Saturday, August 31, 2019

Human Pathophysiology Essay

A 45-year-old grocery sales clerk has been suffering from bouts of severe pain in his left flank region. He blamed it on prolonged standing for 8 hours straight while working. He was taking over-the-counter pain medications for his pain. One day, he found fresh blood in his urine. He went to a doctor who performed urine tests, CT scans, and x-rays. He was diagnosed with urinary calculi. †¢Discuss possible factors that may have been responsible for the development of the stone and use this case to show how the patient’s diet and water intake can help analyze the composition of the calculi. Factors responsible for the development can include his family or personal history, being over 40, his gender, his diet, weight, over the counter medications, and possible dehydration. He will need to drink plenty of water, avoid excess caffeine, black tea, grapefruit and apple juices. He should also avoid foods high in oxalates, limit his sodium Intake, limit his animal protein and avoi d mega-doses of vitamin C. By following this dietary and water intake method it should help analyze if the calculi composition is Calcium oxalate, Calcium phosphate, Cystine, Magnesium ammonium phosphate, or Uric acid. †¢What would be the test results of his white blood cells, blood calcium levels, CT scan, and x-ray? Urinalysis will be positive for nitrite, leukocyte esterase, and blood. The white blood cell (WBC) count will be elevated, with a left shift. Creatinine level will also be elevated in outlet obstruction. CT scan will demonstrate bladder calculi if the test is performed without IV contrast material. The unenhanced spiral CT is sensitive but yet specific in diagnosing calculi along the urinary tract and even pure urate calculi can be detected this way. KUB detects radiopaque stones because pure uric acid and ammonium urate stones are radiolucent and can be coated with a layer of opaque calcium sediment. The sonogram will show a classic hyperechoic object with posterior shadowing, and it is effective in identifying both radiolucent and radiopaque stones. (Basler, 2014) †¢Suggest the best treatment for the patient and a plan to prevent recurrence post-treatment. Treatment is with analgesics, antibiotics for infection, medical expulsive therapy, and, sometimes, shock wave lithotripsy or endoscopic procedures. †¢Facilitate calculus passage with ÃŽ ±-receptor blockers such as tamsulosin. †¢For persistent or infection-causing calculi,  complete removal using primarily endoscopic techniques. (Preminger, 2014) Prevention Drink plenty of water, get the proper amount of calcium according to your age, reduce sodium , limit animal protein such as red meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood , and avoid stone-forming foods such as beets, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb, tea, most nuts rich in oxalate, and colas rich in phosphate. References: Preminger,G. (2014, July). Urinary Calculi. Merck Manuals. Retrieved from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary_disorders/urinary_calculi/urinary_calculi.html Pendick, D. (2013, Oct). 5 steps for Preventing Kidney Stones. Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-steps-for-preventing-kidney-stones-201310046721 Basler, J. (2014). Bladder Stones Workup. WEbMd. Retrieved from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2120102-workup#showall

Friday, August 30, 2019

Investment Account Essay

What is the meaning of Al-Awfar? Al-Awfar means â€Å"prosperous investment†. 3. What is the difference between Al-Awfar Savings Account and Investment Account-i and the normal Bank Islam Savings Account-i and General Investment Account-i (GIA)? Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i is a rewarding account that offers a host of additional features, which include expected Mudharabah returns on savings and investments (if any). This is in addition to the opportunity to receive cash prizes from the bank through a quarterly prize draw. 4. Is Al-Awfar Saving and Investment Account-i a form of gambling? NO. Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i is free from any elements of gambling. 5. Is Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i Shariah-compliant? YES. The Shariah Supervisory Council of Bank Islam approved this product in its 102nd meeting dated 7th April 2008 (30 Rabiulawal 1429H). 6. Are prize draws allowed according to the Shariah Law? YES. Prize draws are permitted if there is no elements of riba (usury), gharar (uncertainty) and maysir (gambling). 7. What is the basis on the permissibility of draw in Islam? 1. Al-Quran, in Surah Ali ‘Imran verse 44 This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i. e. the news of the past nations of which you have no knowledge) which We inspire you with (O Muhammad ). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam (Mary); nor were you with them when they disputed. . Is the draw performed in a manner that is transparent to the public? YES. There is an external independent draw committee who will observe the draw process. 9. What is the difference between Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-I and other competitors’ product? Al-Awfar Saving and Investment Account-i is the first product of its kind introduced by an Islamic bank, which meets all Shariah requirements. 10. Where does Bank Islam invest the funds deposited by customers? Bank Islam invests the fund in Shariah-compliant investments pproved by the bank’s Shariah Supervisory Council. 11. Can the cash prizes received be used for Ibadah purposes, e. g. performing the Hajj and Umrah or given away as Zakat and Sadaqah? YES. The cash prizes come from a Halal source. Upon receiving the cash prize, the customer is free to use it for any purpose 12. Are the cash prizes taken from the profit earned through Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i? NO. The cash prizes are provided by the Bank and are not specifically derived from profits of Al-Awfar Savin gs and Investment Account-i.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 29

Business - Essay Example The aspect of King Arthur to be fully owned by employees implies that all its operations are done in accordance with the decisions of the employees. This model implies that employees are provided with ownership interest. The firm provides the employees with aspects like stock ownership, which may hardly have any up-front cost to such employees. In such a case, the employees take a key role in running the business organization including making informed decisions. Again, unlike other models where employees are completely kept out of issues concerning the business management, employees would have a feeling of accountability and would be pressurized by not only motivational factors but also factors associated with business ownership (Lewis,11). Working at the King Arthur Flour has a number of benefits. Unlike working in other business organizations where employees are kept in the dark as far as decision-making processes are initiated, working in this business organization would provide an employee with the advantage of being in a position to contribute to the business success. In cases where employees have no ownership to the firms they work in, it follows that the only motivational factor is the compensation. In the case of King Arthur Flour, employees understand that their efforts would yield some personal benefits. To the firm, benefits such as retaining good employees are achieved. This kind of ownership attracts and retains good employees. Small businesses or some business organizations that are perceived to have less attractive working environments have difficulties to attract or retain good employees (Lewis pg9). This happens as every good employee strives to get a bright chance in a good organization. Another benef it would be the aspect of buying out ownership. This happens when the original owners intends to leave

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The intersection of private and public - analysis synthesis, and Essay

The intersection of private and public - analysis synthesis, and personal meaning - Essay Example She always faces many obstacles along her journey, including fear of losing her job, the physical pain of her scalded and bleeding feet, and the possibility of being beaten or worse for speaking up because of color of her face. Odessa makes a very courageous decision to go public with her desire and hope for a more just society and equality for her people. On the other hand, in the beginning of the movie, Miriam is not really even aware of racism. Miriam has lived her private white life not really understanding or even caring about what is happening around her in the public area. She is so blind to the fact that racism could invade her private life that she sends her daughter with the black maid to the â€Å"white† park, resulting in Odessa’s expulsion from that park. Before the bus boycott starts, Miriam is worry about whether Odessa will come to her house to clean the house. When Odessa is unable to be on time for work or not to come to her house, Miriam starts to feel some personal consequences of racism because her house cleaning expectations were not being met. After she starts driving into Odessa’s world, and sees how different life is beyond her community, she starts to change from a very private person who just wants her house cleaned to a person with moral spirit. As a result, Miriam makes the brave decision to break out of her very private â€Å"white† community and become a public figure in order to stand up against racism. She against her husband and drives into Odessa’s neighborhood to pick her up and eventually begins a carpool to drive Odessa’s neighbors as well. By her actions, she displays her hope in a racially equal world with more justice for the black people. This story stands as an example how small gestures can have a great impact on society. Much can be accomplished when the people, white and black both, work together to effect change. This was the basis of the Civil

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Law - Essay Example dents being used human shields, â€Å"collateral damage† that may be wreaked on them as a consequence of the military initiative, would put the attacking forces at a disadvantage in the court of public opinion. 5. Such a ploy has been condemned by some groups such as Amnesty International as murder, inasmuch as death is meted out summarily without trial, and the â€Å"war on terror† is not really a war governed by the law on armed conflict, that the term is but rhetoric, and what should prevail is civil law that is applicable during times of peace. 1. Chiozza (2004) determined that the effect of conflict on the tenure of leaders is not ex post inefficient; i.e., defeat is costly for leaders of autocracies and mixed regimes, but not in democratic regimes where political institutions fundamentally mediate the costs and benefits of conflict and its outcome. Research also supports the finding that victory in war does not bring benefits, in terms of enhanced status or longer tenure for the incumbent leader. However, â€Å"popular† conflict may enhance the prospects of an office-seeking political leader, but as to how precisely and what factors are involved should still be a matter of further inquiry. The study asserts that a study focusing on the qualities of leaders may provide important new rationalist explanations for war. 2. Gartzke (2001) examined the effect of interdependence among countries as a deterrent to the outbreak of armed hostilities between them. The study found that it is likely that economic integration facilitates a reduction in the frequency of disputes by making it easier for states to engage in signalling short of military violence. Linkages among countries promote non-violent competition and peaceful conflict resolution, and this study has shown evidence that such a prospect is no longer merely utopian, but occurs in actuality. 3. Jones, Bremer and Singer (1996) examine militarized interstate disputes through empirical patterns in the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Macroeconomics Master Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Macroeconomics Master - Research Paper Example From the diagram the output level following a shift in AS curve will decline from Y1 to Y2, price levels will increase from P1 to P2. Therefore the statement is false. Monopolistic competition form of market has a number of characteristics that make it different from other forms of markets, in this market there are many buyers and sellers and the sellers have a degree of controlling prices, consumers have the perception that there are no price differences and that there are only a few barriers to entry and exit. Rational expectations refers to the situation whereby individuals in an economy have all the available information including the past history of an economy, therefore the expected inflation level when people have rational expectation is much higher. In ur case we expect money supply to increase, when there is an increase in money supply we also expect that inflation will rise, for this reason given that we have rational expectations individuals have all the information and we expect inflation to be much higher. For this reason therefore this will affect the level of output by the firms. The output will be affected due to the changes that consumers expect in the market when the level of money supply changes and also the firms will adjust their production level due to the cost incurred due to changes in the level of money supply. The ... form of market has a number of characteristics that make it different from other forms of markets, in this market there are many buyers and sellers and the sellers have a degree of controlling prices, consumers have the perception that there are no price differences and that there are only a few barriers to entry and exit. When we have monopolistic competitive firms in an economy that face menu costs, menu cost refers to the costs that a firm faces when prices changes in the economy. Rational expectations refers to the situation whereby individuals in an economy have all the available information including the past history of an economy, therefore the expected inflation level when people have rational expectation is much higher. In ur case we expect money supply to increase, when there is an increase in money supply we also expect that inflation will rise, for this reason given that we have rational expectations individuals have all the information and we expect inflation to be much higher. For this reason therefore this will affect the level of output by the firms. The output will be affected due to the changes that consumers expect in the market when the level of money supply changes and also the firms will adjust their production level due to the cost incurred due to changes in the level of money supply. c. TRUE The rational expectation Phillips curve implies that the individuals in the economy have al the information regarding all those factors that affect inflation levels in the economy, in this form of expectations the cost of a lower rate of unemployment is a higher rate of inflation, under rational expectations the trade off between unemployment and inflation is much worse than fixed and adaptive expectations. For example if we start with an expected inflation

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Marketing case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing case study - Essay Example The report will also touch upon the company’s use of digital marketing and will discuss in detail the marketing mix of the company. 2.0 Environmental Factors: One of the most effective manners of discovering the environmental factors that impact a business is to run a PEST analysis for the company. The PEST analysis details four important external factors that impact a business (Jobber, 2009). These include the political, economical, social and technological factors (Kotler, Kotler on Marketing: How to Create, Win, and Dominate Markets , 1999). Analysing these factors provide a chance to gain a clear idea of the various external factors impacting the strategies and marketing of the business. 2.1 Burberry’s PEST In terms of the political factors, it is seen that Burberry is faced with issues in terms of the overall competition and also in terms of the various industry specific rules and regulations as well as the inter country attitudes and relationships. The competitive regulations that the company faces is also high. Considering the economical factors, it is clear that the company is a luxury brand for people across the world. With the high levels of recession being faced by economies across the world, it is clear that the company’s marketing attempts are also impacted. Firstly, the company’s products like a Burberry Prorsum cropped leather aviator jacket costs anywhere between GBP 800 to GBP 2000. It is evident that the company is more of luxury fashion. With the recession being faced in the current times, the company has clearly recorded a number of losses in various countries. This clearly has a major impact on the amount that the company can invest into the marketing efforts in the markets (Kotler P. , Keller, Koshy, & Jha, 2009). In terms of the social factors, it is evident that the prices have had a major impact on the overall spending of the customers on the designer clothing. It is clear that the company has made a major im pact on several people and the customer loyalty leads people to save money and sacrifice on holidays to buy the designer clothing. This clearly provides the company with a strong chance to spend on their marketing efforts to target these customers in particular (Jobber, 2009). Finally, the technological factors have had a major role in the overall success of the company’s marketing efforts. With the newer technology and better tools for marketing the company has been able to effectively utilise these tools and to target the markets more effectively. On the whole the company’s marketing is affected greatly by the economical, social and technological factors to a great extent. It is clear that the company clearly has a strong marketing strategy currently which takes into account all of these factors. 3.0 Market Segmentation: Market segmentation is a crucial part of all marketing strategies and to a great extent impacts the overall business to a great extent (Evans, Foxal l, & Jamal, 2009). Market segmentation allows the company to group customers into different groups with similar needs and also groups to determine how to serve each group (Jobber, 2009). Here the main aim is to identify the needs of the customers and to effectively

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Nursing Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Leadership and Management - Essay Example are most concerned about planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling their departments within set structures (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005, p. 81). Managers basically deal with ‘doing the right things’ while leaders deal with ‘doing things right.’ Nurse leaders must focus on theories of leadership as tools to reform the current staffing problems in many nursing facilities in the world. Theories of leadership that can be applied in nursing are behavioral theory, contingency theory, trait theory, and power and influence theories. Behavioral theory is concerned with what a good leader does rather than who he/she is. Nurse leaders who operate under this theory are inactive and passive, allowing their staff to determine their actions. Other leaders here can be democratic, giving equal voice to their staffs and accepting group decisions. Still under behavioral theory, nurse leaders can be autocratic, being the sole decision makers and adopting commands t o staffs rather than being open to suggestions (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005, p. 86). Shortage of nurses and dis-interest in this industry is attributed to the main reason that nurses do not feel appreciated or motivated enough in compensation and in recognition of their efforts. Nurse leaders and managers can begin to address this issue by creating work environments that are encouraging to their staffs. Leaders are central to motivation, and they should create environments that are open to interaction and understanding of nursing teams. Managers should, on the other hand, utilize management styles that are democratic and participative rather than autocratic or laissez-faire. Discouraged and demotivated nurses will respond better to suggestions and shared decision-making rather than to commands and one-person... This essay approves that changes in nursing practice are unending, and a shift is needed from the over-management of nursing staff to a leadership model that is adaptive and flexible. The nursing practice is heavily dependent on formal education programs from which staffing and new skills are derived. A best approach that will address personal and professional concerns of nurses in practice is the way forward in reducing staff shortages and turnover. Nursing that is led by a model ‘more leadership than management’ is the ultimate solution. This is the transformational model of leadership that is intent on creating nursing leaders and staffs who ‘work together’ and not ‘one for the other’ for better health care services. Future trends for the nursing practice in the twenty-first century indicate that the high shortage and turnover of nurses can only be permanently ended by a class of nurses who are multi-talented and supported to acquire new skil ls. Transformational leadership in nursing practice is the key to attracting such class of nurses and developing leaders who can effectively manage their resources for better output. This report makes a conclusion that the transformational leadership approach suits best my leadership style that is flexible to different situations. The situational-contingency theory of leadership maintains that no leadership style is the best one and that situation influences good leadership. It is certain that nursing will in the future be affected by changes in medical practice, policy, technology advancements, and alternative therapies among other changes. The extent of these effects or what they will be is not conclusively known; thus, no leadership approach can solely be the most suitable.

Electronic financial transactions over the Internet Essay

Electronic financial transactions over the Internet - Essay Example Technological innovation in terms of developing security software aided this process and so did the process of globalization. As a culmination of these parallel but complementary processes, e-commerce in general and electronic financial transactions in particular has firmly taken root in mainstream global economy. While this kind of progress in such a short span of time is an impressive achievement, there is much work to be done in terms of creating robust security systems for the Internet. This essay will look into the various types of security threats facing electronic financial transactions, the potential damage they could inflict, the remedial measures to counter these threats and the effectiveness of such measures. The architecture of the Internet is such that it is inherently difficult to ensure security. Alongside this, the concept of user anonymity makes the Internet â€Å"an attractive medium for extortion and crimes involving theft of personal information for illicit financial gain† (Misra Scherer et al, 2004). As per a report released by IDG News Service, many organized crime groups avail of the services offered by hackers to implement complex and sophisticated financial schemes to swindle money from unsuspecting participants. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, as much as $200 million was lost in the year 2006 alone. And each year this sum seems to increase, since financial institutions like banks and insurance companies are lucrative targets for cybercriminals. A FBI report released at the beginning of the new millennia has confirmed the nexus between computer hackers and organized crime groups. Many of these organized crime groups are said to operate from Eastern European countries that were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. In such cases, the hackers first crack the security systems in place and gain access to vital data. The organized

Friday, August 23, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 94

Discussion - Essay Example otivation theory however elaborates on the behavior of individuals who are exposed to health threat communication hence arousing fear in them (Orbell, Hagger, Brown & Tidy, 2006). The health belief model focuses on perceived barriers and benefits whereas the protection motivation model has its core values on response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy. The two theories share on vulnerability and severity (Ajzen, 2002). Self-efficacy theory is built on outcome expectancies which are perceived as either positive or negative depending on the performed behavior. On the other hand, the theory of planned behavior works under the assumption that most social relevant behaviors are volitionally controlled. Hence, an individual’s intent on performing a particular behavior is seen as the immediate determinant as well as the only and best predictor of the behavior (Hunter, Grunfield & Ramirez, 2003). The health belief model and the protection motivation theory share the same concepts on perceived vulnerability and severity. This level of overlapping is sometimes criticized since it causes defining of these models challenging (Orbell, Hagger, Brown & Tidy, 2006). Hunter, M. S., Grunfield, E. A., & Ramirez, A. J. (2003). Help-seeking intentions for breast cancer symptoms: A comparison of the selfregulation model and the theory of planned behavior. British Journal of Health Psychology, 8, 319–333. Orbell, S., Hagger, M., Brown, V., & Tidy, J. (2006). Comparing Two Theories of Health Behavior: A Prospective Study of Noncompletion of Treatment following Cervical Cancer Screening.Health Psychology, 25(5),

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Global Warming Affects Biodiversity Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Affects Biodiversity Essay There has always been a link between climate change and biodiversity. As the climate changes, the animals in the affected areas have to either adjust or leave. Although climate changes have been occurring throughout history, the rapid climate changes of today are resulting in species not being able to adapt quickly enough and undergoing species loss. Some species may adapt well to the climate changes such as an increase in bugs and pests, but others, such as Arctic animals are being forced away from their homes as the glaciers that they live on melt and break away. The Arctic and areas that are in higher latitudes have a higher rate of warming and this pattern is expected to continue as climates everywhere changes and temperatures go up. As Earth warms up, the glaciers in the Arctic start to melt, and species such as the polar bear and the arctic fox that depend on the sea ice, will start to disappear and only be available for viewing in places such as zoos. The polar bear and the arctic fox are not just the only species that will be affected. The fish, birds, marine mammals, and even the algae that grows on the undersides of the glaciers will be severely impacted as the ice melts and eventually disappears all together. The climate changes do strictly impact the Arctic, but the whole world. As ice melts in the Arctic, the temperature in seas and oceans change and the salt levels change which affects the reproduction of marine species. Once this happens, Alaskan fish will be a delicacy only available for the rich and special. Also once the all the sea ice melts, the water levels will rise and much of the land bordering oceans and seas will be covered and people will be forced to relocate and adjust, just like the Arctic animals. The change in ecosystems all over the world will result in loss of food sources, jobs, natural resources, and some natural pharmaceutical products. Rising temperatures will also affect the health of humans by exposing them to more forms of disease. Cold temperatures help regulate and control the spreading of many diseases. Diseases such as malaria are likely to spread because mosquitos will not die during the winter because temperatures are slightly lower than they are in summer. Parasites that originate from sub-tropical environments may migrate to more moderate biomes and reproduce and attack there.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Introduction The Noon Group Marketing Essay

Introduction The Noon Group Marketing Essay Noon Group of Companies is being managed by the Noon family. The group has qualified and experienced professionals. The Noon Group of Pakistan strives to improve its profitability and safeguard its stakeholders interest while maintaining highest quality standards and serving the community. The Noon Group of Companies has various business ventures and Noon Pakistan Limited is one such profitable venture of the Group. Apart from Noon Pakistan Limited a brief description of the other business ventures are as follows:- 1.Noon Sugar Mills Limited This venture was incorporated in 1964 and manufactures white sugar. Initial crushing capacity was 1500 MT of sugarcane which has been increased to 4000 MT over the passage of time. In 1986 an alcohol distillery was setup to manufacture industrial alcohol. The total number of people employed is 683 and currently efforts are underway to increase the crushing capacity to 8000 MT/day. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 2.Pioneer Cement Limited Pioneer Cement Limited was incorporated in 1985 with a total investment of Rs.2660 million and production capacity of 630000 tons per annum. The plant is situated in Chenki, Khushab. The project was financed by a consortium of foreign lenders led by the Asian Development Bank. Efforts are underway for another line having a capacity of 6000 MT/day. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 3.Noon International Private Limited Noon International (Pvt) Limited is a trading company which was established in 1972. The company employs 43 people including a team of 15 professional sales engineers. This firm represents various international companies of repute in Pakistan and markets their equipment in the fields of textile, power generation, sugar, fertilizer, chemical, steel, cement, food and milling. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 4.Textile Technics Private Limited Incorporated in 2004 with a total investment of Rs 100 million, Textile Technics is a joint venture between M/S Blue Reed of Spain and Noon International Private Limited. The project has a production capacity of 22000 meters of reed per annum. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 5.Textile Services Textile Services was established in 1994 and provides services to over 200 customers of Sulzer Textile Projectile Weaving Machines. The company employs 32 people and provides training, technical service and spare parts for clients. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED Incorporated in 1966 with a total investment of 553 million, Noon Pakistan Limited produces various products namely Butter, Cheese, UHT milk, HCLF, Pasteurized milk, Flavored milk, Juices, Water, Desi ghee, Honey and Jam. Installed capacity of the plant is 72000 Liters/2 shifts and there are 700 employees. Noon Pakistan Limited has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The plant is located in Bhalwal, Sargodha while the head office is situated in Lahore. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) The company has not only built a strong reputation over the past years but has also been able to offer a strong product portfolio to its consumers. Noon Pakistan Limited believes in optimum utilization of resources in order to secure the interests of major stakeholders and fulfilling its obligation as a responsible corporate citizen by serving the community. The company also utilizes rigorous quality control procedures at all stages to ensure supply of quality products to consumers. This has allowed the firm to increase its turnover from Rs 311.7 million in 2004 to Rs 2436.41 million in 2011. (Nurpur Foods-Company Profile) The year 2011 was a challenging year for Noon Pakistan Limited. Energy Crisis, security situation coupled with devastating floods had exerted significant pressure on the economy and cost of living. Higher inflationary trends continued impacting their key products particularly related to fresh milk when shortages led to a cost increase of 16% compared to last year. Additionally, higher growth of their products led to severe filling capacity constraints and the market demand could not be met fully. Despite all these challenges, the management made serious efforts to achieve performance objectives by effective product mix, controlling fixed costs and locating new cheaper sources of raw material. Economic trends, prolonged gas and electricity outages, severe competition in selling brands and procurement of raw milk are not expected to ease out during the coming months. Due to reduced buying power, trend in the market is changing fast as consumers are looking for cheaper products in small packages. Therefore the management at Noon Pakistan Limited has made plans to reassess the market requirements and also further improve their production efficiency. (Noon Pakistan Limited, 2011) VISION The vision statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Our vision at Nurpur is to be a transformative force in our community and world at large and to serve as a model of a sustainable business alternative that nurtures social and economic well being in an environmentally sensitive manner. (Nurpur Foods-Our vision) MISSION The mission statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Nurpur is committed to supplying the consumer and customer with the finest, high quality products and to be a leading industry in healthy and nutritious products. Nurpur supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies. (Nurpur Foods-Our mission) CORE VALUES At Noon Pakistan Limited, consumers are at the forefront of everything they do. The core values of the company are as follows:- 1. Ideas are constantly challenged to develop next generation solutions. 2. Business is conducted openly and fairly while competing fiercely at the same time. 3. Team work is encouraged with individual flair for the best results. 4. Tough goals are set and challenged and beaten. 5. Preservation of the environment is valued and organic agriculture is sustained. 6. Mutually supportive relationships are valued among members of local and global communities. (Nurpur Foods-Core values) AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS Noon Pakistan Limited has won many prestigious awards and certifications which are as follows:- 1. First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005. 2. Brand of the year award (2006-07) in the category of Butter. 3. Brand of the year award (2007-08) in category of Butter, Cheese and flavored milk. 4. Brand of the year award (2008-09) in the category of Butter. (Nurpur Foods-Company Profile) PRODUCTION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS PRODUCTION UNITS 2011 2010 2009 UHT Milk/Tea whitener Ltrs 30,940,079 20,385,290 16,246,333 UHT Flavored milk Ltrs 4,668,071 4,075,407 2,498,299 UHT Cream Ltrs 71,381 461,722 345,580 Butter Kgs 986,335 1,011,925 862,622 Milk powder Kgs 927,943 1,160,508 930,894 Cheese Kgs 203,146 206,508 194,020 Ghee Kgs 34,371 52,190 31,331 Pasteurized Milk Ltrs 4,911,778 2,663,294 1,806,733 Loose cream Ltrs 3,490 Jams and honey Kgs 34,032 42,812 23,735 Juices Ltrs 4,421,399 10,341,160 10,402,443 (Noon Pakistan Limited, 2011) THE PURCHASE DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to get insights about the operations of the Purchase Department, two interviews were held with the Purchase Manager of Noon Pakistan Limited. The purchase manager of Noon Pakistan Limited is Mr.Malik Ashraf who has been with the firm since its establishment. The operations of the department and interview findings are described as follows:- The purchase department is responsible for purchasing all materials required by the head office and plant other then milk which is purchased at the milk collection centre in Bhalwal. Materials which are purchased by the department range from ordinary items like office and plant stationary to complex materials like Flavors, Spare parts for plant equipment and transportation vehicles, Chemicals, Fuel and everything related to the manufacturing process, Logistics and day to day operations. Demand for requisition comes from the factory and approval has to be given by the Managing Director. The purchase department currently has 4-5 employees. The purchase department stays in coordination with the plant and suppliers through phone and email and as such no software is currently being used by the department. The department uses a manual system of keeping records and storing files. The purchase department always keeps 3 copies of requisitions and delievery challans. One copy is sent to the pl ant, one copy is maintained with the purchase department and one copy is kept by the Purchase Manager. The major suppliers of Noon Pakistan Limited are SMC, Sitara Chemicals , Jeson Foods and Danisco. Everyone is involved in the purchase process including the General Manager, Purchase Manager and people from the plant. Payments to suppliers are made either on cash or credit through the head office. Credit terms depend on contacts and relations with suppliers and can range from 15 days up to a month. (Ashraf) According to Mr. Malik, Noon Pakistan Limited believes in maintaining healthy relations with Suppliers and this is one of the key strengths of the department. The primary reason given for this was that Juices and Milk factories in Pakistan have no second option since suppliers are limited and few. They have to purchase materials from the specified suppliers and bargaining power of suppliers is high in this regard. However if relations are good with suppliers not only do suppliers cooperate but may also be lenient in terms of credit. In this regard price does not play a major issue but a greater issue is that of availability of materials from suppliers. Mr. Malik also stated that in case of materials needed from local suppliers, the purchase department is given no time and purchase has to be made immediately. However when imported materials are required from foreign suppliers, the Purchase department is informed in advance as shipping takes time. Mr. Malik also stated that there is no fixed pattern of purchases made throughout the year and it all depends on plant and market requirements. The quality of materials purchased is checked at the plant and if there are defects the merchandise is returned to the supplier. Mr. Malik also stated that there is no HR department as such and the performance of the purchase department is monitored from the plant and the Managing Director. (Ashraf) When the Purchase Department gets a requisition from the plant, the respective supplier is contacted and a van or truck of the firm goes to the supplier along with delievery Challan. The goods are then transported to the plant. One issue which is being faced by the purchase department is lack of coordination with the plant. Mr.Malik pointed out an instance in which the plant actually required Diesel but in the requisition form mentioned Furnace Oil. He mentioned some employees in the plant try to trap the purchase department to lower its performance but due to his vast experience of working with the firm and keeping a personal record of purchases, he immediately gets to know about such issues. Mr.Malik described having more informal relations with local suppliers but with foreign suppliers a formal relation is kept. This is the primary difference in dealing between local and foreign suppliers. He also mentioned that Government Policies and Regulatory Environment do have an impact on prices because if the government increases prices, suppliers also have to increase their price. (Ashraf) A typical deliver challan and requisition form is given on the following page. Original documents have also been attached in the Annexure. DELIVERY CHALLAN Noon Pakistan Limited 1st Floor, Mustafa Centre, 45 F, Main Market, Gulberg Lahore Pakistan No._______ Date:_________ To, Manager, Noon Pakistan Limited, Bhalwal The following goods have been dispatched to you by Truck No_____________ SR# Description Qty. Amount Supplier Remarks Kindly Sign and Return Duplicate ____________________ _________________ Malik Mohammed Ashraf Bhalwal Store (Noon Pakistan Limited) NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED, BHALWAL DEMAND OF STORE TO BE PURCHASED DEMAND NO______ DATE____________ SR# Item Code Nominclature Specification Name A/U Qty Required Stock in Hand Last Purchase Date Rate/Unit Amount Remarks ____________ _______________ Store Manager General Manager (Noon Pakistan Limited) THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to study the operations of the Marketing Department, two interviews were conducted with Mr.Rizwan Khan who is the Marketing Manager at Noon Pakistan Limited and has been with the firm for the past 5 years. The questions asked during the interviews have been attached in the annexure. Details of the Marketing Department are as follows:- Marketing research activities are outsourced. The Marketing Department purchases monthly reports by different marketing research agencies like AC Nielson and Tetra Pak. In this way the marketing department stays in touch with the latest trends and competitor activities. The Marketing department comprises of one marketing manager and a brand manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Marketing and Sales while activities of the brand manager are monitored by the marketing manager. The brand manager is responsible for dealing with various agencies as all marketing research data and ATL as well as BTL activities are outsourced. Some of the agencies with which the marketing department works are SABB Marketing, Time and Space, Orient, HRK Communications, Aura Communications, TOPAZ Communications and ADZ Communications. These agencies prepare designs of print ads and commercials. The brand manager discusses the various designs with the Marketing Manager and after makin g necessary amendments and recommendations gives the approval to Marketing agencies. (Khan) The Marketing Department does its planning in the beginning of the year in coordination with the Sales Department. A monthly, yearly and 5 year plan is made. The Marketing Department is consulted in all strategic decisions made at the corporate level. There is no fixed method for determining the budget allocated to the Marketing Department and it all depends on various factors like last years profitability and market performance of various brands available in the market. In 2012, three new brands by the name of Yogo Yogo, Dairy Rozana and Jalwa have been launched. (Khan) The Marketing Strategy of Noon Pakistan Limited is Differentiation strategy. However the strategy to be adopted for each brand depends on the market performance and competitor activities. Since UHT milk is difficult to differentiate, the current strategy being adopted is to position it as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The target market of UHT milk is Housewives and working females as well as males. Different SKUs are being used to target different Socio Economic Classes like the 1000ml pack is targeted for SEC-A while the 200ml and 250ml packs are targeted towards low income households. The main competitor brands of Nurpur Milk are Olpers, Milk Pak, Good Milk and Haleeb. The marketing department does not go for an offensive strategy because Nestle and Engro are huge giants with bundle of resources. Noon Pakistan Limited can be classified as an Analyzer. Another reason for not adopting an offensive strategy is that volumes are low. I mportance is not given to gain shelf space because there production volumes are so low that everything sells out due to high demand of UHT milk. Recently a new brand by the name of Dairy Rozana has been launched as a flanker brand to compete with the brand Dairy Omung of Engro. (Khan) The main weakness of the Marketing Department is that very little attention is being paid towards building brand equity. The department is focusing on increasing sales which is a short term approach rather than focusing on building their brands. The details about how the Marketing Department is managing the marketing mix of Nurpur milk is described in a later section. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT (Noon Pakistan Limited) The Brand Manager is responsible for dealing with various Marketing Agencies and reports to the Marketing Manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Sales and Marketing. (Khan) THE SALES DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to study the operations of the Sales Department, two interviews were conducted with Mr.Nauman Butt who is the Sales Analyst at Noon Pakistan Limited and has been with the firm for a year. The questions asked in the interview have been attached in the annexure. The organizational structure of the Sales Department comprises of the General Manager of Sales and Marketing, National Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Field Managers and Sales Officers. The job description of the Field Manager and Sales Officer is the same but position of Field Manager is superior because those Sales Officers whose performance is consistently outstanding are made Field Managers. Territories have been assigned according to location and comprises of Central Zone, Southern Punjab zone and Northern zone which includes RWL/AJK, Hazara belt and Pakhtoon.K belt. Distribution is limited in Quetta and Multan because of heavy freight expenses. The process of forecasting yearly sales is that last years closing sales are doubled and the amount is set as the Sales Target for the next year. Sales Quotas are assigned to Salesmen depending on the Area and potential. Other factors which are taken into account while assigning quotas are the seasonality issue because milk production and demand fluctuates throughout the year. There are more than 280 distributors all over the country and each Sales Officer has to monitor and look after 3-4 distributors. The Sales department also relies on individual projections from the Sales Team when deciding upon monthly and quarterly targets. If a salesman is unable to achieve his target in the specified time, he has to achieve both, the remaining target as well as the target allocated in the next period. If targets are continuously not being achieved the Salesman is fired. The salesmen who achieve targets are awarded with bonuses and cash rewards. In order to motivate the sales team, a sales competition is held and winner of Sales Man of the Year is rewarded. Besides having a Sales competition, vacation trips are also planned to motivate the Sales Team. If targets set in the year 2012 are met, the entire Sales Team will go on a vacation to Dubai on the companys expenses. Noon Pakistan Limited has als o started exporting its products to countries like England, Kenya and Afghanistan. The documentation process to export products involves the Performa Invoice, E-Form Attestation, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin and Analysis Report. (Butt) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF SALES DEPARTMENT Pakhtoon.K Belt SO Rawalpindi Field Manager Inst.S.Executive Sales Coordinator Southern Punjab Zone GM Sales/Mkt SO SO FM ASM RWL/AJK Hazara belt RWL/AJK belt RSM Multan SO SO SO SO SO SO Faisalabad SO Sargodha FM Gujrat FM SO ASM P.milk FM I.SIndh FM Karachi Inst.SO FM ASM Sales Analyst North Zone South Region Head Office NSM Central Zone (Noon Pakistan Limited) PRODUCT PORTFOLIO AND PRICE LIST Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 2.CHAI MIX Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 27 6.38% 533 19.74 567 21 200ml 24 5.97% 385 16.04 408 17 3.BUTTER KGs Units KGs Units 200gm 30 8.00% 463 92.6 500 100 100gm 60 12.70% 488 48.8 550 55 50gm 120 13.20% 530 26.5 600 30 20gm 300 13.20% 530 10.6 600 12 10gm 600 13.20% 530 5.3 600 6 1KG white 20 11.80% 8500 425 9500 475 4.CHEESE Ctns Units Ctns Units 200gm cottage 42 9.10% 6930 165 7560 180 200gm slice 36 16.10% 5580 155 6480 180 225gm chedder 40 14.90% 5920 148 6800 170 225gm spicy 40 14.90% 5920 148 6800 170 225gm mozarella 40 14.60% 6980 174.5 8000 200 450gm chedder 20 13.40% 6880 344 7800 390 450gm mozarella 20 13.60% 8800 440 10000 500 1.8Kg mozarella 4 13.10% 5128 1282 5800 1450 1Kg slice 8 13.60% 5072 634 5760 720 1Kg slice (KFC) 8 13.60% 5072 634 5760 720 2Kg Chedder 4 12.10% 3924 981 4400 1100 5.CREAM P/Tray Units P/Tray Units 250ml 27 4.20% 1200 44.44 1250 46.3 6.PASTEURIZED MILK P/Tray Litres P/Tray Liters 1000ml 10 11.70% 600 60 670 67 500ml 20 13.30% 600 30 680 34 7.FLAVORED MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 12 13.30% 233 19.42 264 22 200ml 12 12.10% 214 17.83 240 20 8.PURE JUICES Ctns Units Ctns Units Apple 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Guava 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Orange 1000ml 12 7.10% 840 70 900 75 Pineapple 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Mango 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Apple 200ml 24 11.80% 322 13.42 360 15 Orange 200ml 24 11.80% 322 13.42 360 15 Mango 200ml 24 15.40% 312 13 360 15 9.YOGO YOGO Ctns Units Ctns Units 200ml 12 8.70% 276 23 300 25 10.DESI GHEE Ctns Units Ctns Units 1Kg 6 7.50% 2232 372 2400 400 11.JAMS 1.5Kg Units 1.5Kg Units Strawberry 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Apple 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Marmalad 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Honey 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 12.DAIRY ROZANA 1.5Kg Units 1.5Kg Units 1000ml 12 6.12% 735 61.25 780 65 250ml 27 6.11% 458 16.96 486 18 13.JALWA Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 27 6.21% 483 17.89 513 19 200ml 24 5.88% 340 14.17 360 15 (Noon Pakistan Limited) MARKETING MIX OF NURPUR UHT MILK Nurpur UHT milk has been positioned as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The milk is packed in Tetra Aseptic Packaging which allows long lasting storage and shelf space. Currently three SKUs are available in the market which are 200ml, 250ml and 1000ml. (Khan) Initially the pricing policy adopted for Nurpur milk was market penetration pricing, which means prices were low compared to competing brands. Recently the pricing policy has been changed and now the pricing policy is competitive pricing policy as shown below:- Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 (Khan) (Noon Pakistan Limited) Due to low volumes produced the company has adopted the policy of selective distribution. The company offers various discounts to retailers to push their products into the market. The indirect distribution channel being used is shown below:- (Khan) Due to limited marketing budgets, the marketing department has to promote most of the products through Below The Line(BTL) activities. Outdoor advertising, hoardings, flyers, Trader Schemes, Taste and trial promotion activities, posters, streamers, buntings and wobblers are mostly used. Even though some commercials have been aired on television, lack of budgets restricts the marketing department from making use of Above The Line advertising effectively. (Khan) SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Market leadership in selected product categories Strong and Experienced Sales Team Strong Supplier relationship Brand Loyal Customers Strict adherence to Quality Standards First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005 WEAKNESSES Weak coordination among departments No emphasis on building brand equity No formal HR Department Centralized Decision Making No policy of recruiting fresh blood Selective Distribution OPPORTUNITIES Exporting products to foreign countries Increased demand for dairy products due to urbanization and increasing population Ensuring availability in untapped markets Launching innovative products for health conscious consumers Going for backward integration THREATS Reliance on few suppliers Rising prices of sugar Rising prices of oil increasing transportation expenses Energy and Power Crises

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Development of Independence From Colonialism

Development of Independence From Colonialism Ghana was the first country in black Africa to achieve independence, on March 6, 1957. It showed the way to the rest of Africa to free themselves from the colonization which was spread everywhere on the continent. Kwame Nkrumah was the one who inspired by India’s independence came out with the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and brought imperial Britain to leave the Gold Coast (Ghana before the independence) only thanks to political means. After this victory, Kwame Nkrumah became the symbol of a generation as the anti-colonialist struggle, recognized by the most as the first real African activist victorious over the colonialism. The independence of Gold Coast had a magnitude all over the continent and was at the basis of the many nationalist actions realized afterward. After the independence of Ghana : No one doubted about the bright economic future of Ghana as it is the first cocoa exporter worldwide and was producing big quantity of gold (about one tenth of the world’s production). Ghana was also full with crops, forests and even gemstones.Finally, many in Ghana were well-educated and a quarter of Ghana ’s population was literate. Besides, Nkruhmah was becoming more and more appreciated by people thanks to the inspiration he provided to them. He got the heavy responsibility of rebuilding again this country, to unit its habitants although they shared very few things in common and still, the colonization ended up recently. Indeed, in this year, many groups still remain hostiles toward each other from the hundreds of years of wars and of slave trade. Tensions were still present as Ghana was trying to change its face. The country wasn’t stable yet, the population could have been influenced by others therefore Nkrumah decided that all the political parties whether regional or tribal oriented were forbidden in order to prevent any internal problems caused by feelings of nationalism. 1958 was a dark year for Ghana which was no longer the world’s largest cocoa supplier. Unfortunately, the country was facing an economic downturn which created a social crisis. Nkrumah’s government lost its popularity toward the mass and the rural population. The government’s response makes the situation even worse: Indeed, Nkrumah became dictatorial and took many hard measures against the manifestations and to anyone who disliked his government. While, he said once: â€Å"If we get self-government, we will transform the Gold Coast ( Ghana ) into a paradise in 10 years†[1] Strikes were considered illegal and severely punished. He implemented of a law which without trial allowed to arrest anyone suspected being against the state for five years which turned to be ten years later on. All political parties were prohibited. As a result: Nkrumah declared himself president for life; Ghana as a one-party state and finally achieved to turn his country as hell on earth for Ghana ’s workers. In 1960, Nkrumah is designated president of republic. The president had high expectancy for Ghana and started many expensive and ambitious projects without unfortunately getting profit from them. As a matter of fact, Nkrumah wanted to use the resources of Ghana to promote the industry development and the economic growth for the country. Ghana had a lot of bauxite and that could assure a good rise of the sector especially thanks to the manufacture of aluminum, by exporting worldwide. However to start these projects, the need for electricity became a necessity. As a consequence, the process of industrialization began, leading to the Volta Dam project. The project was only half successful as many others Nkrumah had run but nobody could doubt the good intentions behind them. The agricultural sector remained unheeded whereas it represents the basis for a developing country and overall for Ghana as it disposes of a lot of natural resources. As a consequence, the economy started to turn bad and Ghana contracted a debt which was increasing highly. The positive mood in the recent past years which tend to stay confident in Ghana ’s development ended and provoked a big change in the political climate. Later on, in 1962, the economic situation evolved so badly that all foreign investors and industry were in the obligation by law to invest again more than 60 percent of their gains within Ghana . The president had no choice than to force his investors as he did with the population to continue providing money to its system that no one else believed in any more. As if the fall was endless, in 1964, one year after W.E.B died; (he was the first African American who graduated at Harvard and to earn a doctorate. He was also known as an activist against racism and the segregation. After the independence of Ghana , he was invited by Nkrumah to live in Ghana ); the president Nkrumah suspended the constitution and therefore the democracy. Ghana was finally officially recognized as a one-party state ruled by a dictator. Again, the West reacted after realizing to what situation Ghana fell after the Independence . Criticised by western societies, Nkrumah began to work with communist countries such as principally the Soviet Union . At that time, Ghana ’s economics’ crisis has reached its climax: The country is out of control and the people keep getting poorer. The dictator is totally unpopular because of its previous actions against his people. The economy is out of control and the population is getting poorer. Nkrumah is no longer a popular leader as he hits hard on demonstrations and arrests anyone in opposition. The first coup On the 24thof February, 1966: A military takeover occurred in Ghana, it didn’t make any big losses as it was planned to happen while Nkrumah was away from the country visiting his friend President Sà ©kou Tourà © in Guinea. The military coup was realized by British-trained officers who had the ambition to stop the hard rule of Nkrumah and his government. Therefore, while the president was away every of its statues in Accra were taken down by the people. The new military government called itself the National Liberation Council (NLC). They declared that their intention was to fight off corruption and to make some change in the constitution so that Ghana could come back one more time to a democratic system. Unofficially, Britain was intervening in Ghana because of the orientation the country was undertaking during the last years of Nkrumah’s dictatorship towards the communist countries. Indeed, it was the cold war, the world was divided in two and the tentatives to attra ct countries to one side or the other weren’t rare; overall in these underdeveloped countries. As a consequence, the NLC’s council tended to be rather more conservative than socialist and therefore, it kept under a strict control all politicians and ideologues whether they were either socialists or communists. All connections to the Soviet Union were broken and technicians from USSR and China were expelled in order to get rid of any influences that could lead Ghana to communism. Ghanawas having his chance another time, to the eyes of the West, Ghana was taking a new way, a proper one to democracy and self-sustainability. After three years of provisional leading: The NLC legalized another time the participation of multiples political parties. Finally, new elections were announced for September 1969 which marked the beginning of the second republic. A new civilian government is created by Dr. Kofi Busia and the Progress Party. His party got a good start as the national economy regained strength thanks to the high prices on the cocoa market. Very quickly, prices drop again, the economic situation of Ghana go from bad to worst in 1971. Indeed, a political decision has been made to devaluate the Cedi which led to higher prices and to demonstrations, conflicts with violence by the population. In 1972, Kwame Nkrumah dies, despite his political failure, African masses still see in him a brave activist, the symbol of the struggle anti-colonialist and as the founder of Ghana . On the 13thof January, 1972: Once again a coup occurred, realized by forces of the army, for a change of government. This time, The National Redemption Council decided to impose a leader for Ghana . So, they chose Colonel Ignatius Acheampong to rule the state. However, the head of the state doesn’t have enough experience in any domains whether they are political or economical. A lack of vision from Acheampong led to a rise of corruption from the basis to the top of the society and the government. As a consequence, big strikes are organised by the youth in the country to claim their disappointment toward the critical situation the country was conducted. One year later, the economy was almost falling to pieces and no agreement could have been found with NRC-government.Acheampong took the initiative to put an end to the government and implemented the Supreme Military Council (SMC) constituted of a little group of seven persons chose by himself. The SMC ruled the country in a very roughly way: Any opposing to the regime was victim of multiples persecutions and even jailing without any sentence. On the 5thof July, 1978, Acheampong was in the obligation to resign while the general William Akuffo was taking the command of the â€Å"Supreme Military Council II†. He engaged himself to reform a civilian government, to allow for another time the political parties in Ghana . Finally he declared that he would set a date for new elections. Later on, on the 4thof June in 1979, after a first failed coup in the same year, Jerry John Rawlings a flight Lieutenant planned a takeover some days before the planned election. He was finally victorious, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council achieved to take power. His ideas were principally inspired by socialism whether they are political or economical. His goal was to find an issue to corruption and the economical situation in which the country remained. Rawlings’ intention was to settle democratic elections but in a first time to stop the generals of the â€Å"Supreme Military Council II† from running away wealthy whereas they turned the country in chaos. Two weeks later, Dr. Hilla Limann leading the People’s National Party succeeded the election. As a result, the party got only 71 of the 140 seats in parliament making them a bit powerless to undertake decisions to free the country from the problems it faced until now. Rawlings understood that the PNP couldn’t rule properly Ghana as long as corruption, order and justice are not restored. In this sense, he strongly encouraged and helped the AFRC to put an end to all these problems before letting Ghana coming back to democracy. Finally, in the same year, thanks to the AFRC, all the persons linked to the SMC government and who were accused of corruption was tried. As a result: Hundreds of businessmen are sent to prison as well as government officials and the leader of this former government: Acheampong, Akuffo and Arifa were sentenced to death. The third republic In September 1979, the AFRC gives power to Hilla Limann. Rawlings and his soldiers came back to the army. Unfortunately, this news government didn’t help Ghana to solve its economical problems. During two years, the PNP have been trying but without any success: They haven’t been able to leave the country from the economic stagnation. Indeed, many economic reforms haven’t been applied or the government renounced to them in order to avoid a new takeover. Indeed, all economic changes proposed by the PNP’s government presented hard terms for Ghana ’s people but they were declared as necessary for the rise of the country. In 1980, the corruption came back and brought many violent conflicts in the country which put a definitive end to the PNP’s government. At the end of 1981, on the 31st of December. Rawlings took again the command of Ghana thanks to the military, he took over the country. He formed the Provisional National Defence Council of which he became the chairman. This time, Rawlings established that the country would be a one-party state for a temporary time, to make of Ghana a stable country and to ensure in the long-run a real democracy.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Moor in the Works of William Shakespeare Essay -- Biography Biogra

The Sources and Representations of the Moor in the Works of Shakespeare      Ã‚  Ã‚   One theme consistently reemployed throughout Shakespeare's plays is that of the Other. The Other is usually characterized as a character that is somehow separated, stigmatized, or noted as being different from the mainstream ideal. For the Elizabethan England of Shakespeare's time, it may have been a self-defensive maneuver against the encroachment of something which threatened too close to home (Bartels 450). Bryant lists several methods used to employ this convention of the Other: race such as that of Shylock and Aaron, nationality as in Iachimo, bastardy such as the characters Don John and Edmund, social status such as that belonging to Iago, and deformity, for example, Richard III (35). Not every Other is characterized as evil, but nonetheless depicted as being somehow different or separated from society. Characters such as Malvolio, Faulconbridge, Macbeth, and Othello are of this subdivision.       One sect of Otherness is that of race. During this time, England seems at first glance to be separated culturally from any area of the Ottoman Empire. However, this assumption proves to be false. There are four characters in Shakespeare's plays, Caliban, Othello, the Prince of Morocco, and Aaron, who are of distinctly African, or Moorish heritage. Whether these persons were of Negro, Berber, Spanish, or Arab descent is definitely in question. The use of the term Moor also is of importance. This word is used to describe Aaron and Othello, but not to describe Caliban or the Prince of Morocco, both who come from areas classically referred to as being Moorish. The origin of the word Moor comes from the word mauri. Mauri refers to the Berbers w... ...ntic Review. 55.4 (1990): 1-17. Bryant, J.A. Jr. "Aaron and the Pattern of Shakespeare's Villains." Renaissance Papers. (1984): 29-36. Burshatin, Israel. "The Moor in Text: Metaphor, Emblem, and Silence." Critical Inquiry. 12.1 (1985): 98-118. D'Amico, Jack. The Moor in English Renaissance Drama. Tampa: University of South Florida Press, 1991. Everett, Barbara. " 'Spanish' Othello: The Making of Shakespeare's Moor." Shakespeare Survey. 35 (1982): 101-112. Jones, Eldred. The Elizabethan Image of Africa. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1971. Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Kenneth Myrick. New York: Signet, 1965. ---. Othello. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Bantam Books, 1988. ---. The Tempest. Ed. Charles W. Eliot. New York: P.F. Collier & Sons, 1969. ---. Titus Andronicus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet, 1964.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Film Festival Start Ups :: Movies Films Film Festivals Essays

Film Festival Start ups Silicon Valley fairly bursts with life and energy. Everywhere you look new companies, ideas and innovations are on the move and on the rise. Welcome to the land of start ups; small companies with a dream who survive and thrive by skill, luck and sheer tenacity. While the term usually describes high tech concepts, start-ups abound in the Valley - from the small catering company on the comer to the neighborhood printing shop down the street to the local film festival. Yes, that's right - film festival. The Local Scene "Film festival" usually conjures images of stretch limos, glittering starts and rabid paparazzi. Think Cannes or Sundance and you think big budgets, big egos and big-time Hollywood take over. Even smaller, more local festivals have the same overtones. Take the San Francisco International Film Festival. Champion of such "outsider" interests as gay rights, and American Indians long before those concepts became acceptable, SFIFF has mellowed with maturity. Called the "gray lady of local fests" by Dennis Harvey in Variety (June 30, 1997), the SFIFF continues to support international diversity, but with more of a prestigious, elitist atmosphere. The air, apparently, has become more rarified in San Francisco. The second largest film festival in the Bay Area, the Mill Valley Festival has a much more relaxed atmosphere. But, even within this atmosphere, some of the need for mainstream acceptance and money tends to bleed through. Start-ups seem to have two destinies - wonderful success or complete failure, with little middle ground. Other film festivals have ventured into the Silicon Valley before. Most of them had wonderful prospects - at the beginning. The Santa Cruz Festival, the San Jose Film Festival and the Monterey Film Festival, all showed great promise, and none made it to a third year. The Santa Cruz Festival ran from 1982 to 1985, and died of erratic handling. Part of the Santa Cruz charm is its dedication causes, its fierce independence and the feel that comes together with one word - Burkenstocks. Unfortunately, the wild, eccentric and fairly unorganized tendency that adds charm to the city killed the film festival. With wildly erratic programming that could confuse even dedicated fans and the death of festival found Les Goldman in 1986, the Santa Cruz Festival passed into the night. In 1984 San Jose made its stab at a festival. The Cinema of the Fantastic focused on science-fiction and fantasy in the beginning.

The Issue of Gun Control Legislation Essay -- Gun Control Weapons Laws

The Issue of Gun Control Legislation One of the most controversial issues in our society is gun control legislation. Violence associated with guns is increasing every year and something must be done to stop it. Gun legislation varies in every state. In some states gun policy is stricter than in other states. Gun legislation should be abolished in favor of federal gun legislation. To analyze the problem with gun violence today you must understand the gun laws that are in effect. The gun legislation in the United States are mostly based on a state level. One federal law for example, prohibits the manufacture of all plastic guns. The federal government tightly restricts fully automatic guns. Manufactures stamp serial numbers on guns for law purposes. The government also has regulation on importation on guns brought into the country. Also, most states restrict the purchasing of long guns under the age of 18, and 21 for the purchase of handguns Most states prohibit the purchase of guns if you are: a convicted felon, alcoholic, drug addict, mentally ill person, alien, or a fugitive from justice. Some laws required prospective gun buyers, to get a purchase permit, which comes with applicant passing all background checks. A few states even require that all persons possessing guns must have a license to do so, even in their homes. Some states don’t ban guns from addicts. This is a problem. Gun conciliation is not the same in each state. If it was same, it would have been easier to decrease the criminal acts. Guns are a form of power. Many individuals, ‘including criminals’ feel powerful when carrying a gun. Half of the households in the United States possess a gun. Criminals use guns for satisfaction. For example, to obtain sexual gratification in a rape or money in a robbery, or more frequently, to frighten and dominate victims in some other assault. All of these things can be gained without an attack, and indeed the possession of a gun can serve as a substitute for attack, rather than its vehicle (Kleck,1991). A sample was done by police in 50 major cities to see who is more common to use a gun (Kleck,1991). The data included that gun use in homicides is more common when (1) the victim is male rather than female, (2) the victim is male and the attacker is female, (3) ... ...le will have question like â€Å"how will I protect my self from criminals? Many people argue that guns in households scare away many criminals. Criminals take major risks when they attempt an armed attack. They also can achieve major benefits. The benefits consist of the potential economic or other gains, however conceived, from the contemplated crime; the costs include the possibility of being caught and imprisoned, of being shot at in the course of the crime, either by the police or by the victim. The likelihood of social disapproval could be a negative factor. It has been known that one half of every household has at least one gun. If you restrict a victim’s options by limiting household guns, crime could rise highly. This new policy on gun control should help lead our nation in the right direction. The massacre at the Empire State Building was an example of how our gun legislation must be changed. The new federal gun legislation will provide equality among all states. Criminals will not have the option of buying a gun in a state with weak gun legislation. This new policy on gun legislation will cut down on violence dramatically.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Is Elizabeth Bennet the ‘perfect heroine’? Essay

Jane Austen wrote in a letter that she found Elizabeth Bennet to be ‘as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print’. Is Elizabeth the ‘perfect heroine’? Look at her character and its development throughout the novel to account for her appeal. Elizabeth is the second of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s five daughters. She is her father’s â€Å"favorite child† because she has ‘something more of quickness than her sisters’. Despite this, in her mother’s eyes ‘she is not a bit better than the others†¦She is not half so handsome as Jane, nor so good humored as Lydia’. As the book is written mainly from Elizabeth’s point of view, we know little of her physical appearance. Darcy’s admiration of her fine eyes is a constant source of teasing for Caroline Bingley. â€Å"I am afraid†¦ that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes†. We are also told that ‘she was a reputed beauty’ in Hertfordshire and that Colonel Fitzwilliam admires Mrs. Collins’ ‘pretty young friend’. At the start of the book, Lizzy is described as having a ‘lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous’. She admits to finding diversion in ‘follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies’. Towards the end of the novel, she believes that: â€Å"by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened† Her refusal to forgive Mr. Darcy after he has snubbed her at the ball shows her to be proud; â€Å"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.† She is determined; â€Å"†. . Lizzy always speaks her mind, illustrating her ability to think for herself; â€Å"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at you knowing any.† It this mixture of frankness, belief in her own opinions and playfulness; â€Å"Elizabeth’s spirits soon rising to playfulness again† that makes her such a real person and an independent young woman. She also knows how to use sarcasm; â€Å"Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley, and takes a prodigious deal of care of him.† Lizzy is very perceptive, having ‘quickness of observation’. When Darcy and Wickham first meet in Meryton, she notices ‘the countenance of both as they looked at each other’. This quickness also leads her to see through the attentions of the Bingley sisters; † they were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable when they chose it, but proud and conceited† Lizzy’s perceptiveness at the start of the book has a great bearing on the end because it sometimes leads her to judge too quickly and jump to conclusions. Her opinion of Wickham was ill founded and derived from this tendency; â€Å"His countenance, voice, and manner, had established him at once in the possession of every virtue.† Elizabeth’s opinion of Wickham was also influenced by her prejudice against Mr. Darcy. When Wickham fails to attend the ball at Netherfield, Elizabeth immediately attributes this to â€Å"his being purposely omitted for Mr. Darcy’s pleasure in the Bingley’s invitation†. On hearing a different reason for his absence, and at a suggestion from Denny; â€Å"It assured her that Darcy was not less answerable than if her first surmise had been just†. It isn’t until this ball scene that we see the full extent of Lizzy’s prejudice against Darcy. She declares that â€Å"Attention, forbearence, patience with Darcy was injury to Wickham†. In a conversation with Charlotte Lucas, Lizzy exclaims; â€Å"To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!† This quote is very significant as it shows that no matter what Darcy did, Lizzy would be prejudiced against him. Evidently Lizzy’s prejudice has overcome her common sense. This is a highly uncommon characteristic for an author to bestow on her heroine, for it shows very clearly that this is a real girl and by no means a model young lady as most heroines are. While dancing with Darcy at Netherfield, Lizzy ventures to say; â€Å"It is particularly incumbent on those who never change their opinion, to be sure of judging properly at first† This later proves to be ironic, as it is she, not Darcy who had jumped to conclusions therefore, proving that she had judged incorrectly at first. Once Elizabeth has an opinion of a person, it takes a lot to change it. She only achieves this after receiving the letter from Darcy. Despite her faults, Lizzy is not afraid to admit them and own that she was wrong; â€Å"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd.† As well as being able to admit her mistakes, Lizzy has great honesty of mind. She has great self-belief but doesn’t try and delude herself; â€Å"The justice of the charge struck her too forcibly for denial†. As well as being honest with her self, she is honest with other people; â€Å"You know enough of my frankness to believe me capable of that† Throughout most of the book, Lizzy is prejudiced. This is where the ‘prejudice’ in the title stems from; â€Å"with a strong prejudice against anything he might say† And â€Å"to find a man agreeable, who one is determined to hate†. It is not until she reads Darcy’s letter that Lizzy realises her error. She blames her prejudice on the fact that she was ‘offended by the neglect of the other’ (meaning Darcy). It is clear by the end of the book, that she has learnt her lesson and will think before forming opinions about people in the future; â€Å"We have both reason to think my opinions not entirely unalterable†. Elizabeth has a reality about her, which is strong enough to make you believe that this person could have actually lived. She is not perfect and makes the same mistakes that anyone could, but learns from them at the same time. I think it is this and that she is such a model for the feminists of today that makes her such a charmingly different romantic heroine. It is that she is so unlike the majority of romantic heroines that must be held accountable for her appeal. It is the fact that she isn’t a perfect person, she is only the second prettiest in the Bennet family, which makes her so different from many of the stereotypical heroines, who are calm, passive, quiet, peaceful and vulnerable. She has survived time and, although set in the early eighteenth century, she gives you the feeling that as a person, Elizabeth Bennet would be just as at home in the year 2000. She is full of energy, witty, confident and independently minded, making her an ideal for modern femininity. â€Å"we have both reason to think my opinions not entirely unalterably†. â€Å"that I had not been so weak and vain and nonsensical as I knew I had!†. This again illustrates her hypocrisy as she had teased Mr. Darcy at the start of the book for having ‘vanity and pride’; here she admitted that she herself had been vain This quote also illustrates her devotion to ‘a most beloved sister’, Jane

Friday, August 16, 2019

Quantification of Proteins in Solution by Spectrophotometer Essay

Introduction: Absorption spectroscopy is a common method for finding the concentration of proteins or protein complexes in a solution. Proteins absorb light at specific wavelengths and can be defined by the equation A = log (Io/I). This equation states that an absorbance at a specific wavelength, A is equal to the log of the ratio of incident light intensity (Io), to transmitted light intensity (I). A spectrophotometer can be used quantitatively and qualitatively. A spectrophotometer is used qualitatively to obtain an absorption spectrum, which can be obtained by plotting the absorbance values, over the range of wavelengths tested for the solution. This helps to find out the suitable wavelength that the compound absorbs maximum. And the spectrophotometer is used quantitatively by using the Beer-Lambert Law; Log [ Io/I] = A = ÃŽ ¾cl, where ÃŽ ¾ is the molar extinction coefficient (unit = Lmol-1cm-1), helps to define the absorbance of the protein, c is the concentration of the substance (mol liter-1), and l is the path length of the light (unit = cm) through the medium. Log [Io/I] is called optical density or absorbance of the substance, and does not have units. Also, an absorption spectrum is created, which deals with absorption and wavelength (nm) of light used, with which â€Å"maximum absorption† is observed. Maximum absorption is when most of the solution particles are absorbed, and this happens at a specific wavelength. Since the Beer Lambert law is useful only for a range of wavelengths, it is not applicable to all protein solutions. In this experiment, an absolute standard was calculated using BSA, so that the concentrations of the other unknown protein solutions can be determined (Lambert et.al, 2011).The different assays used for this protein quantification were Lowry, Bradford (Coomassie Blue) and UV direct. Protein assays help to determine the amount of desired particle present (Srivastava, 2008). The aim of this lab is to understand the various aspects of spectrophotometry and its applications in biochemistry, such as quanitification of protein solutions. Methods: (Carleton University, 2012) The steps were followed without any changes made. Results: Figure1. Absorption spectrum of 6Ãâ€"10-5M p-np solution in 0.02M NaOH, for wavelength range between 330-800nm using a Novaspec spectrophotometer. Sample Calculation: c = 6Ãâ€"10-5M l = 1cm A = 1.166 The Beer Lambert equation is A = Æ cl Rearranged, Æ  = A/cl Æ  = 1.166/(6Ãâ€"10-5)*1 Æ  = 1.94Ãâ€"104 L mol-1 cm-1 Table1. Values of extinction coefficient (Lmol-1cm-1) determined using Beer-Lambert Law. Figure2. Absolute standard curve obtained for BSA test protein solution with the 3 different assays tested (Lowry, Coomassie Blue, UV). Table 2. Absorbance values recorded for different protein dilutions (2X, 5X, 10X) for the three assays used, namely Lowry, Coomassie Blue and UV direct. Sample Calculation for BSA stock protein: * Lowry Equation of line from Fig2; y = -5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.44 = 2.20 Substituting in equation; 2.20 = 5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 X1 = 1600  µg/ml = 1.6mg/ml For 10 fold; y = 10 * 0.23 = 2.30 Substituting in equation; 2.30 = 5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 X2 = 1600  µg/ml = 1.6mg/ml (X1 + x2)/2 = 1.6mg/ml * Coomassie Blue Equation of line from fig2; y = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.36 = 1.80 Substituting in equation; 1.80 = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 X1 = 1428.57  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml For 10 fold; y = 10 * 0.20 = 2.00 Substituting in equation; 2.00 = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 X2 = 1428.57  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml (x1+ x2)/2 = 1.4mg/ml * UV direct Equation of line from fig 2; y = 0.0006x + 0.0175 For 2 fold; y = 2 * 0.42 = 0.84 Substituting in equation; 0.84 = 0.0006x + 0.0175 X1 = 1374.16  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.15 = 0.75 Substituting in equation; 0.75 = 0.0006x + 0.0175 X2 = 1179.16  µg/ml = 1.2mg/ml (x1 + x2)/2 = 1.3mg/ml Discussion: Figure 1 shows the absorption spectrum of stock solution (6Ãâ€"10-5M), p-nitrophenol and 0.02M NaOH, and from the graph it can be inferred that 400nm is the wavelength of maximum absorption because absorption is noted to be the highest at this point. Absorbance is noted to increase when wavelength increases till it reaches the point of maximum absorption, after which it decreases till it nearly reaches zero. It is best to consider wavelength of maximum absorption because stronger the intensity, the more accurate will be the readings for absorbance. As seen from table 1, the path lengths remain the same as the cuvettes used were of the same size. The Beer-Lambert Law states that Abs = Æ .c.l, where Æ  = molar extinction coefficient, c = concentration of protein solution, and l = path length of light through medium. Thus, it is noted that absorbance and path length share a directly proportional relationship, i.e. if path length increases, absorbance increases as well. It was clear ly observed in the wide and narrow test-tubes, that as the path length was doubled, the absorbance value doubled too (Srivastava, 2008). Also, from the same equation, it can be determined that absorbance and concentration share a directly proportional relationship meaning that as the concentration decreases, it directly affects the absorbance value obtained, and this value decreases too. Thus, as seen for the four cuvettes tested (in Table 1) as the concentration is halved in every cuvette, the absorbance value is halved correspondingly as well. It is known that the Beer-Lambert law says absorbance is proportional to number of absorbing molecules, and that this is valid for a variety of compounds over a wide range of concentrations. But even as the molar extinction coefficient is seen to be attributed to wavelength, it is true only for monochromatic light (Lambert et.al, 2011). The relationship can be stated as â€Å"Æ  is a measure of the amount of light absorbed per unit concentration†. Molar extinction coefficient is a constant for a particular substance, therefore according to the Beer-Lambert Law it is expected that if the concentration of the solution is halved so is the absorbance. A compound with a high molar extinction is very effective at absorbing light (of the appropriate wavelength), and hence low concentrations of a compound with a high molar extinction can be easily detected. In the values determined (Table 1), the experimental values are in accordance with the theoretical statement except for one cuvette. The cuvette no.3 with Æ  = 1.8Ãâ€"10-4 L mol-1cm-1 does not agree with the trend. Thus it can be deduced that due to experimental error, the Æ  value is inaccurate. Also, from the equation it is understood that Æ  and path-length are inversely proportional as well (i.e. Æ  = Abs/cl) that means that as path-length increases, Æ  decreases, assuming that the concentration is kept constant. But the experimental values do not agree with this statement, because it is seen that as the path-length increases so does the molar extinction coefficient, Æ . Biochemical methods are applied for to determine protein concentration in solutions. Many techniques are less used because they have limitations such as reduced sensitivity, time available for the assay, or they are highly specific about the amino acids in the protein solution being tested. But for e very protein, the component amino acids are different, so there is no single assay that can be used for quantification of all proteins. The absorbance assays use the method of testing the intensity of the color produced by the protein solutions when chemical reagents are added to it. A â€Å"standard protein† whose concentration is known, is treated using the same chemical reagents and thus an absolute standard curve is obtained (Boyer, 2000). In this experiment, the standard used was Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). Development of color is significantly better in BSA than any other protein, and this makes it one of the most preferred test solutions for quantification of proteins (Antharavally et.al, 2008). Hence figure 2 is obtained by performing the three suitable assays on BSA to produce a standard curve, also it can be noted that only the UV direct gave a straight line passing through zero, whereas the Lowry and Coomassie Blue gave curved lines, passing through zero. Table 2 shows the absorbance values recorded, for different dilutions of the test protein in three different assays. With the help of the values obtained in Table 2, and with the equations obtained from Figure 2, the concentration of protein (mg/ml) was calculated and presented in Table 3. Since all the values in Table 3 were deduced from the equation of standard curve BSA, it is considered as the absolute standard, and the other test protein solutions are known as the relative standards. Using the values from Table 3, taking BSA as the absolute standard, the almost actual concentration of the protein (mg/ml) can be concluded, and they are 1.6 (mg/ml) for Lowry assay, 1.4 (mg/ml) for Coomassie Blue and 1.3 (mg/ml) for UV direct. For Lowry assay, the concentration value for all test proteins was 1.6 mg/ml, which must mean that the value obtained is accurate. For Coomassie blue, BSA and Hemoglobin were the same (1.4mg/ml), Ovalbumin and Lysozyme had similar values of 1.9mg/ml, and 1.8mg/ml respectively, whereas Gamma globulin showed 2.5mg/ml. The value for Gamma globulin is off because of experimental error, of spilling some of the contents from the cuvette while transferring it to the spectrophotometer for calibration. For UV direct, BSA and Ovalbumin have similar readings (1.3mg/ml and 1.5mg/ml respectively), Gamma globulin is 2.5mg/ml, but Lysozyme is 5.9mg/ml and Hemoglobin is 3.8mg/ml. The reason for this could be due to the fact that UV direct helps to identify the presence of aromatic compounds indicating that Lysozyme and Hemoglobin contain aromatic compounds present in them. The Lowry protein assay is the most common and one of the more sensitive, but it is time consuming, on the other hand Coomassie blue (the Bradford assay) is much more sensitive as compared to Lowry, and requires less time too. They both show change of color with proteins. As for UV direct method, it is one of the faster methods too, and it is helpful to identify aromatic compounds because aromatic residues absorb 280nm light (Boyer, 2000). The Lowry procedure can detect protein levels as low as 5 µg (Boyer, 2000). It depends on the color development by the reagent Folin-Ciocalteu. Peptide bonds are formed under alkaline Cu2+ conditions and reduced from Folin-Ciocalteu phosphomolybdate-phosphotungsten by aromatic amino acids (tyrosine and tryptophan) to heteropolymolybdenum blue. The standard curve obtained with BSA helps to determine concentration of unknown protein solutions (Antharapally et.al, 2008). In the case of Coomassie blue, it is more efficient than Lowry because even though there is variation with different proteins, there is very less interference by non protein components (Borley, 2000). Therefore, according to literature, Coomassie Blue is the most preferred protein assay but this contrasts the experimental inferences, because through experimental procedure it was seen that Lowry method gave the most accurate and precise results. With this experiment, the method to quantify unknown protein concentrations has been understood. Also, that this process must be performed carefully to avoid irrational experimental errors. References: Antharavally B.S, Bell P.A, Haney P, Mallia K.A, Rangaraj P. 2008. Quantitation of proteins using a dye–metal-based colorimetric protein assay. Analytical Biochemistry. 385; 342-245. Boyer R, 2000. Modern Experimental Biochemistry, third edition. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc. USA. (41-45). Lambert J.B, Gronert S, Lightner D.A, Shurvell H.F, 2011. Organic Structural Spectroscopy, second edition. Pearson Education, Inc, New Jersey. (401, 404) Srivastava M.L, 2008. Bioanalytical Techniques. Alpha Science International, Ltd. Oxford, UK. (58,118)

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Frei Otto Munich Stadium

MUNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM//FREI OTTO//1972 gizem akgun/ nuria juanbaro sarret/kanaka raghavan _ADDA 2012-2013 GERMAN PAVILION// MONTREAL//1967//cable nets TUWAIQ PALACE//SAUDI ARABIA//1970// cable nets OLYMPIC STADIUM//MUNICH//1972// cable nets ORKS MULTIHALLE MANNHIEM //GERMANY//1975// grid shells JAPAN PAVILION EXPO 2000//HANOVER GERMANY//2000//grid shell German architect and research engineer 1957 // Development Center for Lightweight Construc on in Berlin. 1964// Ins tute for Lightweight Structures in Stu gart.Exhibited a special gi for crea ng lightweight tent structures Computer-based procedure for determining their shape and behaviour Alterna ve system of grid shell structures HE ARCHITECT /FREI OTTO HE LIGHTWEIGHT PRINCIPLE/tensile Tensile roofs/ every part of the structure is loaded in tension with no requirement to resist compression Cable nets/ grid of structural cables in tension forming the framework supports a weather shield. An clas c Surfaces/ tension forces are in equil ibrium, the centres of curvature are in opposite side of the membrane Synclas c Surfaces/ the centres of curvature are on the same side of the membrane n clas c curve hyper paraboloid hyper paraboloid/ minimum 4 pts with alteast 1 pt out of plane Less material and e? ort Remarkably large spans Combined tensile structure and biological research Only a few members,are under compression while all others, for instance, cables and membranes, are under tension For tension and rigidity, an clas c or saddle-like curvatures HE LIGHTWEIGHT PRINCIPLE UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /details SITE// Originally the se ng of a 1930’s air? eld,former training ground for the Bavarian Royal Army and the site of Munich’s ? rst civil airport. Ground had been used as a dump yard for ruined buildings’ rubble. 00m tall broadcast tower, s ll present today, a major landmark of the site. PROGRAM// 80,000 seats Smaller enclosed sports hall Swimming hall Warm-up arena Enclosed workout facility Housi ng for 3000 people UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /1972 Gunter Behnisch proposed light and open structures con nuous ? uid tent roo? ng resembling natural hills Frei O o’s Montreal Pavilion was the guiding piece The original system came from model studies where ladies stockings were used to simulate the tent’s surfaces al proposal CRITICAL STUDIES// Mast heights gave ghter curvature near the masts and leave the unsa sfactory ? t perimeter areas unimproved Increasing the pre-stress to ? at areas would provide the necessary stability, but only at impossibly high levels of tensioning UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM/ini Winner of the compe on for 1972 olympic park by GUNTER BEHNISCH ERMAN PAVILLION,MONTREAL/1967 Real masterpiece of lightweight architecture,Frei O l/Behnisch Ini al mode o UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /comparisons UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /inspira Dragon? y wings are one three-thousandth of a millimeter thick Up to 1,000 sec ons Compartmental structure, wings do not tear, withstand the pressure that forms during ? ght. Driving principle for design of roof on 7 saddle-shape cable nets Square meshes that form rhomboids to assume an clas c curvature UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /revised roof Subdivide roof into a patchwork of separate but coupled smaller canopies Support at many points and mostly curved to suitably ght radii. Nets do not extend to the tops of medium height masts, instead hung from very tall masts Masts placed outside the roof or suspended above ground on cables keeping the areas below column-free Roo? ng for the main sports facili esUNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /experiments 1:125 scale models exactly proportional both in geometry and in elasticity to the envisaged full sized structures UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /structure Interior cables Peripheral cables Cable joints Steel masts Concrete underground founda on Acrylic panel cover UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /cables Interior cables//11. 7 mm mesh, 19 heavily galvanised 2. 3- and 3. 3mm steel wires A lay length of 10 x the la y diameter Main cables//? ve strands of 37 and 109 wires each Edge cables//vary in speci? a on, typical example ,lockedsurface wire rope of 81 millimetres diameter Twin cables with concentric joints assume square meshes forming rhomboids forming an clas c curves UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /joints Cables arranged in pairs 75Ãâ€"75 cm mesh,reduced number of joints Clamps+screw,one bolt per joint,easy construc on 75 cm mesh Saddle connec ons Swaged clamp connec on Erec on/The cable nets completely assembled on ground, li ed to ? nal posi ons. Prestressing/suspension cables were put in posi on, geometry and stresses cables and masts checked Connec on to anchor UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /mastsTension founda ons / anchor the main cables down to earth Inclined slot founda ons (tent pegs ),gravity anchor founda ons (anchoring from self weight),earth anchor founda ons (support the masts) Temporary steel balls provided under the rubber pads to allow rota on during assembly Cylindrical masts welded st eel tubes up to 80 metres long and with a 50mN (5000 ton) load capacity. Transparent roof covering/ 2. 9 x 2. 9-metre acrylic panels , 4mm thk Bolted to the intersec on nodes and angles of intersec on change every 6 degrees Temperature moulding, panels on neoprene pedestals, allowing them to ‘? at’, and sealing the joints with con nuous neoprene pro? le clamped to the panel edges Discon nuous joints allowing movement UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /cover UNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM /conclusions Form ? nding experiments/solu ons for large spans simultaneously gave birth to the science of compu ng . Final form depends on – shape of grid,spacing,pa ern -the geometry of the suppor ng structure – the pretension applied to the cable net and its suppor ng structure Advantages/E? cient way of using material Lightweight Large spans Quick construc on