Gross Domestic Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gross Domestic Product - Essay Example The results and data concerning the growth of GDP come along with major influences on decisions made by both private and public policy makers and economists. GDP is based on survey and approximations of data collected over specified a duration (Ang et al. 2006). Quarterly and annual GDP approximates are extrapolated from economic survey and census data recorded from economic sectors like manufacture shipments, housing rates, and retail sales. GDP is a measure of the flow of services and goods produced within the economy market; these are products and services traded for cash. Although some non-market products are included in the data used to compute the GDP, numerous vital bits of data undergo omission from the census data used to compute GDP. Some of the vital information data include countries expenses in bettering healthcare, expenses of combating rising crime and emergency housing due to unforeseen occurrences among others. Such omissions weaken the reliability of GDP as an indic ator of progress (Islam & Clarke 2002). Information and expectations about the growth of gross development product come along with great influence notably echoed by numerous influential and interest groups. Developing countries tend to lay too much trust in the results of GDP as a reflector of their economic and social well fare (Kubiszewski et al. 2013). Since 1960, scores of scholars have expressed negative sentiments on the use of interpretations computed from the calculation of GDP as a proxy for social wellbeing. Since the creation of GDP, respectable economists have stressed that GDP is a measure of the activity of the economy and not the economy’s wellbeing. Scholars have further cautioned against the equation of GDP with social well-being and economic growth.  

Dressed All in Pink Essay Example for Free

Dressed All in Pink Essay Literary Ballad A literary ballad is a poem written by a specific author. These ballads are not set to music. An example of a literary ballad would be Dudley Randalls ballad Dressed All In Pink Dressed All In Pink by Dudley Randall It was a wet and cloudy day when the prince took his last ride. The prince rode with the gonernor, and his princess rode beside. And would you like to ride inside for shelter from the rain? No Ill ride outside, where I can wave and speak to my friends again. They ride among the cheering crowds, he young prince and his mate. The governor says, See how they smile and cheer you where they wait. The prince rides with the governor, his princess rides beside, dressed all in pink as delicate as roses of a bride. Pink as a rose the princess rides, but bullets from a gun turn that pink to as deep a red as red, red blood can run, for she bends to where the prince lies still and cradles his shattered head, and there that pink so delicate is stained a deep, deep red. the princess rides beside, and her dress of pink so delicate deep, deep red is dyed. Jackie Kennedy is the princess -iambic tetrameter -rhyming scheme: abcb -the dress symbolizes the country itself falling from grace -colour imagery of pink as roses and red as blood -princess is described in colour -dyed at the end has a double meaning -dress is said to be as pink as roses but roses are also a deep shade of red, but the dress is not referred to a rose when it is covered in blood -Pink is the colour of innocence and it turning red is significant in dis playing the loss of innocence

SABMillers Strategic position

SABMillers Strategic position Identify SABMillers Strategic position: In order to Identify the companys position; it is important to carry out its Business external analysis; it is also essential to identify its core competences and capabilities as well as stakeholder expectations in order to successfully identify the companys strategic position. SABMillers External Analysis: In order to asses SABMillers external analysis; I have constructed a PESTEL analysis (appendix 1); Porters 5 forces (appendix 2); THE BCG matrix (appendix 3) and its competition Analysis (appendix 4). After conducting Porters five forces of the Brewing Industry; I have found many interesting outcomes relating to SABMiller as the overall markets of the brewing industry arent clearly attractive; its performance depends on the ability to expand its market share and exploit opportunities in the emerging markets. However, the brewing industry in growing markets, which SABMiller operates, is highly attractive but not for new entrants; its especially attractive for the dominant players in the Industry; which in this case SABMiller is one of them. After analysing my Porters 5 forces; it is conclusive that it would be extremely hard for new entrants to compete in these emerging markets due to the high dominance of the main competitors. I have also observed other good points such as the low level of power within suppliers; however the power of suppliers is increasing especially in USA due to the rising costs of energy and Aluminium but in under developed countries; it is conclusive that SABMiller has the overall power of its suppliers; as its an international brewer; finding suppliers wouldnt be a major issue. Its Conclusive that the power of Buyers is very high; due to the end consumer having a growing number of choices from other brewers as there are no switching costs; the end consumer can choose any drink to have so its up to the brewing companies to emphasise its targeted customers to drink its products. It is also conclusive that the power of substitutes is low but it is significantly growing. Due to the modern consciousness of healthy living; low calorie beers and non alcoholic beverages are increasing in volume; this doesnt affect SABMiller as much compared to other brewers as the company it self produces alternative products to beer such as the low calorie versions; SABMiller has also recently entered wine and soft drinks market in Africa as Im predicting more of this similar strategic activity will occur in other markets. From the PESTEL; Porters 5 forces and the Competition Analysis; I am concluding that SABMiller operates in developing as well as matured markets. These markets include very challenging aspects which in the past has limited the threat of new entrants. These markets include very tough competition; as rivalry in the Brewing Industry is increasingly high. These markets tend to have a fragmented brewing industry and it is essential to have extensive capital and knowledge to setup a brewing enterprise. In developed and more matured markets the industry is consolidated and dominated by a few, larger players. As such, these large companies, like SABMiller tend to own multiple brands with different market positions. In this market, it is much easier for competitors to launch rival products that compete directly on price and thus eroding market share. After analysing the companys competition; SABMiller has and still is experiencing this problem; For example in North America; especially recently where InBev has bought Anheuser-Busch; this has helped the dominant Brewer to enlarge a further space between themselves and SABMiller; which has affected the companys market share future plans deeply. SABMiller now has to come up with new innovative ideas to try and close the gap between them and A-B InBev. The American Industry is the largest brewing market by value as rivalry is now more intense than ever; meaning more competitors are entering into a price war with SABMiller. This has become a huge threat for SABMiller; but it does also hold opportunities to weaken this threat down. For example the company has the opportunity to acquire more stakes in the Brazilian Market; or become the owner of China resources which is the largest brewer in China. Both these markets I have mentioned are matured yet and still hold many growing estimates. After conducting a stakeholder analysis; I have come up with simple assessments that SABMiller had to make some strategic choices to please its key players. SABs acquisition of Miller was largely due to the pressure from the London Stock Exchange. It is felt that SAB was at risk due to its over reliance of soft currencies in certain market. This resulted in a poor performance in the London Stock Exchange in the year of 2000. Even though their core competences were elsewhere, SAB went on with the takeover to please the stakeholders. Media and analysts have come out with unfavourable reports on SABMiller. These particular stakeholders needed to be pleased. From my BCG Matrix; its conclusive that its Western European operations are a dog and SABMiller should ideally get out of the market as further investment will end up little positive results. But this wont be possible due to the investors expectations of a market presence in Western Europe. Internal Analysis: SABMillers Core Competences: Core Competences are the skills and abilities by which Resources are deployed through an Organisations activities and processes such as to achieve competitive advantage in ways that others cannot imitate or obtain. (J.S.W. 8th Edition; p852: Glossary) From the very beginning, SABMiller had developed unique competences in analysing its business environment; meaning that the company expertises in analysing a market that is aiming to operate in. SABMillers activities are heavily influenced by the political, social and legislative environmental factors within which it operates; meaning this has made the company proactive when dealing with macro factors. SABMillers South African culture has shaped the strategic development of the company. It is this culture, which makes their distinct capability of entering emerging markets less imitable. As highlighted in the case study, SABMillers strategy represents a synthesis of learning based on the historical developments of the company (J.S.W. 8th Edition; Case Study: SABMiller; McQuade, 2006). Mapping out the early days in South Africa, SABMillers strategy was flexible and responsive to the market. SABMiller acquired local brewing businesses to enable them to grow and overcome certain business restrictions through acquisition. SABMiller also expanded their portfolio to include wine, matches and the Sun City casino resort. When the political regime and the regulatory environment lifted, SABMiller developed three mega-breweries in South Africa. By being at ease in these types of challenging environments it enables SABMiller to aggressively grow and capture market share when arguably other firms would be paralysed by fear. Instead, SABMiller are able to scan their external environment and turn threats into opportunities. In doing so, providing a distinct set of capabilities, which is very difficult to imitate. The tough African roots have given SABMiller the confidence and self belief to come up with solutions during tough conditions in developing markets. The company is also very experienced in dealing with very sensitive governments and local communities. These efforts also show that they are very flexible. SAB used its expert management skills learnt from Africa, to turnaround Millers fortunes. Traditional SAB system of employee performance rating was used in Miller. These efforts earned them the name turnaround specialists. The parenting style of SABMiller adds value to the breweries. In the new markets they retain the brand, but transforming the business by adding quality and consistency to the beer. They develop the marketing, distribution productivity and capacity of the business. SABMiller is highly experienced in acquisitions and takeovers. This competency gave them the confidence to take risks and takeover high profile targets like Grupo Empresarial Bavaria. As in the case of Miller, SABMiller added further value in to the company by bringing its own operating practices and management skills. After conducting the companys analysis; it is conclusive that SABMiller has shown outstanding flexibility from its very origin. Its decisions during the apartheid period show a core competency in developing strategic choices and environmental scanning. The emergence of competitors in its prime markets is a case of concern. In future, SABMiller will have to face tough competition from its rivals; a glimpse was seen in the USA market. The key to SABMillers success will be its strategic brand management and its brand portfolio. SABMillers generic strategy and core competences The BCG Matrix mainly relates to the markets which SABMiller is currently operating in. These tools all relate to the brewing Industry; as its the industry which relates and particularly affects SABMiller. The chosen sequence for the analysis not only provides an insight into SABs environment, but also facilitates assessing opportunities for the future, as most investors see a need for SAB to enter the developed market.

William Blake :: English Literature

William Blake William Blake was born in London, where he spent most of his life. His father was a successful London hosier and attracted by the doctrines of Emmanuel Swedenborg. Blake was first educated at home, chiefly by his mother. His parents encouraged him to collect prints of the Italian masters, and in 1767 sent him to Henry Pars' drawing school. From his early years, he experienced visions of angels and ghostly monks, he saw and conversed with the angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, and various historical figures. At the age of 14 Blake was apprenticed for seven years to the engraver James Basire. Gothic art and architecture influenced him deeply. After studies at the Royal Academy School, Blake started to produce watercolors and engrave illustrations for magazines. In 1783 he married Catherine Boucher, the daughter of a market gardener. Blake taught her to draw and paint and she assisted him devoutly. In 1774 Blake opened with his wife and younger brother Robert a print shop at 27 Broad Street, but the venture failed after the death of Robert in 1787. Blake's important cultural and social contacts included Henry Fuseli, Reverend A.S. Mathew and his wife, John Flaxman (1755-1826), a sculptor and draftsman, Tom Paine, William Godwin, and Mrs Elizabeth Montagu (1720-1800), married to the wealthy grandson of the earl of Sandwich. His early poems Blake wrote at the age of 12. However, being early apprenticed to a manual occupation, journalistic-social career was not open to him. His first book of poems, POETICAL SKETCHES, appeared in 1783 and was followed by SONGS OF INNOCENCE (1789), and SONGS OF EXPERIENCE (1794). His most famous poem, 'The Tyger', was part of his Songs of Experience. He approved of free love, and sympathized with the actions of the French revolutionaries but the Reign of Terror sickened him. In 1790 Blake engraved THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL, a book of paradoxical aphorisms and his principal prose work. Radically he sided with the Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost and attacked the conventional religious views in a series of aphorisms. But the poet's life in the realms of images did not please his wife who once remarked: "I have very little of Mr. Blake's company. He is always in Paradise." Some of Blake's contemporaries called him a harmless lunatic. The Blakes moved south of the Thames to Lambeth in 1790. During this time Blake began to work on his 'prophetic books', where he expressed his lifelong concern with the struggle of the soul to free its natural energies from reason and organized religion. Although Blake first accepted Swedenborg's ideas, he eventually rejected him. He wrote THE VISIONS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ALBION (1793), AMERICA: A PROPHESY (1793), William Blake :: English Literature William Blake William Blake was born in London, where he spent most of his life. His father was a successful London hosier and attracted by the doctrines of Emmanuel Swedenborg. Blake was first educated at home, chiefly by his mother. His parents encouraged him to collect prints of the Italian masters, and in 1767 sent him to Henry Pars' drawing school. From his early years, he experienced visions of angels and ghostly monks, he saw and conversed with the angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, and various historical figures. At the age of 14 Blake was apprenticed for seven years to the engraver James Basire. Gothic art and architecture influenced him deeply. After studies at the Royal Academy School, Blake started to produce watercolors and engrave illustrations for magazines. In 1783 he married Catherine Boucher, the daughter of a market gardener. Blake taught her to draw and paint and she assisted him devoutly. In 1774 Blake opened with his wife and younger brother Robert a print shop at 27 Broad Street, but the venture failed after the death of Robert in 1787. Blake's important cultural and social contacts included Henry Fuseli, Reverend A.S. Mathew and his wife, John Flaxman (1755-1826), a sculptor and draftsman, Tom Paine, William Godwin, and Mrs Elizabeth Montagu (1720-1800), married to the wealthy grandson of the earl of Sandwich. His early poems Blake wrote at the age of 12. However, being early apprenticed to a manual occupation, journalistic-social career was not open to him. His first book of poems, POETICAL SKETCHES, appeared in 1783 and was followed by SONGS OF INNOCENCE (1789), and SONGS OF EXPERIENCE (1794). His most famous poem, 'The Tyger', was part of his Songs of Experience. He approved of free love, and sympathized with the actions of the French revolutionaries but the Reign of Terror sickened him. In 1790 Blake engraved THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL, a book of paradoxical aphorisms and his principal prose work. Radically he sided with the Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost and attacked the conventional religious views in a series of aphorisms. But the poet's life in the realms of images did not please his wife who once remarked: "I have very little of Mr. Blake's company. He is always in Paradise." Some of Blake's contemporaries called him a harmless lunatic. The Blakes moved south of the Thames to Lambeth in 1790. During this time Blake began to work on his 'prophetic books', where he expressed his lifelong concern with the struggle of the soul to free its natural energies from reason and organized religion. Although Blake first accepted Swedenborg's ideas, he eventually rejected him. He wrote THE VISIONS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ALBION (1793), AMERICA: A PROPHESY (1793),

Communication Style Case Study Essay

Communication style is the method used to deliver our messages to others. Its outcome is affected by the style chosen by the individual to relay our message. The different styles are passive, assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive. Throughout my experience in healthcare, I have either witness or taken part in different situations that used different styles of communication. There are three specific personal scenarios that come to mind when I think about the different styles of communication. First Personal Scenario During a nursing school hospital rotation I was assigned to follow a registered nurse and witness communication between the nurse and client. The nurse entered the clients room and without a courteous greeting such as good morning or a simple hello stated, â€Å"Mrs. Jones here is your medication.† The client responded, â€Å"I do not want it. All you do all day is give me too much medication.† The nurse replied with a firm tone of voice and eye rolling, â€Å"You have to take it. How do you expect to get better if you do not take your medicine?† Both the nurse and client used aggressive communication. The nurse could prevent the conflict with the client had she initiated an assertive style of communication. To improve the communication the nurse should respond assertively with a moderate voice pitch, a relaxed body stance, acknowledge the clients feelings, and encourage the client to address her concerns (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Also the nurse should explain why the client is being given the medication to help the client understand the reason. According to Hansten and Jackson (2009), to make communication clear we must explain why we need to take such actions. In this scenario the outcome using an aggressive style will lead to failure to achieve a client focused therapeutic relationship. Instead the client feels that they  cannot trust the nurse and respond aggressively. Trust is an essential component to a therapeutic relationship (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Had the nurse approached the client with a simple greeting followed by the name of medication and the reason for taking it, perhaps the client would have been more willing to be compliant with the recommended care. Second Personal Sce nario Recently I witness a situation where a nursing assistant was sitting at the nursing station and the nurse was walking by holding medications and a water cup in her hand. The nurse asked the nursing assistant, â€Å"The call light is on in room five and I need to give another client his medications. Would you please see what the client needs.† The nursing assistant crosses her arms and replies, â€Å"I am tired of these lazy nurses. I always have to do everything.† The nurse rolled her eyes and replied, â€Å"Just do your job and do what I asked.† In this situation the nursing assistant responded aggressively. The nurse first used the assertive style then replied using the aggressive style. Instead the nurse should have been consistent with an assertive response. For example she could of replied without rolling her eyes, using a medium voice pitch, abstain from insults, and acknowledge the other persons feelings (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). The other person is more likely to listen if they are not feeling insulted and preventing the conflict from escalating (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). Also, conflict should be addressed and not ignored to resolve it (Arford, 2005). In this situation the poor communication caused a lack of trust and took the focus away from the clients care. This in turn can cause retaliation among peers and jeopardize quality client care. Both conflicting parties are forgetting that their goal is to provide quality client focus care and collaboration is essential to deliver it. Collaboration helps accomplish better outcomes than one person alone (Arford, 2005). Third Personal Scenario I had a personal situation where the doctor ordered for a twenty-four hour urine collection. The procedure involves collecting the urine immediately after the client voids and transferring it to a special container kept on ice, to preserve the urine. I informed my nursing assistant, â€Å"I started a twenty-four hour urine collection in room 5. Can you please make sure to  check frequently for urine in the bedside commode and place it in the collection container.† The nursing assistance replied, â€Å"Ok. I will.† The next time I went into the clients room I noticed the ice where the container is kept had melted. I then replaced the ice and told my nursing assistant, â€Å"I noticed the ice had melted in room five. Please check on the ice levels hourly.† She replied, â€Å"Ok. I will.† It seemed as if every time I checked on the ice levels they had melted. I found myself frustrated and ended replacing the ice myself to get the job done correctly. I reali ze now that my communication with my assistant was non-assertive. My assistant was passive in her response. I failed to assess my assistant’s level of understanding of the procedure and instead I lost trust and became frustrated. Communication should be clear, complete and explain why we need a task done a certain way (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). If I would of taken the extra time to explain the reason why we keep specimens on ice perhaps my assistant would of taken the time to do the task. In return I would have been able to attend to others duties had I been able to trust my assistant. Instead my message was incomplete and my reaction demonstrated a lack of trust toward my assistant. References Arford, P. H. (2005, March/April). Nurse-physician communication: An organizational accountability. Nursing Economics, 23(2), 72-77. Retrieved on March 16, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/2369346accountid=458 Arnold, E., & Boggs, K. U. (2011). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders. Hansten, R. I., & Jackson, M. (2009). Clinical delegation skills: A handbook for professional practice (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Nixons Impeachment essays

Nixon's Impeachment essays The president shall be removed from office for, and on conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Was Nixon responsible for committing any of these impeachable crimes? Yes, He knew himself that he was going to be impeached, so he decided to resign. He was responsible for theft, treason and other high crimes. On June 17, 1972, burglary was committed by five men who were caught in the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate apartment and office complex in Washington, D.C. Their arrest uncovered a White House-sponsored plan of spying against political opponents and a trail of involvement led many officials but it also led to President Nixon himself. And since White House was being taped and all the conversations were being recorded, Nixon was asked to turn over the tape. He refused at first but later after the Supreme Court voting 8-0 he was forced to turn them over. On August 5, 1974, three tapes revealed that Nixon had, on June 23, 1972, ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stop investigating the Watergate break-in. The tapes also showed that Nixon himself had helped to direct the cover-up of the administration's involvement in the affair. Involvement in Investigators also discovered that the Nixon administration had asked for large sums of money in illegal campaign contributions, which was used to finance political spying and to pay more than $500,000 to the Watergate burglars. Nixon systematically lied about his involvement in the break-in and cover-up. And he abused his powers and failed to honor his committees subpoenas. . Southern Democrats and Republicans leaning toward impeachment composed language that could command wide support. The votes were 27-11, 28-10, and 21-17. In the first two votes, 6 and 7 Republicans joined all 21 Democrats to form majorities. On August 5 Nixon released a transcript revealing his role in the cover-up. After i...

Honecker and the Belated Reforms

Honecker and the Belated Reforms Introduction The formation and collapse of the German Democratic Republic is a significant chapter in the history of Western Europe and the world at large. Germany was the principal aggressor in World Wars I and II, and its unification and reintegration formed part of the major activities in the wars. The integration of West and East Germany signified the end of the Cold War. During the Cold War, Germany was split into different zones so as to weaken its powers that came by virtue of unity (Childs, 90). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Honecker and the Belated Reforms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The developments during the Cold War era were marked by several events and different actors. The activities and policies of Honecker and Gorbachev have been argued to have had a significant contribution to the fall of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Some people argue that the policies of Honecker had much significa nce to the collapse of the GDR. On the other hand, other people cite the policies of Gorbachev as the chief contributors (Thomas, 382). Thus, this essay will focus on the fall of the GDR during the Cold War period. It will discuss the contribution of Honecker, as well as those of Mikhail Gorbachev in the collapse of the GDR. The paper will establish the main forces between the policies of the two leaders and identify the force with significant contribution to the GDR collapse (Opp, Voss and Gern, 29). Scope of the essay The essay will concentrate on the main factors that led to the collapse of the GDR. The main questions that will be explored in the essay include: was the downfall of the GDR a foreseen gesture or did it come as a surprise? The other question is: which events led to the collapse of the GDR? The last question is: whose policies and activities are resulted in the collapse of the GDR? The Berlin wall and its significance to the GDR The Berlin wall was built as a preven tative measure to the conflicts that were prevailing in Europe at that time. It subdivided Germany into two countries: East German and West German. Each of these countries pursued policies basing on different philosophies. East Germany pursued the socialist philosophy. The East Germany was influenced and supported by the Soviet Union in establishing a socialist government. On the other hand, Western powers supported West Germany in establishing a democratic government. This happened immediately after the end of the Second World War. These two Germany states denoted the opposing ideologies that marked the beginning of the Cold War. These opposing ideologies were capitalism and communism. West Germany was able to attain development achievements that were attributed to capitalism as a political ideology. People of East Germany regarded their counterparts from West Germany as considerably free and developed (Kitchen and Kitchen, 352).Advertising Looking for essay on history? L et's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Honecker administration and the collapse of the Berlin wall The Berlin wall was constructed in 1961 to bar people of Eastern German from escaping to West Germany. The regime of Honecker continued to commit itself to socialism, which was the soviet style of administration. The part under the Honecker’s administration continued with the execution of tough measures against those perceived to be â€Å"rebels†. East Germany continued to face tough economic times characterized by the economic structures that were growing weaker day by day. The central government became incapacitated and could not discharge its duties efficiently. This was eminent in the year 1977 when the country faced what is referred to as the â€Å"Coffee Crisis†. This, together with a couple of many other political problems, culminated into a revolt or opposition to the government by the citizenry (Baker, 24 ). Leading Events to the collapse of GDR In the late 1980s, there were growing problems in the economy coupled by flaws and a weakening Soviet system. These factors were hindrances to the government of the Soviet Union in respect to spreading its tentacles to the neighbouring countries. In the year 1986, the then leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev devised two crucial reform movements. One of them was referred to as â€Å"Glasnost† meaning openness. The other one was known as â€Å"Perestroika†. The first multiparty election was held in the year 1989. Gorbachev urged East European countries that were practicing communism to embrace the reform movements he had established. The Eastern European countries were called upon by Gorbachev to raise the standards of their economies through interactions. The call for change by Gorbachev was opposed by hard-lined communists in Eastern Europe (Fleron, Hoffmann and Laird, 649). The developments in Eastern Europe had larg e impacts on the economy of East Germany. These events culminated into a financial crisis in the country. This forced the government of East Germany to squeeze finances out of the population. This was done through the imposition of rationing and other austerity measures to the citizens. The citizens were angered by these measurers that were considered to be exploitative. They launched demonstrations across the country calling for reforms. The citizens called for the election of a democratic government that would guarantee them the freedom. These demands were ignored by Honecker who was the leader of the government of East Germany. The government of East Germany continued to be insensitive to the citizens’ demands. Moreover, the government increased its hostility towards the populace. The pressure continued to pile up on the government. The government was forced to heed to the mounting pressure on 9th of November, 1989. The refugees were allowed to exit East Germany via the crossing points that were on the Berlin wall. This resulted in the collapse of the wall (Plock, 87).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Honecker and the Belated Reforms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gorbachev’s Influence Prior to the 1980s, the foreign policy of the Soviet Union was informed by the fear it had over Germany. The country feared that an independent Germany would dominate it. This is what informed the policies of leaders who came to power in the Soviet Union before Mikhail Gorbachev. The leaders stuck to the traditional concept that was held by Moscow. Gorbachev proposed changes that were aimed at untangling the country from the traditional concept of governance that was held by all his predecessors. The proposals for change made by Gorbachev resulted to the change of the political climate within the East Bloc. The reform-minded communists were receptive to the changes and reforms that were prop osed by Gorbachev in the change policies which he had crafted (Kitson, 8-10). The proposed changes were also critical as they aided in unnerving the rigid communists who strongly believed in Moscow’s philosophy. The adoption of â€Å"Sinatra Doctrine† was among the supportive activities to the change policies of Gorbachev. Sinatra is an attitude of no interference to the internal affairs of the satellite states of Russia. The new reforms by Gorbachev reduced the interference of Russia in East Germany. The citizens of East Germany began to get a room to pressure the government for reforms. Therefore, the signs for political changes were in the offing. If Gorbachev had chosen to go as per the former leaders of the Soviet Union, a room for political changes in East Germany would not have been easily created. Russia would have continued to strengthen its policies and monitoring of the satellite states (Hyde-Price, 145). Gorbachev allowed satellite states to pursue their o wn paths of socialism. In fact, he pushed for this against the will of the hard-liner socialists. He ended up declaring that the satellite states were free to disintegrate and pursue their own matters. This was a significant blow to the staunchest communists such as Egon Honecker who was the then leader of East Germany. It became clear to such leaders that change was imminent in the Soviet Union bloc. The declaration accelerated the infiltration of news from West to East Germany. The East Germans got information about the wellbeing of the people in West Germany. Therefore, most of them were motivated to mount pressure by making spirited attempts to cross over the Berlin wall to join their counterparts in West Germany. The events taking place in Russia were tracked by television stations in West Germany. These events were leaked to the East Germans through the guards who were manning the Berlin wall. A bigger percentage of the population in West Germany managed to track the develop ments taking place in the Soviet Union (Gert-Joachim, 35).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, most people see the actions and policies of Gorbachev as the main motivating factors towards the demise of East Germany. However, the true motives, intensions and implications of the policies of Gorbachev are still subject to debate. A number of scholars have tried to link the policies of Gorbachev to the actions that the Soviet undertook to disintegrate from the political ideology that marked the Cold War. They try to justify that the policy was not related to the participation of Russia in the politics of Western Europe and the world at large. The collapse of East Germany could have come as a result of the indirect effects of the policies that were proposed by Gorbachev. Others argue that the policies of Gorbachev just came at the right time for the political situation in East Germany. Germany had an awful rigid eco-political atmosphere that required an invigorating factor to spark efforts or demand for change. However, it was not expected that the actions of Gorbache v could spark such a strong mass movement leading to the collapse of the Berlin wall. The collapse of the Berlin wall marked the end of a split Germany. This led to the unification of the two states to form a united Germany (Engel, 71-76). Mikhail Gorbachev – was he a real contributor to the collapse of the Germany Democratic Republic The collapse of the GDR is often termed as an unanticipated event in the history of Western Europe. It generated a lot of questions, one of them being the reason as to why the republic was formed in the first place. This question is what could lead to the understanding of the basis on which the republic existed and forces behind its collapse. It is presumed by some historians that the collapse of the GDR was an extraordinarily massive event that could not be likened to actions of a single person. For one to establish the main reasons for the collapse of East Germany with certainty, he or she must be critical in assessing the events that happened before the collapse. Of course, the issue of Gorbachev’s participation or role in the event cannot be ignored. The collapse of East Germany marked the collapse of the communistic rule in East Germany. It was also a leading force behind the collapse of communism in the entire Europe. It was a pointer to the ending of communism (Nuechterlein, 215-220). One must also assess the genesis of the internal wrangles in the GRD that were boosted by other external factors leading to the massive action and the collapse of the GDR. The problems in the GDR emanated from economic forces and governance, which were putting a lot of burden on the citizens of the republic. External developments like the political developments in the USSR only impacted on the forces or wrangles that prevailed within East Germany (White, Batt and Lewis, 29). However, how could the events taking place in the USSR fail to be of significance to Eastern Germany? This is the question that many people ask by arguing that political developments in the Soviet Union would have a direct effect on the existence of the GDR. This is because the USSR was the main architect in the establishment of the GDR. Therefore, any political developments in the Soviet Union would impact on the GDR. It is unrealistic for any person to try to dismiss the fact that the ascendance of Gorbachev to power signified a change of political events in East Germany. The most significant contribution of Gorbachev to the collapse of East Germany came from the policies he invented. The policies were associated with revolutionary forces. Glasnost and Perestroika policies released these forces to the political climate of Eastern Europe. These philosophies negated most of the principles of communism that had been held up by USSR and her satellites states. The internal order that had been established through the practice of communism in East Germany was shaken due to the pressures that resulted from the policies of Gorbachev. Glasn ost encouraged people to think over issues, and this resulted to the desire for change. These aspects acted as triggering factors for a political discourse in the GDR (Gedmin, 56-60). The citizens of the GDR had gotten used to obeying the Soviet in an unequivocal manner. Therefore, with the change brought about by the Gorbachev policies, the citizens began demanding similar changes in East Germany. They wanted reforms that would lead them to freedom. The Soviet Union conducted its first ever election on 26th of March the year 1989. It was evident that the satellite states were going to follow similar steps. The political reforms of Gorbachev in the Soviet Union resulted to the doubt by the East Germany citizens. They doubted the level of commitment of the Soviet Union to guaranteeing the existence of the GDR. Thus, the USSR became a source of hope for the people of East Germany where Mikhail Gorbachev becoming their icon of change (Glaessner, 136). The presence of Gorbachev led to t he decline of support for Honecker who was the leader of East Germany. The decline of support for the East Germany leader weakened his regime. Protest had been earlier witnessed in the Eastern European. However, the collapse of the GDR can be strongly linked to the position and policies of Gorbachev that transformed the whole of Eastern Europe. The policies of Gorbachev brought about the reform spirit. However, this was devoid of many other external events that were taking place in Eastern Europe. The external events included opposition movements, which failed in fostering the real spirit of change among the citizenry (Glaessner, 140). Counter argument to Gorbachev Contribution In the same breadth, some people argue that the spirit of change in Gorbachev policies was extrapolated as it was not the main intention of Gorbachev. It is argued that Gorbachev aimed at healing communism, as opposed to eliminating communism as was interpreted by many people. There were many problems that were facing the communistic regime of the Soviet Union. Therefore, Gorbachev was seeking to devise solutions through the formulation of policies that would help in improving the communistic administration. These changes led to the opening up of the communist societies. However, reformers did not get satisfaction thereby pushing for a further course that resulted in the collapse of the GDR. At this level, it was not easy to continue thriving in communism, and if so, it meant that the only option could have been the use of coercion. Gorbachev could not resort to this as it could have watered down all the reforms that had been achieved through his change policies (Lisiak, 57). The economic policies of the Soviet Union also led to the collapse of East Germany. The Soviet Union had a weak economy at that point in time. The weak economy could not support the maintenance of its satellite states and the Cold War. There were serious cutbacks in the substantial expenditures such as military and defence, which were critical in maintaining the political power. The expenditure in the leading departments had become unsustainable. This left Gorbachev with no other option, but the need to reduce the financial burden. This is what informed the change policies. This was followed by the collapse of communism and the activation of the â€Å"Sinatra Doctrine†. This called for the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from controlling Eastern Europe. This is how the GRD lost its military might. Political support became deficient, and the government would no longer hold up control of citizens. From these developments, Gorbachev found himself in a tight situation that pushed him to do what he did. He did not develop policies with the aim of creating a strong base of reforms that would free the GDR. Indeed, the GDR had been enjoying the support of the Soviet Union, and this had killed the possibility of opposition (Manghani, 138 –141). There was strong support from the gover nment. However, Gorbachev made a decision of moving away from supporting East Germany. This paved way to the flourishing of economic and legitimacy problems. Therefore, opposition rose beyond the level at which it could be contained by the government of East Germany. The Soviet leaders further made pronouncements of totally pulling out their support. This facilitated the collapse of the satellite states. Therefore, the massive opposition received a boost from the actions of Gorbachev (Gorbachev, 250). Other political Developments and their significance to the reunification of Germany As the influence of Gorbachev on the collapse of the GDR is analysed, it is necessary to look into the relative importance of the external factors. These factors are deemed to have integrated with the influence of Gorbachev to compound problems to East Germany. Such factors include the improvement of the relations between the two sections of German with the Western powers. The west played a part in th e collapse of East Germany. There were allegations of spread of propaganda by allies from Western Europe. Also, the development of Western Europe was an enticing factor to the movement in the East Germany. The West provided credit to the East, and this ended up worsening the economic situation in the East. The West helped in improving relations between the GDR and GFR. There was a reduction in the hostility that characterized the relations among the two republics. This paved way for the two parts of Germany to reunite. However, the West did not apply a lot of pressure on the East as some political analysts argue (Ruth, 1-10). The issue of reunification of Germany was well documented in the political priorities of West Germany. Therefore, it was just a matter of time before the East could be fully compelled to join the West. The culminating events in Europe also pointed to the fact that the Cold War was approaching an end. This would not have happened with a division still existing between Germany. The essence of having a unified Europe was becoming a key priority among European powers. The only thing that was holding a divided Europe was the divided ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union. Therefore, the moves of Gorbachev only propelled what had been identified by the people of Europe as the factor for change. It is the people of the GRD who translated the views to action by indulging in some activities. The changes in Poland and Hungary relayed a warning to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union became aware that such a change could not be easily tamed through force (Cross, 3). The citizens of East Germany had found a path to get into West Germany and learn of the developments on the other side. They went through Hungary to Austria. From Austria, they got transportation services to West Germany and other Western Europe Countries. These people were escaping from the oppressive socialist regime in East Germany. Many other people managed to esc ape the country via Czechoslovakia. The remaining population was unusually active in conducting demonstrations against the regime. The government of East Germany had to act quickly to curtail the situation. Otherwise, it risked losing its control and popularity over the population. The government of East Germany had to resort to a desperate action: opening up the travelling to West Germany. The announcement of the authorization of travel to West Germany resulted to a vast population escaping to West Germany (Cross, 5). Thousands of East Germans flocked the wall as they sought to cross to West Germany. The guards who were manning the Berlin wall could not contain or control the masses. The population from the West met the population from the East as they exchanged pleasantries. It was evident that the Germans were happy to be reunited once again. This development was the greatest culminating event that resulted to the abolition of the Berlin wall. The population was reunified leadi ng to the reunification of the two countries. This event sealed the fate of the dual existence of Germany (Ruth, 1-10). When the GBR was totally immersed into changes that were taking place in Eastern Europe, communism had lost significance. It was no longer attractive to even the people who were behind it in the first place. Gorbachev policies were supported by West Germany. If West Germany would not have collaborated with East Germany, then the effect of the policies could not have gone to that extend. Therefore, it can be said that Gorbachev alone did not cause the collapse of the Soviet Union. His policies set a track for the collapse. It was the backing of the policies by external forces that made them significant to the collapse of GDR. Thus, Gorbachev was not exclusively responsible for the collapse of GDR. He is a collective participant in the development of this event (Manghani, 138-140). Strong presence and contribution of Honecker to GBR Collapse The failures of the gove rnment of East Germany under Honecker paved way for radical developments of the revolution. If Honecker had responded appropriately to the crisis by stiffening his governance, then maybe the events would not have turned out the way it did. Honecker needed to respond positively to the demands of the population. However, his leadership was stubborn. He chose to stick to the socialistic tendencies that were attributed to dictatorship. This fuelled the population in their quest for reforms. The actions of SED were provoking to the population as they led to reduction of the tolerance levels among citizens. On May seventh, the year 1989, the election results were nullified by the SED. This increased anger amongst the population thereby facilitating the pace at which they were resenting to the actions of the government. This resulted to the increase in the number and magnitude of demonstrations. This led to the weakening and collapse of the Government. Therefore, when compared to the con tributions of Gorbachev, the SED had a direct impact to the collapse of the Berlin wall. The policies of Gorbachev had an indirect effect on the course of activities in East Europe. Therefore, SED was the most direct contributor to the reuniting of the two sides of Germany (Pond, 35-66). Conclusion From the discussion and analysis in this paper, one factor cannot be proclaimed exclusively as the major cause of the collapse of the GDR. The collapse of the GDR can be linked to many events that occurred before this occasion. Both Mikhail Gorbachev and Honecker necessitated the collapse of the GDR. Honecker had direct contributions to the collapse of the East Germany. As a leader of the SED party, he made a number of decisions that triggered the opposition and demonstration against the government. Honecker was non responsive to the demands of the citizenry. He also strengthened the socialist policies in the country and against the will of the citizens. Furthermore, Honecker refused to embrace the changes that were proposed by Gorbachev. These actions filled the citizens with anger and agitation to push for changes. His actions resulted in a series of demonstrations that eventually culminated in the removal of the Berlin wall. On the other hand, the reform policies of Gorbachev are argued to have been a force in the reunification of Germany. The two main change policies that were proposed by Gorbachev had a sizeable impact on the disintegration of communism in East Europe. They sparked many other developments including the revolt against Honecker. Gorbachev and his policies had immense impacts to the collapse of the GDR. Baker, Barrie. Theatre Censorship in Honeckers Germany: From Volker Braun to Samuel Beckett. Oxford: P. Lang, 2007. Print. Childs, David. The Falssl of the Gdr: Germanys Road to Unity. Harlow: Longman, 2001. Print. Cross, Sharyl. The New Chapter in United States-Russian Relations: Opportunities and Challenges. Westport, Conn. u.a: Praeger, 1994. Print. Engel, Jeffrey A. Fall of the Berlin Wall: The Revolutionary Legacy of 1989. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Fleron, Frederic J, E.P. Hoffmann, and R.F. Laird. Contemporary Issues in Soviet Foreign Policy: From Brezhnev to Gorbachev. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers, 2009. Print. Gedmin, J. (1992). The hidden hand: Gorbachev and the collapse of East Germany. Washington, D.C: AEI Press. Glaessner, Gert-Joachim. German Democracy: From Post-World War Ii to the Present Day. Oxford: Berg, 2005. Print. Glaessner, Gert-Joachim. The Unification Process in Germany, From Dictatorship to Democracy. London, 1992 Gorbachev, Mikhail S. Mikhail Gorbachev: Prophet of Change: from the Cold War to a Sustainable World. Forest Row: Clairview, 2011. Print. Hyde-Price, Adrian G. V. The International Politics of East Central Europe. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press, 1996. Print. Kitchen, Martin, and M. Kitchen. A History of Modern Germany: 1800 to the Present. Chich ester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Print. Kitson, Alison. Germany 1858-1990: Hope, Terror and Revival. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. Lisiak, Agata A. Urban Cultures in (post)colonial Central Europe. West Lafayette, Ind: Purdue University Press, 2011. Print. Manghani, Sunil. Image Critique the fall of the Berlin Wall. Bristol: Intellect, 2008. Print. Nuechterlein, Donald E. A Cold War Odyssey. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997. Print. Opp, Karl-Dieter, P. Voss, and C. Gern. Origins of a Spontaneous Revolution: East Germany, 1989. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press, 1995. Print. Plock, Ernest D. East German West German Relations and the fall of the Gdr. Boulder, Colo. [u.a.: Westview Press, 1993. Print. Pond, Elizabeth. ‘A Wall Destroyed: The Dynamics of German Unification in the GDR’, International Security, 15, 2, (1999): 35 – 66. Print. Ruth, Dockrill Saki. The End of the Cold War Era. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2010. Pri nt. Thomas, A. Baylis. Explaining the GDRs economic strategy. International Organization, 40, (1986): 381-420. Print. White, Stephen, J. Batt, and P.G. Lewis. Developments in Central and East European Politics 4. Durham: Duke University Press, 2007. Print.

The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Essays

The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Essays The role of neural mechanisms in the role of hunger and satiety Neural structures plays a key role in eating behaviour. Among humans, glucose levels probably play the most important role in producing feelings of hunger. Hunger increases as glucose levels decrease. A decline in glucose levels in the blood and an increase in ghrelin (a hormone released by the stomach when it is empty) activates a part of the brain called the lateral hypothalamus, resulting in feelings of hunger. The lateral hypothalamus (or LH), is also known as the start eating switch. This causes the individual to search for and consume food. The ventro-medial hypothalamus (or VMH), is also very important also known as the stop switch. A rise in glucose levels and a decrease in ghrelin (hormone that is released from the stomach when there is no food in it) activates the ventromedial hypothalamus, which leads to feelings of satiation, which in turn inhibits further feeding. There has been considerable research evidence to indicate support for the role that neural mechanisms play in hunger and satiety. The role that the hypothalamus plays has been supported by studies looking at lessoning regions of this structure. Research has illustrated the crucial roles played by the hypothalamus Hetherington and Rammington (1942) published a famous study on the control of eating behaviour. They showed that lesioning (i.e. destroying) tiny areas in the LH in rats, led to a loss of interest in food and eating, the animals seemingly unaware that they were starving themselves. Whereas the opposite happened with lesions to the VMH as this led to the rats eating so much they became obese. The importance of the role of the hypothalamus has been replicated in further studies where the role of neurochemicals (neuropeptide Y) has also been supported. Lutter (2008) has found supporting evidence for the role of ghrelin as being crucial in boosting appetite. He concluded that ex tra levels of ghrelin were produced in stressed individuals which caused them to overeat. However, it may be possible that other psychological processes were overlooked in this study (e.g. psychological impact of mood) A great deal of the research done on neural mechanisms has been done using rats which means that it is difficult to generalize. Rats do not have a functioning prefrontal cortex like humans do, and this is what helps humans make judgements so how far can we say the studies using animals supports the role of neural mechanisms in humans. However, Research studies have looked at fMRI of cases of individuals with Prader-willi (who have a compulsion to eat) syndrome in comparison to controls (when eating) and have found a deactivation in the hypothalamus of PWS patients. This is a good study as it has been done on humans and uses scientific objective measures (FMRI scans) which means that it is a valid study that shows the importance of the role of the hypothalamus in humans. Moreover another factor is hormones such as insulin and leptin are also involved in eating behavior. Low levels of leptin will increase hunger and eating behavior, as it does not stop neuropeptide Y (a neurochemical that stimulates hunger). Elevated levels of leptin, stops neuropeptide and decreases eating behaviour. The neural mechanisms explanations (biological approach) can be seen as an example of Biological determinism: it focuses exclusively on the role of nature and no space left to choice and cultural and social influences. There is substantial and convincing evidence that social, cultural and psychological factors affect our eating behaviours as is evident from psychological explanations of eating disorders. For example research into mood has shown that when we are in a bad mood we are more likely to crave carbohydrates. This suggests that there are other reasons that govern what we eat and that is not just down to neural control. To take the biological explanations only would be a reductionist account, though when coupled with the psychological explanation it covers both the nature and nurture side in the nature/nurture debate, thus being a more complete explanation of eating behaviours.

NHS on abortion is ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

NHS on abortion is ethical - Essay Example Over a period of time, the NHS has evolved strategy to deal with the critical issues linked with abortion. The major part of this strategy is communication. The NHS keeps its stakeholders informed regarding different aspects of the abortion and related procedures and risks. ... Abortion is a term used for the termination of pregnancy through procured or induced measures. In UK, Abortion is allowed under certain situations which are within the legal parameters of The Abortion Act, 1967 (Lipp & Fothergill, 2009). In the recent past, there have been various campaigns supporting foetus rights/ rights of unborn or rights of women. There have been certain cases, where father to be demanded for their rights over the unborn. However the issue is still unresolved. There are certain medical conditions where abortions become mandatory to save the life of pregnant women. The activists today are also opposing the use of abortion as a contraceptive measures to get rid of unwanted pregnancy. Abortions put the professionals performing it in ethical dilemma with their motive of medical practice. There have been voices raised for the social and ethical aspects linked with abortion. People supporting abortion as women’s right argue that women have right on their bodies and what happens in their bodies, whereas the others argue that the unborn who can not speak for themselves have right to live. There are various issues of debate over the abortions i.e. women’s health, psychological and emotional well being, support to raise the child and many others. There have been limited studies to understand the long term psychological impact on women who opted for abortions. The fact can not be ignored that even when abortion was not legal, it was being performed and putting women in health risk situations. It is statistically evident that legalising abortion has significantly reduced the number of abortions across the Eastern Europe (WHO, 2008). In such scenario of controversies, it is important how medical service providing

Cultural Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Interview - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss the ethnic diversity at the workplace in the United States. In this case, ethnic diversity entails the employment of individuals without discriminating them on the basis of their ethnic background. Companies in the United States are supposed to employ a diverse workforce in order to understand the demographics of their clients. This will substantially increase their market and attract more customers. The jurisdiction in the United States is committed to protecting individuals from all forms of discrimination. According to the employees at Murray State University there interface between individuals is extremely crucial in enhancing respect and reducing biases at the workplace. In most workplace settings, the employees are faced with ethnic differences. After carrying out an interview with Raman Shaman who is Indian employee based in the United States, Shaman supported the aspect of ethnic diversity in the workplace setting. The details of the interview are presented below. Shaman: Diversity is all about employing different individuals in the business setting in order to enhance the business demographics. I am diverse because I strive to work with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and coping with their diverse nature. Shaman: I would describe my ethnic background as understanding because; according to my understanding most of the Indians understand the diverse nature of other individuals in the society. The Indian culture is strict concerning certain regulations, which are supposed to be followed strictly. Therefore, our cultural heritage involves several regulations and laws that are to be followed strictly. Shaman: As an Indian, I value my cultural beliefs and my religion. This is because, my background defines my personality. My diverse nature also impacts my identity in that I am able to relate with other individuals from all walks of life. I selected Shaman for the interview when I was

Employee and Labor Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee and Labor Relations - Essay Example In this respect, the management and the organization have never been in one side of the page on issues related to the employees. Role of Management in an Organization One of the lifelines of an organization is the management, like in the production; the management is the equivalent of the entrepreneur who organizes all factors of production in a way that they can achieve their targets. The management in the organization will ensure that the factors of production are at their best in pursuit of the company’s or organization core objectives. In this sense, they will ensure that the human resource, the physical, and financial resources are synchronized for the realization of a common goal (Pawel, 2009). The management in an organization thus has the task of balancing and co-coordinating between the authority and the responsibilities. It will therefore be appreciated that the management has to organize these for the realization of the results. In an organization then, the manageme nt has the duty of organizing with the aim of achieving the following; Identification of activities; all the activities taking place in an organization has to be identified by the management before they are carried out. These activities include; inventory controls, accounts preparation, quality control, keeping of records, and making of sales. The management also plays a role in the departmentation in the organization. Departmentation is the act of sub dividing the whole operation concern into independent units that are able to function with some degrees of autonomy (Pawel, 2009). The management also does classification of authorities where authorities are delegated in a hierarchical order. This has to be done by with a lot of precision to enable the organization to operate with absolute efficiency in realizing its goals and objectives. Overlapping authorities in this case is likely to bring a lot of confusion in the daily running of the organization affairs. Lastly, there has to be also high level of coordination controls ensured by the management, in as much as these units are independent with delegated authority, they have to coordinate and work in tandem so that objectives are realized smoothly. Role of the Union in an Organization Unions are synonymous to fighting for the right of workers who are employed in the various organizations. They push for the workers fair consideration on a myriad of issues ranging from remuneration, safety in the work place, and the working hours as well as deduction of the workers monthly pay. In this reference, unions can therefore be described as a conduit through which negotiations are reached between the employers and the employees (Davidson, 1999). Both the employer and the employee have divergent perception on employment and have always been antagonistic in more than one way and the only body that has been playing a role in the division is the unions. The union addresses the workers grievances through collective bargaini ng with the organization so that the wishes of the workers can be realized. Workers as have been indicated previously face a plethora of challenges in the work environment, this can be traced from the period of industrial revolution when the workers got abused since there was overwhelming demand for workers and in return,

Movie Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Response - Essay Example The director of the movie, Spike Lee, who also plays the character of Mookie, portrays the relationship between the characters on the racial background. The message about racism and the relations between races is quite strong and powerful in this film. You can divide the characters into two groups – those who try to live peacefully with the representatives of another race (Pino, Jade, Vito), and those who are in the state of conflict and have anger at the people of different race (Buggin Out, Radio Raheem). Mookie is somewhere in between – he seems to be torn between both sides due to his commitments. One more important character of the movie is Mister Senor Love Daddy – his is the voice of reason in this conflict. The conflict, which builds up gradually and finally breaks out in the end of the movie, is triggered by Buggin Out and Radio Raheem, but the main part is played by Mookie, who seems to finally decide for himself which side to take, and he ends up on the side of his race, the African-Americans. Even though the movie is not easy to watch, I would even dare to say that it is a heavy-duty film, in the end you feel like you have learned something, because you see the position of those who are at the other side. The main conclusion that I come to is that racism is ugly in all its manifestations. Whether there are people dying from the racial conflicts, or businesses suffering, or children are getting the wrong message – racism is bad, it is wrong. When you start watching the movie with the title â€Å"Do the Right Thing†, you wonder what IS the right thing? Watching the movie I was thinking and, in a way, hoping that in the end I will get the answer to this profound question. Instead, I was left wondering. This question is left up to the audience to decide, and that is probably what good movie is about – not to tell you what is right or what is wrong, but to make you ask yourself these questions. In the end of the day, after watching the movie

Slavery and Race in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Slavery and Race in the USA - Essay Example 'Racism' started its origin from the field of sports when baseball distinguished between two teams, 'blacks' and 'whites'. The teams used to show sense of honour when the communities to which they represented, win. It was due to the separate block of black institutions that caused feelings of a separate 'race' among black Americans. Kelly & Lewis (2000) writes that it was the utmost efforts of those segregated institutions to exclude black community from every walk of American life including education, jobs, civil services etc. Even the situation got worse when in many cases it was observed that African Americans started paying heavy taxes and duties in order to acquire public facilities which were free of cost for Americans, hence the Great War was an eye opening occurrence for blacks, after which they realised to be a separate identity from that of whites, and that whites never accepted them. The main reason was the 'stamp' of slavery on blacks, for which the whites still considere d them as slaves. World War I where on one hand infused the spirit of 'democracy' among African Americans, on the other hand it remain failed to cope up with the segregated units, which started building among blacks and whites. Blacks possessed the view, which negated the presence of any skin colour, so they expected whites to behave with them in accordance with equality and justice. Hence the new understanding of social relations of the world war rights era authorised African Americans thereby giving new dimensions of race, class and ethnicity. Worst situations were created after Afro- Americans started getting urbanised. After the new perception which whites taught the blacks, blacks considered white Americans to be their worst opponents, which would never turn into their allies. The main reason behind such attitude was the experience of blacks which majority acquired. Collins (2004) writes that blacks were directly or indirectly affected by the racial discrimination identified by whites. World War I infused a new seed of hatred that strengthened the bond of 'racial discrimination' among the whites and blacks. In 1930s racial discrimination went on its peak after blacks joined umpteen gangs who used to create violence among those areas influenced by whites' majority. According to Collins (2004) 1 "African Americans were often accused of the crime of raping White women which resulted in lynching". (Collins, 2004, p. 222) Such violent acts gave rise to many civil rights organisations like NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People) and National Urban League, which worked, for the rights of black communities. Harlem Renaissance Among the major problems created by World War was the urbanisation of African Americans due to the isolation they were confronted to. This isolation created classes among various black groups. The whites already did the segregation, now the rest of the task was carried out by black ghettos. Urbanisation increased the emergence of a gay, lesbian, and bisexual presence within urban African American communities. (Collins,

Various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company Essay

Various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that management of systems and operations can be viewed as the organisational in built building, designing, and structuring mechanism for effective daily operations of organisations. According to Chase et al, management of systems and operations is an essential process of converting a firm’s internal input (human resources, energy, or material) into output (goods and services). Actually, management of systems and operations entails the effective management of organisational resources, which gear towards production as well as distribution of goods and services of an organisation to its end customers. Operations and systems management could be summed up into management systems, which are proven frameworks for the management as well as continuous improvements of the policies, processes, as well as procedures of organisations. Individually, system management refers to an enterprise’s management of the systems of information manage ment. This entails gathering necessities, purchasing software and equipment, distribution of software and equipment to their places of use, their configuration, their maintenance through service updates and enhancement, setting up of processes of problem-handling, and determination of whether objectives and goals are being realised. Systems management is thus the enterprise-wide distributed systems’ administration including (and usually in practice) the computer systems. It is stoutly affected by telecommunications’ initiatives of network management. ... The purpose of this paper is to examine various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company and give recommendations for improvement of the management operations in systems and operations segments. Background Information of Atokowa Advantage The Atokowa advantage Company is a key player in the industry of office supplies and stationery in Australia. The firm sells an array of office supplies and stationery to businesses, individuals, as well as other organisations. It owns several retail outlets, which deliver office supplies and stationery directly to the organisations as well as carry out customised printing for firms. Lachlan Atokowa founded Atokowa in 1964 in Sydney, Australia as a mere photocopying business in Atokowa’s garage after purchasing Xerox 914 machine. His business grew and in 1970, he purchased one retail outlet as well as expanded his business from just photocopying activities to business printing in addition to brochures, letterheads, flyers, compliment slips, business cards, fax headers, no carbon required (NCR) pads, and memo slips. These developed Atokowa’s status as a printing firm of high quality. Atokowa’s business continued growing and he developed his vision of becoming the one-stop office supplies and stationery shop. Lachlan expanded as well as purchased additional outlets in Perth and Melbourne areas, which were stocked quite adequately with an array of office supplies, paper, office furniture, besides the original business of printing. In 1980, Atokowa printing was renamed to Atokowa Office Supplies. Lachlan retired in 1983 and handed the business to Jonathan Atokowa, his eldest son who focused more on technology. In fact, Jonathan commenced sale of IBM PC 5100 and Commodore

Movie Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Response - Essay Example The director of the movie, Spike Lee, who also plays the character of Mookie, portrays the relationship between the characters on the racial background. The message about racism and the relations between races is quite strong and powerful in this film. You can divide the characters into two groups – those who try to live peacefully with the representatives of another race (Pino, Jade, Vito), and those who are in the state of conflict and have anger at the people of different race (Buggin Out, Radio Raheem). Mookie is somewhere in between – he seems to be torn between both sides due to his commitments. One more important character of the movie is Mister Senor Love Daddy – his is the voice of reason in this conflict. The conflict, which builds up gradually and finally breaks out in the end of the movie, is triggered by Buggin Out and Radio Raheem, but the main part is played by Mookie, who seems to finally decide for himself which side to take, and he ends up on the side of his race, the African-Americans. Even though the movie is not easy to watch, I would even dare to say that it is a heavy-duty film, in the end you feel like you have learned something, because you see the position of those who are at the other side. The main conclusion that I come to is that racism is ugly in all its manifestations. Whether there are people dying from the racial conflicts, or businesses suffering, or children are getting the wrong message – racism is bad, it is wrong. When you start watching the movie with the title â€Å"Do the Right Thing†, you wonder what IS the right thing? Watching the movie I was thinking and, in a way, hoping that in the end I will get the answer to this profound question. Instead, I was left wondering. This question is left up to the audience to decide, and that is probably what good movie is about – not to tell you what is right or what is wrong, but to make you ask yourself these questions. In the end of the day, after watching the movie

Various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company Essay

Various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that management of systems and operations can be viewed as the organisational in built building, designing, and structuring mechanism for effective daily operations of organisations. According to Chase et al, management of systems and operations is an essential process of converting a firm’s internal input (human resources, energy, or material) into output (goods and services). Actually, management of systems and operations entails the effective management of organisational resources, which gear towards production as well as distribution of goods and services of an organisation to its end customers. Operations and systems management could be summed up into management systems, which are proven frameworks for the management as well as continuous improvements of the policies, processes, as well as procedures of organisations. Individually, system management refers to an enterprise’s management of the systems of information manage ment. This entails gathering necessities, purchasing software and equipment, distribution of software and equipment to their places of use, their configuration, their maintenance through service updates and enhancement, setting up of processes of problem-handling, and determination of whether objectives and goals are being realised. Systems management is thus the enterprise-wide distributed systems’ administration including (and usually in practice) the computer systems. It is stoutly affected by telecommunications’ initiatives of network management. ... The purpose of this paper is to examine various aspects of S&O management in the Atokowa Company and give recommendations for improvement of the management operations in systems and operations segments. Background Information of Atokowa Advantage The Atokowa advantage Company is a key player in the industry of office supplies and stationery in Australia. The firm sells an array of office supplies and stationery to businesses, individuals, as well as other organisations. It owns several retail outlets, which deliver office supplies and stationery directly to the organisations as well as carry out customised printing for firms. Lachlan Atokowa founded Atokowa in 1964 in Sydney, Australia as a mere photocopying business in Atokowa’s garage after purchasing Xerox 914 machine. His business grew and in 1970, he purchased one retail outlet as well as expanded his business from just photocopying activities to business printing in addition to brochures, letterheads, flyers, compliment slips, business cards, fax headers, no carbon required (NCR) pads, and memo slips. These developed Atokowa’s status as a printing firm of high quality. Atokowa’s business continued growing and he developed his vision of becoming the one-stop office supplies and stationery shop. Lachlan expanded as well as purchased additional outlets in Perth and Melbourne areas, which were stocked quite adequately with an array of office supplies, paper, office furniture, besides the original business of printing. In 1980, Atokowa printing was renamed to Atokowa Office Supplies. Lachlan retired in 1983 and handed the business to Jonathan Atokowa, his eldest son who focused more on technology. In fact, Jonathan commenced sale of IBM PC 5100 and Commodore

Heros in Greek Literature Essay Example for Free

Heros in Greek Literature Essay In modern times the word hero can be used to describe many different people. For example, a scientist that develops a cure for AIDs would be thought of to be heroic. Or perhaps one might deem teachers heroic for shaping the youth of tomorrow. Although these jobs are noble, they would not be deemed heroic by the Greeks. Today’s definition of a hero is comparatively broad to that of which the Greek’s would have considered the term of hero to describe. More accurately, a hero is someone who puts themselves in a position of death in order to obtain a morally just cause. This idea of self sacrifice is what makes a hero. In Greek literature, especially in poetry, there are several examples of heroes and heroines. I will specifically discuss Achilles of Homer’s Iliad, as well as Antigone in Sophocles Antigone, and why their character is of heroic stature. In early Greek literature, such as Homer’s Iliad, a hero was more parallel to the concept of a warrior. In book I of The Iliad, Achilles is not just portrayed as a warrior, but is in fact introduced as â€Å"godlike† (Homer, 107). Achilles is an exemplum of one of the defining characteristics of epic poems in that he possesses godlike qualities, such as superhuman strength. In epic poems, the intervention and presence of the Greek gods is a persisting trait. Achilles is born of both mortal and immortal persons, his father a militant mortal Peleus and his mother the sea nymph Thetis. Due to these qualities and over the course of the poem, Achilles proves himself to be the most capable warrior of all. Moreover, Achilles also proves himself a hero by surmising to the idea of self sacrifice. It has always been known that if Achilles kills Hector during the Greek and Trojan War, he will at some point be put to death by the gods. As described in book IX, â€Å"My mother Thetis, a moving silver grace, tells me two fates sweep me on my death. If I stay here and fight, I’ll never return home, but my glory will be undying forever. If I return home†¦ my glory is lost but my life will be long,† (Homer, 141). Therefore Achilles does have the option of going home and living a long life. However, it is the death of Patroclus, Achilles best friend, that sways him to fight even though a sure death will come. This choice is namely why Achilles is a hero. Another central theme to a Greek hero is that he is unable to be destroyed by any other man and therefore a central theme of self- destructiveness exists (Whitman).

Human Comfort And Thermal Comfort Engineering Essay

Human Comfort And Thermal Comfort Engineering Essay Abstract: The main purpose of the HVAC system is to achieve clean indoor air quality and human comfort (thermal comfort), there are many HVAC systems a designer or owner has the option to select based on the factors such as the type of the building, architecture, location, shape, surrounding climate, occupancy, envelop, level and frequency of activities, and the system operation schedule. In addition to the above base factors that an HVAC system is expected to be selected upon, the energy consumption, system efficiency, initial and operational cost, and finally, feasibility (short and long term rebound positive effect) are of the owners and designers critical concerns. This paper will discuss the elements of a typical feasible high performance low cost, fine tuned HVAC DDC integrated system to achieve the best for users, owners, and environment. 1. Introduction HVAC and its associated auxiliaries system are major energy consumers in a building, the rapid development of the advanced technology nowadays boosts the HVAC system feasibility as more complex control systems are developed for this industry and additional fine-tune, prompt response, standardized communication, ease of control and monitor, and remote accessibility. The BMS/DDC (Building Management System/ Direct Digital Control) integrated system is the core of a good feasible high-efficient HVAC system. The BMS is the most recent High-Tech energy management system that manage a building performance to the maximum desirable pre-determined set of parameters which able to control, monitor, adjust, save and record mostly all of the building facilities and utilities when integrated with all of the compatible buildings Sub-LANs, a DDC is one of those LANs and can communicate with other control LANs under the supervision of the BMS. BMS is able to supervise, control, adjust and record the illumination, electric power control, HVAC, security and observation, magnetic card and access, fire alarm, lifts, and other engineering systems. Integrated with the BMS, the DDC performs the HVAC control management and communicates with the other building controllers via the BMS to achieve integration based on a specified, programmed event sequence. I The DDC is the heart of an efficient HVAC system, it finely tunes the digital/analog input/output communication between sensors, probes, stand-alone controllers, LANs controllers, and finally the controlled element which could be an actuator that adjust the process variable (flow, temperature, level, or pressure), and allows for a feedback signal to further adjust the desired process set-point. This whole process is reported in a real-time manner to the BMS system for further coordination with the other buildings controllable systems to achieve integration based on the pre-programmed parameters. In order to achieve the highest human comfort, energy saving, and a long term rebound effect strategy, The BMS/DDC system should be interlocked and integrated with a high-efficient and feasible HVAC system, this combination can awards energy saving, system and environment sustainability, human comfort, and business feasibility. An Optimal Air System is a good example of a low-coast, high-performance, energy-efficient and a good investment for long-term rebound pay-back effect. Optimal Air System concept is based on the low temperature supply system that needs, less energy consumption by the most energy consumer auxiliary that is the fan, this affects the sizing of the ducts (less duck size), air handling units and fan motors, all of which will be smaller and results in a system that requires less space and uses less power. As this paper focuses on the HVAC/DDC integrated system application for human comfort, energy saving, and feasibility (long-term rebound effect), I will discuss and focus on the DDC and Optimal Air System integration for the above purposes and define characteristics, elements, and functions of both systems. II 2. DDC DDC has became the latest and the most recently used system for HVAC controls after the pneumatic and electromechanical control systems, digital pre-programmable controllers can handle extensive digital/analog data process from inputs (sensors, tranceducers and transmitters) that tyapically mesure temperature, flow, humidity, pressure or level, and outputs to final controlled devices to adjust a process variable based on a preset parameters, also recives a feedback signals from inputs again to further adjust signal command errors for best results based again on the setpoints. Digital inputs are Dry contacts from a control device, analog inputs are voltage and current signals that mesure variables such as humidity, pressure, level or flow form sensing devices and converted to percentage. Digital outputs are of 1 or 0 binary that either stops or starts equipments via a relay, analog outputs are voltage or current signals that control a process variable control devices such as valves, m otors or dampers. The DDC program code may be customized for intended use such as: Time schedule, sequence of operation, trend logs, alarms. 2.1 Elements of a DDC As described above, the three functional elements needed to perform the functions of a DDC system are: a) A measurement element (Sensor, prob, Transmitter, Transducer) b) An error detection element (Digital/Analog/pneumatic Controller, PCU) c) A final control element (Motor/Piston Actuator, VFD, VSD, Relay) 2.2 DDC controled mediums The DDC controls two variables: I. A controlled variable is the process variable that is maintained at a specified value or within a specified range. II. A manipulated variable is the process that is acted on by the control system to maintain the controlled variable at the specified value or within the specified range. 1 2.3 Functions of DDC system In any DDC, the four basic functions that occur are: a) Measurement b) Comparison c) Computation d) Correction 3. DDC LAN-WAN Configuration DDC is where mechanical and electrical systems and equipment are joined with microprocessors that communicate with each other and to a central computer BMS. This computer and controllers in the building Management system can be networked to the internet or serve as a stand alone system for the local peer-to-peer controller network only Fig 1. Additionally, the controllers themselves do not need a computer to operate efficiently as many of these controllers are designed to operate as stand-alone controllers and control the specific equipment they are assigned to control. Fig 1. Typical peer-to-peer controller network [1] 2 With a few exceptions, each DDC or building automation controller holds their own programs and has the ability to communicate to other DDC building automation controllers. It is important for the DDC or building automation controllers to communicate to each other. If the network fails for whatever reason then the system may still function (because the DDC controllers in a BMS system are stand-alone) but it will not function as efficiently as designed. The DDC/BMS system can be configured as independent (localized) closed-system, or DDC open-system based on accessibility options required by a group of buildings managed by a single company or property management firm (centralized), or a single property to be monitored and controlled by its own (localized) Fig 2. Fig 2. DDC/BMS LAN/WAN configuration [2] 3 3.1 BACnet compatibility BACnet is the term commonly used to refer to the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135- 1995, adopted and supported by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). BACnet stands for Building Automation and Control network. BACnet is a true, non-proprietary open protocol communication standard conceived by a consortium of building management, system users and manufacturers [3]. A closed protocol is a proprietary protocol used by a specific equipment manufacturer. An open protocol system uses a protocol available to anyone, but not published by a standards organization. A standard protocol system uses a protocol available to anyone. It is created by a standards organization. Open Systems: An open system is defined as a system that allows components from different manufacturers to co-exist on the same network. These components would not need a gateway to communicate with one another and would not require a manufacturer specific workstation to visualize data. This would allow more than one vendors product to meet a specific application requirement. The DDC/BMS BACnet based LANs and Sub-LANs can be accessed, controlled and monitored from remote locations via the Internet trough a centralized data management system which is capable of collecting data from multiple sites. This is accomplished by connecting with a gateway for collecting data from the lighting and air-conditioning control systems installed in each building or factory, and the center server for providing data collection, database and web server functions along with security measures applied to all transmitted data. Based on the capability of real-time monitoring and analysis of actual energy consumption such as electricity and gas from a remote location by using a web browser, this system is able to achieve the maximum level of energy saving in buildings and factories which in turn, reduce the emissions and the environmental impacts by taking advantage of its cost effectiveness and by limiting the required energy for a specific application or function. 4 Fig 3, Integrated BACnet based WEB Browser BMS Control System Layout [4] 5 4. DDC/BMS integrated features, application and functions 4.1 Energy saving DDC/BMS allows the owner to set up schedules of operation for the equipment and lighting systems so that energy savings can be realized when the building or spaces in the building are unoccupied. Have algorithms as reset schedules for heating plants, static pressure control, and other systems where energy savings can be realized through these predictive programs. 4.2 Human comfort (thermal Comfort) DDC/BMS system allows the equipment optimal start with pre-scheduled program. Optimal start is allowing the equipment to be brought on in an ordered and sequential manner automatically on a schedule before the building is reoccupied so that space set points can be realized before occupation. Event sequence programming features allow the system to compare space temperature, outside air conditions, and equipment capabilities so that the equipment can be turned on at an appropriate time to ensure space set points are achieved before occupation. Have trim and respond capabilities. Based on zone demand the set point for various heating and cooling sources will change according to demand from the zones. For instance, in a Variable Air Volume system, all the VAV boxes are served from a central air handling unit. If all the zones are at set point then the supply air temperature set point of the air handler is automatically changed to prevent mechanical cooling from occurring when it is unnecessary. When the zones grow warmer the supply air temperature set point is automatically lowered to allow mechanical cooling to satisfy demand. In conjunction with the appropriate mechanical system set-up, offer economizing based on enthalpy calculations and/or CO2 set point control. 4.3 Long-term rebound effects Offer load shedding when power companies are at peak demand and need business and industry to cut-back on power usage to prevent black outs. Building Management systems for instance, allow the owner to cycle various things off like water heaters or drinking fountains where use of these things- 6 -will not be noticed even though they are off. Management companies who acquire a good DDC/BMS can set up the system to bill tenants for energy usage (fewer employees required). 4.4 Proactive Ability to send alarms via email, pager, or telephone to alert building managers and/or technicians of the developing problems, and system failures. 4.5 Other applications and compatibilities Have the ability to monitor energy usage including the ability to meter electric, gas, water, steam, hot water, chilled water, and fuel oil services. Have the communications abilities to be integrated with other buildings via WAN setup using the standardized TCP/IP family of protocols. It is BACnet base web browser compatible and other open source communication protocol which allows the system to be accessed via the web browser from remote locations. (Refer to 4.2) 5. High-performance Low-energy HVAC design Recall the Introduction, In addition to BMS/DDC System application for energy saving and high HVAC system performance, a green HVAC system design will achieve all aspects of comfort, energy saving, low initial and operational capital costs, and adds more efficient performance in conjunction with the DDC system, an example of such green HVAC system would be an Optimal Air System [5]. Optimal Air System concept, idea and example are taken from McQuay Air Conditionning/2002 McQuay International/Application Guide AG 31-005 as an example to illustrate its benefits for energy saving, human comfort, lower initial cost and long term rebound effects. Optimal Air systems uses less energy than conventional systems on an annual basis, for example, In a conventional system, supply air temperatures run between 54Â °F -57Â °F from the air handling unit. With duct heat gain, the supply air ranges from approximately 56Â °F-59Â °F out of the air diffuser. 7 In Optimal Air System, supply air temperature run between 45-52Â °F from the air handling unit to optimize energy consumption, reduce first capital cost and improve humidity control. Optimal Air has for years been extensively used in grocery stores and is gaining increasing popularity in comfort cooling applications such as offices and schools. 5.1 Advantages There are several benefits of Optimal Air that make it an attractive system for use in a wide variety of applications. It Saves Space and Reduces Energy and Construction Costs, increases the amount of sensible heat that each CFM delivered to a zone can absorb. While 50Â °F air may not seem much colder than 55Â °F air, the delta T rises from 20Â °F to 25Â °F. That is an increase of 25%. This affects the sizing of the ducts, air handling units and fan motors, all of which will be smaller and results in a system that requires less space and uses less power. In many applications, fans can use more power annually than refrigeration (chillers, condensing units, pumps, and compressors). An example of annual 10-story building energy usage of 200,000 square-feet of HVAC components, the fan energy use is high because the fans operate every hour the building is occupied providing minimum air movement, ventilation air, heating, etc. In this case, an Optimal Air system would have a very real impact on overall energy costs. Fig 4, Annual HVAC Energy Usage [6] 8 5.2 Less Humidity, more comfort Optimal Air systems take more moisture out of the return and ventilation air mixture as it passes over the cooling coil. The lower moisture content in the supply air reduces the Psychrometric balance point humidity level in the conditioned space. This allows the space temperature to be set higher while achieving the same comfort level for occupants and further reduces the supply air quantity and fan power requirement. 5.3 Quieter and Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) The lower air volume required for Optimal Air systems makes them quieter than conventional systems. Fan sound generation is a function of fan type, static pressure and air volume. By reducing air volume (and often the total fan static pressure) Optimal Air systems generate lower fan sound which can result in more desirable space conditions. This reduced sound generation can also be used to reduce the cost of any required noise attenuation in critical applications. The lower required air volume can also be used to reduce filter face velocities, allowing more efficient filters to be used without high energy cost penalties. The lower air temperature and resultant humidity levels also reduce the chance of mold growth in the air handling units, ducts or the occupied space. The example of the building above requires a supply air of 26,667 CFM. The HVAC system is floor by floor VAV air handling units with a two chiller primary secondary system, Optimal air works equally well with applied rooftop units or indoor vertical self-contained units. Table 1, HVAC system performance with optimal air system [7] 9 Table 1 shows the HVAC system performance as the supply air temperature, to the duct, is lowered. It is important to differentiate between supply air temperature off the cooling coil and supply air temperature into the duct. To accommodate the lower supply air temperature, the chilled water supply temperature (CWST) was gradually lowered, the air handling unit coils deepened to allow for closer approaches, and chiller performance was adjusted to deal will the increased lift. Because of their basic operating differences, DX rooftop and self-contained systems may have a different Optimal Air temperature than a chilled water system. When considering multiple system options, it is important to use Energy Analyzer for each in order to identify the best option. 5.4 Optimal Air Balance Point Reduced fan energy must be traded off against increased refrigeration energy. This trade off varies with the type of building, the type temperature control system, the type air conditioning system and geographic locale. Therefore, the optimal supply air temperature is different for every job. When only energy costs are a factor and no thermal storage is involved, this optimal supply air temperature generally falls in the 47Â °F -52Â °F range. It can be determined by comparing total system energy consumption with varying supply air temperatures using an energy analysis program. 5.5 Space Design Temperature and Related Comfort Temperature, humidity, air velocity and mean radiant temperature directly influence occupant comfort. Conventional designs are usually based on maintaining 75Â °F and 50% RH (Relative Humidity) in the occupied space. Figure 5 shows the ASHRAE comfort zone where 80% of the people engaged in light office work are satisfied. As the relative humidity is lowered, the space air temperature can be raised and still provide occupant comfort. The leaving air condition from the air handling unit is the primarily control of the relative humidity in the occupied space. The internal moisture gains from people, kitchens, etc, as well as infiltration also play a part. 10 Fig 5, Equivalent comfort chart [8] In most climates, the lower the supply air temperature, the lower the humidity ratio and the drier the space. Figure 5 shows sensible heat ratio lines for conventional, Optimal and low supply air temperatures. As the space relative humidity is lowered, the space temperature set-point rises from 74Â °F to 78Â °F. 5.6 ASHRAE Compliance The 1999 and 2001 version of ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings except Low Rise Residential Buildings [9], has mandatory requirements for refrigeration equipment and prescriptive requirements for fan work. The Standard recognizes that Optimal Air systems improve fan work significantly and provides credits to account for improved fan performance. In addition, refrigeration system performance is rated at conventional conditions or special tables are provided to account for non-standard operating conditions (as is the case with centrifugal chillers). In either case, ASHRAE Standard 90.1 does not penalize Optimal Air systems. 11 5.7 Design Considerations Design of refrigeration and air handling equipment for an Optimal Air system is similar to the design of a conventional air temperature system. Attention must be paid, however, to air distribution, controls and duct design. Conventional diffusers, when properly applied, will work with Optimal Air. Controls also require only minor changes from conventional systems. In particular, programming of economizer controls and supply air temperature reset. Finally, the ducting system must be sized for the reduced air volume to take full advantage of the potential capital savings. Duct insulation and sweating should also be reviewed to provide a trouble free system. Not every building type is a good candidate for Optimal Air. When air volumes are dictated by air turnover rates, such as some health care applications, Optimal Air offers no advantage. In fact, there would be increased reheat costs. Office buildings are a strong candidate for Optimal Air. They have high sensible heat ratios and typically less than 20% ventilation loads. Schools can also be a possibility. Generally speaking, as the percentage ventilation load increases, Optimal Air becomes less attractive. Location and climate also impact whether or not Optimal Air is a good candidate. Locations where weather provides significant economizer hours between 45 and 55Â °F will limit the savings. Ultimately, each project must be checked by performing the applicable specific calculations. The following should be considered: Load and Balance Point calculations, Space Temperature Set-point evaluation, Design Load Calculation, Primary and Secondary System Selection, Parallel, mixing or series VAV-Fan powered boxes, Perimeter Heating, Air Distribution, Diffusers (based on air flow and the throw distance calculation), Duct design (considering duct heat gain, sweating and insulation). 5.8 System Life-Cycle Analysis Evaluating different engineering solutions is always part of a good proposal. Optimal Air systems are no different. 12 In the case of Optimal Air, there may be no need to do any calculations because Optimal Air systems cost less to build (lower capital cost) and have the same operating cost as conventional systems (assuming the balance point was used for the design). Duct sizing will decrease almost linearly with reduction in air volume. The installed cost will not change linearly because of the labor portion. A 20% reduction in air volume can result in 80% savings of the 20% reduction or 16% overall savings in sheet metal cost. On the plus side, there are less pounds of steel and fewer man-hours to install it. On the minus side there is more insulation. Terminal boxes and diffusers will be a wash since there are fewer of them but the equipment cost will be higher than conventional equipment. HVAC equipment will cost about the same. This is conservative because the air handling equipment will cost less and refrigeration equipment will be slightly more. There is typically more capital invested in air handling than refrigeration. Building envelope should be the same for new construction. In the case of retrofit applications, it will depend on the quality of the existing building. The cost of space may also need to be evaluated. Not accounting for space savings is conservative. There will be space savings but they may be difficult to realize. If enough plenum height savings can be realized to add another floor within the same building envelope, then that rentable space should be accounted for. Simple payback calculations do not take into account the cost of money, taxes and depreciation, inflation, maintenance or increases in the cost of energy. A more complete analysis should include Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). In the HVAC industry, many projects fail simple back (they are in the 5-year range) while passing IRR (they offer a 25% rate of return). Software analysis tools can be used to perform both energy and life-cycle analysis that include simple payback, IRR and NPV. 13 6. Conclusion Building owners and designers faced with increased concerns for energy saving and environmental stewardship search for cost effective system options for their projects. The DDC, integrated with a high-performance low-energy HVAC system as the Optimal Air system can deliver both low first costs and reduced energy costs in a new construction and retrofit applications. This integrated system will not only meet the efficiency and sustainability of its performance at the desired set-parameters, but when designed with advanced selection tools, installed with the most advanced DDC/BMS system, and supported by trained operators, will achieve both energy saving and long term rebound effect (pay-back), maximum human thermal comfort, in addition, it allows building owners to compare predicted energy use to actual performance, this leads to a flexible budgeting, further future system adjustment and energy consumption cut-back. The whole integrated DDC/BMS HVAC system function will also contribute in the environmental impacts reduction. In todays challenging energy efficiency, building owners need proven system that delivers the necessary performance to meet their integrated environmental sustainability and business goals [10].