His Talk, Her Talk

It is no secret that men and women have marriage problems. A big source of that happens to be communication issues. Men tend to not be interested in what the women wants to talk about. Same goes with women, they may not be as interested in male conversations or men do not give as much detail as the women would like. That is why many are attending marriage counseling. For couples in marriage counseling a good essay to read is â€Å"His talk, her talk†, by Joyce Maynard. It talks about how there are different ways men and women talk. Males tend to talk about general things and skip details.Females will usually talk about a certain topic and stay on it. Men will usually just skip from topic to topic. Another essay that would be a good read is â€Å"Man to man, women to women†, by Mark A. Sherman and Adelaide Hags. They talk about how males and females talk about different things. Women tend to talk about kids, jobs, husbands and other female things. Men will usually just s tick to sports, work, and anything else that happens to be in their surroundings, as in anything that happens to be on the news. So men and women differ in conversation.The essay I would most recommend would be â€Å"His talk, her talk†, by Joyce Maynard. It basically states that it is okay for a husband and wife do not have the most in common when it comes to conversations. Women and men talk about different things. The other spouse is just supposed to accept that. That would help others open their eyes. In conclusion both essays are good, but that is the one I would recommend. The one bad thing about it is that it is from one women’s perspective. One situation does not speak for everyone. However it does speak for the majority. So it would help many couples in marriage counseling.

Ancient Civilization Essay

Ancient Civilizations Essay: Understanding Geography and History Amanda Honors World History Period 2 Mrs. Ocasio October 15th, 2012 People. Mountains. People. Culture. People. Water. Ever wonder why history and geography very often studied together? Well it is because geography has a lot of influence on the worlds’ overall history and how it all connects together. Learning geography is also important in understanding history because people need to know where and how were the locations are and why the civilizations formed there.To continue, all civilizations are connected in some way, from trading to religious beliefs or wars to traditions; some of the civilizations that are going to compared are very similar. That is why the understanding of geography is crucial to the understanding of history because it impacted the development of city-states, caused isolation, and allowed cultural diffusion between the civilizations. To begin, geography impacted the development of many city -states. India and the Nile River Valley had been majorly impacted by the Earths geography in early civilizations.Many rivers flowed through India, which included the Indus and the Ganges Rivers. Most Indian city- states were close to these rivers because the people wanted to be near water making it easier to get excess to it. It was also important for Indians to be near the Ganges River because that river was sacred to them and â€Å"†¦one Indian name for â€Å"river†: lok-mata, or â€Å"mother of the people. † (World History Book, page 52). Now the Nile River Valley was very fertile, which made â€Å"†¦farmers take advantage of the fertile land of the Nile Valley to grow wheat and flax, a plant whose fivers were used for clothing. and have excess to water in the dry Egyptian heat. The â€Å"Black Land† was the rich and irrigated area of the Nile Valley and â€Å"no more than 10 miles wide, lay the ‘Red Land,’ a sun-baked desert that s tretches across North Africa. † (24). All these physical features impacted where the Indian and Egyptian city-states were set up and governed. Following that, most geographical features caused isolation. China and Egypt had a lot of isolation because of the mountain ranges and deserts that surrounded and bordered them. China had the â€Å"†¦high mountain ranges- the TienShan and the Himalayas-and brutal deserts blocked the easy movement of people†¦southeast, thick jungles divided China from Southeast Asia†¦the north lay the forbidding desert, the Gobi†¦to the east, the fast Pacific Ocean. † (59). Because China was so isolated by many physical features caused by the geographical movement they believe that they were the center of the Earth and the sole source of civilization. But Egypt was isolated from other civilizations by a vast stretch of desert and large bodies of water, making it a peninsula. This desert is the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world.The Sahara is difficult to get through making it harder to reach Egypt, thus making it isolated from migrating people and trade. Although the bodies of water created some isolation, it however helped with Egypt’s trade and excess to many ports. This shows that geographical knowledge is also important to understand history because if one did not know what type of physical features were available thou would now know what to expect. Lastly, geography allowed cultural diffusion between civilizations. Greece and China had a lot of cultural diffusion because both civilizations depended on trade to grow and prosper.The Greeks had â€Å"†¦hundreds of bays, the Greek coastline provided safe harbors for ships. † (105). This shows that the Greek economic system highly depended on trading overseas; Greeks became skilled sailors, who carried cargoes of olive oil, wine, and marble around the Mediterranean area. Because the Greeks were traveling so much to other are as to trade they went back home with new ideas and different traditions, some making their lives easier. For example, â€Å"Greeks expanded the Phoenician alphabet. The resulting Greek alphabet became the basis for all western alphabets. (105). All of the trading and traveling overseas made Greece become more populated and prosperous forcing man Greeks to leave their own overcrowded valleys and vineyards and when they left they brought the Greek culture and ideas with them. Now moving eastward toward China to the Silk Road to the West, which was very important link to China and the rest of the world. â€Å"During the Han period, new foods such as grapes, figs, cucumbers, and walnuts flowed to China from western Asia. † (95) Making this region grow even more culturally more than ever.Although China is very isolated, it still traded as much as Greece would have; the Silk Road eventually stretched for 4,000 miles linking China to the Fertile Crescent. â€Å"China also traded t ons of silk westward to fill a growing demand for the prized fabric† (95) and in return China would return with furs from Central Asia, muslin from India, or glass from Rome. The Silk Road was not only an important trade route it was also had many controllers making it more likable; â€Å"at the western end, trade was controlled by various people, including the Persians. † (95).This makes geography even more important to understand history. In conclusion, the study of geography is very important to the understanding of history. People. Mountains. People. Culture. People. Water. Everything is connected. The development of city-states, suspended isolation, and cultural diffusion all has to do with ancient civilizations history and geography. It also has effect on today’s environment. In the end it is important to know both subjects even though that knowledge may not be applied to lives in any way, shape, or form it is still something useful to know.

Role Of Public Libraries In Society Education Essay

IntroductionA public library is a non-profit library, which is maintained for public usage and funded by the authorities or the public beginnings. Unlike other libraries, public library satisfies general public information demands by supplying all sorts of cognition and information available to all sections of the community regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, faith, linguistic communication, disablement, economic and employment position. It may besides supply other services to their communities such as, storytelling for kids, after-school plans, linguistic communication acquisition, seminars, workshops and other community services. Public libraries were initiated back in antediluvian times. They were known and used by Greeks, Romans, North Africa and Middle East. However they did non originate in Europe and America until 18th and nineteenth century. In USA and Europe, public libraries started with a contribution from many private altruists like Andrew Carnegie and Benjamin Franklin. Like other altruist, both Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie realized that books, and the cognition they provide, should non be for merely profusion but for functioning the populace and for anyone who wanted to larn. Because of this belief, they made books and money available to the general populace through their philanthropic gift. Throughout the history, the library aggregations have been changed and developed. Nowadays, beside printed books and traditional stuffs, public libraries offer broad scope of other media and modern engineerings like, videos, audio books, e-books, DVD ‘s and others. Similarly, the functions and missions of public library have been shifted from recreational reading to moving as active educational, economic and societal agents. A A A A A A A This paper seeks to offer a literature reappraisal on the function of public libraries in society. Take the manner of the litrature reappraisal and the words from article ( kids litracy ) A study reveals that, show, found, assume, Harmonizing to Lyman ( 1977 ) , Weibel ( 1992 ) looked at the function of the library in advancing literacy, Spink ( 1989 ) notes, Other surveies have concentrated on, provinces, points out, believeRole of public librariesPublic library plays an of import function in people ‘s lives as a beginning of accessing information and a topographic point for cognition creative activity. It has shown that public libraries are of import informational, educational, cultural, and societal establishments. Public library and Education One of the public libraries ‘ important and cardinal functions is instruction. Public libraries provide books and other stuffs for people to read and utilize. These stuffs are educational and lead to self-improvement and develop basic literacy accomplishments. Public Libraries have ever seen as an educational resource for all people. The educative function of public libraries has expanded to include back uping both formal and informal instruction. A. Public library and literacy Literacy is the ability to read and compose. In libraries civilization, this construct is expanded to include the cognition or instruction in one or several Fieldss required to develop single and communities ‘ accomplishments. Learning today is non a luxury limited merely to selected group, but it is indispensable for endurance. Expansion of literacy demands reading and composing stuff. ( Wijentunge, 2000 ) The public library is the local centre for supplying a wealth of information through acquisition installations and stuffs to back up literacy to the general populace. Literacy is besides achieved by supplying literacy plans and activities for different groups and ages. Public libraries continue to play a major function in furthering literacy in communities and societies, peculiarly among those groups of the populations that need particular aid in developing literacy accomplishments, such as preschool and simple school kids. Children literacy is one of the educative functions of public libraries. Public libraries concern in supplying kids and exposing them to high-quality reading stuffs and rich linguistic communication experiences during the important preschool and simple school old ages. ( Celano, 2001 ) Pennsylvania public libraries are among the libraries, which keen in heightening the kids literacy accomplishments by turn outing them high quality stuffs and affecting them in summer reading plans, narrative hours, humanistic disciplines and crafts activities. A survey was done in Pennsylvania public libraries utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze how library preschool and summer reading plans contribute to kids ‘s reading accomplishments. Surveies were sent to every 3rd library mercantile establishment listed in the directory of Pennsylvania libraries ( 227 studies ) . The survey reveals that kids who participate in summer reading plans gain more literacy accomplishments. They besides found that preschool and summer reading plans encourage kids to pass more clip with books. Furthermore, Observations and question show that library plans encourage parents to play greater functions in their kids ‘s literacy development ( Celano, 2001 ) . B. Public library and Non-formal Education Non-formal instruction is an unsystematic signifier of acquisition and educational activity that occurs outside of traditional organisation or establishment. Unlike the formal instruction, non-formal instruction is non-structured educational system. Examples of non-formal instruction include after-school plans, community-based organisations, museums, libraries, or at place. The purposes of both formal and non-formal instruction are similar but they are different in attack. ( Abraham, 2010 ) . Both larning focal point on deriving cognition and accomplishments nevertheless, the manner of deriving acquisition is different. Non-formal educational patterns are reinforced due to the challenges of modern information society. Abraham ( 2010 ) states that rural people suffer from deficiency of proper instruction. He points out that formal instruction is clip edge, stiff and hard to such people hence, non-formal instruction is much suited to rural people in order to fulfill their demands and suit their environmental conditions. He describes the public library as â€Å" public assistance centre, which provides utile services to the community by furthering instruction, advancing civilization, diversion and airing of information to all subdivisions of the society † . Abraham ( 2010 ) looked at the public libraries as the most appropriate centres through which non-formal instruction can be achieved. He found that some public libraries in rural countries in India ( Kerala ) play an of import function in back uping non-formal instruction by forming dark schools, constructive treatments, seminars and symposia to contend illiteracy and proliferation reading wont. A survey was conducted in one of the Kerala territories ( Abraham, 2010 ) to garner an overview of the function of public libraries in advancing non-formal instruction. Inquirers were distributed among 20 adult females labourers. It was found that 30 % of them could go on their instruction and are trying to accomplish minimal making through utilizing rural libraries in their ain place countries. 60 % could read and compose and 10 % stopped their instruction due to assorted forces grounds. C. Public library and Life long larning Lifelong acquisition is the procedure of continues and on traveling larning throughout individual life in order to heighten uninterrupted development and betterment of the person ‘s ‘ cognition and accomplishments. Life long larning can non be achieved without literacy because reading and authorship is indispensable for larning. Due to the complex and rapid alteration environment, people need to get a assortment of accomplishments and knowledge irrespective of their age, societal, political or economic position. Wijetunge ( 2000 ) states that public libraries contribute to the womb-to-tomb acquisition by back uping the scholars to place and turn up the reading stuffs relevant to the demands of the community. Karunawathie ( 1998 ) gave an illustration of how the Negombo Public Library has contributed to the community in which it exists. The public library has assisted the fishing community in Negombo in altering the procedure of their fishing engineering by supplying the community with good and rich stuffs related to completing industry. 2. Public library and Economic development Public libraries do non merely have educational functions and maps but besides contribute to states ‘ economic systems. There is a important displacement in the function of libraries ; from recreational reading and educational establishments to active economic development agents. † Due to economic development and globalisation, public libraries started to concern in back uping concern and economic development through supplying effectual concern services, resources and literacy plans to their concern communities. Economic and instruction research workers have been analyzing how educational degrees are related to states ‘ economic growing and economic productiveness. They believe that more educated and skilled workers are more productive. ( Liu, 2004 ) A research survey ( Liu, 2004 ) was done to analyze the relationship between public libraries and school libraries and how they are related to states ‘ literacy degrees, which in bend contribute to states ‘ overall economic productiveness. This empirical survey developed a way analysis theoretical account. Cross- state statistics were gathered from a figure of beginnings including the Statistical Abstract of the World and Unesco ‘s Statistical Yearbook. It is demonstrated from this survey that public libraries have a important impact on economic productiveness through supplying assorted concern resources and literacy plans. Other surveies done corroborating the same indicant. A research done by the institute for public and Business Research on behalf of the Kansas State Library ( Glass etc. , 2000 ) . The intent of the survey was to find how Kansas public libraries could play a more active axial rotation in back uping concern and economic development in their communities. The research applied three chief tools: ( 1 ) Focus groups with bibliothecs and concerns, ( 2 ) Case surveies of four local libraries, ( 3 ) Surveies of public libraries, concerns, Chambers of Commerce, and Small Business Development Centers. The survey shows that about a 3rd of successful concerns and economic organisations in all parts of the province usage public libraries as a resource. 3.Public libraries and democratic administration Public libraries are one of the most successful information centres for increasing the quality of life and democratic opportunities for citizens by supplying free and equal entree to high-quality information. Information is of import to civic engagement and its development, which become one of the basic maps of public libraries. ( Arko-Cobbah, 2005 ) Harmonizing to Arko-Cobbah ( 2005 ) , Public libraries can help civil society to implement democratic civilization through the followers:Free and just electionsPublic libraries provide civic societies with instruction plans and necessary information to develop an informed electorate. Through an unfastened entree Internet installations, public libraries can assist with voter enrollment and even function as polling Stationss in some countries. They besides can be used to make out to politically unmotivated citizens and publicise party places, solicit feedback, new thoughts and new members ( Drake, 2001 ) .Citizen engagement in decision-makingThrough the proviso of Internet installations, public libraries provide and exchange the information needed for duologue that the public needs to do determinations about common concerns and guarantee answerability from the authorities.Human rightsIn conformity with the rule of human rights, public libraries play important function in guaranting tha t stuffs and resources are available to run into the demands and involvements of all sections of the community including national minorities.Information AccessFree entree to information is a critical component of the human rights issue that promotes the construct of democracy. Intellectual freedom is a basic human right. Want of this right leads to bossy administration. Public libraries play an of import function in supplying free entree to information, which is a necessary status for good administration.DecisionHarmonizing to the literature reappraisal, public libraries play cardinal functions in the society. They are educational establishments. They provide educational plans, such as kids ‘s and adult literacy plans, to better the literacy degrees of users. They besides support life long learning instruction. Public libraries besides play a function in supplying concern resources and aggregations in their establishments in order to react to the universe economic challenges. They are besides indispensable to the operation of a democratic society by supplying free and equal entree to high-quality information. Despite of all these critical functions for public libraries in society, these functions are non recognized in Kuwait society. Public libraries in Kuwait focal point merely on back uping formal instruction. The library still remains visited by pupils who perform research on assignments and undertakings. It is recommended that public libraries expand their functions to more important one as discussed in the literature reappraisal. That required more attempts in supplying and diverseness in the resources, aggregations, engineering installations, activities and educational plans in the libraries, which can back up different functions. Besides it is recommended increasing the consciousness of public library functions among users. Media besides could hold a important function in indicating out the importance of public libraries in Kuwait.

Healthcare reform efforts Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare reform efforts - Coursework Example They and adopt ways that can easily be accessed, human labor have to be utilized for the benefits of the hospitals activities with customer waiting time to be reduced from the time of admission to the time of discharge. On the other hand, increase in patients waiting time results to the reduction of doctor’s productivity and more so the patients may not benefits fully. With the good and available skilled care, providers can reduce of nursing expense by the employing competent personnel that offer the best service. They can the introduction of software to regulate the number of nurses according to their work competence (David Sterret, 2014). Furthermore, the setup of standardize operation rooms not only with an adequate supply of lower rates of products but also with increase operation rooms to enhance the reduction of distribution cost since quantity discounts are to be offered. With the establishment of employer health insurance, both the employers and employees premiums results in the sharing of the costs and individuals in private health insurance have their cover on health (Juras, 2015). It thus helps to reduce any patients cost-sharing requirements both in private, public, employees, health care providers and finally with the consumers in order to contribute the required amount of the tax. With the insurers benefits from the essential health, various health benefits of ambulance services, hospitalization, maternity care together with the drugs supply to help the patients for the service required. With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in control, it is believed that the consumers with established choices and plans to use hence reducing any expense down low best on their efforts. To add on, the excess cost of health care might bring issues like the decline of customer turnover to the business leading to the absence of job availability over years

University of Texas Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

University of Texas Discussion - Essay Example In fact, the health professionals bring their ideas and skills to a common pool thereby making multidisciplinary care the most outstanding approach in handling cancer ailments. The success of head and neck center can be attributed to the experienced team of professionals and adoption of the new technology in cancer treatment (Feig, 2006). The management team and the human resource department of the center have established candid mechanisms of acquiring super qualified medical professional. In addition, MD Anderson has laid modern infrastructure that enhance efficient service delivery to the patient. The center has embraced the new technology in assessing and analyzing the patient’s conditions (Bernier, 2011). The equipments found at the center are not common in other institution providing the same services. In essence, almost all the equipments required for head and neck cancer treatment are present at the center. The patient evaluation strategy adopted at the center is unique in that, it comprehensively covers the patient’s

The Reasons for the Fall of the Inca Empire Essay

The Reasons for the Fall of the Inca Empire - Essay Example The people in this kingdom used assimilations to incorporate the majority of the western part of south America. They also used violence to spread their rule within the region. The kingdom was spread from the mountains in Andrea to Ecuador over to Bolivia and into the countries of Chile and Columbia. Their official language was called Quechua though many dialects of the language were spoken. The people of the kingdom worshipped the sun god and considered their king as a son of the sun god. 2 Most of the people in the kingdom were pastoralists. After the attack and occupation of the Spaniards on the capital, Cusco, the Inca people constructed other strongholds in the towns of Vilcabamba along with Vitcos. The fall of the Inca Empire came as a result of their defeat in war by the Spaniards among many other reasons. The Spaniards had already managed to conquer the Indians of Mexico in the year 1519 under the leadership of Hernan Cortes. 3 The Incas though had no information concerning th e conquest of the Indians. The Inca people only realized that the white man was around in the years between 1523 to 1525. There was an attack by the Spaniards accompanied by the Indians of central Mexico and under the leadership of Alejo Garcia, a Spaniard, on the Inca at Gran Chaco. This helped in creating awareness among the Inca of the white man’s presence.4 In the year 1527, an outbreak of small pox affected the people of the empire leaving very devastating effects on the community. The Inca’s leader known as Huayna Capac passed away in the same year leaving a very large kingdom that encountered many wrangles on his progression. The leader had 500 boys and two of them seemed the favorites to succeed their father. They were Huascar and Atahualpa who resided in Cusco.5 This culminated in the outbreak of a civil unrest that lasted for a period of five years due to the power struggles between the brothers. The war was fought between two factions each being led by eithe r of the step brothers. Atahualpa won the war but his victory did not last long enough. This is because after two weeks the Spaniard Pizzarro arrived for his second trip to the region accompanied by one hundred and seventy seven men. Among these men only sixty seven of them were soldiers and they arrived in the year 1532 at Tumbes.6 The Inca leadership under Atahualpa had precise information concerning the whereabouts of the Spaniards.7 They however made faulty interpretations of the details since they were told that the white’s guns were only thunderbolts which could fire twice. Their soldiers were also told to that the whites man horses were not appropriate at night. 8 They claimed that the horse and the man were the same thing and the survival of one depended on the other. This implied that if one of them fell, the other was completely useless. The Inca people were also led into believing that the Spanish swords would do no harm to them. The perpetrators of this propaganda claimed that their swords were just as inefficient like a woman’s plank used for weaving purposes. The Spanish people did not however attack immediately.9 They invited the Inca leader, Atahualpa, to visit in their walled city and the leader foolishly walked into their trap. He was accompanied by many of his tribesmen though they were unarmed. They came in this condition as a result of being convinced by a Christian priest and a demigod of the Inca. The Spaniards laid an ambush on the Inca’

Employee Training in Saudi Arabian SME Firms Essay

Employee Training in Saudi Arabian SME Firms - Essay Example This study is predicated on improved outcomes for employee training when executive or senior management show leadership through attendance at in-house training sessions. In Saudi Arabia, Bjerke and Al-Meer (1993) note that 'Arab employees' expectations, as seen by the managers, include "kind and human treatment", "care", "respect", "control", and "guidance"' (ibid. p.31). Further, Ali (2008) considers that this form of practical management is useful in motivating employees. Nevertheless, executive absence from other tasks may compromise the organisation's overall efficiency, although this stance is difficult to resolve, given the large number of variables involved and availability of hand-held communication devices. As this research examines the effectiveness of training programs with or without senior management participation, the objectives are therefore to consider subsequent employee attitudes and behaviours within these parameters. Further research could consider the cost of man agement attendance at in-house employee training courses against improved workplace environment. This research concerns employee training in selected small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia, defined as firms providing manufacturing-related services with annual sales revenue not greater than Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR) 25 million and not exceeding 150 full-time employees.. Saudi Arabian SMEs comprise some 55 per cent of all national industry. A preliminary survey of the literature shows that researchers have not to date focussed on the needs of this group, in particular the capacity of this sector to absorb and retain significant numbers of school leavers and graduates coming into the Saudi job market. Therefore, more attention is needed to investigate management and employee training for this group. For the purposes of this research, management training comprises the transfer of skills to plan, organise and lead staff to attain organisational goals. Whilst organisational resources, systems and goals are in place, the purpose of the firm is to successfully direct its human resources towards sustainability and profit. Further, the firm must conform to Saudisation regulations which to some extent direct the employment, remuneration and working conditions of Saudis. It should be noted that there are significant numbers of guest workers in the Saudi labour force, and as their remuneration and conditions are not as controlled by the authorities, they represent a significant competitive challenge to Saudi in the workplace/ Whilst there is significant attention placed in this study toward the training of employees, only those aspects that relate to performance enhancement, and career-building are enclosed, and operational factors related to tasks and use of technology are omitted. 3. Contribution to Knowledge This study adds to the body

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example Here was nirvana for organizational success- the magic formula one could replicate and make its own and hopefully rise to the top amid the competition. Thus the idea of high commitment HR theory and practice was born. We all know that quality is never an accident- it is almost always the result of painstaking and committed effort (Aquayo, 1991). We see this effort in Japan’s adoption of Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management principles, Motorola’s Six Sigma Manufacturing, Philip Crosby’s The Eternally Successful Organization and even Peter Senge’s The Learning Organization. Like any living creature with a body and soul, an organization too has strengths and weaknesses. The organization and its management must also continually learn from and adapt to changes in its internal and external environment, without which it would be hard to survive and prosper. This is what strategic management is all about. From a reading of the case, it is clear that the Container Store has been quite successful in creating and maintaining its niche market in the Storage and Organization retail segment of the home furnishing and house ware retail industry. From humble beginnings in 1978, the company managed to carve out and maintain an enviable position for itself as market leader in an expanding niche market. The Container Store management however realises that competition is fierce and to meet this challenge they have embarked on a high commitment HR strategy that treats the employee as a centre point for sales, work productivity and an attitude of service with a smile. As Vice President Sharon Tindell has observed, the company needs highly trained and committed people to sell its specialised products. Its niche is to sell the hard stuff. However, keeping staff motivated and satisfied is not without its challenges and as we shall see, the HR manager of the enterprise would be hard pressed to create a performance appraisal system that is adequate for its employees, yet equitable and justifiable so that it is appreciated by all. Mission and Guiding Principles of the Container Store As we can see, the foundations of success of the Container Store are very much ensconced in its mission and guiding principles. The mission of the Container Store is the words of its chairman Boone, ‘to better the lives of consumers by giving them more time and space.’ To this end, it has connected employee and customer satisfaction, for it believes that there is no better way to satisfy a customer than by putting him in contact with a highly satisfied, well trained and fully committed employee. The company is convinced that eminently satisfied employees display a service and work attitude that is enviable and that results in better sales, more customer satisfaction and a WOW experience every time. Furthermore, the hours of dedicated and specialised training that is invested in employees whether full time or part time also make one wan t to produce more sales and satisfaction for the company. In fact the company has consistently been rated as one of the best, if not the best, in customer service and employee satisfaction for a number of years running in the industry. The company has a stringent employee selection and recruitment process that consists of a telephonic interview, a group interview and

Marketing exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing exam - Essay Example These nine functions are; financing, selling, transportation, processing, buying, storage, risk-taking, grading and standardizing, and finally providing market information. Examples of marketing include advertising, packaging and giving samples among other things. However, marketing management is the area of business that focuses on a business organization’s marketing activities and resources. It is also the branch of management that is given the task of application of techniques in marketing. In its role of management marketing management involves planning of marketing of resources. It is also involved in coordinating of marketing plans and procedures. Marketing management also involves organizing of marketing personnel and marketing resources. It also performs its role of management by controlling the flow of marketing resources. The main difference between marketing and marketing management is that marketing is the process of attracting and maintaining customers while marketing management is involved in the planning, coordinating, monitoring and organizing the processes, personnel and the resources used in abstaining the aims of marketing (Daw, 2006). Cause marketing is the type of marketing that is carried out jointly by a profit generating business organization and a business organization whose main aim is not to generate profit with the aim of social benefit. Unlike cooperate giving, cause marketing does not necessarily involve a tax deductible donation. An example of cause marketing is the campaign undertaken by the Reckitt Benckiser company in 2011. This is where the company underwent a campaign in which they run an advertisement communicating to consumers that for every â€Å"Dettol† product bought; around $0.12 would be given to the drive of building toilets in schools across Africa. â€Å"Dettol† is a range of disinfecting products produced by the Reckitt Benckiser Company. This campaigned was with collaboration with the world

How the fashion industry adapted to these restriction and shortages Research Paper

How the fashion industry adapted to these restriction and shortages during WW2 - Research Paper Example But this was short-lived, because America entry to war in 1941 saw Government restriction on civilian access to food and critical materials due to the needs of the armed forces and war production. The adoption of restriction rules in America was different from other countries, the responsibility of clothing rationing was on manufactures rather than civilian, Stanley Marcus was the head of the textile division of the WPB and he essentially froze the silhouette of the time by restricting the amount of fabric that could be used to create garment to its 1941 amount. Rules for clothing industry were created such as Limitation Order-85(L-85). The following are some of the restriction imposed by the L-85 order. 1. For blouses. No hoods, If tucking or pleating is used, ruffling could not be used and vice versa. There was to be no more than one pocket, inside or out, and no patch pocket using more than 25 inches of material. 2. In relations to coats, There was to be no bi-swing or Norfolk typ e backs, No epaulets or tabs on the shoulders, Sleeve circumference is limited to 16.5 inches. 3. Skirts/ suits and play suits. Hem circumference reduced from 81 inches to 78 for misses’ size 16 made non-wool fabrics of 9 ounce weight or less. No culottes, reversible skirt, quilted skirts or skating skirts. 4. Dresses. No more than 2 buttons were allowed and 2 buttonholes for each cuff, No quilting using more than 300 square inches, People were limited to only 3 pairs of leather footwear per year. This was in order to regulate the uncontrolled demand as there was shortage of leather and manpower as well as military demand. Items of clothing such as shoes came under direct rationing; others fell under indirect rationing as a result of strict restriction being imposed upon manufacturers and wholesalers by the War Production Board, (WPB) program for conservation of strategic materials. Nylon production for instance was directed to military use in February 1942. It was used in pa rachutes. Rubber and leather was reserved for the military use. Cotton was not restricted immediately but the heavy military demand and changing of cotton fields into crop production and the poor cotton crop later during the war affected greatly its supply. Silk materials that came from the east became scarce due to cessation of overseas shipping. Rubber controls were significantly tightened during the war due to the high military demand. By February 1942, U.S had been cut from 90% of its natural rubber supply. However, the American fashion industry adopted measures, companies like Sears, Roebuck & co, offered shoes for other rationing coupons, other companies like Lane Bryant advertised â€Å"Non-Rationed Shoes) which were non- leather and were also wedge style or combination of the two. The ‘Wedge Shoe’ gained popularity during World War 2; it was originally created by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1935, it was made from cork sole and natural fiber for the upper part. The s hoe utilized such materials as hemp, felt, and raffia plaited cellophane and crocheted. Silk was substituted with nylon but later on, it became needed for making parachutes. Shortage of stockings made women to resort for trousers which were adopted by the young and the working classes. The L-85 restriction order made American designers who were eager to make a place in the fashion world, not being allowed a large margin for their originality. Modifications were made to shorten the length of skirts,

Can Lollardy be considered a vigorous movement in the later fifteenth Essay

Can Lollardy be considered a vigorous movement in the later fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries - Essay Example The Lollard movement started when the followers of John Wycliff, after the death of Wycliff in 1384, started circulating Lollard doctrine around different regions of the world such as Southern and central England. Continuing its connections to Oxford and considerable gentry support, Lollardy was recognised as a small but persistent sect during the fifteenth century. Different scholars have been presenting different views regarding Lollards movement. Some consider Lollards movement as a small-scale movement resulted as a response to Wycliff teachings however, some scholars consider it as a coherent reform movement that prefigured sixteenth-century changes (Amold and Lewis 2004).2 After the emergence of Lollards movement in the fourteenth century, there has been always a dilemma regarding the nature of Lollards movement. Therefore, the aim of this report is to evaluate whether Lollards movement be considered as a vigorous and coherent movement in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Various studies have been conducted to cover the concepts of Lollards movement. Historians and scholars have been always keen to evaluate the impact on Lollardy. Before presenting arguments, analysing the work of historians and scholars is very essential. Lollard is a problematic label and there are many issues regarding the origins, coherence and affect of this movement.3 There are two extreme views regarding the Lollards movement. The first view argues that not all but most of the Lollard writings are written by Wycliffe. Therefore, Lollardy as an incoherent movement was encouraged by social and economic grievance. This movement was primarily started to spread the thought of Wycliffe and it can be termed as either Lollardy or Wycliffism. On the other hand, the other extreme view suggests that Lollardy is not a movement but it is a projection of the anxieties of monarchies or churches. The second view considers Lollardy as a coherence of diverse beliefs and practices

Organizational Characteristics Essay Example for Free

Organizational Characteristics Essay This paper will describe the culture and the organizational characteristics of a chosen organization, Publix Supermarkets. Detailed throughout will be the common characteristics of the organization as it operates on a day to day basis. Specifically the system based on individual units, rules and norms expected of the associates and supervisors as well as the hierarchy will be established for the reader to garner a better understanding. Furthermore, the communication networks, organizational orientation, approaches to and by leadership members, as well as the decision making and communication procedures put forth by members of management will be analyzed. This paper will describe which 4 of these listed characteristics are most influenced by communication between members and levels of Publix Supermarkets. The author has been employed with this supermarket chain for more than 7 years and has ample knowledge and understanding on the organization as a whole. Common Characteristics of an Organization Publix Supermarkets is a grocery chain unlike many others for a variety of reasons. Founded in 1930 in Winter haven, Florida by George W. Jenkins, Publix is known for its customer first atmosphere and pleasurable shopping experience. The grocery chain whose motto states they will never knowingly disappoint their customers operates in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee and currently has more than 1000 stores in operation (Publix.com). Jenkins’ supermarket chain has continued to grow on their customer friendly business sense. Publix has since become a Fortune 500 company and is privately held and owned by its employees. For as well as they treat their customers, the chain treats its associates and management staff just as well if not better. Publix workers who have been with the company a base number of years receive shares of stock for every 1000 hours worked, and can purchase more shares of stock at almost any time during a given year. The grocery chain is also well known for its high ranking employee benefits and treatment in the employment world. Rules/Norms (Written and Unwritten) Outside of the big green P logo, the Publix atmosphere is what customers relate to with the chain more than anything else. Communication with customers is a major asset in following proper Publix protocol. The smiling helpful associates, clean stores, and consumer friendly set up of product is where Publix truly prides itself as an organization. Each experience ends with a friendly cashier and bagger, and the bagger will always bring the customer to their vehicle and help load product into the car for them. Believe it or not this all relates to performance evaluations that are done quarterly, where associates are evaluated on their behavior amongst the customers. Customer intimacy is something Publix takes very seriously. The Publix image extends onto its associates as well. All employees are expected to show up to work on time and be clean shaven in full clean uniform attire. Each department and job class has their own specific uniform; however all include proper hygiene, reasonable hairstyling, and proper equipment to perform their tasks to better serve the shoppers. Publix is an organization that understands how to promote their brand by utilizing all available options to do so. Clean stores and clean happy associates promote the â€Å"Publix Way.† This plays a major role in nonverbal communication between Publix associates and their customers. Aside from dress code and customer relations, two major elements, there are many other standards Publix employees are held to. A good example of one unwritten Publix rule would be: communication between associates when out on the sales floor during business hours must be respectful, and if at all possible must include the customer. Also, outside from positive communication both verbal and nonverbal with customers and fellow associates employees are expected to communicate both effectively and respectfully with management teams as well. Hierarchy The Publix store level hierarchy is something that runs seemingly parallel in each department throughout the store. Each department and sub department have their chain of command as follows: part time associates, full time associates, assistant department manager, and department manager. The two major departments, grocery and customer service, have the most associates, in order to better supervise their employees there is a position called a team leader that fits into the hierarchy between the full time associates and the management team. Publix is a company that only promotes from within. This is a big selling point for associates and applicants alike. Knowing that the opportunity for advancement is always there is a major asset for the associates in the store. Communications between the different levels of the chain of command are fluid. The associates can go to their department managers, or team leaders, with any concern or idea. The department managers at store level then communicate with the store’s assistant manager and store manager about the associate’s ideas and concerns. Communication Networks The information Publix gathers through their retail channels is usually information based on product analysis and placement that they can pass down to the management teams at store levels to assess further. Ultimately the store will take the advice of corporate and try to taper the information in the way it works most effectively for each store. Each store can take the same information and depict it differently. Information about new products, events, or openings may not influence all stores, or influence them all at the same level. There are times, during major events like hurricanes, holidays, or back to school time, where Publix store level employees must take the information sent to them by corporate including sales figures and forecasts in order to build the proper displays and floor models for customers to browse. Having product out that customers take interest in can help drive sales. The communication between the different levels of Publix Supermarkets goes hand in hand with communication networks at the store level. Leadership Approaches A major tool in the line of communication at Publix is how they allow anyone who is willing to step up and be a leader, do so. When every associate feels that sense of empowerment in their employment it urges them to lead in a different way, work harder and do a better job to lead by example. Publix pushes their associates to be role models both in the stores, and in the community. The management teams are in place to ensure guidelines are followed, but showing quality leadership through positive communication means so much more. Communicating with leaders is always a situation associates take very seriously in any industry or business. This is no different in the retail world at Publix. Associates voice their concerns and feelings to their leaders, whether it be management, team leaders, or even fellow associates who take on the responsibility of leading a specific group. At Publix supermarkets the communication had with leadership is always something associates should come away from feeling they were heard out and understood, good virtue for any organization to sustain. Conclusion Publix through the years has become one of the most widely respected organizations in America. This is due to the quality product and customer service put out the grocery chain, but also playing a role in the respect factor is the culture of the organization. This of course starts at store level and works its way to the corporate ranks, and is in large part to do with positive, effective communication. Publix supermarkets are known throughout the world a company that is great to work for, just as much as they are to shop at. Through utilizing all of the common communication characteristics Publix has continued to promote a very associate friendly atmosphere through the years. The supermarket chain takes pride in the fact that each associate understands their value to their company and takes pride in hiring quality applicants. Publix utilizes its rules and norms, hierarchy, communication networks, and strong leadership approach in all day to day activities in order to remain a successful industry leader.

Electrostatic Ion Thrusters

Electrostatic Ion Thrusters Abstract The ion thrusters belong to the electric propulsion category and are used by modern spacecraft either to maintain their position relative to the Earth or to complete deep space missions. Their main characteristic is the high specific impulse which involves an efficient use of the propellant, a mandatory requirement for space activities where weight is the main restriction. The thrust is generated by the acceleration of ionised gas at very high velocities. The mechanism used to achieve the acceleration distinguishes these propulsive devices in two main categories: electrostatic and electromagnetic. In the first type, a potential difference accelerates the ions through the Coulombs force. In the second type the interaction of the ionised gas with a magnetic field generates the thrust through the Lorentzs force. This paper focuses on the analysis of the main features and architectures of the electrostatic ion thrusters. In the first part, the reasons why they are used for space applicat ions are explained. Afterwards, the propulsors physic and the working principles are illustrated with considerations on their advantages and limitations. Eventually, an overview of the field of applications and future design innovations is presented. Keywords: Ion thrusters, Hall thrusters, Feep Nomenclature EPElectric Propulsion ESAEuropean Space AgencyNASANational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationJAXAJapan Aerospace Exploration AgencyGEOGeostationary Orbit LEOlow Earth Orbit STPStationary Plasma Thruster Electrostatic ion thrusters are a major area of interest within the field of space applications. Thanks to the constant heightened of electrical power available in modern spacecraft the last two decades have seen a growing proliferation of this technology. The concept of electric propulsion has been theorized for the first time by Robert H. Goddard in 1906[1] and Herman Oberth in 1929[2] but it was not until 1948 that the research efforts on ion thrusters implementation on a spacecraft began. A considerable contribution was given by the work of Ernst Stuhlinger[1]. Early experimental tests started during the 50s and leaded to the first successful space test in 1964 with the SERT-1[3]. With the end of the Cold War and the Space Race the interest in these devices diminished but just for a short period. Today in fact ion thrusters are essential for a wide range of space missions. In this paper, after a brief explanation of the importance of high impulse thrusters for space applications, the three main architectures of electrostatic ion thrusters are presented. For each category the paper will look into the working principles, evolution over the years, applications in space mission and future development of the technology. The essential reason of the development of the ion thruster for space applications is the extremely high efficiency in the utilisation of propellant mass and the corresponding reduction of the launch costs, a critical parameter for the mission feasibility. Moreover this technology permits to performs deep-space missions otherwise inaccessible to conventional chemical rockets[4]. The reason lies in the Tsiolkovskys equation which can be derived from the Newtons law of momentum conservation: Where and are the final and the initial spacecraft mass respectively, is the velocity change and is the exhaust velocity. The equations shows that must be comparable to to have a significant fraction of final mass. Thrusters that provide a large propellant exhaust velocity compared to the mission will have a propellant mass that is only a small fraction of the initial spacecraft wet mass. Space mission are classified by the amount of velocity change needed for the orbital maneuvers, planetary mission for example requires velocity above 10 km/s[4]. Table 1:Characteristic velocity increments Mission [km/s] 1 year station keeping 10 LEO GEO 3.5 Earth Mars (return) 14 Earth Venus (return) 16 Earth Jupiter (return) 64 Earth Alpha Centaury (return) 30000 The exhaust velocity is directly proportional to the specific impulse, which can be seen as a measure of the propellant acceleration efficiency. The formulation is: where in the mass flow and the sea-level gravitational acceleration. Typical values of different propulsive systems are listed in table 2. It can be seen that the necessary velocity augmentation is much larger than the typical chemical rocket exhaust velocity, for this reason they are not suitable for this kind of missions. The latter is restricted by the intrinsic energy of the propellant, thermal limitations of the materials and frozen flow losses[4]. For electric thrusters the propellant and the energy source are independent and the specific impulse depends only on the energy deposed into the plasma[5]. Another key strength of ion thrusters is the high thrust efficiency: where is the available electric power and is the thrust. The equation shows that defined a large specific impulse leads to a very low thrust level which is a typical characteristic of ion engines. As a consequence this kind of thrusters requires a large amount of propulsion time, actually the opposite of what happens with chemical propulsion, characterised by high thrust levels over a short time. Table 2: Representative specific impulse and thrust levels of different propulsive systems [2] Propulsive system [s] Thrust [N] Liquid monopropellant 200 250 0.01 100 Liquid bipropellant 300 450 0.01 10^7 Solid propellant 200 300 1 10^6 Hybrid propellant 250 350 1 10^6 Ion Thrusters 2000 5000 Hall Thrusters 1500 2500 Feep Thrusters 5000 0.001 Electrostatic ion engines overcomes the limitations on the attainable exhaust speeds of conventional chemical rockets by the acceleration of the propellant through an electrostatic field. They can be divided into three main categories: Gridded Ion Thrusters, Hall Effect Thrusters and Field-Emission Electric Propulsion. In each of those the same main functions are performed: generation of the plasma, ions acceleration and ions neutralization. This configuration is the most fully developed and studied concept of electric propulsion [4]. The standard design comprises a metal ionisation chamber surrounded by magnets and three grids at the exit position. Acc elettroni 4.1 Ionisation and extraction Plasma is a ionised gas where approximately an equal number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons coexists[6]. The generation of positive particles requires an energy equivalent to the first ionization energy of the propellant. This amount of energy has an impact on the maximum attainable efficiency of the thruster that according to[5] can be written as: where is the ionisation energy and is the ion mass. The equation displays that the higher the ion mass and exit velocity (hence specific impulse) the higher the efficiency while decreases it. For this reason propellants with a low specific ionisation energy (alkali metals and noble gases) are preferred. The lower limit for the utilisation on these type of thrusters is 2000 s. Modern ion thrusters uses Xenon as a propellant since it has a large atomic weight and it easy to store because it is an inert gas, although Mercury and Caesium would be more performant propellants since their mass is much larger and the ionisation energy slightly greater, the higher toxicity prevents their use in experimental tests. Propellant Ionisation potential [eV] Atomic mass [AMU] Caesium 3.9 132.9 Mercury 10.4 200.6 Xenon 12.8 131.3 Krypton 14.0 83.8 Hydrogen 15.4 2.0 There are two mechanisms to create the plasma: the electron-bombardment and the relatively recent frequency excitation. In the first type electrons emitted from a thermionic or a hollow cathode collide with the propellant gas and generates positive ions. The electrons tend to reach the anode but the presence of an axial magnetic field generated by the magnets outside of the chamber causes a spiral path that improves their confinement and the ionisation efficiency. When an electron ionises an atom its energy decreases and when it drop below a certain level the magnetic field is not able to confine it anymore and it is extracted by the anode. In the second type the ionisation chamber is surrounded by a coil that induces an axial electro-magnetic field that ionises the gas. This method has some advantages such as the elimination of the cathode which improve the thruster life and a larger range of mass flow variation [7]. The number of ions created is equal to the number of electrons captured by the anode and an equilibrium condition is established. The plasma potential is slightly higher than the one of first grid, as a consequence the generated ions are attracted towards the exit of the chamber. In this region a sheet of the debaey length causes a natural curvature of the electric field and permits the extraction of the ions. Sheets debay 4.2 Acceleration The extraction of the ions from the ionisation chamber and the acceleration are performed by an electric field applied by three perforated grids. The first one acts as a screen while the second and the third accelerate and decelerate the gas respectively. The design of the grids is crucial and is based on a trade-off among performance, life and size. The grid holes diameter is defined by conflicting targets, it must be enough small to retain the unionised gas but maximised to provide an high grid transparency to extract the maximum possible number of positive ions[5]. An high potential difference is applied between the first and the second grid which accelerates the ions: where and are the ion charge and mass respectively and is the potential difference. The potential of the intermediate grid is negative in order to avoid the back-streaming of the electrons from the neutralizer cathode. The presence of positive particles only, during the acceleration, leads to an essential upper limit in the ion current density that can by provided and hence to the thrust density (N/m^2) of this devices with adverse consequences on their size[7]. The limit is dictate by the Child-Langmuir law[8]: that involves a thrust per unit of area of: where A is the cross area of the jet, d is the distance between the grids and is the electric constant. The formula demonstrates that to have compact device heavy ions and an high voltage are needed while the gap between the grids must be very small and this constitutes a thermal, electrical and structural challenge. Adopting Xenon and the maximum electric potential difference with nowadays technology level (typical value is 1000 Volt) the value which is very low. The exhaust speed achieved in this case, and hence the specific impulse, is excessively high considering the actual space mission requirements. Since just lowering the potential difference would reduce the already small value of thrust density a third deceleration grid is added[1]. Placing the acceleration grid at a negative potential the problem of the excessive velocity is solved without compromising the thrust density. The value of the required specific impulse determines the value of the third grid potential[5]. The single charge nature of the beam causes the repulsion between the accelerated ions which tend to diverge from the axial direction. Since the repulsion force is proportional to the beam diameter the latter is subdivided into small portions with order of magnitude equals to the grids distance. Since the electric field generated by the first grid is convergent the grid can be designed in such a way that particles trajectory became axial due to the repulsive force inside the beam. The grid geometry and the ions trajectory have a crucial roles in determining the thruster life, for this reason they are made of heavy metals such as Molybdenum, Graphite composites have been recently introduced[7]. Even though the grid are accurately designed, a secondary current of low energy ions hits the accelerator grid causing erosion. This current is caused by the Charge-Exchange Ionisation: some neutral atoms of propellant escaping from the ionisation chamber are struck by beam ions and a charge exchange happens[5]. The resultant low energy ions are accelerated towards the intermediate grid with enough energy to consume it over a long period. This process leads to a distortion of the grid holes that increases the damage until a structural failure of the grid occurs or the back streaming of electrons is not prevented anymore. 4.3 Neutralisation If the positive charged ions beam exiting from the thruster is not neutralised the thruster acquires a negative potential and causes the ions back-streaming. The neutralisation is achieved by the emission of a negative current by an hollow cathode positioned outside of the ions streams. Since the potential difference in this case is very low (electrons dont need to be accelerated) and the distance is an order of magnitude larger than the grid gap, the Childs law prevents the emission of a pure electrons current. The solution is the utilisation of a plasma bridge, a global neutral plasma with an electrons current inside. The hollow cathode is constituted by a tube of refractory materials and an orifice plate at the downstream end[9]. Inside the tube an insert made of tungsten is impregnated with a low work-function metal. The cathode is wrapped by an heater that allows electrons emission through thermionic effect when temperature reaches 1000ÂÂ °C[9]. Xenon is fed into the tube and electrons emitted from the insert are extracted by a keeper electrode downstream of the orifice. 4.4 Evolution of the technology and future development The first ion engine flight was the demonstrative mission Space Electric Rocket Test (SERT 1) in 1964[3], followed in 1970 by the SERT 2 whose two mercury thrusters achieved 2000 and 3700 hours of operations respectively providing 300 restarts[10]. The first use of gridded ion thrusters adopted for station keeping for commercial applications has been the XIPS-13 in 1997 for the PAS-5 (PanAmSat-5) communications satellite[5]. The subsequent generation of gridded ion engine, NSTAR, was developed by NASA JPL and Boeing. This thruster equipped the Deep Space 1 in 1998[11], a demonstration spacecraft that reached an asteroid and a comet. It provided 16000 hours of operation during the mission and over 40,000 hours of life testing[5]. Hundreds of papers have been published on its design and performance. In 1999 an evolution of the XIPS-13, the XIPS-25, was first lunched on a Boeing 702 Satellite[12]. This second generation is capable of providing orbit raising other than station keeping and momentum control. To date these thruster have been used for station keeping on Boeing 702 class satellites for more than 10 years, and 68 are currently operating in orbit on 17 spacecraft[5]. The next model used for station keeping was lunched on the telecom satellite Artemis in 2001 by the ESA. It used two T5 and two RIT thruster developed by Astrium[13]. The satellite reached a GEO orbit thanks to the ion thrusters used as a primary propulsion for recovery the chemical stage failure. In 2003 JAXA lunched the Hayabusa mission which equipped with four ion thrusters collected samples from an asteroid and returned to Earth in 2010[14]. Later in 2007 the Dawn[ mission of NASA was lunched to study two protoplanets in the asteroids belts, Vesta and Ceres, it has been the first time that a spacecraft orbited around two different solar system bodies, it would have been impossible without ion engines[15]. In 2009 the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission was lunched to study the variations of Earth gravitational field[16]. The key component of the mission were two ion thrusters for drag compensation. A new challenging mission named Bepi-Colombo is planned for October 2018 by a collaboration between ESA And JAXA[17]. The aim is the exploration of Mercury and will use four QinetiQ T6 ion thrusters. Another gridded ion thruster available in near future will be the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT)[17], Glenn Research Center manufacture d the test engines core ionization chamber, and Aerojet Rocketdyne designed and built the ion acceleration assembly[18]. A long duration test(LDT) was initiated in 2005 and was voluntarily terminated in 2014 after more than 50000 hours of operation and almost 1 ton of Xenon consumed. Post-test inspection highlighted the readiness of the thruster for space use[19][20]. It has been proposed for several future missions[21]. The first two flight units will be available in early 2019. Name Power [Kw] [s] T [mN] SERT 1 1.4 4900 28 XIPS 13 0.33 2570 18 NSTAR 0.5-2.3 3100 20-95 XIPS 25 4.5 3800 165 RIT 4.3 3-5000 150 T5 0.27-0.65 3-3500 10-25 T6 5.2 3500 40-200 NEXT 0.5-7 4200 237 The Hall thrusters are direct competitors of the gridded ion thrusters, even if they have a lower efficiency and specific impulse the thrust density is many times greater since both ions end electrons are accelerated and the Childs law is not a limit. The system is based on a fundamental effect discovered in 1879 by Edwin H. Hall[22], he showed that in presence of a perpendicular electric and magnetic field an electric current flows perpendicular to both. This phenomenon is exploited for the ionisation and the acceleration of the propellant. 5.1 Working Principles The ionisation chamber is axisymmetric, enclosed in two concentric cylinders. A radial magnetic field is applied through permanent magnets or solenoids, at the entrance of the chamber is situated a metallic anode from which the propellant is injected. At the cylinder end an hollow cathode emits an electrons beam that is divided into two parts. About 60-80% of the electrons are used to neutralise the positive ions ejected from the chamber, the remaining are trapped by the magnetic and the electric fields at the chamber exit and constitute a virtual plasma cathode[7]. The direct flows of the electrons towards the anode is prevented by the Hall effect which causes a spiral trajectory of the electrons. The propellant unleashed at the chamber entrance moves towards the electrons region and is ionised. Then the resultant electric field accelerates the ions. The long residence time of the electrons in the annular chamber, due to the magnetic confinement, makes the ionisation very efficient. Even if the magnetic field is determinant for the thruster operation the acceleration is achieved by a stationary electric force. The magnetic field that confines the electrons, which peaks at the exit, affects the ions trajectory causing a disturbance tangential torque that must be compensated and an high beam divergence angle of about 40ÂÂ ° that reduces the thrust efficiency and may cause electrostatic charging and interference to the satellite communications. The ionisation is much more efficient than in the gridded ion thrusters thanks to the lower ionisation energy requested and permits to achieve satisfactory efficiency 50-60% even with a relative low specific impulse. The considerable complexity of the plasma dynamic due to the presence if the magnetic and the electric field within the thruster causes fluctuations in the electron density that could cause severe damages, for this reason the electric potential is limited to 350 Volts. 5.2 SPT and TAL variants On the basis of the different materials that constitutes the cylinder wall in contact with the plasma Hall thrusters are divided into Stationary Plasma Thrusters (SPT), that are characterised by insulating walls made of boron nitride and silica compound (BN-SiO2), and Thruster Anode Layer (TAL) which have a conductive one[23]. Since the walls are continuously hit by some electrons and consecutively emits other electrons because of the secondary electron emission (SEE) effect, if the wall are metallic the resultant quantity of electrons is larger, the electric field is more intense and the potential drop occurs in a shorter distance. The result is more compact architecture with higher thrust density. The power loss are also related to life are strongly influenced by wall interactions. For SPT thrusters a significant amount of their power is lost on the dielectric channel walls due to electron bombardment. The metallic walls in TAL thrusters gather a smaller electron current since they have the same potential of the cathode which rejects the electrons and they have a small exposed area to the plasma, which limits the amount of ion and power lost to these surfaces. On the other hand the shorter chamber raises the intensity of the discharge current on the anode because the magnetic confinement is less effective [7]. 5.3 Evolution of the technology and future development The first Hall-Effect thruster to operate in space was the SPT-50 aboard the Soviet Meteor spacecraft in 1971 and was mainly used for satellite stabilization. Starting from that year more then 140 Hall thruster have been used in space[24]. Subsequently Hall engine of different power and size were developed with the introduction of the SPT-70 and SPT-100 in 1982. With their introduction in the west after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 lot of research have been carried out by United States, France, Italy and Japan. The first US mission that adopted this technology was the demonstrator STEX spacecraft using D-55 TAL Hall Thrusters manufactured in Russia[25]. In 2004 the ESAs satellite SMART-1 adopted the Snecma PPS-1350-G, with a design similar to the SPT-100, to reach the lunar orbit from GTO[26]. The mission finished in 2006 with a controlled collision on the Moons surface. The probe covered more than 100 million kilometres, consuming just 82 kg of propellant. The joint venture between the Busek Company and Aerojet Rocketdyne leads to the development of the BTP-4000 designed for US military spacecraft as well as commercial satellites. In 2000 an agreement between Aerojet and Lockheed Martin Space System Company (LMSSC) developed the Hall Thruster Propulsion System (HTPS) for the next generation LMSSC geosynchronous spacecraft, this program adopted the BPT-4000 because of the ability to operate in a large range of powers and thrust modes allowing both station keeping and orbit raise[18]. Flight test qualifications and improvements lead to the discovery of the magnetic shielding phenomenon[27]. The achievement of a particular magnetic topology that essentially blocked the chamber wall erosion after 6000 hours, the developed erosion model enabled the possibility to predict andextent the engine lifetime. This thruster, used on the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellites constitutes the currently most powerful Hall en gine in operation. In 2009 AR and Lockheed Martin developed the XR-12, the first Hall thruster in the 10kW class, it was intended for the US Air Forces TSAT constellation but after the cancellation of the program its use for future missions have been studied by NASA. In the recent years high power and thrust Hall engine have been investigated thanks to the increasing of the available spacecraft power. The consequent increase of thrust reduces the amount of time for the mission and permits a larger payload. In Europe Snecma developed the PPS-20k for the HiPER Project, an European project to study innovative electric propulsion technologies for future space transportation and exploration. In 2010 NASA promoted the Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT) to investigate new technologies for a future human space exploration and high power Hall thrusters, thanks to the high power processing capabilities and extensive range of thrust levels, were chosen as a possible technology. The NASA-457Mv2 50-kW class, whose development started in 2004, has been tested during 2011 with satisfactory results. This model can be a potential point of start for future NASA exploration missions. Another step forward has been made with the development of the X3, a 100-kW class three-channel nested Hall thruster, designed by the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) at the University of Michigan, in collaboration with NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Its performances up to 30 kW have been recently successfully tested and further measurements in order to analyse the complete operating envelopment up to 200 kW will be effectuated in the near future. Name Power [Kw]

Juarez Drug Cartel Philosophy and Culture

Juarez Drug Cartel Philosophy and Culture A counterculture will always be a subculture that instead of following the larger societys norms they refuse to have the same belief and value set as the larger society. This group establishes their own set of norms and beliefs (Thomas 39). Countercultures have existed for hundreds of years all over the world. Some have been a complete failure while others have managed to carry on and lead their movement worldwide. It is no doubt that these countercultures are considered rebels in the eyes of the larger society. One of Mexicos most well-known countercultures is the Juarez Drug Cartel. The Juarez Drug Cartel is a criminal organization in charge of some of the drug trade in Mexico. In recent years, this cartel has expanded its criminal offenses from not only drug trafficking but to also conducting kidnapping and human trafficking operations (Unknown). All as a means to continue revolutionizing their movement. The Juarez Drug Cartel which may also be referred to as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization in honor of its leader, is mainly located in the city of Juarez which is in the state of Chihuahua. It began to develop in the 1980s after the Guadalajaras cartel leader, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo was arrested. Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, the individual who was an associate of the Guadalajaras cartel, presumed the authority to control Ciudad Juarez (city of Juarez) after the notorious arrest. Shortly after for unknown circumstances, Aguilar Guajardo was killed in 1993 and one of his right hand men, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, aka El Senor de los Cielos (Lord of the Skie s), undertook control of the beginnings of the cartel. Under his control, half of Mexican trafficking took place and his trafficking expanded to Central America and South America. (Unknown). The Juarez Cartel had quite an operational system going on. It was in charge of moving tons of cocaine from Colombia into Mexico by means of air and then disbursing it into the United States by land. Carrillo Fuentes died in 1997 and his brothers, Vicente and Rodolfo took control. Part of the reason as to why this cartel developed into a well-established criminal organization was because they worked closely with corrupt local and state law enforcement. These municipal forces have allowed not only the Juarez Cartel, but many other cartels to continue their criminal misdemeanors. The cartel was able to use small armies of their own to protect themselves and their territories. One of the cartels small army is the Linces, which consists of former individuals from the Armys Special Forces. In October 9, 2014 Vicente Carrillo Fuentes was arrested by Mexican government officials (Unknown). It is reasonable to say that this cartel has weakened its powers due to new criminal organizations developing but still to this day it has remained in Mexicos territories still carrying on criminal operations of their own. Upon researching any counterculture, it is important to understand two main terms in order to properly analyze the information. Sociological perspective is a term that is basically used to inform an individual that they must be able to understand the outlook of others and the meanings behind their actions, all in effort to broaden ones views (Thomas 4).ÂÂ   The sociological perspective can also help one understand how they as an individual are shaped by their social environment (Thomas 5). With this said, one can attempt to understand that the Juarez Cartels actions have significantly affected ones views. For example, whenever one mentions the drug trade most people think about drug trafficking coming into the United States from Mexican drug cartels, which of course all ties into our understanding of the sociological perspective. The sociological perspective is another term used in sociology which attempts to make it be known that an individual has the ability to see how their p ersonal life is in a sense attached to the larger world (Thomas 5). With this being said, the Juarez Drug Cartel has significantly deteriorated the Mexican republic. Mexican officials have had a long term drug war against the cartels. Since 2009, more than 7,000 people have fallen victim to this long going war. The cartels have attempted to force the government to end this drug war once and for all by literally terrorizing the citizens. The cartel is even attacking corporations. Pemex, which is a state-owned petroleum company has had many kidnapping and theft coming from not only the cartels but also from employees who work alongside the cartels. The cartels are terrorizing the nation to the point where the amount of vehicle armoring production has increased due to security measures that individuals are seeking. In Mexico City alone there has been a 25% increase of armored cars whereas in the rest of the country there has been 60% which of course signifies how great of a fear the ca rtels are causing (Duff). It has been noticeable how the perception of Mexico has been viewed negatively in the most recent years. The problem is so severe that foreign direct investment is not the same anymore. AmCham surveyed a questionnaire where 27% of correspondents noted that for security issues in Mexico they would think twice on whether investing in Mexico (Duff). Their actions have greatly affect Mexicos society and economic progress. Ethnocentrism is the belief that everyone elses culture is inferior and that ones culture is superior above all (Thomas 35). The Juarez Drug cartel is considered a counterculture because it is not something that everyone wishes to do. There are individuals in Mexico living in a state of poverty who under no circumstances would ever consider turning to the criminal organization. There are others who are desperately trying to make ends meet and feel as if they have no other option. Either way, the larger society does not agree with a criminal organization killing, kidnapping, or terrorizing the public. It is something that is not considered acceptable mostly when cartels are doing it for money and drugs. The Juarez Drug cartel and other cartels are giving a message to the youth of Mexico that anyone can leave the poverty state and have it all, which of course violates the views of the citizens. Cultural relativism is the belief that a culture should not be judged by ones standards but by the countercultures instead (Thomas 36). One must be able to understand why a counterculture group behaves in the manner in which they do. The Juarez Drug Cartel continues to do what they do because they find themselves in competition against other cartels in the control of narcotics and territories (Cartels at War: Mexicos Drug-Fueled Violence and the Threat to U.S. National Security ). One of the most prestigious men in the drug organization, Joaquin Guzman Loera, mentioned that poverty was what drove him to turn to the drug trade industry. He mentioned that there were never any job opportunities even today, so for money to be acquired for food, one had to turn to growing marijuana. He mentioned that there was not and there still is not a way that exists that can help individuals survive or contribute to the economy (Lombardi). Of course these are words coming from a drug lord, but it put s into perspective how the Mexican government has yet to counterattack these words with actions. Young adolescents living in poverty are now being recruited by drug trafficking organizations due to such a great lack of opportunity in the country (Ramsey). It is estimated that there was an increase of poverty in Mexico between 2012 and 2014 by two million (Rama). People are becoming more and more desperate and the cartels are simply trying to do something that the government is not doing (jobs) even if it their reasons are morally wrong. In rural communities, the drug industry has been able to recruit many in joining the criminal organization. It is estimated that the majority of laborers are employed by no other than by the narcotics industry (Jones). The Juarez Drug Cartel is a counterculture that has revolutionized into an escape for many citizens. Based on research found on the Juarez Drug Cartel, the majority of individuals would agree that the Juarez Drug Cartels philosophy is not right and that it should not continue. This drug organization is giving false hopes to many of Mexicos impoverished individuals who do not seem to notice that the instant in which they are agreeing to join the drug trade, they are signing up for a life or death situation every day. Since the 1980s, the Juarez Drug Cartel has been terrorizing the nation with its drug trade. Its practices have established them as a counterculture. They have grown their organization to the point where so much corruptness exists that even local and state police are being a part of this countercultures wrongfully practices. References Kan, Paul. Cartels at War: Mexicos Drug-Fueled Violence and the Threat to U.S. National Security . Washington D.C. : Potomac Book, 2012. 27. Book. Duff, Devon and Rygler, Jen. Drug Trafficking, Violence and Mexico. 26 January 2011. Knowledge at Wharton University of Pennsylvania. Web. 08 03 2017. Jones, Michael K E. The Effects of the Mexican Drug Trade over the Past Sixty Years. 05 October 2014. E-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS STUDENTS. Web. 06 March 2017. Lombardi, Daniel. Does poverty lead to drug trafficking? The worlds notorious trafficker says yes. 14 January 2016. Desert News U.S. World. Web. 09 March 2017. Rama, Anahi and Yukhananov, Anna. Mexican government says poverty rate rose to 46.2 percent in 2014. 23 July 2015. Reuters. Web. 08 March 2017. Ramsey, Geoffrey. Poverty a Recruitment Tool for Mexicos Criminal Gangs. 20 July 2011. InSight Crime. Web. 08 March 2017. Thomas, W. LaVerne. Sociology: The Study of Human Relationships. Austin: Hull, Rinehart, Winston, 2003. Textbook. Unknown. Juarez Cartel. 17 November 2015. InSight Crime. Web. 06 March 2017.

Essay --

Gasoline and diesel fuels form the back bone of the present road transport. The internal combustion engine is being used in vehicles for the past 100 years approximately. But the problem with the engines is the limitation of fossil fuel reserves and the emissions of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. These fossil fuels generate emissions of pollutants such as PM, Nox and CO which are hazardous to the human being. It is the need of the hour to vouch for other renewable energy sources to overcome the energy crisis and to achieve decarburisation, energy security and cleaner air to breathe. Fuel cells are the devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy without the emissions of harmful exhaust gases.. This paper summarizes the configuration of the fuel cell hybrid vehicle. It briefly describes the function of each component and the losses occuring in each component. Fuel cells are the most quiet and reliable as they have no moving parts. The efficiency is about twice that of the internal combustion engine. [2]. There is no Carnot limitation as in case of IC engine. The most commonly used fuel cell is hydrogen fuel cell in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Hydrogen is a clean burning fuel. The exhaust is pure water. The combination of a fuel cell with a battery is studied in this paper. The hybridization of the fuel cell helps in reducing the size of the fuel cell and its initial cost but it increases the vehicle complexity, weight and the battery cost. At higher loads and greater acceleration, the battery provides surplus power and increases the fuel cell efficiency. At low loads the fuel cell is used to provide the required power. The battery is also used for the start up of the vehicle ... ...es by 2030. The cost of FCHEVs and BEVs are not largely affected by the changes in electricity costs, but the ICE and FCEV costs are greatly affected by the fuel cost. This occurs partially due to the different powertrain efficiencies. Comparing the overall lifecycle costs, it can be observed that FCHEVs and BEVs are cheaper as compared to FCEVs and ICEs. But the FCHEVs and BEVs are sensitive to the overall capital and running costs. For instance, the BEVs in particular are sensitive to battery size. The lifecycle costs of ICEs and BEVs are about 1.75 times higher than that of the FCHEVs and the BEVs. There are several challenges that are to be met in the near future for the FCHEVs to achieve commercialization, reliability, cost effectiveness and performance. Fuel cell hybrid vehicles can definitely be the clean technology used in the future of automotive engines.

Wildlife Corridors :: Wildlife Habitats Conservation Biology Essays

Wildlife Corridors With the continuously accelerating rate in the loss of wildlife habitat, there is a concern which greets the upcoming century. The problem with the presently remaining "untouched" wilderness is that large whole pieces of wild habitat end up manipulated to suit the needs of human populations. Often times mismanagement of land, besides the mere intrusion into a delicate habitat, exerts stress upon it’s state of equilibrium; so much so that certain species within an area become at risk for extinction. Depending on the stability and degree of interspecie dependency, the extinction of a couple of species of animals could lead to the gradual eventual degradation of that habitat. The focus of many leading conservation biologists within the last three to four decades has been on the study of different factors and dimensions that influence the extinction rate of different types of wild habitat. By understanding the factors and dimensions involved in the maintenance of habitat stability , conservationists may be able to more accurately explain how fragmentation effect specific types of habitat and population, and more accurately predict the effects of proposed conservation projects. Now as we enter a new era with frightening statistics on environmental destruction, conservationists are calling for quick action to slow down the rate of extinction and habitat fragmentation. The present popular proposed solution is for the construction of dispersal corridors, which will reconnect pieces of isolated habitat and reduce the rate of wildlife extinction. There is not enough available material to support this proposal but there is also not enough to prove it unworthy either. Although this is not the only solution to the problem, it is the most appealing to conservation biologists who desire to protect and reclaim wilderness quickly. Thus, ecological corridors is a critical topic of debate because it has become a popular concept taken very seriously by radical conservationis ts who are in a haste to implement the plan but who do not have sufficient data to prove that it might not counter their predictions and, as many skeptics fear, prove detrimental for habitat restoration. CORRIDOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN Analysis In regions where habitat is fragmented by urbanization, cattle grazing, deforestation, etc., animals need a natural temporarily sustainable pathway for movement and migration in order to prevent either chances of inbreeding or overexploitation of prey. (1,3) Corridors act as a source of connectivity between two or more isolated habitat patches, making a natural landscape more confluent.

Melatonin :: Pharmacy Neurology Sleeping Papers

Melatonin: The Myths and Facts Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland. The pineal gland is about the size of a pea and is located in the center of the brain (http://www.milatonin.com/melfaq.htm). Melatonin is secreted at night or in the dark (http://www.ceri.com/melaton.htm). It is used to regulate the sleeping cycle. It is also found to correlate with a lot of other functions and problems in the body. Because of its many uses, melatonin is being manufactured by pharmaceutical companies as a dietary supplement. People are using it to treat everything from jet lag to cancer. There have been many studies done on the effects of melatonin. The bulk of the studies have been done on the effects of melatonin on sleep and on treating jet-lag. The findings show that melatonin is proven to be an effective sleep aid and also help alleviate jet lag. Melatonin is a substance that the public is taking without being knowledgeable about its benefits, side or dosage. Many companies manufacture melatonin. There are two kinds of melatonin available, synthetic or natural. It is recommended to take the synthetic time release formula. It is the closer to the molecular make-up of melatonin and is made with pharmaceutical grade ingredients. Natural melatonin may contain animal parts through which viruses and diseases can be carried (http://www.teleport.com/~jor/#1). What is being said about melatonin Melatonin and Sleep Melatonin is used most frequently for sleeping troubles and jet-lag. By differing the amount of exposure to lightness and darkness, there is a possibility of abrupting the sleep/wake cycle. It is believed this change results from varying levels of melatonin being produced. Taking melatonin is thought to induce sleep. It is found to work best when taken between twenty to forty minutes before bedtime. Low levels of melatonin seem to impede or disrupt sleep (http://www.readysorf.es/lifeplus/ingredients/p2.html). Without rising levels of melatonin in the evening, it is difficult to fall asleep (http://www.liberty.com/home/appaloosa/mel.htm). The peak of melatonin production appears to be at 2:00 a.m. Melatonin levels rise when the sun goes down and decrease after 2:00a.m. (http://www.ceri.com/melaton.htm). By taking melatonin tablets before bedtime, one can supplement their melatonin levels, making sleep come more easily and sleeping more consistently. Melatonin and Jet Lag Melatonin is also used to relieve jet-lag. Jet lag occurs after experiencing rapid, long distance travel through different time zones. Other behaviors that produce symptoms similar to jet lag are working all night shifts, staying up all night and working multiple shifts.

Narayana Hrudayalaya

Q1 &2 Would you describe this heart hospital as successful? Explain why. If successful, what were the elements that made it successful? If not yet successful, what else should NH be doing? â€Å"A dream of making quality healthcare available to the masses worldwide† Narayana Hrudayalaya was established by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty in 2001 with this mission. Its main focus was to provide affordable cardiac care to the masses. It has followed a hybrid strategy of attracting paying patients by virtue of its reputation for high quality combined with a relentless focus on lowering its costs of operations whenever possible.In 2004, the proportion of patients who paid NH's full price to those that cannot afford to pay was about 60:40. Following this strategy, they priced their general ward patients for OHS at Rs. 110000. This charge is the lowest in the country where the average cost of OHS in a private hospital is Rs. 250000. At the upper end, patients who opted for executive wards pai d Rs 140000 – Rs 195000 for private rooms instead of general wards. To add to it, they offered the Karuna Hrudaya package for financially constrained patients at Rs. 65000 per OHS.For patients who could not even afford this, they helped arrange funds through the Narayana Hrudayalaya Trust's general corpus or by seeking external donations. The treatment across all the packages was the exactly identical. Since their inception, the number of in patients and out patients as well as catheterization and surgeries has constantly increased as shown in the below table: InpatientsOutpatientsCatheterizationSurgeries Total%age Growth (YoY)Total%age Growth (YoY)Total%age Growth (YoY)Total%age Growth (YoY) Apr 01 – Mar 024242-9875-2116-1842- Apr 02 – Mar 03722670%1086310%336759%274249%Apr 03 – Mar 041026242%1538242%477742%357030% Apr 01 – Mar 04-142%-56%-126%-94% This has helped them achieve a breakeven of Rs. 90000 for OHS. By performing tests and operations in large numbers, they are able to achieve economies of scale and thereby reducing their costs. Following this wal-martisation of health care, with which they performed almost 8 times the surgeries and cathetarisation compared to other Indian hospitals. They have managed to perform more CABG surgeries a year, have morenumber of cardiac surgeons and greater average surgeries per surgeon than even few of the top ranked US hospitals.NH boasted of a 1. 27% mortality rate and 1% infection rate in CABG procedures as against 1. 2% and 1% in US respectively which further emphasises the quality of treatment being provided by NH. Further they have also reduced their costs for buying medical supplies and equipments by bulk ordering for their AHF hospital at Kolkota and NH at Bangalore together. This has increased their bargaining power enabling them to get discounts of 30%-35% in their purchases. They have also used new technologies like digital x rays and comprehensive hospital management to im prove their efficiencies and reduce costs.They have also adopted newer medicines like Biocon’s cardio-diabetes products which offer similar health benefits at much cheaper costs as compared to other similar medications further decreasing their overall costs. By keeping the administration team lean, NH also avoided the usual problem of corruption that plagued corporate hospitals. With the help of careful planning and internal financial controls to gauge the ability to fund below cost surgeries, NH has been able to optimise the number of subsidized surgeries to be performed.In order to further achieve their goal to reach the bottom of the pyramid, they have also effectively used telemedicine techniques with the help of a large number of general practitioners providing teleconsultation to the patients who would not have received the treatment otherwise. The fully equipped Mobile Cardiac Diagnostic Lab increased their penetration in the rural areas to ensure that best possible di agnosis was available onsite. It also conducted outreach camps which were organised by local associations like the Lions Club and Rotary Club.On an average each camp screened 400 people a day, none of whom was required to pay either the hospital or the organisers. They also set up the Yeshashwini Health Insurance Scheme which provided benefits to 1. 7m farmers at extremely low costs of Rs 5 per month. Q3. Is the insurance scheme successful? Explain why. What are the challenges going forward? Yeshashwini Health Insurance Scheme was launched in 2002 for the 1. 7 million farmers. Just for Rs. 5 a month, cardholders had access to free treatment at 150 hospitals in 29 districts of Karnataka for any medical procedure costing up to Rs. 00000. Government also contributed Rs. 2. 5 for every Rs. 5 paid by every farmer. Dr. Devi Prasad chose to utilise the existing government infrastructure in the form of state controlled cooperative societies. Prior to the scheme, it was estimated that the av erage occupancy of hospitals was only 35% although the state boasted 30 private medical colleges each with 500 beds; actual occupancy was low reflecting the lack of affordability rather than a lack of infrastructure.Research by the NH team estimated that only 8% of the policyholders would require medical procedures, thus the total funds collected were expected to cover the cost of treatment for those in need. Most common use of the scheme was for non surgical treatment. Non surgery procedures formed 80% of the procedures conducted through the Yeshashwini scheme. It was mostly used for low cost treatments of around Rs. 2000 that people would otherwise have forsaken due to lack of money for treating non life threatening conditions. Thus the scheme was successful in increasing the health of the poor farmers.In ts 1st year, nearly 9000 people underwent various operations and a further 35000 received out patient treatment. By early 2005, the scheme included around 25 lakh members. From J une 2003 to March 2004, around 12% of the surgeries and 16% of the angiograms at NH were performed under the Yeshasvini scheme. Collection of the monthly premiums, tracking monthly payments and issuing Yeshashwini member cards was done through the post offices. This enabled a smooth functioning and also increased its outreach as people are generally more willing to trust government agencies than private organistions.The operation though initiated by the trust, was later on handled by a 3rd party administrator. Q 4. How should you advise Dr. Shetty regarding the three lines of business-the heart hospital, the health city, and the insurane scheme for the poor? Which should he pursue? Which, if any, should he drop? Is there anything else he should be doing? The 3 lines of business of NH are: ?Heart hospital and all the associated activities. ?Yeshashwini Health Insurance Scheme ?Vision of the Health City The first 2 lines are very successful and running with great efficiency and reach. The first phase that is the current heart hospital is running successfully. With the successful implementation of good operations management model, Narayana Hrudalaya has cut on its operating costs manifolds as compared to other hospitals in India. Thus, it has been able to sustain itself while maintaining the philanthropic vision to serve the underprivileged and provide treatment to them at an extremely affordable cost. The implementation of the insurance scheme has also been very successful and has been able to serve its purpose to a large extent.The plan for the Health City is still in a very nascent stage and special focus needs to be given to it. The health city would require a larger pool of competent doctors, nurses and technicians. Thus more focus needs to be given to the training programs. Apart from the existing diploma in cardiology etc, NH should focus on more institutional tie ups to cater to the larger demand for the Health City. Also, NH can concentrate on increasing its existing outreach for the Yashashwini Health Insurance customers. Currently the scheme caters to only farmers who belong to state cooperatives.Seeing the success of the scheme, NH can consider reaching out to artisan self help groups as well like what Jaipur Rugs does. The scheme can also be made available to the unorganized workers like domestic help in cities of Karnataka. Currently, NH is also considering coming up with a similar modified insurance scheme for teachers. This can be further expanded to other rural demographic segments such as traders, government employees, etc since they already have an established brand in these areas and hence can easily capture the market.Angioplasty procedure is currently not covered under Karuna Hrudaya scheme. NH can make adjustment to the price charged for general ward patients in order to include the procedure under the scheme but at a discounted operationally feasible cost. NH enjoys a popular philanthropic image among the people and h as managed to garner strong support from the government for its various social initiatives. Hence, it should try to influence the government to increase the government spending on healthcare in order to further strengthen the frail healthcare system of the nation.