of its natural forest cover, although plantation expansion resulted in the net forest loss being lower at 2.1%. A forestry bill in 1997 offered tax breaks and subsidies to foreign investors for establishing tree plantations and the aim was to plant an average of 200,000 ha per year from 2000 to 2009. Although this target was not achieved, an average of approximately 50,000 ha per year were planted from 2000 to 2008. Much of the destruction of natural forests is due to the spread of agribusiness. In the central province of Cordoba soy production has increased steadily in the last decade, replacing forests; of the 10 million ha of forest in Cordoba a century ago, only 12% remain and in some areas, the figure is as low as 2%. The result has been soil erosion, water shortages and localised changes to the climate. The Cordoba Environment Agency introduced a law in 2005 banning clear-cutting for a period of 10 years, but allowing sustainable logging in native forests. In the north western province of Salta, the number of permits issued by the provincial government for land conversion increased in recent years; in 2007 alone, permits issued allowed for the felling of half a million ha of forest. At the end of 2008, 18 indigenous communities presented a demand to the Supreme Court for an immediate halt to the deforestation. The court imposed an immediate ban on deforestation in the region and demanded a public consultation take place prior to the court taking a final decision. This deforestation is also threatening the habitats of many species, including the jaguar and seven other cat species. Timber is not a major industry in Argentina; many of the companies involved in land clearing for agribusiness are also involved in the paper and pulp industry. Much of the potentially valuable timber is in remote areas and remains unexploited. In 2008 the World Bank approved a US$60 million loan to Argentina to work with smaller farmers to improve sustainable management of forest resources and preserve biodiversity. The work will focus on the most the most threatened areas, where ecosystems have been seriously damaged by agribusiness. In another positive move, the Canadian Forest Service has begun working with Argentina to develop six model forests and develop local indicators to monitor progress towards sustainable forest management. Deforestation Destruction of forests creates numerous environmental catastrophes, including altering local rainfall patterns, accelerating soil erosion, causing the flooding of rivers, and threatening millions of species of plants, animals and insects with extinction. The main causes of deforestation are: expansion of agricultural and industrial needs, population growth, poverty, consumer demand and landlessness. Despite increased public awareness and  a large number of initiatives, deforestation is still continuing in most of Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. During 1980-90 alone, the Latin American region lost 62 million hectares (6.0 per cent) of its natural forest, which was the largest loss in the world during those years, with a further 5.8 million hectares a year lost during 1990-95. (source:UNEP) India Approximately 45% of Indias land is degraded primarily due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, mining and excessive groundwater extraction. More than 2/3rds of this can be regenerated. India has the 10th largest forest cover in the world at 68 million hectares. The governments National Action Plan on climate change involves expanding forest cover from the current 23% to 33% of Indias territory, and to afforest 6 million hectares of degraded forest land. India has rich biodiversity more than 45,000 plant and 91,000 animal species. However there are rapid loss trends 10% flora and fauna are on the threatened list and many are on the verge of extinction. PESTICIDE : (IPS) The agriculture industry in Argentina is enjoying the boom in demand for soybeans and other commodities and the subsequent high prices, which are also fattening the state coffers. But the question of the unsafe handling of pesticides and fertilisers has basically been ignored amidst the collective euphoria. According to the Secretariat of Agriculture, the latest harvest set a new record of nearly 95 million tons of grains, half of which were soybeans. This year, the harvest should exceed 100 million tons, and the state expects to take in 7.5 billion dollars in tax revenue as a result. Last year, farmers purchased more than 5,000 tractors, a similar number of sewing machines and 2,000 harvesting machines. But as the area under cultivation has expanded and investment in technology has increased, the use of agrochemicals has grown as well. Private consultants estimate that 3.6 tons of fertilisers were used in 2007, 20 percent more than in 2006. And the growing demand has drawn major investments in fertiliser production plants run by local and international companies, which indicates that output will continue to rise. Statistics from the Secretariat of the Environment show that the use of pesticides has grown steadily since 1991, and that half of the demand comes from soybean producers. This issue has not yet been put on the agenda of social problems, sociologist Marà ­a Alejandra Silva, director of the workers health unit at the University of Rosarios School of Medicine, told IPS. Concerned civil society sectors have failed to get our voices heard. Local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by the Rural Reflection Group have long been warning about the risks faced by the rural population due to the expansion of monoculture farming of genetically modified soybeans, which require glyphosate, and the aerial spraying of fields, that is frequently carried out without the necessary safety precautions. Silva, a researcher with the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), said the state, which brings in enormous tax revenues from farm exports, looks the other way. In an article on the challenges facing Argentina with respect to rural growth that has ignored environmental and health concerns, Silva wrote that in this South American country little or no attention is paid to the question of the environmental and health sustainability of the rural sectors current model of growth. She said the agricultural producers surveyed in the study expressed concern over the soils loss of fertility caused by intensive use, but were not worried about the lack of oversight and control in the production, transportation, storage, handling and application of fertilisers and pesticides, or about the disposal of the empty containers. The symptoms of mild or acute poisoning from agrochemicals include headache, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, restlessness, nervousness, perspiration, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, thirst, moodiness, soreness in joints, skin irritation, eye irritation, and irritation of the nose and throat. Long-term exposure to pesticides and fertilisers without adequate protection and safety measures can cause cancer, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders, fetal malformations, immune system disruption and impaired nervous system function. A study conducted in different regions with the coordination of the Argentine Association of Doctors for the Environment (AAMMA) warns of the inadequate and indiscriminate use of pesticides, a lack of protection for the workers who handle them, and for their families, and the accumulation of contaminated containers on farms, plantations and orchards. Pesticides and fertilisers can pollute the soil and both surface and underground water sources, and pose risks to living beings, says the report on the problem of agrochemicals and their containers and their effect on the health of workers, the exposed population and the environment. The study, carried out with contributions from the Health Ministry, the Secretariat of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and several universities, says the inappropriate handling of these products is a serious environmental and health problem in Argentina that is causing damages that could be irreversible, especially for children. Around 15 percent of the farmers interviewed in the eastern province of Buenos Aires said they knew people who were resistant to pesticides and handled them without gloves. This was described by the authors as a popular misconception among farmers who often fail to understand that symptoms sometimes only show up in the long-term. In addition, many of the interviewees were unaware of, or simply did not follow, the regulations for disposing of empty agrochemical containers, which must be washed three times and then perforated so that they cannot be reused. Most of the containers end up in piles on unused fields around farms or are buried or burnt, with the subsequent polluting effect on the environment. In some low-income rural or semi-urban areas, people even use the empty containers to haul water. According to the study, the problem is a serious one because the funding is lacking for carrying out local research showing a direct link between the improper handling of pesticides and health effects that can show up decades after contact, or even in future generations in the case of pregnant women exposed to pesticides or fertilisers. In the meantime, in light of the real magnitude and urgency of the problem, the researchers recommend campaigns to inform people about the correct handling of such products and the risks they pose, as well as training, both for farmers and workers who use them and health professionals who must properly diagnose the symptoms of exposure to toxic agrochemicals. PESTICIDE : INDIA The term pesticide covers a wide range of compounds including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators and others. Among these, organochlorine (OC) insecticides, used successfully in controlling number of diseases, such as malaria and typhus, were banned or restricted after the 1960s in most of the technologically advanced countries. The introduction of other synthetic insecticides organophosphate (OP) insecticides in the 1960s, carbamates in 1970s andPyrethroids in 1980s and the introduction of herbicides and fungicides in 1970s 1980scontributed greatly in pest control and agricultural output. Ideally a pesticide must be lethal to the targetted pests, but not to non-target species, including man. Unfortunately, this is not, so the controversy of use and abuse of pesticides has surfaced. The rampant Use of these chemicals, under the adage, if little is good, a lot more will be better has played havoc with human and other life forms. Production and Usage of pesticide in India The production of pesticides started in India in 1952 with the establishment of a plant for The production of BHC near Calcutta, and India is now the second largest manufacturer of Pesticides in Asia after China and ranks twelfth globally9. There has been a steady growth in the production of technical grade pesticides in India, from 5,000 metric tonnes in 1958 to 102,240 metric tonnes in 1998. In 1996-97 the demand for pesticides in terms of value Was estimated to be around Rs. 22 billion (USD 0.5 billion), which is about 2% of the total world market. Agriculture Agriculture is the essence of India. Since time immemorial, the majority of its population bank on agriculture sector directly or indirectly. This is the reason, the contribution of Indian agriculture industry to GDP (Gross Domestic Products) is around 25 per cent. Agriculture in India is a crucial sector in socio-economic development of the country. Comparing the total farming output of India with other countries, India is ranked second worldwide. Because of transforming farming scenario and international competition, augmentation in production and meticulous distribution of food receive higher priority across the globe. Being the largest producer of agricultural products like cashew nuts, coconuts, tea, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, the 2nd largest cultivator of vegetables, and the third largest producer of fruits. The total production of fruit is around 27.83 MT(Million Tons) and 54 MT in vegetables. India has also strengthened its position in the cultivation of flower and it is estimated that 35,000 hectare of flowers of various kinds like rose, jasmine, marigold, and so on are grown in one or the other part of India. Above all, India is now exporting rice wheat. That has made India self sufficient in food. Agriculture industry in India has seen some remarkable changes since independence, also become very important from the perspective of employment generation, so Indian economy is reckoned as agri oriented. With increased level of sophisticated technologies, application of modern bio technologies, and rendering considerable importance to seeds, fertilizers, irrigation sources, agriculture business has reached a new height. Agro Industry is a promising lucrative sector and riding on an impressive growth. Indias share in the global food market has grown to 0.7 percent and is assessed to reach 1.5 per cent. All these augur great for farming industry. Agricultural Waste Boosts Energy Production in Argentina:- The goal is to raise biomass participation in electricity generation by means of a platform for private projects in need of promotion, said Miguel Almada, head of the agroenergy area of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Many projects are already under way, or are negotiating tariffs, he told IPS. A worker unloads rice husk at a biomass power plant run by a company in Thailand. Credit: Nantiya Tangwisutijit/IPS According to a study carried out with the support of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Argentina has the potential to generate half the countrys total energy supply by burning biomass. The assessment by the FAO and government and technical bodies in Argentina mapped the biomass resources in each province to determine the available potential. Despite its potential, the FAO considers that biomass has so far been the Cinderella of energy sources, without political visibility or recognition in development planning in many countries, including Argentina. FAO, which published its study in 2009 at the request of the Argentine government as a step towards the official launch of the Probiomasa programme, says the use of biomass resources is not jus

The Nike Co. Essay -- essays research papers

NIKE 1.)Description of Nike. 2.)Definition of Total Quality Management and how Nike implements it. 3.)Definition of the Five Elements of Task Environment and how Nike. implements it. The company: 1-A brief history of the organization 2- Nike’s goals 3- Nike’s objectives 4-Markets 5-Size Compare theory with what we found Conclusion Ø DESCRIPTION Basketball players want to be like Mike, but shoe companies want to be like NIKE. NIKE is the world's number one shoe company and controls more than 40% of the athletic shoe market. The company designs and sells shoes for just about every sport, including baseball, volleyball, cheerleading, and wrestling. Nike doesn't only sell athletic shoes, but a wide variety of sporting goods and clothing; they design, develop, and market high quality active sports apparel, equipment, and accessory products. Their huge lines of products are designed for just about every sport in existence. Their products are made for men, women, and children of all ages. In addition, it operates NIKETOWN shoe and sportswear stores and is opening JORDAN in-store outlets in urban markets. NIKE sells its products to about 19,000 US accounts, in about 140 other countries, and online. Chairman, CEO, and co-founder Phil Knight owns about 36% of the firm. Ø TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT Total quality management represents both a social revolution in the work place and a rigorously effective approach to professionalism and success. Total quality management is a management system that is an integral part of an organization's strategy and is aimed at continually improving products and service quality so as to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and build strong customer loyalty .In other words, the true Total Quality organization will eliminate all competition other than from other Total Quality giants. Many companies have benefited from an emphasis on TQM; however, it does require a considerable amount of company wide commitment to be successful . The customer doesn't know what is technically or organizationally feasible. So the key, challenge to a competitive organization, is to raise the expectations of the market place by providing goods and services at quality levels higher than those offered by the competition. We can now see that there are two principal elements to Total Quality: a business strategic element base o... ...V ads during professional and college sports events, prime-time programs, and late-night TV programs. The advertising and innovative marketing in the industry should still leave it extremely competitive. The only problem that Nike worries about is customers becoming less brand-loyal and buying cheaper athletic shoe brands. Nike is trying to make the point that it is worth spending more money on better quality made shoe, than buying a cheap shoe that will only last a little while. One major area that brings unlimited opportunities to Nike is the international market. In the United Sates, there are 4 people for every pair of Nikes, France has 11, Japan has 50, China has 11,821, and Lebanon has 40 (reference from manager). Nike distributes to more than 40 branches in Lebanon and they have their own main branch situated in Mid-Beirut. Nike is by far the biggest organization in the shoe industry and far surpases its competetors in profits gained. Nike sells throught the world in more than 110 countries throught a span of six continents. It is known by most consumers as the dominant power in the sports industry and is usually the athelets’ top choice when it comes to sports apparel.

History Of Racquetball :: essays research papers

HISTORY OF RACQUETBALL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1940’s a man named Joseph G. Sobek got tired of how hard handball was on his hands. He was dissatisfied with the indoor sports. He worked at a rubber factory in Bridgeport, CT when he decided to start a new sport. He lived in Greenwich, CT and was professional tennis player and a pro squash and handball player.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that in 1949, Sobek and a partner began playing with a paddle and combined the rules of handball and squash to play what they called â€Å"paddle racquets.† He then decided to change from a paddle to a racquet itself using a tennis racquet as a model. He made 25 to sell to his friends to start the sport. There was one problem though; there were faults in the ball. Sobek then found a Spalding ball made for children that work well. He bought a lot of them and sold him to his friends in 1950 to keep his sport from dwindling out. Sobek eventually started his own company to make his own ball to his exact specifications for the game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952 Sobek started the Paddle Racquet Association. He then put together a set of rules and printed them out and started putting together a promotional package for his Paddle Racquet to different YMCA’s to promote the sport. He also set up clinics so that new players could learn how to play the sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1968, Sobek started talking to the head of the US Handball Association, Robert Kendler. In 1968 the National Paddle Racquet Association held the very first racquetball tournament called the Gut-Strung Paddle Rackets National Championship. It was held in Milwaukee. The next year Kendler started the International Racquetball Association, and racquetball got its official name.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To help get the name of the sport out and bring more players in Sobek kept doing his clinics to teach the new players. Kendler used the Handball magazine, ACE, to advertise the sport and tell people about the game in articles and advertisements. Then the International Racquetball had their first tournament in St. Louis in 1969. Then after the tournaments the sport saw a lot of new players in the 1970’s. The games equipment sale went through the roof and more and more companies began making the equipment. By 1974, there were over 3 million racquetball players in the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1973, Kendler separated himself from the IRA, do to disputes in the board, he went on to start the National Racquetball Club and the US Racquetball Association, which both of them went bankrupt in the early 1980’s though.

The Effect of Money on Frequency of Divorce Essay -- Marriage Divorce

Missing Figures INTRODUCTION Despite the fact that divorce is discussed in almost any sociology or anthropology book, no unified explanations for family instability are available. Levinson and Malone (1980: 69) state that "anthropologists have offered little in the way of trustworthy, universal explanations for divorce." The differences in cultures, traditions, and practices among societies make it almost impossible to offer general explanations for family instability. The widely held belief is that when a significant amount of money or property is exchanged, the marriage is more stable. This belief is supported by Minturn et al. (1969: 308) findings that absence of bride price, dowry, and gift exchange at marriage make divorce easier. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the presence or absence of a marriage transaction and how marriage payments such as bride wealth and dowry affect the frequency of divorce. Definition of Marriage I began my study by looking for a definition of marriage. For I believe how people in these societies view marriage may give me an explanation on why divorce is practiced. Stephens (1963: 5) defined marriage as follows ". . .is a socially legitimate union, begun with a public announcement and undertaken with some idea of permanence; it is assumed with a more or less explicit marriage contract, which spells out reciprocal rights and obligations between spouses, and between the spouses and their future children." Similar to Stephensï ¿ ½ definition, many experts defined marriage as some sort of a permanent relationship between two people. Then, why do societies permit divorce? It can be argued that divorce serves as a way for individuals to get out of abusive and/or unhappy marriag... ...r cope with the in-laws and giving the couple more time to spend together to allow more communication. As a result, a dowry or an indirect dowry is quite effective in reducing the frequency of divorce. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cooper, Barbara M. Womenï ¿ ½s Worth and Wedding Gift Exchange in Maradi, Niger, 1907-89. Journal of African History V36, N1 (Jan, 1995): 121-141. Levinson, David and Martin J. Malone. 1980. Toward Explaining Human Culture: A Critical Review of the Findings of Worldwide Cross-cultural Research. Minturn, Leigh, Martin Grosse and Santoah Haider. 1969. Cultural Patterning of Sexual Beliefs and Behavior. Ethnology 8:301-318. Stephens, William N. 1963. The Family in Cross-cultural Perspective. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Tambiah, Stanley J. Bride Wealth and Dowry Revisited. Current Anthropology V30, N4 (Aug-Oct, 1989) 413-435.

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions Essay

When a firm changes prices, the effect on profits is more important than the effect on revenue. There is a simple formula to calculate the critical Price Elasticity of demand which is just sufficient to maintain the contribution to overheads and profits. This will be greater than that required to maintain revenue. A common issue in business and in business studies is whether a firm should change the prices at which products are offered. The calculations begin with estimates of the reaction of customers to the new prices. This reaction is represented as Price Elasticity of Demand (PED), the ratio of the proportionate changes in volume and price. Students are always told – and some students even remember that Elastic Demand (PED >1) means more revenue from a lower price and less from a higher one; and Inelastic Demand (PED But who wants the same revenue with lower profits? Any change in price will have a much bigger impact, proportionately, on the contribution per item for the firm than on the asking price to the customer. It follows that an increase in price may succeed in raising profits, even though revenue falls; and that a lower price may reduce profits even though revenue increases. So the critical question is not whether the PED is greater or less than one, but whether it is sufficiently high (for a lower price) or sufficiently low (for a price increase) to improve profits. The critical level of PED can be found by an application of breakeven analysis. We can take the current level of contribution to overheads and profit; and ask what the volume (units sold) must be to give the same level of contribution at the alternative price. Having found this critical volume, we can then compute what the PED would be to give us this volume at the new price, compared with the existing price and quantity. This then will be the Critical Price Elasticity of Demand (CPED). If we are raising prices, any PED less than CPED will increase profits; if we are lowering price, we want PED to be more than CPED. And while there is no way, short of trying the price change, to know what the PED actually is, a firm may well have sensible ideas about the likelihood of its being significantly greater or less than a specified value. It may seem that calculating the CPED is rather a waste of time, since we should have to calculate the required change in quantity first; and might just as well reckon our chances of getting this volume after our price change, without entering into Elasticity computations at all. However it turns out that there is a very simple formula for calculating the CPED.

Interactive Training Modules in Microcontrolling and Microprocessing Essay

Computer Engineering Department lacks equipment when it comes to new kinds of microcontrollers and modules. Developing interactive training modules is our proposed solution to that problem. This interactive training module will be a medium to help students and enable them to get ideas on how to do their projects. This project presents the Interactive Training Modules for Microcontrolling and Microprocessing. It consists of combinations of different modules that are used for training that is available in the market and an interactive manual. The main objectives of this project is to have a low cost training module for Computer Engineering Department that can be used as an educational material in teaching basic microcontrolling and microprocessing to give the students ideas in creating their own projects. The interactive training modules will consist a microcontroller and different types of sensors, input/output devices, motors, and communication modules. Each module will have several easy to understand educational experiments and other using the combination of different modules. The interactive manual will contain all the instructions for the experiment, information about the microcontroller and other details that can be very helpful for the user of the trainer. A Gizduino (Arduino based microcontroller) will be used for this project because of being a low-cost microcontroller and easy to understand programming language which is C-based. We decided to purchase a ready made and low cost trainer that is easy to use and will have an additional feature like having a Ethernet Shield that can be used in controlling other modules. B. Statement of the problem The proponents aim to present the general problem and specific problems. Microprocessing and Microcontrolling have become important over a wide range of applications from hobby, manufacturing, surgery until to the handling of hazardous materials. Consequently, it’s important to understand how they work, and what problems exist in designing effective project interactive training modules. In designing interactive training modules, we must understand it requires a lot of knowledge and basic information about the modules. From other research and studies, there are several problems statements that are clarify and noticed †¢Cost Initially, the cost for purchasing an interactive training module is very expensive. A quality and suitable materials for this project will cost a lot of budget and it’s clearly not affordable. This will cause a difficulty for educational purposes and many students and instructors will find lots of difficulties in doing their studies and research. Thus this project will help them to deliver a better understanding about the basic operation and functions of a Microprocessor and Microcontroller. †¢Hardware system To construct a interactive module, there are few procedures to be considered which are process etching, installating component, soldering process, testing and troubleshooting. If the constructed circuit does not function, troubleshooting must be done, thus it needs a lot of focus and knowledge about circuit process. †¢System integration Technically, it is always difficult to integrate the hardware and software. There are many ways to integrate the system to function according to instructions that are given. Loads of research and studies must be done in order to achieve the expected result for this project. Also this study provides answers to the following questions: †¢What are the problems encountered by the students and instructors in using the existing instructional tools available for the Computer Engineering Department? †¢What are the solutions that can be provided to address the problems? C. Objectives of the study The objectives of this project are: i.To have an up-to-date and low cost training module that can be used by the Computer Engineering students. ii.To produce an interactive training manual as a guide for educational purpose. iii.To build and develop both the training modules hardware and software system that could be integrated to support the application system of a basic microcontroller and microprocessor. D. Scope and Delimitation Basically the scope of this project will be the following: i.Doing research and development for the project. ii.Gathering informative source about the topic from multiple source such as books, journals, internet and also magazines. iii.Start developing and installing the materials for the hardware. iv.Integrating the developed hardware and software. v.Doing performance testing to the developed project. E. Significance of the Study This project would be beneficial for the following: i.Instructors: It will provide sample in discussing how to create projects that need microcontrolling and microprocessing, it can also be used as an instructional tool for the laboratory experiments on employing effective learning in their class. ii.Students: It will serve as a basis of reference for conducting study and a way of training themselves in basic microcontrolling and microprocessing. iii.Campus: It will provide better method of teaching new technologies to Computer Engineering students. iv.Researchers: It will serve as a future reference on the subject of Microcontroller and Microprocessor. F. Definition of Terms Arduino – is an open source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy to use hardware and software. Ethernet – is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). Interactive – Accepting input from a human. Interactive computer systems are programs that allow users to enter data or commands. Most popular programs, such as word processors and spreadsheet applications. Microcontroller – A microcontroller (sometimes abbreviated  µC, uC or MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Microprocessor – incorporates the functions of a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC), or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output. Module – A self-contained assembly of electronic components and circuitry, such as a stage in a computer that is installed as a unit. Motor – A device that converts any form of energy into mechanical energy, especially an internal-combustion engine or an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power. Sensors – A sensor (also called detector) is a converter that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an (today mostly electronic) instrument.