Marketing Orientation Sample Essay

Marketing orientation is a concept of an organization which underlines that the company`s success is mainly based on customers` satisfaction. The stress here is put on valuing consumers` needs and wants first of all. â€Å"A marketing oriented firm (also called the marketing concept, or consumer focus, or customer focus) is one that allows the wants and needs of customers and potential customers to drive all the firm’s strategic decisions. The firm’s corporate culture is systematically committed to creating customer value. The rationale is that the more a company understands and meets the real needs of its consumers, the more likely it is to have happy customers who come back for more, and tell their friends† (wikipedia). Marketing orientation concept evolved between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Firstly, it was developed at Harvard University. Marketing orientation replaced production orientation and sales orientation which were prevailing before. By this time numerous researches were made in order to investigate marketing orientation more thoroughly and make necessary conclusions about the influence of this concept. However, understanding of marketing orientation is not clear and is discussed from different points of view. There are studies which propose philosophical approach towards marketing orientation and there are those which turn to behavioral notion of marketing orientation. I would like to mention opinions of several researchers towards the topic of marketing orientation. Desphande and Webster, like many others, share ideas of philosophical and cultural qualities of marketing orientation. â€Å"In their study in 1992 they use the term  «customer orientation » to describe a specific set of beliefs that puts the customers’ interests first and ahead of those of all other stakeholders (e.g. owners, managers, employees) which, in their view, should be considered as part of a broader, and more fundamental, corporate culture† (mcm.aueb.gr/†¦/Gounaris/Marketing_Orientation_and_Its_Development.pdf). On other way, marketing orientation is viewed as specific company behavior. Trout and Ries (1985), for example, perceive marketing orientation as an effort to compile market intelligence upon which the effort to build a competitive advantage is based. Elliot (1987) considers satisfying customers` needs important but insufficient, and proposes strategies for achieving customers` satisfaction to be just a part of marketing orientation concept which should combine many other features. More developed marketing orientation improves company`s performance—there is a direct connection. Many companies may prosper using marketing orientation, and some fail. The difficulty is that marketing orientation is specific, it combines particular culture and behavior of a firm. So, once a company decides to concentrate on consumers` satisfaction and apply marketing orientation there are many challenges and innovations coming into company`s philosophy. First step of the company is to investigate customers` expectations. Later, products or services are produced considering the information obtained from performed investigation. The final part is to follow and evaluate consumers` satisfaction in order to make necessary adjustments. And so it becomes a continuous process for the company in order to keep track and continue to improve business. There are many methods and approaches used in marketing orientation. The ideal model of marketing oriented company would include all necessary marketing activities. There is marketing research in order to identify customers` wants, research and development production developing the products according to consumers` wishes, pricing which undermines value of the product to customers, distribution to the right place at the right time, and promotion in order to inform customers of the product. Marketing oriented company should also possess characteristics such as: marketing research and product innovation techniques, broad product lines, possibility of ancillary services, customer support, tight organizational structure. I consider marketing orientation to be a very positive and necessary concept. Basically, customers are those who make business prosper. So, the more company listens to the expectations of consumers and the more loyal and understanding is the philosophy of the company, the more customers it will attract—and more profit will be attained using rather ethical, as to my opinion, approach to business. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Avlonitis G. and Gounaris S., â€Å"Marketing Orientation and Company Performance: A Comparative Study of Industrial vs. Consumer Goods Companies†, Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 26, no.5 (1997) 2. Bonoma T., â€Å"The Marketing Edge: Making Strategies Work† (1985) 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_orientation 4. mcm.aueb.gr/†¦/Gounaris/Marketing_Orientation_and_Its_Deve lopment.pdf

Being Fat a Big Issue

Being Fat a Big Issue Daniel Gutierrez English 1430, Fall 2010, Section 02 Professor A. Hepner October 14th, 2010 Daniel Gutierrez A. Hepner ENG 1300-01 October 14th, 2010 Being Fat a Big Issue Being fat is one of the biggest issues lately. Our society has created a stereotype of how people should look and it is not exactly a fat boy/girl. People who are fat have suffered every day for how they look and many times our society ignores fat people’s feelings.Obese people have been suffering depression and discrimination for being fat, even though sometimes it is a disease or compulsive eating (eating disorder) that makes them fat, there are also some irresponsible cases of eating unhealthily and it not working out. Obese people today tend to be discriminated for being fat in our society. Overweight people are not different to us; they are people like you and me, for that reason we should not judge them. They are part of our society and they deserve respect and understanding. Ms.C laudia Gomez said, â€Å"It is hard for us when I take the bus and everybody looking us like if we are different or if we are funny, they don’t know how painful it is. † In addition, there are some studies to show that depression can be responsible for overweight especially in women (Overweight and Depression). Moreover, some obese people have eating disorder like compulsive overeating. Compulsive overeating is an addiction to food in big quantities. People suffering compulsive overeating used to eat to hide their emotions, to avoid what they feel inside or their life problems.As Susie Orbach said in her essay, Fat as a Feminist Issue, â€Å"Women suffering from the problem of compulsive eating endure double anguish: feeling out of step with the rest of society, and believing that it is all their own fault†¦. (201)† Overweight people have a disease which means people having extra body weight from muscle, bone and fat (What are Overweight and Obesity). There are some options to lose weight such as: surgery, diets by a nutritionist, exercise and some medicines. According to Medline Plus one of the common options for very obese people is the Gastric by Pass Surgery.After this surgery the patients will not be capable of eating like they ate before. This is an alternative to lose weight faster but also the patients have to follow a diet and do exercise (Gastric Bypass Surgery). Furthermore, obese people have not been practicing healthy habits. The most common unhealthy habits among overweight people are: they do not do exercise, they eat too frequently, usually eat more than one time at the same meal, they stay away from lightest activities (like use the stairs or walk a little), and they eat when they are not truly hungry (Frisch).Likewise, overweight people might be more responsible. Everybody knows what we can do or what we can’t. If I know that I’m gaining weight, I also know that I have to take care of what I eat and do exercise. But many obese people know that they are fat and they still eat unhealthy food and also they do not do exercise. I think this is happening because we like to blame the circumstances (depression, divorce, childhood, etc). But at the same time they also know that being overweight may not be their fault but they are responsible to remain so, because what we do is our choice.Even though there are many advertisements that encourage us to eat unhealthy, nobody is forcing us to eat that food. Also you are the only one who can make the simple decision of taking the elevator or go up stairs. Being obese or overweight is an irresponsible act that makes people sick and this affects everybody because this is a public health problem that should not be. In his essay, What You Eat Is Your Business, Radley Balko maintains that, â€Å"the best way to alleviate the obesity â€Å"public health† crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health (157). As he said, here some p eople would probably say that people should be responsible with their own health because we are the only ones who make the choice of living healthy or not. On the other hand, some fat people are proud of how they are. Mr. Alvarado who is weighting around 310 pounds describes himself as a big man and he said, â€Å"I don’t feel bad because I’m fat, I am happy how I am, a big man. I’m comfortable with my weight, I am healthy and I don’t want to change because the society says that people should be thin. In my opinion, over the years and following the bad habits that he has, I am not sure if he is going to be healthy. He maybe is proud of how he is but if he does not start to eat healthy and do exercise, he is going to see the consequences in a few years. In conclusion, being obese or overweight is an issue but it is also a disease. Although, it is unhealthy and unsightly, the hardest is some of them feel like they cannot fit in our society. In my opinion, we should not judge them; we should help them to make the correct decision to have a healthy life and also we have to change the stereotype that the society has showed us.Also, I used to think all obese people were unhappy to be fat. But my recent researches show me that some obese people simply do not care what people say about them and they are happy how they are. Works Cited Pages: †¢ â€Å"Compulsive Overeating† Something Fishy, Website on Eating Disorders. Web. October 07. 2010. http://www. something-fishy. org/whatarethey/coe. php †¢ â€Å"Gastric Bypass Surgery. † Shabir Bhimji MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland , TX Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A. D. A. M. Medine Plus, Trusted Healthy Information for You. Update Date, May 17. 2010. Web. October 07. 2010. http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007199. htm †¢ â€Å"Overweight an d Depression. † Women’s Health Resource, Taking Care of Your Body. Web. October 07. 2010. http://www. wdxcyber. com/overweight-depression. html †¢ â€Å"What are Overweight and Obesity† Overweight and Obesity. Revised March. 2010. Web. October 07. 2010. http://www. nhlbi. nih. ov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_whatare. html †¢ Balko, Radley. â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business. † They Say / I say with Readings. Ed. Graff, Birkenstein, Durst. New York-London. 2009. 157-161. Print. †¢ Frisch, Louann. â€Å"7 Bad Habits of Overweight People. † Community and Resources. 24 Hours Fitness. Web. October 07. 2010. http://www. 24hourfitness. com/resources/weight_loss/articles/bad_habits. html †¢ Orbach, Susie. â€Å"Fat as a Feminist Issue. † They Say / I say with Readings. Ed. Graff, Birkenstein, Durst. New York-London. 2009. 200-205. Print.

Analyze the handover between two WLAN, two Wimax and two UMTS networks

Analyze the handover between two WLAN, two Wimax and two UMTS networks ABSTRACT In recent years, telecommunication has flourished extensively so much that several areas of studies coexist now thanks to multiple technologies. One of them is heterogeneous handover which is a concept that aims to provide continuity of connection while crossing different networks. In this thesis, our main objective is to analyze the handover between two WLAN, two Wimax and two UMTS networks. The vertical handover decision is taken on the basis of various algorithms such as variance-based algorithm, taguchi algorithm, which calculates the variance of parameters such as delay, jitter, bandwidth and packet loss for the above networks, and selection of the network having most parameters with minimum score. These algorithms are calculated and the decision factors for each wireless network are compared, in order to detect and trigger a vertical handover. The factors can be classified as beneficial, i.e., the larger, the better, or on the basis of cost, i.e., the lower, the better. This algorithm is also compared with other algorithms such as MEW (Multiplicative experiment weighting), SAW (Simple Additive Weighting), TOPOSIS (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) and GRA (Grey Relational Analysis). These algorithms are appropriate for different traffic classes. Simulation results for the proposed algorithm in Matlab is discussed and compared with other multiple attribute decision making algorithms on the basis of bandwidth, jitter, delay etc. It can be seen that the proposed algorithm causes the minimum packet delay than others. Jitter is also comparatively less than other algorithms. Besides, it provides the highest bandwidth than any other MADM algorithm. Keywords:-UMTS, SAW, MEW, GRA, TOPSIS, WLAN and Wimax Chapter-1 Introduction 1.1 History of mobile services ‘ The journey of mobile telephony began with the 1st generation services. The design for it was developed by AMPS (Advanced mobile phone system) in 1970 and it is based on analog cellular technology. The data bandwidth provided by the system was just 1.9 kbps and it used TDMA multiplexing. Then, the 2nd generation of mobile services was introduced in 1981.The 2G systems are still largely used for voice calls. The data bandwidth provided was 14.4 kbps [1] and the technology used was TDMA and CDMA. It is based on digital technology and also provided short messaging services or SMS along with voice communication. Similarly, it provided circuit switched data communication services at low speed. In 1999, the technology switched to 2.5 G, which used GPRS, EDGE as the standards. It provided higher throughput for data service up to 384 kbps. Later, in 2002, the 3G services were introduced, providing high quality audio, video and data services. Which also provided broadband data capabilities up to 2 Mbps. It mainly uses packet switched technology which utilizes the bandwidth more efficiently. In 2010, when 4th generation of cellular technology was introduced, it was expected to complement and replace the 3G networks. The key features of 4G mobile networks is that it can deliver information anywhere and anytime using seamless connection.4G network is an IP based network which gives access through collection of various radio interfaces. Its network provides access to best possible service with seamless handoff, combining multiple radio interfaces into a single network for subscriber to use. Thus, users have different services with an increased coverage. It does not matter whether there is failure or loss of one or more networks, the 4G technology keeps all the networks integrated into IP based system, which require vertical handoff for seamless connection between the networks. As the number of users are responsible for enhancing the qu ality of 4G service, the very process becomes an indispensable component. While the 4G technology has its genesis in the idea of invasive computing, software defined radio is the prominent adhesive behind the entire process. Here the software defined radio is programmable and able to transmit and receive a wide range of frequencies while emulating any transmission format. It should offer high speed of 100 Mbits for stationary mobile and 20 Mbits while travelling having network capacity 10 times faster than 3G networks. This increases the download speed to 1 second for 1Mbyte of file compared to 200 seconds in 3G networks. Which should support fast speed volume data transmission at lower cost. The obviously it should provide seamless connection between multiple wireless networks and mobile networks. For this, the support of vertical handoff is essential. Apart from it, it is expected that seamless multimedia services are provided it being an IP-based system, which also replaces SS7 (signaling system 7) that consumes considerable amount of bandwidth. Due to IP-based network, optimum usage of bandwidth is expected. 1.2 Motivation ‘ There are several communication systems such as the Ethernet, Wireless LAN, GPRS and 3G coexisting with their own different characteristics such as bandwidth, delay and cost. Wireless mobile users require high quality of service (QoS) and one of the factors directly affecting QoS is the number of call drops. Therefore, it has to be reduced or eliminated, possibly, to achieve high QoS. The number of call drops experienced by a system mainly depends on its channel assignment and handoff schemes. Since majority of WLANs are deployed in the areas like hotels, cafes, airports, offices, etc, the speed of the users are generally normalized within the WLAN coverage area. In WLAN/Cellular network interworking, a user can either have access from micro layer or from macro layer of cellular network depending whether he wants slow or fast speed. Basically, in cellular networks, user speed is the primary factor to determine whether a user is fast or slow and that information is subsequently used to handle vertical handoff. Since the speed information about the users are not directly available when they are in WLAN coverage area ,the vertical handoff schemes employed in cellular networks are not directly suitable for solving vertical handoff problem in Cellular/WLAN interworking. This raises to many important questions. Assume that the speed of each user in a WLAN coverage area is within small threshold value. Normally, when a user is outside WLAN coverage area, the type of user whether fast or slow, is determined on the basis of the user speed. Now the question is how to determine the type of user, whether fast or slow, when it is within the WLAN coverage area? A fast user can become slow temporarily due to various conditions such as traffic signals, turns, etc. Is the speed alone sufficient to determine whether a user is slow or fast? If not then (i) What other parameters can be used to determine whether a user is fast or slow and, ii) How can they be obtained? In fact, this lack of clarity inspired the researcher to develop a vertical Handoff decision algorithm to solve vertical handoff problems. 1.3 Scope of thesis ‘ With greater mobility and easy acces, telecommunication consumers have become demanding, seeking services anywhere and anytime. Thus, the integration of WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wimax and cellular networks such as WCDMA (wideband CDMA) system should be error free for seamless efficient communication which is the 4th generation technology. The seamless and efficient handover between different access technologies known as vertical handover is essential and remains a challenging problem. The 4G is seen as convergence and integration of various wireless access technologies. The existing cellular systems such as GSM and CDMA2000 support low bandwidth over a large coverage area. However, the wireless networks such as WLAN supports high bandwidth over a short coverage area. Moreover one of the major design issues of 4G is the support of vertical handover. Interestingly this is different from a ‘horizontal handoff’ between different wireless access points that use the same technology. Switching between two dissimilar networks for mobile terminal (e.g. between UMTS WLAN) is termed as Vertical Handover A vertical handover involves two different network interfaces for different wireless technologies. It can happen in two ways. Firmly when the mobile user moves into the network that has higher bandwidth and limited coverage, a vertical handover request is generated since the mobile user may want to change its connection to the higher bandwidth network to enjoy the higher bandwidth service. This type of vertical handover is called downward vertical handoff. Secondly when the mobile user moves out of its serving higher bandwidth network, it has to request a vertical handover to change its connection to the network with low bandwidth and wide coverage. This type of vertical handover is called upward vertical handover. Chapter-2 Research objectives 2.1 Objectives The present research aims at making comparison between various existing multiple attribute decision making algorithms for realization of vertical handoff such as MEW (Multiplicative Exponent Weighting), SAW (Simple Additive weighting), TOPSIS (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions) and GRA (Grey relational Analysis) which are MADM (Multiple attribute decision making) ranking algorithms and the proposed vertical decision algorithm. For this comparison, various heterogeneous networks such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication services), WLAN (Wireless Local area networks), WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for microwave access) need to be taken into consideration. Comparison will be mostly on the basis of various parameters such as bandwidth, jitter, packet delay, packet loss, etc. In addition, the comparison may be for different types of traffics such as data connections and voice connections. As all the above mentioned algorithms are multiple attribute algorithm, due importance is given to parameters to be considered in the algorithms. The performance evaluation of the proposed decision algorithm should be done on the basis of parameters mentioned above. For various types of traffics, how the algorithm performs can be seen. Depending on the performance, we can conclude Which algorithm is suitable for which traffics. In voice connections, 70 % importance is given to the packet delay and jitter i.e. by assigning weights to these parameters and equal distribution of weights to the other parameters or attributes. If any of the algorithms performs well then that particular algorithm can be considered to be best suited for voice connections. In da ta connections, 70% importance is given to the parameters such as bandwidth i.e. by assigning the weight to the bandwidth and remaining weight is equally distributed among the parameters. If any of the algorithm performs well in this case, then the particular algorithm is suitable for the data connections. The ultimate aim being development of a decision making algorithm which works well for both voice connections and data connections. ‘ 2.2 Methodology In order to realize vertical handoff using the existing multiple attribute decision making algorithm and evaluate the performance of each of the algorithms along with the proposed algorithm, we are considering the selection of network in 4G environment. Here, three types of networks such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication services), WLAN (Wireless Local area networks), WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for microwave access) are combined and there will be two networks of each type. In this thesis, four decision criteria are evaluated and compared to realize vertical handoff considering the available bandwidth (Mbps), packet delay (ms), packet jitter and packet loss (per 106 packets). The range of value for various parameters are as follows: Available bandwidth for UMTS network 0.1-2Mbps, Packet delay for UMTS network 25-50ms, Jitter for UMTS network 5-10ms. Bandwidth for WLAN network 1-54Mbps, Packet delay for WLAN network 100-150ms, Jitter for WLAN network 10-20ms. Bandwidth for Wimax network is 1-60Mbps, while for packet delay for Wimax network is 60-100ms, and Jitter for Wimax network is 3-10ms.The values for the weights to be assigned for different services are considered as Case1: packet delay and jitter are given 70 % importance and the rest is equally distributed among other parameters, this case is suited for voice connections and whereas Case 2: available bandwidth is given as 70% importance, this case is suited for data connections. For each algorithm, 10 vertical decisions were considered of each case separately. Performance evaluation is done for two cases namely voice connections and data connections. These cases are evaluated using MATLAB v7.6 release 2009 software tool. Next, by using artificial neural network, we can design a system to take vertical handoff decision. Here, input parameters such as samples of received signal strength and bandwidth is applied to input layer, hidden layer does some processing depending upon the number of neurons and the algorithm chosen. The output layer gives the ID of selected candidate network. In, ANN-based method, there is handoff between WLAN and Cellular networks. Here, two parameters are taken into consideration i.e. RSS a Bandwidth as an input for neural network. The RSS samples for training neural network for both WLAN cellular networks are -60dBm,-70 dBm,-80 dBm,-90 dBm. Similarly, bandwidth samples for WLAN are 54, 30,10,1 Mbps. Bandwidth samples for cellular network are 14.4, 9.6, 4.5,2 kbps. By using combination of RSS bandwidth parameters, we could make 256 samples of input for ANN. These samples of output samples for vertical handoff decision are also fed to ANN. Using Levenberg-Marquardt method for ANN, 180 samples are used for training, 38 samples for validation and 38 samples for testing. Based on ANN developed system, it could take vertical handoff decision from cellular to WLAN. Lastly, ns-2 software tool can also be used. NS-2 simulation is done using nodes of 802.11 and nodes of 802.16 Wimax. Four nodes of 802.11 nodes (Access points) are used and four nodes of 802.16 nodes (Base station) NIST module of 802.16e are used in ns-2. In this case, out of the existing algorithm best algorithm with best score is selected for triggering vertical handoff decision. Here, in this case, various parameters such as Bandwidth, Bit error rate, trust level etc were considered for vertical handoff decision. This can be tested against various available traffics in ns2 such as CBR (Constant bit rate) which corresponds to real time traffic (for voice communication) and FTP (file transfer Protocol) which corresponds to non real time traffic. The performance evaluation for various traffics can be done on various parameters such as Packet delivery ratio, throughput, jitter and packet dropping ratio etc with simulation time. 2.3 Related Work Enrique Stevens Navarro and Vincent W.S.Wong [2], in their paper, have compared four different vertical handoff decision algorithm namely, MEW (Multiplicative Exponent Weighting), SAW (Simple Additive Weighting), TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), and GRA (Grey Relational Analysis). All four algorithms allow different parameters (e.g., bandwidth, delay, packet loss rate, cost) to be considered for vertical handoff decision [2]. Both Authors found that MEW, SAW, and TOPSIS provide almost the same performance to all four traffic classes. Only GRA gives a slightly higher bandwidth and lower delay for interactive and background traffic classes. Jose.D.Martinez, Ulises Pinedo-Rico and Enrique Stevens Navarro, in their paper, have given a comparative analysis of the multiple attribute decision algorithms [3]. In this paper, the authors provided a simulation study of several vertical handoff decision algorithms in order to understand its performance for different user applications. They considered two different applications: voice and data connections. Algorithms such as SAW (Simple Additive Weighting) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) are suitable for voice connections. These algorithms provided the lower values of jitter and delay packet available in a 4G wireless network. In a data connection case, GRA (Grey Relational Analysis) and MEW (Multiplicative Exponent Weighting) algorithms provided the solution with highest available bandwidth necessary for this application. Chapter-3 Classification of vertical handoff algorithms 3.1 Need for vertical handoff Currently, the trend in mobile communications is not one network technology replacing another, but the interoperability between different overlapping networks. Therefore it is obvious that many wireless networks will coexist and can complement each other in an all-IP based heterogeneous wireless network. This can facilitate mobile users’ access to internet easily and connectivity of IP anywhere, anytime using the ‘best’ possible network. This is mainly due to the fact that different wireless networking technologies have their own advantages and drawbacks. Access to various wireless systems results in heterogeneous networks that can offer overlapping coverage of multiple networks with different technologies. For example, low cost and high speed Wi-Fi (WLAN) network will be accessible within limited range of ‘hot-spot’ areas and will be complimented with cellular network offering wide area coverage such as UMTS or Wimax. As a consequence, some fundament al problems must be solved for the users to navigate a 4G wireless network seamlessly. For this, mobile terminal equipped with multiple interfaces to handle different technologies is required. Furthermore, applications running on mobile terminal with multi-mode terminals in a 4G environment can switch between different networks supporting different technologies without degrading the quality of the link. But the Internet routing model forces mobile terminal to find new IP address for an interface while roaming in another network in 4G environment. It is assumed that applications can easily manage mobility and can handoff to the best possible network; of course some method is required to adjust media streams to the bandwidth available. 3.1 Types of vertical handoff There are various ways to classify vertical handoff algorithms. In this thesis, we have classified the vertical handoff algorithms into four groups based on the handoff criteria as given below: RSS-based algorithms: RSS is used as the main handoff decision criteria in this group. Different strategies have been developed to compare the RSS of the present point of attachment. In this RSS-based horizontal handoff decision, strategies are classified into the following six subcategories namely: relative received signal strength, relative received signal strength with threshold, relative received signal strength with hysteresis and threshold, and prediction techniques. For vertical handoff decision, relative received signal strength cannot be applicable since the signal strength from different types of networks cannot be compared directly due to the different technologies involved. For example, different thresholds for different networks. Furthermore, other network parameters such as bandwidth are combined with RSS in the vertical handoff decision process. Bandwidth-based algorithms: Available bandwidth for a mobile terminal is the main criterion in this group. In some algorithms, both bandwidth and signal strength information are used in the decision process. Depending on whether RSS or bandwidth is the main criteria an algorithm is categorized either as signal strength based or bandwidth based. Cost function based algorithms: This class of algorithms combine metrics such as monetary cost, security, bandwidth and power consumption in a cost function based algorithm, and the handoff decision is made by comparing the score of this function for the candidate networks. Different weights are allotted to the different input parameters depending on the network conditions and user preferences. ANN and fuzzy logic based algorithms: These vertical handoff decision algorithms attempt to use richer set of inputs than others for making handoff decisions. When a large number of inputs are used, it is very difficult or impossible to develop, formulate handoff decision processes. Analytically hence, it is better to apply machine learning techniques to formulate the processes. The survey reveals that for the fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks based techniques can be used. The Fuzzy logic systems allow expertise of humans for qualitative thinking to be incorporated as algorithms to enhance the efficiency. If there exists comprehensive set of input-desired output pattern, artificial neural networks can be trained to create handoff decision algorithms. By using consistent and real-time learning techniques, the systems can monitor their performance and change their own structure to create very effective handoff decision algorithms. 3.3.1 RSS based vertical handoff In this, the handoff decisions are made by comparing RSS (received signal strength) of the current network with the preset threshold values. These algorithms are less complex and may be combined with other parameters such as bandwidth, cost etc to have a better handover decisions. We describe here three RSS based algorithms in the following sections. A) ALIVE-HO (adaptive lifetime based vertical handoff ) algorithm – Zahran, Chen and Sreenan proposed algorithm for handover between 3G networks and WLAN by combining the RSS with an estimated lifetime (duration over which the current access technology remains beneficial to the active applications). ALIVE-HO always uses an uncongested network whenever available. It continues using the preferred network (i.e. WLAN) as long as it satisfies the QoS requirements of the application [5]. Two different vertical handoff scenarios let us discuss: Moving out of the preferred network (MO) and Moving in to the preferred network (MI), where the preferred network is usually the underlay network that provides better and economical service. Hence, extending the utilization of WLAN as long as it provides satisfactory performance is the main consideration of vertical handoff algorithm design. We observe the method through the following scenarios. In the first scenario, when the MT moves away from the coverage area of a WLAN into a 3G cell, a handover to the 3G network is initiated. The handover is done under following conditions: (a) RSS average of the WLAN falls below predefined threshold. (MO threshold) and (b) the estimated lifetime is at least equal to the required handoff signaling delay. The MT continuously calculates the RSS mean using the moving average method.[4] [K] = Here [k] is RSS mean at time instant k, and Wav is the window size, a variable that changes with velocity of the velocity of mobile terminal. Then, the lifetime metric EL [k] is calculated by using [k], ASST Application signal strength threshold),S[k],RSS change rate. EL[k] = [k] ‘ ASST S[k] ASST (Application signal strength threshold) chosen to satisfy the requirements of the active applications. S[K] represents RSS decay rate. In second scenario, when the MT moves towards a WLAN cell, the handover to the WLAN is done if the average RSS is larger than MI Threshold. WLAN and the available bandwidth of the WLAN meet the bandwidth requirement of the application. Table 3.1 given below shows lost frames during the handoff transition area for the received stream. ASST (in dBs) -90 -89 -88 -87 -86 -85 Lost frames_100kbit/s 13.3 5 3 0.67 0 0 Lost frames_300kbit/s 38 28 4 0.33 0 0 Table 3.1 Frames lost corresponding to ASST [5] Based on the results obtained and subjective testing, the optimal value for UDP based streaming is chosen as -86dB. Firstly by introducing EL[k], the algorithm adapts to the application requirements and reduces unnecessary handovers. Secondly, there is an improvement on the average throughput for user because MT prefers to stay in WLAN cell as long as possible. However, packet delay grows due to the critical fading impact near the cell edges, which may result in severe degradation in the user perceived QoS. This phenomenon results in a tradeoff between improving the system resource utilization and satisfying the user QoS requirements. This issue can be critical for delay sensitive applications and degrade their performance. Here ASST is tuned according to various system parameters, including delay thresholds, MT velocities, handover signaling costs and packet delay penalties. B) Algorithm on Adaptive RSS Threshold Mohanty and Akyildiz, in their paper, have proposed a WLAN to 3G handover decision method [6]. In this method, RSS of current network is compared with dynamic RSS threshold (Sth) when MT is connected to a WLAN access point. We observe the following notations with reference to fig 3.1 which shows a handoff from current network (AP) referred as WLAN, to the future network (BS), referred as 3G. Fig 3.1 Analysis of handoff process [6] * Sth: The threshold value of RSS to initiate the handover process. Therefore, when the RSS of WLAN referred to as ORSS (old RSS) in fig 3.1 drops below Sth, the registration procedures are initiated for MT’s handover to the 3G network. * a:The cell size we assume that the cells are of hexagonal shape. d: It is the shortest distance between the point at which handover is initiated and WLAN boundary. We observe the Path loss Model given by; Pr(x) = Pr (d0) + Where x is the distance between the Access Point and Mobile Terminal, and Pr (d0) is the received power at a known reference distance (d0). The typical value of d0 is 1 km for macrocells, 100m for outdoor microcells, and 1m for indoor picocells. The numerical value of Pr (d0) depends on different factors such as frequency, antenna heights, and antenna gains, is the path loss exponent. The typical values of ranges from 3 to 4 and 2 to 8 for macrocellular and microcellular environment. – Is a Zero mean Gaussian random variable that represents the statistical variation in Pr(x) caused by Shadowing. Typical std. deviation of is 12 dB. We observe the path loss model applied to the scenario. Pr (a ‘ d) = Pr (a) + Pr (a ‘ d) = Pr (a) + 10 log Sth = Smin + 10 log When the MT is located at point P, the assumption is that it can move in any direction with equal probability, i.e. the pdf of MT’s direction of motion is f = – †.’.(1) As per assumption, that MT’s direction of motion and speed remains the same from point P until it moves out of the coverage area of WLAN. As the distance of P from WLAN boundary is not very large, this assumption is realistic. The need for handoff to cellular network arises only if MTs direction of motion from P is in the range [ ] can move in both directions. Where = arctan otherwise the handoff initiation is false. The probability of false handoff initiation is using (1) is Pa = 1 – P (unfavourable event ) = 1 ‘ P ( favourable event ) = 1 – = 1 – †.’.(2) When the direction of motion of Mobile Terminal from P is, the time it takes to move out of the coverage area of WLAN cell i.e. old base station is given by time = from fig 3.1 Cos = Sec = , x = d sec Hence t = t= †.’.(3) Pdf of is f = â€Å"{† 1/(2†_1 ) -†_1†Ã¢â‚¬ _1 {0 otherwise from (3) , t is a function of i. e. t = g ( ) in [ ] [3] g(†)=dsec†/v Therefore pdf of t is given by f_t (t)=’_i’f_(† (†_i ) )/(g^’ (†_i ) ) †.’.(4) Where †i are the roots of equation t = g ( ) in [ ] And for each of these roots f†(†i)= for i = 1 and 2 f = + f = †.’.(5) Where g is derivative of g given by g = †.’.(6) = = g = t Using (5) (6), the pdf of t is given by f = †.’.(7) { 0 otherwise The probability of handoff failure is given by Pf = { 1 { P ( t ) { 0 †.’.(8) – handoff signaling delay and P ( t ) – is the probability that t when P (t ) = = = = arccos( ) †.’.(9) Using (8) and (9) we get Pf = { 1 { cos { 0 Pf = Since, †1 =arctan ( d/v†) Pf = Here, it shows that Probability of handoff failure depends on distance from point p to the boundary of the cell, velocity and handoff signaling delay †. The use of adaptive RSS threshold helps reducing the handoff failure probability as well as reducing unnecessary handovers. The exact value of Sth will depend on MT’s speed and handoff signaling delay at a particular time. Adaptive Sth is used to limit handoff failure. However, in this algorithm, the handoff from 3G network to a WLAN is not efficient when MTS traveling time inside a WLAN cell is less than the handover delay. This may lead to wastage of network resources. 3.3.2 Bandwidth based vertical handoff algorithm A Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) Based algorithm Yang, in his paper,[7] presented a bandwidth based vertical handover decision method between WLANs and a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) network using Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) algorithm[7]. The SINR calculation of the WLAN (wireless LAN) signals is converted into an equivalent Signal to Interference and noise Ratio to be compared with the Signal to Interference and noise Ratio of the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access channel †AP =†AP [(1+ †BS/ †BS) WBS/ WAP -1] where †AP and †BS are the Signal to Interference and noise Ratio at the mobile terminal when associated with Wireless local area network and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, respectively. † is the dB gap between the uncoded Quadrature Amplitude Modulation and channel capacity, minus the coding gain, and †AP equals to 3dB for Wireless local area network and †BS equals to 3dB for Wireless local area network, as stated by the authors. WAP and WBS are the carrier bandwidth of wireless local area network and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access links. Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio based handovers can provide users with higher overall throughput than RSS based handovers since the available throughput is directly dependent on the Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio, and this algorithm results in a balanced load between the wireless local area network and the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access networks. But such an algorithm may also int roduce excessive handovers with the variation of the Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio causing the node to hand over back and forth between two networks, commonly referred to as ping-pong effect. A Wrong Decision Probability (WDP) Prediction Based algorithm C.Chi, Cao, Hao and Liu, in their paper ‘Modeling and analysis of Handover algorithms’, have proposed a Vertical Handover decision algorithm based [8] on the Wrong Decision Probability (WDP) prediction. The Wrong Decision Probability is calculated by combining the probability of unnecessary handoff and the missing handoff. Assume that there are two networks i and j with overlapping coverage, and bi and bj are their available bandwidth. An unnecessary handoff occurs when the mobile terminal is in network i and decides to handoff to j, but bj is less than bi after this decision. A missing handoff occurs when the mobile terminal decides to stay connected to network i, but bi is less than bj after this decision. A handover from network i to network j is initiated if Pr † x l0 or bj – bi ‘ L, where Pr is the unnecessary handover probability, † is the traffic load of network i, l0 = 0.001, and L is a bandwidth threshold. The authors show that this alg orithm is able to reduce the Wrong Decision Probability and balance the traffic load; however, received signal strength is not considered. A handoff to a target network with high bandwidth but weak received signal is not desirable as it may bring discontinuity in the service. 3.3.3 Cost Function based vertical handoff algorithm A Cost Function Based algorithm with Normalization and Weights Distribution Hasswa, N. Nasser, and H. Hassanein, in their paper ‘A context-aware cross-layer archi- tecture for next generation heterogeneous wireless networks’, have proposed a cost function based handover decision algorithm in which the normalization and weights distribution methods are provided. A quality factor of network is used to evaluate the performance of a handover target candidate as Qi = WCCi + WSSi + WPPi + WdDi + WfFi where Qi is the quality factor of network i, Ci, Si, Pi, Di and Fi stand for cost of service, security, power consumption, network condition and network performance, and Wc, Ws, Wp, Wd andWf are the weights of these network parameters. Since each network parameter has a different unit, a normalization procedure is used and the normalized quality factor for network n is calculated as Wc(1/Ci) WSSi WP(1/Pi) Qi = †__________ + __________ + _______ max((1/C1),’..(1/Cn)) max(S1,’..Sn) max((1/P1),’..(1/Pn)) WdDi WfFi + ________ + ________ max (D1,’..Dn) max(F1,’..Fn) A handoff necessity estimator is also introduced to avoid unnecessary handovers High system throughput and user’s satisfaction can be achieved by introducing Hasswa’s algorithm, however, some of the parameters such as security and interference levels are difficult to calculate. A Weighted Function Based Algorithm R. Tawil, G. Pujolle, and O. Salazar in their paper presented a weighted function based[10] Vertical handover decision algorithm which transfers the Vertical handover decision calculation to the visited network instead of the mobile terminal. The weighted function of a candidate network is defined as Qi = WBBi +WDp 1/DPi+WC 1/Ci Where Qi represents the quality of network i, Bi, DPi and Ci are bandwidth, dropping probability and monetary cost of service, and WB, WDp and WC are their weights, where, WB +WDp +WC = 1 The candidate network with the highest score of Qi is selected as the handover target. By giving the calculation to the visited network, the resource of the mobile node can be saved so that the system is able to achieve short handoff decision delay, low handoff blocking rate and higher throughput. However, the method requires extra cooperation between the mobile node and the point of attachment of the visited network, which may cause additional delay and excessive load to the network when there are large number of mobile nodes. 3.3.4 ANN based vertical handoff algorithm A Multilayer Feedforward Artificial Neural Network Based Algorithm N. Nasser, S. Guizani, and E. Al-Masri, in their paper, developed a [11] Vertical handover decision algorithm based on artificial neural networks (ANN). The topology of the ANN consists of an input layer, a hidden layer and an output layer. The input layer consists of five nodes representing various parameters such as cost, RSS, bandwidth etc of the handoff target candidate networks. The hidden layer consists of variable number of nodes (neurons) which are basically activation functions. The output layer has one node which generates the ID of the candidate network of the handover target. All the neurons use sigmoid activation function. The authors have assumed the same cost function as in this work and also for ANN training they have generated a series of user preference sets with randomly selected weights. Then the system has to be trained to select the best candidate network among all the candidates. The authors have reported that by properly selecting the learning rate and the acc eptable error value, the system is able to find the best available candidate network successfully. Nevertheless, the algorithm suffers from a long delay during the training process which may lead to connection breakdown. A Method That Uses Two Neural Networks Pahlavan, in his paper, has proposed two neural [12] network based decision methods of vertical handoff. Here, only the vertical handoff mechanism is discussed. In the method for vertical handoff, an artificial neural network is used for handoffs from the Wireless local area network to the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The Artificial neural network consists of an input layer, two middle layers and an output layer. Mobile node does periodical measurements of RSS and five most recent samples of RSS are fed into the ANN. The output is a binary signal: The value ‘1’ leads to a handover to the General Packet Radio Service, and the value ‘0’ means that the mobile terminal should remain connected to the access point. The ANN is trained before it is used in the decision process. Training is done by taking a number of RSS samples from the access point while minimizing the handover delay and ping-pong effect. This algorithm can reduce the number of handovers by eliminating the ping-pong effect, but the paper does not provide details on how exactly the neural network is trained and why the particular parameters are taken into consideration. This algorithm also has the short coming of the algorithm complexity and the training process to be performed in advance. Summary: From the above discussion, it can be concluded that RSS based Vertical handoff algorithms can be used between microcellular and macro cellular networks. The network candidate with most stable RSS being the selection criteria. These algorithms are simple, but due to the fluctuation of RSS, they are less reliable. Bandwidth based Vertical handoff algorithms can be used between any two heterogeneous networks. The network candidate with highest bandwidth is the selection criteria. These algorithms are simple. But, due to the changing available bandwidth, these algorithms are less reliable. Cost function based Vertical handoff algorithms can be used between any two heterogeneous networks. Here, the inputs are various parameters such as cost, bandwidth, security etc The network candidate with highest overall performance is the selection criteria. These algorithms are complex. But, due to the difficulty in measuring parameters such as security etc, they are less reliable. ANN and Fuzzy logic based Vertical handoff algorithms can be used between any two heterogeneous networks. Here, the inputs are various parameters such as RSS, cost, bandwidth, security etc depending on different methods. The network candidate with highest overall performance is the selection criteria. These algorithms are very complex. But, due to training of system, they are highly reliable. ‘ Chapter-4 Algorithms and Methodologies 4.1 Variance based vertical handoff algorithm Proposed algorithm is variance based algorithm which calculates the variance of parameters such as delay, jitter, bandwidth and packet loss for various networks such as UMTS,WLAN,Wimax and the network with most of the parameters with minimum variance being selected. In our proposed algorithm, handoff metrics such as delay, bandwidth, jitter, packet loss etc are included Fig 4.1 Flow Chart of variance based algorithm Variance = ‘(x-†)’^2/N , where x is any metrics such as delay, bandwidth, jitter etc and † is its mean of a set of samples of the particular parameters. N is set of samples. In this algorithm, whenever the signal strength of a mobile terminal drops below threshold ,there is request from mobile terminal for handoff to the network which is accessible. The algorithm checks whether the visitor network available or not, if visitor network is available ,it will broadcast required parameters such as packet delay, jitter, packet loss and bandwidth etc. The variance of the broadcasted parameters are calculated based on the number of samples received for each parameter. Then, the candidate network (Visitor network) having most of the minimum variance of the parameter is selected. In this case, variance of delay, jitter, packet loss and bandwidth are considered for the set of 100 samples received. Here, variance of packet delay is calculated as: †_d^2 = ‘(D-†_d)’^2/N Where, †d is the variance of the packet delay parameter, D is the packet delay at that instant ,†d is the mean of the packet delay values received and N is the total number of samples for packet delay parameters(which is 100 in this case). Similarly, variance of bandwidth is calculated as: †_B^2 = ‘(B-†_B)’^2/N Where, †B is the variance of the Bandwidth parameter, B is the Bandwidth at that instant ,†B is the mean of the bandwidth values received and N is the total number of samples for bandwidth parameters(which is 100 in this case). In the same way, variance of Jitter is calculated as: †_J^2 = ‘(J-†_J)’^2/N Where, †J is the variance of the Jitter parameter, J is the Jitter at that instant ,†J is the mean of the jitter values received and N is the total number of samples for jitter parameters(which is 100 in this case). In the same way, variance of Packet loss is calculated as: †_P^2 = ‘(P-†_P)’^2/N Where, †P is the variance of the packet loss parameter, P is the packet loss at that instant ,†P is the mean of the packet loss values received and N is the total number of samples for packet loss parameters(which is 100 in this case). Out of these variance †_d^2 , †_B^2, †_J^2, †_P^2, the candidate network most of them with minimum values will be selected. Score† =’arg’_(i=1)^MMAX(min †_d^2 , †_B^2, †_J^2, †_P^2) The candidate network which satisfies above equation is selected. Where M is the number of candidate network. 4.2 SNR based vertical handoff algorithm Proposed algorithm is an SNR based algorithm which calculates the value of SNR of parameters such as delay, jitter, bandwidth and packet loss for various networks such as UMTS, WLAN, Wimax with the network with maximum SNR being selected. In our proposed algorithm, handoff metrics such as delay, bandwidth, jitter, packet loss, etc are included Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Role of Professional Nursing Organizations in Maintaining a Healthy Essay

Role of Professional Nursing Organizations in Maintaining a Healthy Workplace - Essay Example The professional organizations, with the help of their licensed nurses, contribute largely to the improved conditions of workplace and employees, their sustainable developments, and increasing sustainability through addressing all those factors which are related to the well-being and health of the population. They do this by decreasing the ill-health trends and reducing the healthcare costs. There are many roles, which the nurses play in order to maintain the health management of the workplace. These roles include the nurses in the form of advisors, managers, researchers, clinicians, coordinators and managers. There are licensed as well as the occupational health nurses, who possess an independent role and through this, they take an advantage of listening to patients and employees, gathering the relevant information and data, and discussing matters regarding the health and well-being of the employees from the management and staff of organization. The unique characteristic of the prof essional nursing organizations include the readily availability of nurses and their capability to tackle all the healthcare issues. The various services through which the professional nursing organizations play their role in maintaining a healthy workplace include: Primary prevention The professional nursing organization facilitates its employees with the knowledge regarding the primary prevention of disease or injury. Through this methods, the professional nurses perform the identification, assessment and planning for the interventions for the purpose of modifying and improving the methods or processes of working, the work environment or the practice in order to reduce the chances of risks and hazards. They even take into account the elements of human behavior, choice of equipments,... This paper approves that the nurses at the professional and proficient level aim to maintain the health issues at the workplace. They provide a wide range of advices, alternatives, preventions and precautions to the employees working at organizations, irrespective of their risk approach. The nurses in a professional nursing organization generally act on the level of an organization, nation or community. They facilitate the patients with the suitable informed consents and establish an entire liaison network with them in order to ensure that a properly designed and comprehensive health strategy and approach has been designed to meet their health objectives. One of the major contributions that the professional and occupational nurses provide to the workers include health assessment for the employees to stay fit at work, and this is done through conducting their periodic health examinations, and individual health assessments. In order to maintain the transparency, fairness and reliabilit y of the treatments, the collaboration with the physicians is done and this also relies heavily upon the accepted practices, law and legislations of the nursing. This essay makes a conclusion that the essay deals with the subject of the analysis of the role of professional nursing organizations in maintaining the healthcare at the workplaces. In this context, the professional, licensed nurses play a major role in making the workplace effective and its employees efficient. The strategies such as health surveillance, periodic medical checkups, counseling, healthy assessments and screenings, and many other individual and group plans are implemented in order to contribute towards the organization’s effectiveness.

Strategic Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example Air Asia is currently going through the preliminary merger processes with Malaysian Airlines and Air Asia X, as the business attempts to diversify its competitive advantages. Air Asia X is currently a low-performing carrier in its operating market and the intent of this merger is to consolidate technological and maintenance expertise to achieve short-run cost savings synergies. The Malaysian scenario, in its early stages, is a strategic alliance which will be providing Air Asia with shared resources, including staff and fleet, that will expand its brand presence in new markets for a new customer base that is intended to ultimately be a full-fledged merger with this competitor. The synergies achieved through the Air Asia X and Malaysian Airlines merger should save the firm 165 million Euros by consolidating maintenance (Mukim, 10). SITUATION ANALYSIS Air Asia, the world’s lowest cost airline company, is currently operating in an oligopolistic market. This is one that is charact erized by the presence of few firms and where there is heavy reliance on branding and promotion to sustain competitive advantage. ... Furthermore, since 2001, Air Asia has found considerable cost savings and competitive analysis in its market by offering no frills, low cost dynamic pricing structures that provide customers with low ticket prices and is modeled against a lean philosophy of supply and labor. However, in recent years, market entry barriers have been breaking down which is providing more competitive risks for new companies that are modeling their business models against a low-cost, no frills concept. Feng Chia University (2010) describes one of Porter’s Five Forces as the potential risks of high bargaining power of suppliers. In the case of Air Asia, Boeing company, its main supplier of airline fleet power, has very low switching costs due to the oligopoly and can therefore provide high prices for procurement and determine deadlines with Air Asia having little influence or authority in this process. This leads to high prices in the supply chain for fleet procurement. MARKETING STRATEGIES Post-me rger, Air Asia needs to alter its promotional philosophy in order to become more competitive. It will now have shared resources with Air Asia X and Malaysia, thus providing more advertising expertise and resources to ensure successful delivery in this capital investment. Currently, Air Asia does not promote its strong organizational culture in any of its marketing, an opportunity for improved visibility and connection with consumers at the psychographic level. To investors, cultural issues are a very attractive benefit within a company as it leads to human capital advantages and ultimately competitive advantages (or even comparative advantages) in key profitable markets (Very, Lubatkin, Calori and Veiga, 167). The business should model new

Economics Analysis when Chicken food price is going up Term Paper

Economics Analysis when Chicken food price is going up - Term Paper Example The intersection point of the demand and supply curves is called the equilibrium point (Thomas & Maurice 2008). In the given scenario, there is an increase in the input cost for products made from chicken. The input costs are higher as the chicken feed price goes up. There are certain input costs and the increase in their prices results in a reduction of the supply of the products in which they are used. An increase in input cost causes the supply curve to move towards left. In other words, an increase in input costs reduces the overall profit to the supplier and hence, the supplier reduces the level of supply. The quantity demanded, as a result, does not satisfy and remains unchanged. In our case, the result of an increase in chicken feed prices will reduce the chicken output. Relating this to the Restaurant industry, the reduced supply of chicken will result in higher prices of chicken and eggs related cuisines like Burgers, Omelets, Sandwiches and most of the baked items like cakes. The equilibrium price in the restaurant industry for the foods containing eggs goes up due to the shift in t he demand curve. The equilibrium quantity, however, has shown a declining trend. The increment in feed cost moves the supply curve to the left. The reduced supply of chicken will lead to change in the price and demand of certain products. The price of all products in which chicken is used will go up and the quantity will also be reduced as shown in the figure above. Assuming Beef as a major substitute to chicken, it is obvious that with the rise in prices of chicken products, the demand for substitutes like beef-made products will rise. The demand curve shifts towards right (Krugman & Wells 2009). The consumer demand to have meat products will then be satisfied by the consumption of beef hence an increase in the demand for beef boosts up. The poultry industry will definitely be affected adversely due to the rise in

Services Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Services Management - Essay Example For Virgin Trains and any other business for that matter, to realize improved service delivery and performance emanating from effective service process and people management, it is imperative that the business’ processes are aligned with the wants, needs, preferences, and tastes of its clients and employees. Such an alignment is quite an effective approach in promoting business effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, technology use, and innovativeness. In addition, there should be a continuous attempt by the company to improve its processes. In other words, the firm should adopt a "process optimization process." This approach replaces the functionally focused and traditionally hierarchical management approaches that most businesses practice with more effectiveness and capabilities to generate revenues and reduce costs. Importantly, Virgin Trains ought to regard its service processes, service people, and resources as strategic assets, which must be well managed, understood, and constantly improved to help the business add value to its products and services. Finally, Virgin Trains may adopt sound process governance in which it would allocate its processes and work towards realizing its objectives in both its operational and progress-related sections.

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee Essay

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee - Essay Example Nevertheless, employers consistently infringe these laws, as the penalties are ineffective or do not exist. When working together, they bargain for better wages and improvement of working conditions to be on a position to improve their living standards and that of their life families. Union members will normally have elevated wages, promising job stability, retirement security, and availability to quality healthcare for both them and their families. It is no wonder that those who are not union members are craving to be part of one union. It is unfortunate that workers are consistently denied that fundamental rights by their employers. One out of four employers will in fact dismiss his or her workers for trying to form a union in their work place. Several employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to interrupt and prolong the union election, occasionally for periods for more than a year. This conditions frustrate the workers often get the feeling of being defenseless People working to earn a living are aware of the disproportion of power stuck between employers and employees. With a union, the human resources win vital rights such as jobs security. Unions make it easy to remedy on biases as union contracts ensure that all employees are treated reasonably and equally by their employers. When there is a predicament in the workplace, workforce and management come together as equals to solve the problem. The conflicting parties will ascertain a schedule and length of negotiating sessions. The parties involved will agree upon time out for caucuses. The parties need to come to some understanding on the needs to be established with regard to keeping of record. They will also need to make common decisions with regard to confidentiality of the information discussed. This is the every initial meeting; in general the union brings forward all of its demands. The subsequently conference or set of meetings is where management will in turn give the

Can Technology Improve Our Quality Of Life Essay

Can Technology Improve Our Quality Of Life - Essay Example For example, when I was in high school for the second year, my teacher told me that she has to go to another country for her higher studies. I was worried about that because if I am going to study with another teacher, I will have to learn their style again to start with. So I told my teacher that I don’t want to study with another teacher. In the beginning, we don’t know what to do because we were very far away from each other and she could not just leave me even for one year. So we decide to use a webcam to have a lesson. It was very easy to have lessons online because I just need to put the webcam in a right place and we could start the talk. My teacher could see me studying and I could see my teacher too. We did this for one year and didn’t have any problem, and I got a very high grade for my final exam too. If I had to change my teacher, I will have to start to learn different style again under a new teacher. Moreover, my teacher was very much expert in music and the new teacher may not be so and that will cause difficulties for me to learn more about music in my high school. That will make me less expert than my other friends and classmates. Moreover, if I change my teacher, her styles and way of teaching may not fit my requirements. Technology helped me in retaining my teacher even if she had to leave my country. Such things may not be imaginable in 18 th or 19 th centuries. Thus the technology helped me in keeping the quality of my life. Technology can improve our communication too.

Approcah to Care - Breast Cancer Research Paper

Approcah to Care - Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example Etiology of Breast Cancer Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer that is prevalent among women in U.S. It is estimated that about 192,000 new cases of breast cancer are found in U.S. alone each year. Substantial clinical evidence suggests that hormones play a critical role in the etiology of various cancers and breast cancer is one of them. Estrogen is the chief stimulant in proliferation of breast cells. The presence of progesterone accelerates proliferation rate further. This is evident from the fact that during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, the breast mitotic activity is noticed at its peak (Henderson et al 2002). Clinical Manifestation of Breast Cancer They can be described as per the following. 1. Lump formation or thickening on breasts 2. Peeling, flaking or scaling of the breast skin or nipple 3. Bloody discharge from the nipple 4. Redness of the skin over breast 5. Change in shape and size of a breast (Mayo Clinic 2012). Diagnosis and Staging When cancer i s detected in the breast, a doctor proceeds to find the stage of the disease. It usually starts with a physical examination by a nurse or doctor. Ultrasound and mammography are crucial in diagnosis of breast cancer. The findings of these tests are further confirmed through a tissue biopsy. Mammography is done by taking X-ray of the breast. Ultrasonography is done to ascertain whether a lump is filled with fluid or it is a solid lump. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) takes several images of the breast to find lesions usually not detectable through ultrasound or mammography. According to the American Cancer Society, breast MRI is advisable to the women who are in high-risk category. The advantage is that it is non-invasive and the person is not exposed to any radioactivity. Breast MRI is a new technology and can be used as an aid to other conventional diagnostic tests (Breast Cancer Diagnosis, 2012). Different stages in the breast cancer can be described as per the following (S tages of Breast Cancer, 2012). Stage I Stage I is bifurcated into two sub-stages as per the following. Stage IA This is a primary stage when the tumor has not spread outside the breast and it is equal to or smaller than 2 centimeters in size. Stage IB In this stage, tumor is not found in the breast but the cancer cells of the size between 0.2 and 2 millimeters are detected in the lymph nodes; or when tumor is equal to or smaller than 2 centimeters along with small clusters of cancer cells (with the size between 0.2 and 2 millimeters) detected in the lymph nodes. Stage II is bifurcated into two as per the following. Stage IIA No tumor is detected in the breast but cance

Investigate the following hypothesises Essay Example for Free

Investigate the following hypothesises Essay Drop (d) in cm Frequency Cumulative Frequency 5 will now put the results from the cumulative frequency table into a cumulative frequency curve for males and females. From both cumulative frequency curves I can take an approximate median and inter-quartile range for both females and males. It tells me that the females have a smaller and lower inter-quartile range, of 4 (16 12=4) than the males whom have a wider and higher one of 7 (19 12= 7). This suggests that the male results in general were more varied than those of the females. It also suggests that the approximate median average for females was 14. Whereas the approximate median for males is 15. 5, which implies that the females have a lower reaction time on median average than males. However, there is only a slight difference. To show the inter-quartile ranges and the median more clearly I have put the information from the cumulative frequency graph into a box plot for each of males and females. These box plots define the varied results of the males and the closeness between the females results. I will now use histograms to show the continuous grouped data. . Drop (d) in cm Frequency width Frequency Frequency Density 5The standard deviation measures the spread of the data about the mean value. It can allow me to compare males and females, which may have the same mean but a different range. Gender Mean average Step 1From the results of the standard deviation I can distinguish that the distribution round the mean average of the female and male frequency was very low. The standard deviation suggests that the females results are generally more spread out round the mean rather than the males whom are not so spread out. This means that males generally have similar reaction times rather than females whom the results imply to have more varied results. Conclusion: From the data I collected I have found that males appear to have better reaction times than females, which seems to be linked closely to them having lower pulse rates. This suggests both my hypotheses to be correct and closely linked to one another. Although, on median average females have been implied to have a lower reaction time. However, the male and female median average are extremely similar so due to the males having a increasingly better mean average seem to generally have better pulse rates and reaction times. This proves that everyone has different reaction times, which can be altered by many different variables such as that as pulse rate. Evaluation: I could have tested reaction times in a many more ways and did not have to use just light as a stimuli for the reaction time. I could have used sound like the reaction time for someone to hear the sound of a gun at a beginning of a race and to react to that and start running. Also the subjects results could have been affected by anything from light and sound distractions to whether they had consumed a substance containing caffeine before they had taken part in the activity set for them. Some of these will not have been able to improve on but others such as where and when I had collected my data may have made possible for bias results to come up in my investigation. Whether the subjects were tired, focussed, motivated will have made a difference to their performance as well so external influences can play a big part in the alteration of results. Also if the participant had carried out this particular type of investigation before or if they trained specially to improve a reaction like those whom train for sprinting would have had a clear advantage than those whom had not carried out the experiment before. In my experiment I also found that an exact recording of how far the ruler actually dropped before it was caught hard and can be seen to have been rounded to the nearest centimetre, which will not have not given me very accurate results. Kirstie Anne Jackson Mathematics 2 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Identification of Hazards Associated With Shift Work

Identification of Hazards Associated With Shift Work Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction Modern society has acquired rapid changes that have been shaped and dominated by economic and productivity strategies, as well as human behaviour on individual, social and professional perspectives. The 24-hour society’ represents a platform whereby time constraints, that previously used to limit human activities, have been lifted in order to balance the essential and urgent needs of the society at any given moment, irrespective of day or night. Therefore, a comprehensive management of the working time is a key issue as it is the first and foremost instrument that bridges human capacity with production means (Costa, 2003). Shift work has become a very important and fundamental structure part of the modern society as it sustains a continuous mechanism in the production and implementation of services on a national scale. It includes various professions such as health care, law enforcement services, fire and rescue services, electrical utilities and transportation (Wright et al., 2012). In the past few decades, the global population has witnessed a significant rise (Zhao and Turner, 2008). Accordingly, the demand for these basic services has amplified leading to an expansion in the availability of such services to the general population. This means that the need for broadening the scope of shift work has intensified. More attention, measures, human and technological resources have been devoted to shift work. As medical assistance has to be made available to the population round the clock, health care, on a global aspect, remains one of the high-priority work sectors in society (Zhao et al., 2010). The duty of the health care system comprises the provision of medical service to the sick and injured people through application of science, knowledge, skills, expertise and latest technology available (Chakravarthy Battu, 2014). It is expected that a healthy and psychologically balanced workforce is of ample importance in maintaining an efficient health care system (Shree, 2012). Mauritian nurses provide health services in hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities in order to meet and satisfy the health needs of the population in emergency, in-ward, out-patient, and day-time and specialist clinics (Shree, 2012). Shift work is considered to be an essential schedule for the majority of health care personnel. A unique work practice environment is created. It is clearly established that nurses are among the first and major representatives in the line of staff constituting the health care personnel (Ahsan et al., 2009; Chakravarthy Battu, 2014). The nature of their duty is associated with a round the clock rendering of health care service. Hence they have to work during the day and night as per a shift system (Deori, 2012). In the process of administering such a service, and taking into account the high demands involved, shift work can have adverse effect on the nurses and their health, which will reflect directly on the efficiency of the health care sy stem (Kecklund Harma, 2010). This is directly associated with the quality of medical services from which the population benefits. Ultimately, a proper functioning of the system depends largely on the work productivity of nurses, of which shift work is a core element. A thorough investigation on the nurses and their shift system paves the way to obtain a clear picture concerning their health, work productivity, problems associated with their profession, as well as certain issues, owing to their occupation, that impact on their private life. 1.1 Problem statement Nurses represent a vital part of the hospital staff. Being the main driving force, they serve as role models while delivering patient care. Shift work represents a challenge as it is the core structure which supports the work of nurses. Be that as it may, shift work can be the cause of many physical, psychological and social effects on the life of the worker and disrupt the well-functioning of the organisation (Jahromi et al., 2013). Night shift can undoubtedly pose certain problems by compromising with their health and their safety. One of the main effects of shift work is the disruption of the internal body clock (circadian rhythms) and associated sleeping difficulties (Boughattas et al., 2014; AlMetrek, 2014). As stated by Vijayalaxmi (2014), as a result, fatigue, performance deficits, slowed physical and mental reaction time arise. Eventually an increase in errors and accidents is more likely to happen. Shift work is strongly associated with health effects such as gastrointestinal diseases (Pati et al., 2001) and problems of the female reproductive system (Knudtson and Brzyski, 2013). Non-medical issues arising as a consequence of shift work influence social and family life (Costa, 2003; Finn, 1981) to a wide extent, thus causing major problems. Roland (2014) has implicated shift work as a noteworthy source of stress for nurses associated with poor performance. These effects obviously do not happen to all shift workers and with proper management. Hence the risks and instance of complications can be minimised. In the case of Mauritius, no valid study on shift work concerning the safety and health of nurses has been performed. Up to the present time, the health, sleep and well-being of nurses have not been considered as an occupational safety and health issue within Mauritius. It has not been thoroughly investigated and little information is available about their current situation. Therefore it is important to have a greater understanding of the impact of shift work on our health care workforce. By analysing the conditions of shift work as wellbeing of the nurses, information will be acquired pertaining to their physical and mental states. The study will provide valuable report about their views, opinions and suggestions with regard to the system of shift work. Further, the study serves as unique platform to channel, classify and simplify the health problems of the nurses in a systematic manner. Moreover, the survey will help to identify weak points and flaws of the existing shift system in Mauritius, because of which, the health of nurses is directly affected. Hence, potential methods to combat the health problems can be worked out for the sake of improving their condition and ameliorate their performance on a professional level. 1.2 Aim and objectives of study The study will introduce an occupational safety and health (OSH) perspective to shift work by systematically identifying the hazards associated with shift work. In general, the aim of the study is to analyse how shift work can have an impact on nurses’ safety and health in the health care sector by achieving some of the objectives set for this study. The objectives of the study are: To analyse which health effects are the most common among nurses as a consequence of working shift. To examine the most practiced shift work schedule in the hospital. To what extent shift work causes stress among nurses. To analyse whether shift work affect the social and family life of nurses. To come up with appropriate recommendations to address health and family problems identified during the course of the study. 1.3 Outline of study The study will then proceed with the following chapters Chapter 2: Literature review It contains a comprehensive review of the literature related to the study under investigation. It consists of theories relevant to the problem drawn out and provides definitions to ensure uniformity and understanding of the different terms throughout the dissertation. Chapter 3: Methodology It presents the research methodology and procedures used to gather data for the study. The different measuring tools are outlined and the different variables they assess are explained. Chapter 4: Results and data analysis The results of the analysis and findings which have emerged are outlined in this chapter. It consists of detailed descriptions derived from the data obtained through the survey and it also displays data visually, using a number of different formats, such as tables, bar charts, pie charts and others. Chapter 5: Discussion The results obtained from surveys will be interpreted with regards to the literature review. Chapter 6: Recommendation This chapter contains the recommendations of the study which addresses the limitations present in the research and proposes some measures. This allows incorporating the information generated by the study. 1.4 An overview of the health sector in Mauritius Mauritius is among one of the few countries in the world where health care is provided free of charge at the point of use to the entire population (Kassean Juwaheer, 2010). Under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life of Mauritius (MOH QOL), a regionalized system of health services operates in the country in order to support an extensive network of accessible health care institutions and ensure that a competent health service is delivered to the Mauritian population. Being the employer of the public health system, the MHQOL coordinates the performance of all the staff working under its auspice (Health Statistics Report Mauritius, 2013). Source: Health Statistics Report of Mauritius (2013) According to the World Health Cooperation Strategy of Mauritius (2008-2013), health care system of Mauritius operates on 3 levels. 1.4.1 Primary Level These peripheral health units are the first points of contact. Basic services offered include treatment of common injuries and diseases, maternal and child care and family planning. Upon necessity, cases are referred from these centres to regional or specialized hospitals for further investigation follow up and care of specialist doctors (WHO Cooperation Strategy Mauritius, 2008-2013). 1.4.2 Secondary Level Curative health services are delivered through the two hospitals at the district level. The five regional hospitals provide services which include accident and emergency services, general medicine, general and specialized surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, chest medicine, orthopedics, traumatology, pediatrics and intensive care services. Radiotherapy services are provided at Victoria Hospital. The ‘Service d’Aide Medicale d’Urgence’ (SAMU) is attached to each Accident Emergency Department and operates on a 24-hour basis (WHO Cooperation Strategy Mauritus, 2008-2013). 1.4.3 Tertiary Level It is the highest level. Specialized health care is available at these five hospitals. All of them operate on a 24-hour basis. Complicated cases are referred to these centres for further management. The Brown Sequard Mental Health Care Centre is a psychiatric hospital with 803 beds. The Poudre D’or Hospital is a Centre where severe chest diseases are treated. It also serves as quarantine for tuberculosis patients. The S. Bharati Eye Hospital is responsible for treating complicated eye diseases and carrying out major and minor ophthalmic surgeries. At the Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, conservative management as well as a wide range of surgeries is accomplished. The Cardiac Centre is a 53-bedded institution, specialized in cardiac surgery and invasive cardiology. It also provides a neurosurgical service.

Metternich The Leader :: essays research papers

Prince Klemens von Metternich: His Ideology, his Role in History, and the Stories we Tell. Metternich was an extremely intelligent man who turned his conservative beliefs into international policy. Metternich was a confident leader who put little faith in popular opinion or sentiment because he believed that the common man was too fickle in his loyalties and too inept to understand the magnitude of foreign policy. He was a loyal "servant" to the Austrian Emperor, even though Metternich was the true head of the Empire's government. Prince Klemens von Metternich was a complex individual that embodied the principles of 19th century conservatism and, through his Congress of Vienna, led the major European powers to a period of long-lasting peace and a strong balance of power. Metternich is well known for the Metternich System, which was put into practice during his most notable success, the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Metternich, additionally, was the guiding spirit of the international congresses, Aachen, Carlsbad, Troppau, Laibach, and Verona and was the chief statesman of the Holy Alliance. The Congress of Vienna, though, and the agreements that followed were the basis for, "no war involving several powers until the Crimean conflicts of the 1850's and no major war embroiling the whole of Europe until 1914." Metternich's goal, however, was not a peaceful Europe for the sake of peace, but for the preservation of the Austrian Empire who was threatened by possible aggressors on all sides, as well as, his personal loathing for liberalism and revolutionary behavior. Moreover, the Congress of Vienna gave Metternich the opportunity to instill his values of conservatism into the other leaders of Europe in a time when liberalism and revolution wer e the predominant political trends. Even though Metternich was a firm believer in the conservative values of his time, he worked to spread those ideas in 1815 for the more pragmatic reason of balancing power in the European Concert rather than for abstract ideologies. In the time following the Congress of Vienna, Metternich's amazing negotiations balanced the tendencies of an expanding Russia, with the isolationist mentality of Great Britain, as well as dealing with Prussian supremacy in the German confederation and maintaining Bourbon satisfaction with the status quo. The fact that he was able to do all this gave justification to the fact that, "Metternich remarked near the end of his life that historians would judge him more fairly than his contemporaries, and his prophecy has proven uncannily accurate.

The Civil Rights Movement (1955- 1965) Essay -- Black struggle for civi

Civil Rights Movement in the United States, was a political, legal, and social struggle to gain full citizenship rights for African Americans and to achieve racial equality. The civil rights movement was a challenge to segregation, the system of laws and customs separating blacks and whites. During the civil rights movement, individuals and organizations challenged segregation and discrimination with a variety of activities, including protest marches, boycotts, and refusal to abide by segregation laws. Some believe that the movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and ended with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there is still however some debate about when it began and whether it has ended yet. The civil rights movement has also been called the Black Freedom Movement, the Negro Revolution, and the Second Reconstruction. Segregation was an attempt by white Southerners to separate the races in every sphere of life and to achieve supremacy over blacks. Segregation was often called the Jim Crow system. Segregation became common in Southern states following the end of Reconstruction in 1877. By 1877 the Democratic Party had gained control of government in the Southern states, and these Southern Democrats wanted to reverse black advances made during Reconstruction. To that end, they began to pass local and state laws that specified certain places ?For Whites Only? and others for ?Colored.? Blacks had separate schools, transportation, restaurants, and parks, many of which were poorly funded and inferior to those of whites. Over 75 years, Jim Crow signs went up to separate the races in every possible place. The system of segregation also included the denial of voting rights, known as disfranchisement. Between 1890 and 1910 all Southern states passed laws imposing requirements for voting that were used to prevent blacks from voting, These requirements included: the ability to read and write, which disqualified the many blacks who had not had access to education; property ownership, something few blacks were able to acquire; and paying a poll tax, which was too great a burden on most Southern blacks, who were very poor. Because blacks could not vote, they were virtually powerless to prevent whites from segregating all aspects of Southern life. Conditions for blacks in Northern states were somewhat better, up to 1910 only 10 percent of bl... ...y?s administration and the Congress to pass the civil rights legislation proposed by Kennedy by planning a march in Washington for August 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a moving address to an audience of more than 200,000 civil rights supporters. His ?I Have a Dream? speech . Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963,and the new president, Lyndon Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress. It prohibited segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment. After the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the focus of the civil rights movement began to change. Martin Luther King, Jr., began to focus on poverty and racial inequality in the North. In 1965 he joined protests against school discrimination in Chicago and the following year he led marches against housing discrimination in the same city. For many activists the civil rights movement ended in 1968 with the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Others said it was over after the Selma march, because after Selma the movement stopped achieving major change. Some, especially blacks, argue that the movement is not over yet because the goal of full equality has not been achieved.

Color :: essays research papers

What is Color? You are wondering what it is to be a color? Are you a color if you paint yourself white? Is color just an exterior or is it an interior as well? Is the color you are on the outside, the color you are on the inside? Think about it this way, many people in our culture pretend to be something that they are not, just another white man, or just another black man. The fact of life is that you are what you are, and that you cannot, excluding major reconstructive surgery change what you look like. So basically pull out your box of Crayolas and color yourself whatever color you want to be, because everybody is different in their own way. As Webster’s dictionary explains, color is defined 10 different ways. First color can be defined as: a visual attribute of bodies or substances that depends upon spectral composition of the simulating the retina and its associated neural structures. So basically what I am trying to say is that no one color is exactly the same in anyone’s eye. But is it fair to judge a book by its cover, or is it fair to assume that every Twinkie has a different flavored filling, so to speak. In our school alone it is safe to say that there are roughly seventy-five different cultural backgrounds and probably ten different main sects of religion. But it’s unfortunate that people even today are judged by the color of their skin and not the content of their character as Martin Luther King Jr. has said. Even though this is true I feel that it is equally bad that we as a nation group people together stereotyping one person in a group as all the people in a group. So in order to reach n ew heights as a nation we must come together to show that color isn’t everything, and in fact color isn’t anything at all.

The Ultimate Reality

â€Å"Matter is the ultimate reality: hills, trees, cities, and starts are not simply ideas in the mind of observing individuals†¦ â€Å"This quote assumes that an objective reality is not impacted by the observer; that there is a reality â€Å"out there† that is completely independent. It is up to us, the observer, to learn about and interpret that reality. We can therefore be mistaken about the fundamental nature of reality: as when the earth was believed to be flat. Similarly, when change occurs in nature, it always does so in accordance with the laws of nature. If human beings are surprised, they should not attribute such anomalies to supernatural forces. Rather, they should acknowledge that they need only learn more about the physical universe. Similarly, realists believe that values, as well as reality, are â€Å"permanent and objective. † The purpose of education is to ensure that each student becomes an integral part of his or her social universe. Students are not taught so that they become superior or unique individuals. The aim is to create students that are â€Å"tolerant and well-adjusted,† in harmony with their physical environments and social realities. A teacher is entrusted with the responsibility to impart the tools required for such psycho-social and mental adjustments. The student, in turn, is responsible for doing his or her part in mastering the tolls of education. Both in academic advancement and in social adaptation, the student must rise to the expectations of the teacher. The ideas the teacher imparts are time-tested and true. All human beings are rational beings, capable of critical thought and reason. Science, reading, writing, and math are the key subjects in early childhood education. In a realistic classroom, the student also learns the material within a proscribed time frame according to the historical norms of the society. Absorption refers to retaining the subject matter; the â€Å"traditional method† refers to the Socratic method of lecture-based instruction. The school serves as a sort of training ground; while not necessarily an atmosphere a student will always appreciate, the work of the school in a â€Å"necessary but unattractive task. † Especially in early childhood, such methods work in lieu of the student being unable to truly exercise the muscles of educated free will.

Chemistry and Society Essay

Chemistry is very important in our lives even though we may not realize that chemistry is everywhere. This paper serves to examine the ways in which chemistry is relevant in everyday life and in society. It will also examine the difference between accuracy and precision and provide examples of when accuracy and precision are crucial in measurements and why society depends on these measurements to be accurate and precise ( Tam 2012). Chemistry in Society  When we turn on the tap and fill a glass with water and drink it, we are benefitting from the chemical process that removes impurities from water, providing us with clean drinking water. When we use a laundry detergent to remove a stubborn stain from clothing, we are able to do so because of a chemical reaction. The medicines that heal us are a result of a chemical reaction within our bodies. The time-released medicines that we take, delay certain chemical reactions until our bodies need them. There are chemical reactions happening around us every second of every day. Chemistry also plays a role in assuring that we protect and preserve our planet. Green chemistry or sustainable chemistry is the branch of chemistry that focuses on ways to reduce the damage to our environment through waste prevention, proper waste disposal, and identifying renewable energy sources (Ravichandran, 2011). Precision vs. Accuracy Precision is the state of being exact and the ability of a measurement to be reproduced consistently (â€Å"precision†, n. d. ). Accuracy is the freedom from mistakes that arise as a result of being careful (â€Å"accuracy†, n. . ). Precision incorporates the element of time whereas accuracy is the correctness of a single event. You can achieve precision if you do something accurately and consistently over time. In science, the precision of a number lies in the number of reported digits. The greatest amount of precision of measurement is with numbers with the greatest number of digits and the least amount of precision of a measurem ent is with numbers with the fewest number of digits ( Chapter 2, Measurement and Problem Solving, 2009). Society relies on the accuracy and precision of measurements in many areas of our lives. The manufacturing industry relies on the accuracy of measurements when manufacturing components that must be assembled to produce an end product. If the measurements of each component aren’t correct, you will not be able to assembly the product. Manufacturing requires precision because each part must be cut exactly the same as the previous one. Have you ever purchased a product that required assembly and found that one of the pieces was cut incorrectly and thus the product could not be assembled properly? We rely on the precision and accuracy of the manufacturing process to deliver us goods that assembly the way they should. Another area where society relies on the precision and accuracy of measurements is the medical field. When a doctor prescribes a medication to a patient, the accuracy of the measurements of the medicine is crucial. If too much is prescribed, it could be deadly; if too little is prescribed it may not be effective in producing the desired results. Accuracy and/or Precision of Measurements There are several types of tools we use to measure; some are more accurate than others. When a doctor prescribes a medication, he uses ml instead of ounces. While both are forms of liquid measure, the ml is the most precise measure because it has smaller increments than the ounce. If we were talking about the amount of soda in a can, the use of ounces is an accurate enough measure because that does not require the same type of precision as the dispensing of medication. We us a watch or clock for the measurement of time. We measure time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. The measurement of time using seconds is the most precise and accurate unit of measure when measuring time. With current technology, a sprinter’s time can be recorded in fractions of a second. With the addition of auto start and auto finish, the clock begins when the starting gun is fired. The clock stops when the sprinter crosses the finish line which is a beam that stretches across the finish line. Determining the winner of a 100m dash requires precise and accurate measurement because in many instances the sprinters are so close that it is difficult to determine the winner of a race. Before auto start and finish, the sprinter’s time was recorded by people using a stopwatch. The stopwatch was started at the sound of the gun firing and was stopped when you saw some body part cross the finish line. This method was subject to human error. There were fractions of a second lost in human reaction time to what they saw and heard. The addition of the auto start and finish has provided the needed increase of precision and accuracy. Times are measured with a precision of . 001 seconds. Conclusion Chemistry is relevant and present in our everyday lives. Now, in the morning when you boil an egg too long and the yolk turns a grayish color, know that is a chemical reaction taking place. When an egg is boiled for too long at high temperatures, ferrous sulfur is produced and that is what causes the grayish color on the yolk (Karukstis, 2003). We can now appreciate why a doctor gives us our medications in ml and not ounces because we know that ml are a more precise measure than ounces. We have and continue to rely on the precise and accurate measurement in so many aspects of our lives even if we don’t realize that we do.