Sun Zis Art Of War

We all recognize that a large force has numerical power and when they move in groups, they are able to defeat a lot of challenge, but one mortal characteristics of a large force in my mind is flexibility. It cannot move fast because request from one point will take a long time to travel to the critical and important places in the force. This makes a large force less agile than a small force and we all know speed is of the aspect both in war and business. ‘ Organization Structure' defined how is tour company structured?How many departments are there? How many levels are there between the head of department to the lowest level? These are some of the inquiry you should follow up when you are surveying your organization structure. You also have to determine if there is a need to build a new department for a certain objective. ‘Formation' now in those days, when Sun Uzi was writing the book , formations would refer to how the infantry, army and chariots are arranged and positi oned in the battlefield. You would then ask, what is formation' in the business world?It compress to how you piece your employees. Communication' is the next important condition, you need to have information flow to related departments and critical staff. But there is one particular way where it could delay information progress and that is human fault. An account would then be effective here. Organization may have to manage a structure such that employees who take right actions are satisfied. Line 5. 19 & 5. 20 When gushing torrential water tosses stones and pushes boulders, it is because of the force created by its momentum.When the ferocious strike of an eagle breaks the body of its prey, it is because of the exact moment and timing of its engagement. Sun Uzi used two analogies to accent the importance of TV conditions and they are timing and momentum. With momentum, even the eagle was able to break the body of the prey without much effort and water that does not have a solid shap e is able to push big stones and with good timing. When the gushing torrential water tosses stones pushing boulders, it is because of the force of its momentum. When the cruel beat of an eagle, breaks the body of its prey, it is because of the timing of the strike.Thus the momentum and ores of the skillful in battle are so murderous and overwhelming and his timing of engagement is swift and precise. MOMENTUM Where and how can we use momentum in business? One condition where we can use momentum is advertising. Where you are entering into a new market, the first most important thing you should do is to establish your marketing operation properly. Your marketing operation must set up momentum, having continuous and stable disclosure of your products and brand to the new consumers, repetition help consumers to remember your product and brand better.Approach to make the consumers remember your brands and products are slogans, jingles, logos and many more. Many consumers have favored sens es to absorb and learn things. Logos would demand to people who are more visual in slogan, jingles, learning would appeal more to people who are more auditory. That is reason why most of the marketing operation has both. Repetition would create momentum for your advance into a new market. You are able to let yourself be remarked in the new market and user. Do some analysis on those competitors who are running in the new markets you are advancing.TIMING Good timing can make flourish and bad timing can make kill. If we are able to time our selling an purchase of shares well, we would obtain the maximum amount of profits. The timing of entering a new market is very important to our business. There are two conditions, which is knowledge and experience to help us able to get the right timing in our business. Knowledge allows us to gauge a range of time when opportunities is about to happen as such we can make establishment to take the opportunity.We can earn consistent knowledge on our o wn but to be able to grasp the timing rightly, it would irately depend on attitude and experience. Because timing is like shooting an arrow, you can have knowledge of the wind guidance, the bows strength, the angle to shoot at and many more, but when it comes to practical, which is releasing the arrow, it takes experience. In the other hand, these is good and bad timing to execute business decisions. Bad economic times although results in lower sales, it also means lower costs of development as well.As the common phrase said, ‘Practice makes perfect' it never says ‘Knowledge makes perfect'. 5. 5 In any battle situation and condition, there are only the direct and indirect approaches and forces. Sun Uzi mentioned to use direct force to match the enemy and using indirect force to win the enemy. And in the next few sentences, he mentioned that the combinations of these two types of forces are infinite and its communications and can produce awesome results. In battle, use th e direct forces to match the enemy, and use the indirect forces to win the enemy.So that, the person who is skillful at using indirect forces, can use it in flow of water in streams and rivers. Direct and indirect forces are like the beginning and the end and also like the ever changing character of the sun and moon, direct and indirect forces recover and disappear like the changes of the four seasons. There are Only five basic notes but their modifications and combinations can create many musical grade that one is not possible to hear them all. There are only five basic colors, but their mixes and matches produce so many visuals that one is not possible to view them all.There are only five basic flavors, but their blends and mixtures produce so many tastes that one is not Seibel to taste them all. In the battle, there are only the direct and indirect forces. However the changes and combinations between the two are infinite. Their communications and combinations are like two never-e nding, interlink rings where possibilities of its beginning and endings cannot be determined. The indirect forces in battle would be related to the intangibles. Direct forces in the battle would be related to the pricing or quality of products or services in business, factors that are easily duplicated by competitors. Rice and laity can be easily simulated but it is the intangibles that are difficult to duplicate, it usually gives a business a sustainable competitive edge over his rivals and allows differentiation between services and products easily. Try to relevant as much as possible, but concentrate of using indirect forces as well as you can.

Logistics

Case Study report of DHL Abstract The rapid development of global commerce has drove logistics to reduce products lifecycles, increase response and action efficiency and optimize investments of inventory for current businesses. Therefore, logistics plays a pivotal role in nowadays commerce. The objective of the report is to discuss and evaluate the existing logistics theories. Whereas, DHL will be selected as a case study so as to get a further understanding on logistics according to the analysis result. IntroductionAs with the growing complexity of transporting goods and supplying materials for a business in world’s supply chain, expertise that developed to deal with this kind of problem is imperative so logistics. The concept of logistics is not specific, the world’s formal definition is ‘Logistics is the management science of supply chain and the art of controlling and managing any kinds of resources flow like products, information, petrol and even people betwe en the origin point and the consumption terminal so as to satisfy clients’ demand’.Logistics is in relation to the process of moving the right products and services at the right quality to the right place at the right time with right prices. It is said to be the essential part of any marketing or manufacturing activities. Logistics involves Literature Review Since the value of time becomes more and more important in today’s global commerce, transportation speed and delivery reliability are necessary for companies to compete emulously in business operations which drives logistics industry to improve service standard.In 1996, Kostecki pointed that conscientious in accordance with service determine logistics companies’ emulously advantage and success. To that content, an important part to be integrated into time management for logistics industry is operating business with clients effectively and innovating more efficiency operation skills with clients. This is important because any inefficiencies and irregularities in operating with customers that happened in different regions can affect the commerce environment significantly for logistics companies argued by Ahanori and Nachum in the year 2000.They said that the current development trend in logistics industry is just in time supply, e-commerce and growing globalization management. In 1998, Altabet predicted that logistics theory would be updated into supply chain management. The impact of effective forecast in the process of supply chain management on a company is significant. Kiely states that it will result in inventory investment reduction, customer satisfactory improvement and product distribution efficiency enhancement. Generally speaking, forecasting eliminates companies’ worry about excess inventory investment so as to increase the efficiency when operates with customers.Another important managerial skill for commerce is the cost management theory. Degraeve and Roodhooft point that over half of entire costs is accounted from external goods and services parchment. In order to hold a competitive position in the logistics market, companies should develop a more dependable and lower cost supply chain while assure high service quality for customers. Some suggests that company can increase the cost management reliability via computer technology. With the increasing importance of globalization transaction, contracts act essential role in international trade.On account of companies always being confronted with the situation of accomplishing orders with deadline and quotas, some suggest a management approach of Vendor management inventory to handle the problem (Waller, 1999). The management project help companies distribute the requirement materials more flexible and offer the possibility of cost reduction and efficiency improvement at the same time. Objectives With the purpose of understanding logistics theory in accordance with practical application and t o see how enterprises apply logistics theory to enhance efficiency and reduce cost . tc. DHL, the global leading logistics player is selected for a case study about its logistics operations in this report. Logistics operation of DHL DHL is the leader of global express, international transportation and air freight. It is the world’s NO. 1 shipping contract logistics provider. DHL offers customers a full range of logistics solutions from documents to supply chain management. As the global biggest logistics expert, DHL is a strong logistics partner for its clients that can offer any kind of freight transportation via water, railway, road and air. It can supply either pecial or shared operations of warehousing and distribution to any kind of industry sectors. On account of DHL is entirely service oriented, it involves no material movement itself but that for clients both consigner and consignee and the intermediaries as well. It just includes physical distribution and procurement . While, procurement involves in packaging materials like paper, plastic and boxes etc. the process is as follows. The first step is to weight and check for condition of the products and materials that collected from the consigners and then pack them according to their various characteristics.After that, products or services will be sent along to their destinations. DHL facilitate service performance via effective forecasting. It means the estimation of time required for both collecting wares from the consigner and that arriving to the final client. The crucial point of DHL’s entire business is timely delivery. The delivery documentation and process will be coordinated based on the approachability and distance to the final consignee. DHL can measure the time that it will cost for the goods to arrive to its end-point precisely.DHL provides customers Web Shipping services that allocate a certain user name and password for each client which allows goods sender and receiver to tr ack goods status via online information center. DHL has won the reputation for its continuous development on supply chain solutions innovation that improves control. It supplies for customers reverse logistics management solutions that enable client design, accomplish and conduct materials flow and regulate corresponding information, support of the supply chain to resize values and guarantee safe-handling of products.It involves receiving, ordering, controlling and conducting returned goods. In addition, DHL offers service for manufactures of service and replacement. It enable customer receive and send manufactures’ replacement parts in terms of pre-designed service such as with a certain deadline. What’s more, DHL offers some services other than physical logistics services such as order management, global inventory management, freight solutions, and customs solutions. The following three figures show the flow process of DHL. Figure [ 1 ] Process Map of DHL Figure [ 2 ] internal process map of DHL Figure [ 3 ] external process map of DHLFive objectives analysis of DHL’s operation Quality DHL has a process of performance measurement so as to supervise the daily working process and understand customers’ voice. The company applies DePict project management approach to track every project in order to ensure their service quality. Furthermore, most units in the management system of DHL are in accordance with the system ISO 9000 which is the global quality controlling standard. Hence, DHL always keeps a high level service quality. Speed DHL provides its client’s specialized solutions so as to ensure a faster response speed to the changing marketplace.For its different kind of customers such as automotive, retail and fashion, DHL offers each of them unique logistics solutions so as to enable a lower response time to the market. Dependability DHL is a leading player in many fields of the logistics market; it operates business in abou t 220 countries and employs more than 31000 people. In addition, it has the world’s largest aircraft fleet and a huge number of ships and vehicles. Moreover, it conducts business with advanced management methodologies and performance measurement. All of these resources ensure DHL an unrivalled ability to accomplish any kinds of logistics services perfectly.Flexibility DHL involves in many parts of logistics market and has strong enough ability in each field. It can offer many kinds of logistics service via different routes. Otherwise, DHL can provide customizing logistics or supply chain solutions to meet their specific demand. Cost As a leader in many of logistics market, the bargaining power of DHL is much higher than most of its competitors which therefore will bring some advantages for DHL. However, for there are lots of companies that can provide similar service or products it may lose the price advantage in some egment market. SWOT analysis of DHL’s operation Str ength The biggest strength for DHL is its leader position in logistics field. It is the dominator in the area of freight transportation through air and ocean. DHL’s business covers a larger area of the world; it provides services for over 220 countries. The leading position enable DHL enhance its economy scale and the power of setting price. Secondly, DHL’s diversified business model enable the company to reduce the risks in business activities and discover new opportunities in emerging and existing marketplaces.DHL devotes itself to the division of mail, supply chain, freight transportation and express. In addition, DHL has the highest employee productivity based on the data from Datamonitor. What’s more, the DHL owns a large airplane fleet that can provide great transportation ability and a long-term emission reduction GOGREEN program which makes DHL as the first mover in this area. Weakness According to the data collected by Datamonitor, DHL has encountered a problem of decline in its cash flow which results from low efficient cost management.This will reduce its resources availability when it is in pursuit of growing plans. Another problem is due to its huge airplane fleet. As with the rapid climate changing, enterprises are required to undertake their social responsibility for the environment. Large number of aircraft implies lots of emission. Although DHL is trying to apply approaches to reduce aircraft emission such as using higher quality fuel and optimal flight line, reductions on emissions will be still minimal due to the limitations in nowadays aeromechanics implies that airplane efficiency cannot be improve a lot in this aspect.What’s more, as a forerunner in the area of making effort to reduce emission, DHL will also get the advantage in compliance with new environmental regulations in the future. Opportunities As with the rapid development of e-commerce, online shopping nowadays grows with a steady high speed year by y ear. Most of consumers will move their shopping habitat from retail to online. Thus deliveries will increase significantly with the step of online sales which will promote the growth of DHL’s business.Moreover, consumers nowadays require more environmental friendly products and services which result in a growing demand from enterprises to get greener logistics services, higher efficiency transportation and low carbon offerings. The GOGREEN policy of DHL will meet the demand of such companies and the continuation development of this kind of services will help DHL get a good hand in competence with others. Threats DHL currently is in the situation of facing fierce competition in logistics business. The scattered global logistics market brings intense competition to DHL.These may result in negative effects on the company that potentially will decrease its growth and profits. What’s more, it is said that logistics industry produces a big percent of global emission which le ad to governments from all over world aim to reduce the pollution contribution from this market. As a multi-national enterprise DHL always faces the pressure across from governments and NGOs as well. It may affects DHL’s reputation since people nowadays consider more and more about a company’s social responsibility. Conclusions and Recommendations To conclude, logistics is very important for nowadays global intense competitive marketplace.As is known to all, logistics is an essential part of any companies function. A good logistical operation can enable a company cut the production cost and enhance the efficiency. In this report, DHL was selected as a case study to help analysis logistics theory. DHL owns the biggest logistics network all over the world. It provides any kind of freight transportation via multiple approaches. DHL conducts its great range of logistics activities and solutions for clients across almost 220 countries. It is dedicated to provide customers b etter performance and low-cost service in today’s highly competitively market.In order to get the victory in the competition, DHL should set a reasonable price, provide a faster and larger amount of scheduled service, improve the function of tracking goods, enlarge the business geographic area, enhance its dependability and innovate new service for customers. In addition, DHL should make more efforts on emission reduction. The performance management and GOGREEN program may help DHL to accomplish this target. In a word, the art of logistics is essential to every organization while DHL has shown its great management and operations to enable a leading position in the world’s market.References 1. Ahanori, Y & Nachum, L 2000,  Globalization of Services: Some Implications for Theory and  Routledg: London 2. Degraeve, Z & Roodhooft, F 1999, â€Å"Effectively selecting suppliers using total Cost of Ownership†,  The Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 5-10. 3. Kiely, D 1999, â€Å"Synchronizing supply chain operations with consumer demand Using customer data†,  The Journal of Business Forecasting Methods & Systems, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 3-9. 4. Kostecki, M 1996, â€Å"Waiting Line as a Marketing Issues†,  European Management Journal, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 295-303. Logistics Logistics process Definition of logistics Logistics is a function that is flexible and changes according to the various constraints and demands imposed upon it. Logistics is – Supply + Materials Management + Distribution and logistics is basically the overall management of distributions and supply. There are many different transport methods including- * Air- This is used to deliver goods fast and also internationally. * Water- This can be used to transport goods slower. Sometimes unreliable. * Road- This is to be used nationally, and used by the most ranges of business. This is the most popular way of transportation. Rail- This is the quicker way of transporting goods. Royal Mail use rail to transport goods to their regional offices. * Container- Containers are used to deliver goods simply because they don’t need as much security and also cost less in transport, meaning more profits. When we compare different retailers, we have to take into consideration: * The amount o f stores that the retailer has. * Where the location of the stores are * The supply chain. For example: Tesco has over 7500 stores in the UK, which includes a mixture of high street, out of town and local stores.They have a wide supply chain which stretches globally as they try to source the cheapest products to sell in their supermarkets. Independent stores may have only a few stores at the most (for example Merrie England). The location of the stores are on the high street and in town centres and the supply chain will only reach nationally. Small retailer – Small retailers usually use wagons to transport from manufacturer to retailers, and mostly use wholesalers. These are more likely to have less suppliers to work with then larger retailers because of the size of the stores.Multinational retailer: the retailer buys it direct from the multinational manufacturers and then supplies to the customers, normally using wagons from the distribution centres. Relationship with suppli ers All retailers, whether they are small or large, have to have a relationship with their suppliers. This is so they can get the best products at the best price and can also introduce new products. By having a good relationship with the suppliers, they know if they are getting the best deal and can also have a good payment plan, whilst also having good interactions by using electronics.Product search * Logistics * Electronic data interchange * Supply chain integration * Ordering and payment * Invoice orders The supply chain for a large and small business is more or less the same- especially the logistics and distribution stage. However, larger businesses have to have warehousing to store all of their surplus stock, or to store and to distribute to all of their stores. Examples of this can be supermarket warehouses, which take all of the bulk stock and then separate them into store deliveries, then use their wagons for store deliveries.This not only saves the business time but is al so cost effective as the larger the order, the cheaper the product should be for the supermarket. This means that the stock that supermarkets and other larger businesses take will be cheaper than smaller businesses. Stock Management By having management on how much stock needs distributing to independent stores, they can reduce waste, and overall, saves the business time and money by putting them into the correct stores. It also keeps customers happy, because if the stock is to hand, then customers won’t complain and/or go to other competitors. Warehousing/Stock RoomsLarger Retailers will have lots of different warehouses to meet the customer needs and to also deliver to different stores across the country. By warehousing and storing the products in a safe, cool and dry place, it will keep the products fresh (if they are food/drink items), or safe and without the risk of overheating/getting water damage to the products. By keeping the products in these conditions, they will b e stay in perfect condition until you need them. Internationally Small Independents won’t need to distribute internationally, so won’t need to use rail or air transportation methods to deliver their stocks.Also, because of how small they are, they are also less likely to need to source their items from abroad aswell, unless they are a business that relies on international sourcing. However, larger retailers have to rely on sourcing from other countries, especially supermarkets that have to get their fresh foods (including fruit and vegetables) from other countries. This means that they have to rely on air travel to bring in their items. They also have to rely on fast transport methods, such as containers and wagons to deliver their items to the distribution centres before delivering it to local independent stores.Use of Electronics Smaller Independent shops won’t need to rely on electronics as much as the larger retailers, because of how big their stores are and how they get their stock. Small independent stores will normally get their stock from cash and carry’s so will normally use man power to get their items. However, larger stores will have to constantly source their items from different retailers, and have to rely on electronics to order items from the distribution areas. This means that if any problems occur with the electronics surrounding the business, they could have problems with orders and could therefore run out of products.

Analysis of Whodunit- the Media

Movies can pressure children to become more hostile as a person. Maggie Cutler analyzes in her essay, â€Å"Whodunit- The Media? †, how media affects children, demonstrating that children who are involved in violent media are more susceptible to practice it. The Senate Judiciary Committee led by Orrin Hatch explains in Cutler’s essay how television’s accountability is highly important: â€Å"‘Television alone is responsible for 10 percent of youth violence. † According to statistics, there were 250 murders and 12,100 violent crimes, which entailed by mentioning if Batman Beyond never played, these crimes would never have been completed (684). Parents need to discuss the media with their child and explain to them that most of the stories and plots they watch on television are mostly fiction and they are exaggerated for show. Once parents have a talk with their child, the child will be able to understand what they are watching (Cutler 688). Cutler continues, â€Å"The APA adds that parental guidance along with reducing kids’ exposure to graphic violence can help keep them out of the correctional system (687). The reason kids tend to become aggressive while they are exposed to influential media is because they mix up the difference between reality and fantasy. In time, children will find out the difference between both. Cutler states, â€Å"Kids understand early that cartoon violence is a joke, not a model. Even wrestling, once kids figure out that it’s staged, gets processed differently from, say, a schoolyard beating† (689). It is vital to not allow children to become violent because the more they are exposed to negatively powerful content, the more likely they are to keep practicing those actions. Cutler explained, â€Å"Several studies have shown that violent boys tend to watch more TV, choose more violent content, and get more enjoyment out of it† (686). There was a study done by Stanford headed by Thomas Robinson and the objective of the study was to lower the use of media for third and fourth graders and study the results. The study lasted for six months and the children had in-class instruction. Cutler clarifies, â€Å"†¦kids used media about 30 percent less than usual. And, they found, verbal and physical aggression levels subsequently dropped 25 percent on average† (688). This all supports the fact that if aggressive kids who minimized the amount of exposure to media, their manners and conduct would progress. According to Garbarino in Maggie Cutler’s essay, he explains how he would like the topic of media violence to be studied publicly as a health problem (686). Media violence is such an important topic in childrens’ lives that it cannot be ignored. The American Psychological Association’s Commission on Violence and Youth (APA) calculated that kids who are pressured into violence due to the media, can be assisted with what they explain to be early intervention. Once interventionists are aware of the problem, they can instruct children how to come up with a solution to any disagreement calmly and maturely (687). The author, Maggie Cutler, expressed how much of a complex issue and topic media violence was. Cutler asked many questions regarding childrens’ personal life and family issues which make a good point of why she doubts some of the reasons behind the results of studies. Cutler asks: â€Å"Do temperamentally violent kids seek out shows that express feelings they already have, or are they in it for the adrenaline boost? Do the sort of parents who let kids pig out on gore tend to do more than their share of other hurtful things that encourage violent behavior? † (686). But, referring back to the study of the third and fourth graders, this study gave individuals the reason to not doubt studies and persist the attention on kids who are affected by media violence in order to further answer any questions or doubts. Cutler explains how much children are influenced by aggressive media and they become more vulnerable to expressing their anger. The media contains so much content that children occasionally confuse it with reality and fantasy. That is why it is very critical that parents sit down with their kids and explain the meaning of some shows so that later the child would not act out what he/she had seen on the television. There have been plenty of studies that have proven to help children with aggressiveness in their life due to media violence. Studies have also proven that children can get salvaged from their anger and are taught how to resolve conflicts in a calmer manner. Media violence is a very crucial topic and it cannot be ignored like many citizens have done already. Now is the time to help children and families who are struggling with the after effects of media violence.

RELEVENT ECONOMETRIC OUTPUTS FROM EVIEWS Assignment

RELEVENT ECONOMETRIC OUTPUTS FROM EVIEWS - Assignment Example Thus, while the beta coefficients measure the first order impacts, i.e., the slope of the partial functions, the theta coefficients measure the second order impacts or the curvature. The expected signs on these coefficients will depend upon the nature of the relationship that the variable has with sales revenue. If the true relationship that is being estimated is truly nonlinear, then the beta coefficients themselves would be functions of the corresponding independent variables. The signs would depend upon the value of the independent variable itself. For instance, a rise in price of mobile phones would lead to a certain rise in revenue if other things, in particular the number of units sold remained unaltered. However, as price rises, the demand for the product would go down thereby implying a potential fall in the overall sales. The final impact would depend upon the price elasticity of demand of the product. For lower level of sales the demand would be highly inelastic implying th at rising price would still generate increased revenue. But if the demand became elastic, then there would be a definite decline in revenue. Since demand for average mobile phones tend to be relatively inelastic, we should expect to see a positive beta coefficient and a negative theta coefficient. In case of advertising, again the beta coefficient measures the impact of a rise in advertising on total sales while the theta coefficient measures the marginal impact. We should expect that increase in advertising should stimulate additional sales. However, the incremental benefits of more advertising typically are found to be declining. In simpler terms, as there is more and more advertising, the incremental impact on sales declines. Thus, we should expect a positive beta but a negative theta coefficient for all the advertising variables. Table 1: Results of OLS regression, problem 1 Dependent Variable: REVENUE Method: Least Squares Date: 09/29/11 Time: 13:10 Sample: 1 60 Included observ ations: 60 Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob.  Ã‚   C 359.1101 76.04848 4.722120 0.0000 PRICE 2.880176 1.411429 2.040609 0.0465 PRICE^2 -0.011268 0.006384 -1.765162 0.0835 TV 6.383748 3.514018 1.816652 0.0751 TV^2 -0.418966 0.359010 -1.167003 0.2486 NEWSPAPER 3.480550 2.251321 1.546003 0.1283 NEWSPAPER^2 -0.107221 0.160149 -0.669510 0.5062 RADIO 11.10707 1.184501 9.377007 0.0000 RADIO^2 -0.336564 0.053449 -6.296872 0.0000 R-squared 0.876161   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mean dependent var 646.5073 Adjusted R-squared 0.856736   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  S.D. dependent var 30.92782 S.E. of regression 11.70626   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Akaike info criterion 7.895606 Sum squared resid 6988.868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schwarz criterion 8.209758 Log likelihood -227.8682   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hannan-Quinn criter. 8.018488 F-statistic 45.10326   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durbin-Watson stat 2.333861 Prob(F-statistic) 0.000000 2. We test the joint significances of the variables first in levels (table 2) and then in squares (table 3). Table 2: Te sting Joint significance of the variables in their levels Wald Test: Equation: Untitled Test Statistic Value  Ã‚   df  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probability F-statistic 8.295663 (3, 51)  Ã‚   0.0001 Chi-square 24.88699 3  Ã‚   0.0000 Null Hypothesis Summary: Normalized Restriction (= 0) Value  Ã‚   Std. Err. C(2) - C(8) -8.226895 1.877380 C(4) - C(8) -4.723323 3.679021 C(6) - C(8) -7.626522 2.427360 Restrictions are linear in coefficients. The

Reading Respond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Respond - Essay Example In support for my stance, I would like to argue in favor of the federalist arguments. As they asserted, the established of a federal government resulted into the creation of a unified and strong national government. This refutes the anti-federalists’ claims that federation would lead to the emergence of a dictatorial regime and strip Americans of their individual rights. As exclaimed by James Madison in Federalist Number 10, the ratification of a national constitution would help in solidifying the country. It would be much beneficial since it would enable USA to eliminate individuals who might be having their own interests. If such a situation persisted, the nation would tear a part (Ball 177). Thus, it would result into a strong and much powerful nationalgovernment. In conclusion, I am strongly in support of the federalists. Although it might deny individual Americans of their liberties, it would still be the best regime since it advocated for one constitution and parliament to defend and represent the interests of all the Americans without discriminating on any

Formulate Goals and a Statement of Intent Assignment

Formulate Goals and a Statement of Intent - Assignment Example The velocity of sound in air is different from the velocity of sound within the tube; this is because of the walls of the tube. A closed tube resonate if the length of the tube is  ¼ the wavelength. The tube can also resonate if the wavelength is 3/4, 5/4, and 7/4. Since the air that is in contact with the water surface cannot move. The length of air column must be equivalent to the odd multiple of  ¼ wavelength of the sound wave. However, the distance between two adjacent water levels, which correspond to resonance will be exactly  ½ of wavelength as shown in the figure below. The resonance gives an easy way vary the length of the closed tube. Holding a vibrating turning fork at a fixed location the height of the water level was varied. This was used to record the height h when resonance occurs. Notation was made regarding the relative pitch of sound. Two frequencies was used Although the folk vibrate at different frequency the frequency were related; the first frequency is half the second frequency. This is because the height was reduced by half. The frequency measured was also consistent with the turning folk and the sound sensor measurement. Closed tube sound waves are always reflected back and forth inside the tube. The length of the tube is the correct multiple of ÃŽ »; the bouncing wave can resonate in the tube. Standing wave will be produced in the tube sending waves of known frequency. Increasing the length of the tube increases the loudness (resonating). A wave occurs when a string or air is set into vibration, the wave have velocity and frequency for it to travel. When two waves travel in two opposite direction, the interference between the two creates a phenomenon known as standing wave. The wave has got both nodes and antinodes. It is the resonance of the wave that is vibrating the air; this creates musical sounds which are mostly used in

Ferrari trategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ferrari trategic Management - Case Study Example Ferrari i known and i highly valued everywhere in the world. From the U to Japan, from Germany and witzerland to India, to France, Autralia, New Zealand, Ruia, Brazil and Argentina. The term 'Contructor' applie in F1 for a corporate or any well-organized body which contruct the car, engine or chai. The contructor of an engine or chai own the intellectual right to it. (Porter, 1985, 44) The title of Formula 1 World Champion Contructor i given to the car that ha drawn the mot point during the coure of the eaon. A car' engine and chai, both are taken into account while deciding on it point. If a car' chai and engine contructor i the ame, the title imply goe to that contructor. But, if the maker of the chai and engine are different, the title i given jointly, like Ferrari-Honda, Renault-Mercede etc. The name of the chai contructor come before that of the engine contructor. The term 'contructor' and 'entrant' have different and pecific meaning. An entrant i the peron or corporate entity that regiter a car and driver for a race eaon. Thereafter the reponibility of preparing and maintaining that car during the race weekend lie with them. The term 'team' i uually applied to an entrant organization. The 1970 were the lat decade Ferrari entered a a work effort in port car racing. After an uninpired performance in the 1973 F1 World Championhip, Enzo Ferrari topped all development of port car in prototype and GT racing at the end of the year, although, Enzo planned to pull out of F1, that year which wa the year of the lat "official" Targa Florio road race Enzo regarded a more important to him. After three poor year, Ferrari igned Niki Lauda in 1974, and made the momentou deciion to pull out of portcar racing to concentrate upon F1. However, poor reliability with the 312B3 kept them from taking victory that year. The new Ferrari 312T, developed fully with Niki Lauda, introduced in 1975 brought Ferrari back to winning way. Niki taking the driver' crown and Ferrari the contructor'. (Mazzucato, 2002, 55-88) In 1976 Lauda crahed at the German Grand Prix. Carlo Reutemann wa hired a a replacement, o with Clay Regazzoni driving the other car, Ferrari had to run three car in the 1976 Italian Grand Prix when Lauda returned unexpectedly oon (only 6 week after hi accident). Lauda cored point, but retired from the lat race in Japan in heavy rain, thu allowing Jame Hunt to take the title by jut a ingle point. In 1977 Lauda, having come back from hi near fatal crah the previou year, took the title again for Ferrari (and the team won the cotrucutor' championhip), overcoming hi more fancied, and favoured, team mate. Hi relation with the team, epecially the team manager Mauro Forghieri continued to deteriorate, and he decided finally to leave for Brabham. (Mazzucato, 2002, 55-88) In 1978, Ferrari raced with Carlo Reutemann and Gille Villeneuve, and while they managed to produce a olid car it, like everyone that year, wa outclaed by the ground effect Lotu 79. (Mazzucato, 2002, 55-88) Jody checkter replacing the Lotu bound Argentinian in 1979, took the title, upported by Gille Villeneuve (who dutifully followed the outh

Media studies key glossary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media studies key glossary - Assignment Example McLuhan elaborated that medium grows and being such, it is also an agent of change that includes everything we think of, create, think and conceive. There are several terms used which critically relates to the text which are senses, mind and change. Senses relate to the text as it is the agent that collects experience to be stored in the mind which in turn becomes the medium that will facilitate change. This is important in media studies because it clarifies the use of the term not as a vehicle but rather as the dynamics and the agent of change. Medium is the message (McLuhan) - McLuhan earlier defined medium as the extension of our minds and senses. Being an extension of our minds and senses, it could change anything we can think of, create or conceive. Message on the other hand is the pattern or scale of the change that an idea introduces in human affairs (McLuhan 1964, 8). The message is not the content but rather the dynamics that change brings with it. Thus, the â€Å"medium is the message† meant that we could know the dynamics of anything (medium) that we conceive due to the changes that they effect (message) and should not be confused with the content of the message ((McLuhan 1964, 9). These terms are important to the study of media because it again put the usage of the word â€Å"medium is the message† in proper perspective. Message does not necessarily mean the content but rather the extent of the change that the medium or the dynamics of change can facilitate. Print-capitalism (Anderson) – refers to the use of the printing press that facilitated discourse of which eventually emerges a common language that facilitated common understanding. Capitalists printed their works in the vernacular (Anderson 1991, 39) to have an optimum circulation that cause people to understand each other and brought common discourse. This common language wrought by the discourse of print capitalism brought about the idea and notion of

Integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) Essay

Integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) - Essay Example According to RIB Software (2009, 1) globalization has brought new players to the table, to negotiate and find ways through which they have to maneuver through complex and increasing demands and projects that make it harder to communicate with partners, vendors and customers. As the financial environment become tougher, there is a need to focus on the right projects, control costs, and make accurate, feasible estimates in projects and manage the projects effectively and efficiently. In short BIM seeks to speed up the estimate time of projects and reuse the estimate information, facilitate the budge and cost control and manage cash and improve the firm’s financial position and make the best use of existing assets in any project. Below is an analysis of the different areas where BIM has bee extensively used and with the related benefits obtained though application of BIM in the construction industry. i. Surveyors Bennet (2009, 3) explains that in surveying, BIM is not just a 3D m odel that is used in design. BIM allows a better visualization of the entire project from different perspectives and employs data analysis in predicting the outcome of projects before such a project is put under construction. Surveyors have a role of demarcating the boundaries of a project in either building construction of construction of other infrastructures such as roads. Surveyors as Bennet (2009, 3) explains though the use of BIM can be able to change the details of the project as visualized though BIM to make it more feasible. It is through simulation of the projects that surveyors are able to best align the project to the best terrain or topography in the given site of construction. In the traditional methods of using 3D views, the simulation in most cases does not include the level of data analysis and simulation available under BIM. The work of surveyors under BIM has therefore been made more precise, easier and on more reliable data analysis compared to previous approache s in surveying. Iverson et al (2010, 5) explains that BMI is a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility. Therefore, it serves as a shared knowledge base for information concerning a facility that forms a reliable masterpiece for decision making in surveying, and the information is later passed on clearly and well documented to the rest of the project. ii. The architect Currently BIM can be integrated in all the project phases in information management system that covers the briefing stages, designing, specifying and the tendering phases of the project (Cornick 1996, 140). It stores all the information used and processed during this period and is handed over to the client once the project has been terminated. It is therefore a versatile tool that ensures effective management of projects in the construction industry. Panushev & Pollalis (2006, 2815) explains the importance of BIM as improving the owner communication, verifying constructio n drawings and consistency, checking the building constructability, visualizing complex concrete placement in workflow, avoid conflict between the structure and mechanical system and establishing a standard modeling knowledge base for use in future projects. Such information may include recipe that hold information on how the building has to be built, the methods which involve separate work activities that would be involved in the course of building, the necessary

Communication Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Communication Case Analysis - Essay Example Effective communication is a primary influence in the fulfillment of extraordinary heights of organizational effectiveness. There is a parallel relationship between organizational effectiveness and organizational communication. Organizational communication contains countless message sending and receiving occurrences touching official communal units in which individuals work toward common goals (Monge et al, 250-274, 1992). It is rare to discover an organization that challenges to accomplish all stages of communication as a handy activity. As Gilbert Amelio once said, â€Å"developing excellent communication skills is essential for effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others, and if a leader cannot get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message does not even matter" (Maxwell, pp. 23, 2006). Discussion These six stories are explaining the appropriate hints that would lead to the basic reason why quality management and lack of coordination in Legal Eagles is high. The importance of communication management and its significance will be clearer as story wise comparison and suggestions are as follows: Managing with Professional Politics Gossiping around is not an authentic state to make a legal opinion about an organization. For instance, in story # 1, a junior research clerk is just afraid of working over-time, he being the lower management staff is not aware of the company’s legal problems and ways to achieve the organizational goal; however, he is just concerned about his own personal goals. Organization goals are the ‘origin for recognizing the purposes of communication links, and each system consists of definite communication guidelines executed through distinct communication actions’ (Monge et al, 250-274, 1992). The effective growth of a communication inspection program is carefully reliant on upon the nature of asso ciation policies, staff employees’ competencies, and the level of common association improvement. Tardiness in workplace Story # 2 describes the impact of a newborn partnership within the organization as Charmaine is new and is very particular about the international project. She cannot bear any delay or tardiness acceptance in workplace as time management is the key factor to achieve success. In addition, it is an understanding that â€Å"Delay is the routine of postponing or setting off doing something that should be done currently† (Maxwell, pp. 40-44, 2006). â€Å"The disjointed, hurried, and unintended life is more sensitive and impulsive than intentional; it enlightens, in part, why bosses suffer strain and criticize of not ever having adequate time to do their occupation healthy† (Maxwell, pp. 39-46, 2006). Belatedness in the office has become an upsetting matter for the firms because it is touching the productivity that is the basic goal of any business. Sometimes postponements are not the results of certain exterior feature but somewhat from the staff, as is the case with Legal Eagles. It also explains that an employee who is disobedient, yelling at co-workers, or arriving to work not on time and not employed to his completed volume. The clients and customers of Legal Eagles may not be getting what they require from the company that may prove a drawback on the productivity, as well as profitability on company’

Environmental and Ecological Issues in Robyn Eckersley’s Perspective Essay Example for Free

Environmental and Ecological Issues in Robyn Eckersley’s Perspective Essay Robyn Eckersley, a renowned environmentalist believes that ecocentric theorists do not claim that anthropocentrism is the sole or original cause of the ecological crisis. She also reflects that environmental crisis is the outcome of humanity’s joyful and spontaneous instincts due to repressive social and psychic division of labor. As a matter of fact, she contends to the idea that it is the rise of material paradigms that people are in need of reconciliation with nature. She notes that utilitarianism in its very state undermined the essence of the environment which is why the veil of knowledge worn by the society is covering them thus colonizing the life-world. Eckersley examined the deontology of ethics inclined with the aim of making the recent topographical shifts within the field that are less â€Å"unknown to us (Eckersley). † To note, she states â€Å"utilitarian and eudaimonistic or therefore theological moral philosophy derives difference between good and evil from the effects which actions and attributes by nature have for the form of life of the actor and his environment (Louden). † In further illustration, she meant that the good deeds can conveyed as those that are considerably favorable effects for human welfare, while those that bring about the opposite are otherwise. Hence, this connotation also falls on the deliberative state of intuitive and formalistic ethics. Although Eckersley favors a rights discourse as a way to include the natural world in a liberal system, she admits that, â€Å"†¦the rights discourse becomes considerably strained (in all its dimensions) when we come to consider ecological entities (Eckersley). † She defines multiple human activities to be the cumulative result of the ecosystem’s components and that today’s approach towards this epidemic will not ensure sustainability. In essence, she is not against any form human-driven doings; however, she is not favor of the manner that it handles the resources that in the light provides for the very existence of human beings. The harvesting of the planet’s resources is seen to be detrimental to the future of the ecosystem and if such is prolonged, survival will be provided only for the few. Socialist critique of liberalism in comparison with the ecological state will differ in terms of morality and the deontology of ethics. It is apparent that not all deeds are the same when it comes to utilitarianism, sometimes, the ecosystem, being unable to air its share of sentiments, id reprimanded and oftentimes taken for granted (Rice). Humans are subject to care for those of its kind and the environment is not considered to be a part of it. In consequence, such is an irony, given that the human beings live and survive with the help of a healthy ecosystem—without the ecosystem, the members of the society will not be able to live. Policies, regulations and management may have changed over time. If compared to the previous century where not all are aware of the threat and the challenge of sustainability, the contemporary era now gives regard to narrowing the problems and eradicate or at least moderate in the utilization of resources provided that there is a massive chance that it may no longer be available in the next 100 years. The signs of climate change is a proof that laws would need to focus on combining good deeds not only for the people that it serves but also to detain the precautionary measures that may possibly harm the humanity.Accordingly guidance is considered necessary on the position of ecosystem mechanism that may be at risk (Rice). Works Cited Eckersley, Robyn. Liberal Democracy and the Rights of Nature: The Struggle for Inclusion. Environmental Politics 4. 4 (1995). Louden, Robert B. Toward a Genealogy of Deontology. Journal of the History of Philosophy 34. 4 (1996). Rice, Jake. Can We Manage Ecosystems in a Sustainable Way? A symposium on Sustainable Management of Marine Living Resources 60. 1-2 (2008). doi:10. 1016/j. seares. 2008. 02. 002.

Focus Paper on Grand Conversations Essay Example for Free

Focus Paper on Grand Conversations Essay Grand conversations are effective instruments of instructional design and learning, which may be easily integrated into any type of curriculum content. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is an excellent example of the book that can be used in elementary school grand conversations. To make grand conversations even more effective and interactive, they may also be combined with shared reading. In grand conversations, elementary school learners develop necessary interactions, which lead them to developing extensive reading and comprehension skills. Focus Paper on Grand Conversations Introduction Grand conversations are effective instruments of instructional design and learning, which may be easily integrated into any type of curriculum content. Grand conversations are particularly important for the development of communicative skills in learners. The use of grand conversations is integrally linked to student-centered approaches, providing students with additional opportunities to speak, express their thoughts and opinions, and study the most problematic curriculum topics in depth. In elementary classroom, grand conversations may be used as the means for studying literary texts and developing extensive connections between literature themes and student realities. Elementary school teachers pay special attention to the development of literacy and communicative skills in young learners. By linking reading to discussion and exploration, education specialists are trying to develop more effective approaches that would motivate young learners to read, and communicate their views in classroom. â€Å"Grand conversations are discussions held by the entire class community. What makes grand conversations different from other forms of whole group activities is that the teacher does not direct grand conversations† (Buis, 2004). Thus, the teacher’s task is to choose the content which is the most appropriate for classroom discussion, and to set the tone of the group conversation, which will further be directed by learners and will help them investigate the plot, the theme, the characters, and the setting of the original text in more detail. Unfortunately, teachers tend to use more traditional standardized strategies in text analysis; a short-lived conversation is a widely acceptable teaching technique that may save time during the lesson but does not improve student knowledge in class. However, it is not enough for a teacher to understand the importance of grand conversations in class; it is essential that elementary school teachers develop effective and multifaceted approaches, to give students an opportunity for practicing their communicational skills. As teachers, we cannot guarantee that our small students will be able to understand all literary implications of particular texts. That is why it is important to develop meaningful chains that would help learners understand the content, the context, and the idea of a literary work. The book to be discussed should be written in simple language and should be close to what children feel, see, and do in their daily lives. â€Å"The book should be enjoyable, of superior literary quality, engage student interests, allow for good discussions and invite students to revisit them over and over again† (Buis, 2004). Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is an excellent example of the book that can be used in elementary school grand conversations. To make grand conversations even more effective and interactive, they may also be combined with shared reading of the most interesting passages. A sample grand conversation may start with a simple question: â€Å"Do you think that Huckleberry Finn could live in our society? † This question may further be extended to discussing the similarities between Huckleberry Finn’s realities (clothes, behaviors, thoughts), and those of contemporary learners. It is expected that students’ answers will not be limited to â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, but will encourage other students to express their thoughts and develop reliable connections between their personal experiences and those of a literary character. Children will be free to discuss their best impressions, feelings, or their favorite clothes. It is expected that by the end of the discussion session, children will be able to determine, what makes Huckleberry Finn different from them. Choosing a picture book would also facilitate the discussion and drive learners’ imagination, giving elementary students a special feeling of â€Å"reading joy† (Buis, 2004). As teachers, we should also be prepared to the situation when learners’ experiences and opinions differ and are even be opposite to each other; as a result, we will need to use available instruments for turning this opposition into the subject of a detailed discussion. Grand conversations will further engage all learners into a risk-free environment, and expose them to the world of classic literature through the prism of their most pleasant life experiences. It should be noted that â€Å"participation in a discourse community is crucial for the cultivation of deeper levels of vocabulary knowledge. Language learning is fuelled by students’ curiosity and their desire to connect and communicate with others† (Buis, 2004). For grand conversations to be effective, it is important that the teacher does not limit the discussion to one single interpretation of the book. Children should be encouraged to express their ideas about the plot, the meaning, and the importance of particular passages. Although grand conversations are not directed by the teacher, some scaffolding may be appropriate to motivate and encourage young learners. Traditionally, students are not involved into active group discussions in class; they are used to the situation where teacher carries the main load of talking. As a result, students may be prevented from supporting conversation at deep levels. Several grand conversations will be required to ensure that students have fully understood the meaning of Twain’s text and that they are able to formulate their thoughts as applied to the context, structure, and the meaning of the plot. Every new text distracts students from digging deeper into particular literary elements, but attracts their attention to new events within the story; that is why several literary conversations will help young learners concentrate on particular meaningful elements that will gradually lead them to understanding the real or virtual place of Huckleberry Finn in his and in our time. Conclusion Grand conversations reveal the new facets of elementary students’ communicative skills and abilities. This type of instructional methodology helps revisiting the most interesting literary texts and exploring them through the prism of learners’ personal experiences. In grand conversations, elementary school learners develop necessary interactions, which lead them to developing extensive reading and comprehension skills and provide them with unlimited opportunities for sharing their comments and offering new ideas in classroom-wide discussions. References Buis, K. (2004). Making words stick: strategies that build vocabulary and reading comprehension in the elementary grades. Pembroke Publishers Limited.

Human Comfort in the Internal Environment

Human Comfort in the Internal Environment There are many factors that affect human comfort in the internal built environment. Human comfort is affected by thermal factors; physical factors and personal factors. Another factor that can affect human comfort is sound of the environment around them. The final factor that affects the human comfort is the visual of the room and the light intensity. There are ways to measure the physical factors that affect human thermal comfort, the sound comfort and the visual comfort. Temperature The average temperature inside a building is 19-21 degrees and outside is -1 degrees, but there are two different thermal factors that affect the temperature of the room and human comfort; they are physical and personal factors. The physical factors include; air temperature, mean radiation temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. The air temperature inside of a building will change depending on the temperature outside the building, and the k-values of the materials used to build the walls and insulation. K-values are the values that all materials have which shows how good insulators the materials are, the lower the k-value the more affective the materials are at retaining heat. The u-value is what the overall heat resistance of the materials are. Air temperature is also affected by the people inside the building and they activity they are doing. The mean radiant temperature is also a factor affecting human comfort; the mean radiant temperature is the radiation that is coming into the building from windows and walls, balanced against the radiation given off by the human body. The relative humidity is another factor that affects the air temperature; the relative humidity is the percentage of water vapour saturation that is in the air. The final physical factor that affects human comfort is the air velocity; this is the movement of the air throughout a building or a room. This can be affected by the convection in the room, the warm air enters a room and rises to the ceiling, pushing the cold air downwards and draught also changes the air velocity, the cold air flows into the room and makes the temperature of the draught path colder that the room temperature. Personal factors can affect the human comfort in a building, these include; age, gender, state of health, clothing and the level of activity. The age of a person greatly affects the temperature of a room; older people give off less heat then younger people. The gender of a person is a factor affecting the temperature they give off, with females giving off 85% less heat than males. Gender is also a factor that affects the temperature given off by people, females give off less heat than males, and they give off 85% of what the male body gives off. The state of health of the person also affects the heat that they give off and the temperature of the room, a person who is sick or has an illness gives off less heat that a person who is physically healthy. The clothing you are wearing also affects the temperature that you need to be comfortable, depending on the weight of the clothing you will need different temperatures to feel comfortable e.g. swimwear 29 degrees, light clothing 25 degree s, suit, jumper 22 degrees, coat, glove, hat 14 degrees. The level of activity you are doing also affects the heat that you give off and the temperature needed to feel comfortable. Sleeping 70W, watching TV 115W, office 140W, factory work 265W, lifting 440W. Sound Sound in the environment that a person occupies greatly affects their comfort in the building. Sound is a form of energy that is transmitted in pressure waves and changes depending on the pressure of the air in the room. Sound is the vibration of the particles in a wave that send the particles in all directions and spread out; this creates a pattern of refraction and compaction. Sound has two different sources and types where it can originate from, they are impact/structure-borne sound and air-borne sound. These are different as they are where the source of the sound comes from. Air-bone sound is sound which travels through the air before reaching a partition, meaning that the vibrations must have travelled through the air before they reach the partition. Main sources of air-borne noise are; voices, radios and musical instruments. Impact sound is vibrations that are generated on the partition and a continuous vibration can be classed as a series of impact noises in succession. Impact noise does not travel through air like air-borne noise does. The main sources of impact noise are; footsteps, slamming doors and vibrating machinery. It is important to know the difference between impact and air-borne noise as the methods that are used to prevent them are very different. However a single source could generate both air-borne and impact noise e.g. footsteps, on the floor below the origin, the sound would be impact as it is started on the partition, but in the room of the sound it travels through it before reaching the partition making it both air-born and impact. There are different ways of preventing both types of sound, so different installations must be put in to insulate from the type of sound. Air-born sound can be prevented by a mass of partitions e.g. thick walls as lightweight particles give very little resistance unless they are in layers. The main ways to prevent impact sound are by using vibration pads and soft covering on floors and walls. Sound reverbera tes, so if a sound suddenly stops the sound will not stop instantly. The time taken for the reverberation of a sound decays at different rates depending on the area of the exposed surfaces, sound absorption values of the materials used in the building, the distance between the surfaces and the sound and the frequency of the sound. Light The final factor that affects human comfort is light intensity. If the light levels are too low or too high then it will not be as suitable. Light travels in rays and bounces off objects and into the eye. The rays cannot bend so they must go in straight lines, but light can be refracted through certain materials which can bend the beam slightly. The light needs to be the right intensity so that the eyes dont have to strain too much if it is too dark or if the light is too bright it may blind. Light can be controlled by letting certain amounts of natural light through windows and also by the brightness of the artificial light from the light bulbs. Natural light can be controlled by using darkened windows and the artificial light can be controlled by having dimmers on the lights to change the intensity as the intensity of natural light changes. Glare can affect the human comfort, glare is a light intensity that is too high reflecting off a surface and reflecting into the eyes making it difficult to see detail or may cause visual discomfort. P2- Describe how each factor is measured There are methods that are used to measure the physical factors that affect human thermal comfort. To measure the physical factors, the instruments that are used are; thermometers, globe thermometer, hygrometer and anemometer. A thermometer is a device that is used to measure the temperature of a room, a thermometer includes a liquid that rises as the temperature does and on the side a scale that measures the temperature in  °C and degrees  °F. A globe thermometer is a device that measures radiant heat and consists of a thermometer sensor with a bulb located at the middle of a black copper bulb. The globe thermometers units of measurement are  °C. This can be used to calculate the mean radiant temperature providing that you know the air velocity and temperature. A hygrometer is an instrument that is used to measure that saturation of water vapour in the air of the surrounding environment. This instrument relies on the pressure, temperature, mass and mechanical or electrical cha nge. By calibrating the device and calculating the other factors the humidity can be worked out. It measures its units in percentages. An anemometer is a device used to measure the speed of wind, but there is also an anemometer that measures the pressure of wind, it consists of three or four cups that revolve around a shaft at different speeds depending on the wind temperature and pressure. They are measure in meters per second. Sound is measured using a sound level meter, this instrument analyses the sound that it picks up and uses electronics to convert the sound onto a digital scale. Sound level meter can pick up sound instantly or can be used to pick sound up over time and the average can be calculated. The intensity of light in a room can be measured using a light meter. The light meter works using an electrical current which is generated by photosensitive electrons that detect the amount of light hitting the surface. This causes the electrons to react depending on the amount hitting the surface and is then converted into an electrical reading. P3- State acceptable values for each factor Each measurement has a range of acceptable values that affect the human comfort is the environment. The suitable range for temperature in a room is from 19 °C- 21 °C. This is also the same value with a globe thermometer. The acceptable value for the humidity of a room ranges from 40%-60%. The units of measurement that sound is calculated in is decibels and the suitable range in a workplace is from 135dB-137dB maximum. Light intensity is measured using Lux, the acceptable values for the intensity of light is 50- 100Lux. P4- Interpret underpinning concepts relating to structures under load Buildings have many different components that are used to keep the building steady and ensure that it is as structurally strong as possible. There are six different structural members that are used in buildings, they are; struts, ties, beams, columns, roof and frames. In buildings the structural members are used to assist the buildings when they are holding a load or to help protect against loads. There are three different types of loads that are user upon a building, they are; dead loads, imposed loads and wind loads. Structural Components A tie is a structural component that is designed to carry tensile force on a building or high standing structure. They hold the building steady and help to resist high winds. Struts are used to distribute the weight throughout the building. The strut attaches to the roof and wall. The weight of the roof pushes down on the struts and transfers the weight onto the wall. This is the compressive force that is pushing against the weight of the structure. Beams are used to span between walls, they have both the forces of compression and tension acting upon them. They can be supported by columns. Columns are used to support a weight and transfer it vertically and downwards, they support the foundation and can be used to prevent beams from bending and breaking under the force. Beams are also used to keep the columns in place. They vary in size and are very important to the structure, if they are too long or too thin then the column may become distorted and will not work well. Walls are also a structural member. There are two different kinds of walls; they are load bearing and non-load bearing in fill panels. Load bearing walls are classed as structural elements as the force is safely carried to the foundations of the structure. They are built of stronger materials than normal walls; this makes the walls more solid and prevents the wall from breaking. The non-load bearing walls are made of cheaper, lighter materials as they are not needed for structural integrity. Frames are the final structural member. Frames are when all of the other structural members are linked together in a building. There are different kinds of frames depending on which structural members are linked together. Frames can be designed on computer software which makes the complex structures easier to make. However, they still need reviewing. There are three different types of frame structures, they are; grid skeleton, truss frame and portal frame. Loads The three different types of load are dead loads, imposed loads and wind loads. Dead loads are loads which are stationary and will not move throughout the life time of the building. They remain static and are never added to or removed from the structure. Imposed loads are another load that acts upon a building. Imposed loads are also known as dynamic loads. They are loads that change throughout the life of a building. Live loads can unpredictably change, so the supports that are used need to be placed for unpredictable changes. The final load that acts upon a building is wind load. The wind load can be also classed as a live load. They are unpredictable and can vary depending on where the building is and the exposure of the walls. The resistance of the walls needs to be designed to resist live loads that will change unpredictably. Load Configurations A building will have different kinds of loads on it. There are two different kinds of load configurations, they are; point loads and uniformly distributed loads. The way that the buildings are strengthened for the different loads varies greatly to be as safe and efficient as possible. A point load is a weight that will act on a certain point on the floor; this is normally used for a heavy item that wont be moved. This is supported by a beam with greater or equal strength pushing upwards. However, a uniformly distributed load is for live loads that will move constantly and isnt too heavy. The uniformly distributed loads are evenly distributed loads throughout the structure. It is easier to design a building on the uniformly distributed load as this works for most loads that are in a building. Stress Buildings have many things that can change their forms and shapes. Stresses act on the structural members and materials that are used in the building. The different types of stresses are; compression, tension, shear, stress and strain. Compression is a vertical force that is formed when a downward force pushes down on the structure. Stress is the force, in newtons, that is acting upon a cross sectional area. Compression and tension usually act upon the same objects, such as a beam. Tension is when the fibres within the material are being pulled apart. The material is stretched and disfigured, making it weaker. When shear is acting upon a material the layers of the object shift and the object becomes weaker and stretched. This can pull apart materials which are connected by bolting and welding. Strain is not a force, but it is a measurement, it is the extension of length. Strain has no unit as it is ratio. There are three different types of strain; tensile strain, compressive strain a nd shear strain. Tensile strain is when the fore applied pulls a material from both ends, this stretches the material. Compressive strain is when the force applied crushes or compresses a material; this reduces the length of the material. Shear strain is the force applied which changes the shape of an object. However, the volume of the material stays the same. P5- Predict simple structural behaviour from given data Shear Negative shear on a beam will force the right hand side of the beam upwards, distorting the shape and strength in the left half of the beam. Whereas, positive shear on a beam will force the left hand side upwards, this could result in the beam cracking or snapping. Bending Bending on a beam also affects the shape and effectiveness of a beam. Positive bending in a beam causes the beam to bend downwards and causes more pressure on the lower cross section of the beam; this is known as sagging. But negative bending causes the beam to bend upwards, putting more pressure on the upper cross section of the beam; this is known as hogging. These both cause distortion on the beam and make the beam unfit for its use. Compression Tension P6 Identify the main performance criteria relating to the specification of a range of vocationally relevant construction materials There are many materials that can be used in a building. Each of the different materials has different uses and is suited to preventing certain things happening to the buildings structure and aesthetics. Three materials that are most commonly used as building materials are; timber, plastics and metals. Timber Timber is one of the most common materials used in a building. It is very versatile and can be used for many things. Timber has been used in buildings for thousands of years. Timber is strong because of the direction of the grain. If it is split across the grain it is much stronger than splitting down the grain. But if the timber is split perpendicular to its grain it will be much weaker. Timber is a very rigid material and has and does not bend unless under very high amounts of stress and would snap if too much weight and pressure is put upon it. Timber is a porous material as it has pockets of air; this means that it can absorb water. Timber materials are hydroscopic, meaning that they easily absorb large amounts of water from the air. Because of moisture movement, this means that if hydrated timber goes from a cold place to a heated house then the timber would shrink, become distorted and crack. Timber has no thermal or electrical conductivity, meaning that it has high resistivity. Timber does not conduct electricity or heat. This means that is can be used to stop the flow of electricity and heat. Timber has a very low U-value, so it is a very good mat erial to insulate with. Timber is also a very durable and strong material. However, it is not fireproof, meaning that if it is exposed to fire it will burn. Because timber is inconsistent, it must be stress graded so that it can be set to different uses. There are many different uses for timber; floor joists, ceiling joists, roof rafters, hip rafters and roof trusses. TRADA literature is responsible for grading the timber, their uses and the average span of the timber. Metal Metal has multiple uses in construction because of its diversity. The metal that is used the most in construction is mild steel. Steel is very strong and can cope well many different situations; steel can also have a small high of elasticity in it depending on its size and width. Steel can normally take a high amount of stress and will return to its original shape, meaning that steel has a high elastic limit. Steel has no prosperity, meaning that is has no air gaps in it and cannot absorb water. Steel is a water proof material and can be used to store water, block an area or route of water or to protect something from water e.g. steel roof sheeting. When steel is heated it will expand. Steel, like any other metal, is a very good conductor of thermal and electrical energy. This meant that metals can be used as electrical wiring and radiators. Steel, because of its density, allows it to be a durable material. But it may rust if it is not maintained. Metal is used a lot in construction; lead roof lining, stainless steel wall tiles, steel frames and galvanised roof straps. Plastics Plastics are another material that is frequently used lots in construction. Plastics are complex compounds that are produced by polymerisation. Plastics are malleable, so they can be altered and moulded into any shape and used for many different things. . Plastic is very resilient and does not degrade. They are also very versatile and most plastics are water proof and cheap. Plastic is not a very strong material and, but plastic has high elasticity, so it will begin to deform quicker but will return to its original shape. Plastic is not a very porous material and will resist water well, making it a good material to stop the flow of water. This also means that the moisture movement within plastic would not change as because it has no air pockets that can fill with moisture. Although plastic has a high electrical resistivity, it has a very high thermal conductivity, making it a good material to insulate wiring, but also a good material to distribute heat. Plastics are not very durable as they can scratch easily and can become weathered, so are often used inside and covered. Plastics are used in many different parts of construction; PVC window frames, to cover and watertight gaps. P7- Describe the production process and/or manufacturing process for two vocationally relevant construction materials All materials that are used in construction must go through a specific production process to make them as strong and pure as possible. This is so that they will last longer and many will be recyclable. Timber Timber has a very specific process that makes it as strong as it can and as resilient as possible. When trees are cut down for timber they are selected and only certain trees may be cut down from certain areas. After the trees are cut down they must be replaced so that the population of trees stays steady. When trees are cut down they are very moist, so they must dry the timber out. They do this by using a certain method. This method is air/ kiln drying. After this is done, the moisture of the tree is reduced greatly and the timber becomes stronger. Many different timber products can then be produced by from the timber after the moisture percentage drops below 20%. There are two different categories for timber, they are hardwood and softwood. Hardwoods are stronger than soft woods because the hardwoods contain two types of cells. There are cells that transfer sap and cells that provide strength to the tree. There are many different trees that produce hardwood, they are; oak, beech, ash and walnut. Softwood trees are weaker and normally include trees such as Douglas fir. Steel When steel is produced it can go through one of two processes which strengthen and purify the steel and make it as strong as possible. The UK steel industry uses two different processes to manufacture steel. The arc furnace is use, this is powered by electricity. The other method is the basic oxygen converter. There are three raw materials that are used to make steel, they are; fluxes, molten iron and coke. The arc process uses raw materials that are cold to start with. A vessel is filled with lots of recycled scrap steel. Electric probes are dropped into the vessel and the lid is shut. When the power is turned on arcs from between the probes and melts the mixture. Other metals are added as the process goes on so that the best quality steel can be produced. Oxygen is blown into the mixture so that the steel can be purified. The second method that is used to create mild steel is the oxygen convertor. This process uses molten iron, produced in a blast furnace. The molten iron is poured into a vessel and scrap steel is added. Oxygen is then blown into the mixture by a lance, this purifies the steel and the impurities float to the surface of the mixture. The bi-product of this process, slag, is then scraped off the top. The purified steel is then taken to be processed into ingots, billets or is continuously poured and rolled into shape. P8- Describe the important features and properties of construction-related materials Criteria There are many different criteria that affect the materials and whether or not the materials are effective. The specifications which affect these are whether it is fit for purpose, aesthetics, the costs, resistance to degradation, ease of installation and use, environmental implications, sustainability and recycling potential, COSHH considerations and compatibility of the materials. All of these factors will affect the decision of which materials to use. Fit for purpose Materials usually have a standard or specification set by and recognised standards body. All materials have a set fit for purpose; these are recognised worldwide and are the quality standards. This is so that the materials can be purchased globally with the same specifications. Aesthetics The appearance of a material is very important to the architects, designers and the client. The look of the material can also be linked in with the texture of the material and the materials that are used with it. Light can also be a large factor in the appearance of materials. The look of the material may change in different lights and different temperatures. The traditional materials that were being used are less popular and the newer, greener materials are becoming more popular and are seen as more attractive. Costs Costs of materials are also a very important factor in the decision of what will be used. If the budget of the project is low or running out then the materials would have to be cheaper. Higher quality materials are also more costly than materials that are a lower quality. However, more expensive materials will prove to be cheaper in the long term over a longer time as they will not need to be replaced changed or repaired often. Resistance to degradation Materials quality and density is linked with the resistance of the material. If the material is used in a busy area then it will need to be a more dense material. Degradation can be a result of many things; Vandalism Wind Rain Frost Sunlights harmful UV rays Air pollution Age of the material Design is a very important factor in the resistance of material. The placements of certain things that help the materials resist certain factors. Material selection takes many factors into account, the environment, location and the usage. Ease of installation or use A material that would need tradesman to install would be more costly than a material that could be installed and used by anyone. If a material is also easily maintained, it will be cheaper and more desirable. If a material needs replacing it may cost a lot more if a tradesman in needed again. A cheaper material may also have large costs when it needs to be replaced or repaired at the end of its life span. Environmental implications Issues involving greener materials are becoming more important with new buildings. Whether a material is environmentally friendly is a large factor in material selection. The amount of carbon produced in the manufacturing of the material and the embedded energy must both be taken into consideration when deciding on a material. Materials which are wholly or partially recycled should be considered over other materials so that the effect of global warming can be reduced. Sustainability and recycling potential Materials should now include elements of sustainable materials and should be designed with regards with the environment so that valuable resources are not use up in the process. Timber products are a good material as they are produced from trees, which can be re-grown and will not run out, the waste materials can be used for different products and can be recycled into other products after it has been used and needs to be changed. COSHH considerations The control of substances hazardous to health is very important when choosing materials to build with. This is important as it takes into account: Chemicals used in the production of the material Chemicals used to treat the materials Chemical additive part of a material Many materials include chemicals which are harmful, so they need a trained operative to install the materials. Products like solvents are being replaced in use as the solvents are harmful to the environment in its use in modern products and also the production process. Manufacturers data sheets are also read so that the chemicals used are safe and acceptable and if not then the chemicals should be changed so that it is less harmful to the environment. Compatibility Compatibility is also a factor which affects the material choice. If certain materials are not compatible with each other and may react badly to each other, this can cause types of corrosion and would be costly in maintenance and replacement. Ways that this can be avoided is by applying finishes to the surfaces that will protect them from chemicals given off in reactions. Properties The properties of a material have a large effect on the decision of the material that will be used. Different materials have different strengths and will be better suited in certain situations. The properties that are taken into account are; strength, elasticity, porosity and water absorption, thermal and moisture movement, thermal and electrical conductivity/resistivity, thermal transmittance, durability, workability, density, specific heat capacity and viscosity. Strength The strength of a material is the amount of tension, stress or weight that a material will be able to endure before the materials limit is reached and begins to deform. Materials strength vary depending on the type of material. Elasticity Elasticity is the amount of stress that a material can take before it reaches its elastic limit and the material becomes distorted and its dimensions are altered permanently. The elasticity of a material will also vary depending on the production and the nature of the material. Porosity and water absorption Porosity is the amount of air pockets or pores that are within a material. The density of a material is closely linked with porosity. If a material is heaver per unit volume then it will have fewer pores inside. The porosity of a material is tested by weighing the material then leaving the material in water for a set amount of time and re-weighing the material. This will provide a measurement, which can be shown as percentages, of the amount of water that the material absorbed. Thermal and moisture movement Thermal movement is changes in materials depending on the time of year. All materials contract with cold and expand with heat. Many materials have high rates of expansion and contraction, so predictions of joints must be provided for in the brickwork or concrete. These joints would allow for expansion and contraction and helpful in areas with changing climates. Moisture movement is the ability for materials to absorb water from the air. Materials that can absorb a lot of moisture from the air may expand and deform. But if placed into a warm area, they can shrink and become distorted. Thermal and electrical conductivity/resistivity The thermal and electrical resistivity is the materials ability to block the passage of electric and thermal energy. Thermal and electrical conductivity is closely linked in materials. Materials that are good conductors of heat are usually good conductors of electricity. However, plastics dont conduct electricity but are good conductors of heat. Any metal can conduct electricity. Thermal transmittance Thermal transmittance is the U-value of a material. The U-value of materials tells you how effective the material is at stopping heat. If a U-value is lower it is more efficient at stopping the passage of heat. Durability Durability is the materials resistance to any form of damage that can occur to the surface of the material. This is also linked to the life cycle of the materials. Denser materials are very durable and can withstand large amounts of surface damage, making them more hard wearing than materials that are less dense. Materials durability also depends on whether the material is looked after correctly and if it has the right forms of varnish and protection. Workability Workability is how easily a material can be produced and formed. The workability of materials has many factors that affect it. If a material has too much or too little of what is needed to make it then the material will be harder to work with and form into the right shapes and sizes without any imperfe

British Chartism :: essays research papers

The outcome of the social revolutions of 1830-1833 left Europe in a general sense of discontent. Governments were doing their best to limit democratic movements by restricting voting privileges to the wealthier middle classes. Limited voting power kept the Whig party “safe'; from radical pressure in Britain. These absurd manipulations of the electorate and parliament encouraged democrats and radicals (middle classes) from all over Europe to protest and eventually uprise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the best, most comprehensive examples of a social revolution in this period is Britain’s Chartism. This radical movement pushed for democratic rights in order to improve social conditions in industrial Great Britain. It arose from the popular discontent following the Reform Act of 1832, which gave very little importance to large, industrial boroughs in parliament. Movements of mass discontent in Yorkshire and Lancashire caused by industrial exploitation and economic depression had already taken place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1838, the cabinet-maker William Lovett and the tailor Francis Place wrote the “People’s Charter';. It is best known for its “Six Points';, which proposed the following: universal manhood sufferage, equal electoral districts, vote by ballot, payment of members of Parliament, removal of the property qualification for the Members of Parliament, and annual general elections. The first five of these demands were granted (even though it took until 1918 to finalize the decision), but the sixth was refused because it stressed the radical infuence on the program. The Whig belief of the sovreignty of the parliament clashed with that of the radicals, who felt that the parliament should be entirely subject to the will of the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though Chartism originated from London’s the artisans and radicals, it found most of its support from the industrial middles classes of northern England. The Birmingham Union and Leeds’ radicals soon joined forces in an element of extremism. Two Irish orators, Bronterre O’Brien and Feargus O’Connor brought together hundreds of starving men and women, preeching violent propaganda (O’Conner reached out to so many people also thanks to his newspaper, Northern Star). People all across Great Britain (including European refugees and exiles) were now fighting for one common cause; “The Charter';.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chartism reached its highest point with the calling of a National Convention just meters from the House of Parliament. An enormous petition for which hundreds of thousands of signatures had been collected was presented to the Parliament. Following the submission of the petition, the question on everybody’s mind was what to do if the Parliament were to reject the document.

Octavia Butlers Kindred Essay -- Slavery Education Slaves Kindred Ess

Octavia Butler's Kindred Throughout the novel Kindred, Butler compared and contrasted modern African Americans with African Americans that were slaves in the novel. Some of the many ways she compares them are through education, work ethic, and their personal feelings about and/or how they handle their own slavery. Education is very important to the blacks that were enslaved in the novel. The slaves valued education even more than the modern African Americans like Dana who had always thought they had very high standards on education. The slaves valued education so much because to them it was not only a tool to better themselves, but also a very powerful tool that could potentially lead them to freedom. With the ability to read and write the slaves could write themselves ...

Essay --

Government type: Republic Capital: Suva Geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins fourth Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in January Legal system: the legal system of Fiji is similar to the Canadian system. National holiday: Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970) Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Administrative Divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Wester Fiji is an island, which demonstrated get value and potential this can be shown through theirs Government system. Fiji government was formed in 1970; its legal system is similar to the English government. The three branches of government that make up Fiji are the Executive branch Legislative branch and the judicial branch. Each branch of government takes care of a specific part. The executive branch takes care of the law being made in Fiji. These laws are made and appointed by President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU. The Legislative branch acts to amend and repea...

Deception Point Page 52

Only fifteen feet away, Gabrielle Ashe stood in the shadows, rigid. From the den came the harmonious clink of crystal snifters and the crackle of the fire. 58 In a panic, the young NASA technician dashed through the habisphere. Something terrible has happened! He found Administrator Ekstrom alone near the press area. â€Å"Sir,† the technician gasped, running up. â€Å"There's been an accident!† Ekstrom turned, looking distant, as if his thoughts were already deeply troubled with other matters. â€Å"What did you say? An accident? Where?† â€Å"In the extraction pit. A body just floated up. Dr. Wailee Ming.† Ekstrom's face was blank. â€Å"Dr. Ming? But†¦ â€Å" â€Å"We pulled him out, but it was too late. He's dead.† â€Å"For Christ's sake. How long has he been in there?† â€Å"We think about an hour. It looks like he fell in, sank to the bottom, but when his body bloated, he floated up again.† Ekstrom's reddish skin turned crimson. â€Å"Goddamn it! Who else knows about this?† â€Å"Nobody, sir. Only two of us. We fished him out, but we thought we better tell you before-â€Å" â€Å"You did the right thing.† Ekstrom exhaled a weighty sigh. â€Å"Stow Dr. Ming's body immediately. Say nothing.† The technician felt perplexed. â€Å"But, sir, I-â€Å" Ekstrom put a large hand on the man's shoulder. â€Å"Listen to me carefully. This is a tragic accident, one I deeply regret. Of course I will deal with it appropriately when the time comes. Now, however, is not the time.† â€Å"You want me to hide his body?† Ekstrom's cold Nordic eyes bore down. â€Å"Think about it. We could tell everyone, but what would that accomplish? We're about an hour off from this press conference. Announcing that we've had a fatal accident would overshadow the discovery and have a devastating effect on morale. Dr. Ming made a careless mistake; I have no intention of making NASA pay for it. These civilian scientists have taken enough of the spotlight without my letting one of their slipshod errors cast a shadow over our public moment of glory. Dr. Ming's accident remains a secret until after the press conference. Do you understand?† The man nodded, pale. â€Å"I'll stow his body.† 59 Michael Tolland had been at sea enough times to know the ocean took victims without remorse or hesitation. As he lay in exhaustion on the expansive sheet of ice, he could just make out the ghostly outline of the towering Milne Ice Shelf receding in the distance. He knew the powerful Arctic current flowing off the Elizabethan Islands spiraled in an enormous loop around the polar ice cap and would eventually skirt land in northern Russia. Not that it mattered. That would be months from now. We've got maybe thirty minutes†¦ forty-five at the most. Without the protective insulation of their gel-filled suits, Tolland knew they would be dead already. Thankfully, the Mark IXs had kept them dry-the most critical aspect of surviving cold weather. The thermal gel around their bodies had not only cushioned their fall, but it was now helping their bodies retain what little heat they had left. Soon hypothermia would set in. It would start with a vague numbness in limbs as the blood retreated to the body's core to protect the critical internal organs. Delirious hallucinations would come next, as the pulse and respiration slowed, cheating the brain of oxygen. Then, the body would make a final effort to conserve its remaining heat by shutting down all operations except the heart and respiration. Unconsciousness would follow. In the end, heart and respiration centers in the brain would stop functioning altogether. Tolland turned his gaze toward Rachel, wishing he could do something to save her. The numbness spreading through Rachel Sexton's body was less painful than she would have imagined. Almost a welcome anesthetic. Nature's morphine. She had lost her goggles in the collapse, and she could barely open her eyes against the cold. She could see Tolland and Corky on the ice nearby. Tolland was looking at her, eyes filled with regret. Corky was moving but obviously in pain. His right cheekbone was smashed and bloody. Rachel's body trembled wildly as her mind searched for answers. Who? Why? Her thoughts were muddled by a growing heaviness inside her. Nothing was making sense. She felt like her body was slowly shutting down, lulled by an invisible force pulling her to sleep. She fought it. A fiery anger ignited within her now, and she tried to fan the flames. They tried to kill us! She peered out at the threatening sea and sensed their attackers had succeeded. We're already dead. Even now, knowing she would probably not live to learn the whole truth about the deadly game being played out on the Milne Ice Shelf, Rachel suspected she already knew who to blame. Administrator Ekstrom had the most to gain. He was the one who sent them out on the ice. He had ties to the Pentagon and Special Ops. But what did Ekstrom have to gain by inserting the meteorite beneath the ice? What did anyone have to gain? Rachel flashed on Zach Herney, wondering if the President was a coconspirator or an unknowing pawn? Herney knows nothing. He's innocent. The President obviously had been duped by NASA. Now Herney was only about an hour away from making NASA's announcement. And he would do so armed with a video documentary containing endorsements from four civilian scientists. Four dead civilian scientists. Rachel could do nothing to stop the press conference now, but she vowed that whoever was responsible for this attack would not get away with it. Summoning her strength, Rachel tried to sit up. Her limbs felt like granite, all her joints screaming in pain as she bent her legs and arms. Slowly, she pulled herself to her knees, steadying herself on the flat ice. Her head spun. All around her the ocean churned. Tolland lay nearby, gazing up at her with inquisitive eyes. Rachel sensed he probably thought she was kneeling in prayer. She was not, of course, although prayer probably had as good a chance of saving them as what she was about to attempt. Rachel's right hand fumbled across her waist and found the ice ax still bungeed to her belt. Her stiff fingers gripped the handle. She inverted the ax, positioning it like an upside down T. Then, with all her energy, she drove the butt downward into the ice. Thud. Again. Thud. The blood felt like cold molasses in her veins. Thud. Tolland looked on in obvious confusion. Rachel drove the ax down again. Thud. Tolland tried to lift himself onto his elbow. â€Å"Ra†¦ chel?† She did not answer. She needed all her energy. Thud. Thud. â€Å"I don't think†¦,† Tolland said, â€Å"this far north†¦ that the SAA†¦ could hear†¦ â€Å" Rachel turned, surprised. She had forgotten Tolland was an oceanographer and might have some idea what she was up to. Right idea†¦ but I'm not calling the SAA. She kept pounding. The SAA stood for a Suboceanic Acoustic Array, a relic of the Cold War now used by oceanographers worldwide to listen for whales. Because underwater sounds carried for hundreds of miles, the SAA network of fifty-nine underwater microphones around the world could listen to a surprisingly large percentage of the planet's oceans. Unfortunately, this remote section of the Arctic was not part of that percentage, but Rachel knew there were others out there listening to the ocean floor-others that few on earth knew existed. She kept pounding. Her message was simple and clear. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD†¦ THUD. THUD. THUD. Rachel had no delusions that her actions would save their lives; she could already feel a frosty tightness gripping her body. She doubted she had a half hour of life left in her. Rescue was beyond the realm of possibility now. But this was not about rescue.