Friday, November 29, 2019

Dell Computer Corporation Essays - Lean Manufacturing,

Dell Computer Corporation SYNOPSIS In this report an examination will be made of the production and logistics system of Dell Computer Corporation. Emphasis will be placed on the following: The important aspects of Dells product/ service How effective is the firms resource planning procedures? Dells internal and external logistics process The key difficulties - potential points of failure in the Dells logistics process How technologies are being used or can be used to make the logistics function more efficient/effective? What is Dell Computers all about? Michael Dell founded Dell Computer Corporation in 1984 having only $1000 start-up capital. To date, his business has grown to become the second largest computer systems producer in the world, with average daily sales of more than $5 million. The hub of Dells production system is based in the U.S (Round rock, Texas), while other factories are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Limerick, (Ireland), Penang, Malaysia, Xiamen, China and Eldorado do Sul, Brazil. Dell has offices in thirty-four countries around the world and sells its products and services in more than one hundred and seventy countries. The table below provides a break down of Dells global market growth and position. Monetary values are quoted in US$ in millions. Continent Market Position Net Revenue as at January 28/2000 Annual Growth Rate Dell Americas Dell Europe/Middle East/Africa Dell Asia Pacific and Japan 1 2 7 17879 5590 1796 48% 24% 52% According to Dells forecast it is estimated that total revenue will amount to US$33 billion this year, where US$20 billion will be as a result of online transactions. (1) In the Appendix of this report, a consolidated statement of income on Dells financial position for the year ending 28/1/00 is presented. The important aspects of Dells Product and Service Dells core competency lies in customising its product computer hardware and software to the specific needs of the consumer. The organisation has been able to gain a cost advantage by creating a standardised product as well as achieving the market advantage of variety and uniqueness. The modular design of Dells products has made that possible. Dells use of modular design involves using a standardised building block/chassis to which; value is added by building each product to the customers specifications, the outcome being a unique finished product. Modular design also gives Dell the increased flexibility in its procurement function. The diagram below highlights this flexibility: Dell Computers Corp Suppliers (figure 1.1) Suppliers Figure 1.1 provides a simplistic example of Dells supply chain. The numbered squares each represent a component supplier. Hypothetically speaking lets us assume that supplier number 5 provides Dell with circuit boards. Management has discovered that it would be more efficient ordering that component from a regional supplier, therefore decides to cut supplier 5 out of the supply chain and switches to supplier number 6. The modular design of the product makes that possible as well as the fact that the bulk of the components are not being ordered from a single supplier. Dells product range includes the following: Based on the information above it can be said that, Dell is one of the most ideal models of a market-orientated organisation. By having a direct relationship with its customers the organisation has been able to gain an understanding of their individual needs and therefore, strategically segmenting the market as follows: Home and Home office Small business Center (businesses under 400 employees) Medium and large business (businesses with over 400 employees) Internet Service Providers (Internet service providers, application service providers and web hosting companies) Health Care business Government agencies Education facilities Dell has characterised its relationship with the market segments above under one broad heading that is The Dell Direct Model. The Dell Direct Model This model involves several factors namely: Build to order manufacturing Low cost high speed distribution and procurement system Direct relationship with customers These three factors are essentially the backbone of Dells operations and the means through which the organisation is able to differentiate itself from competitors, therefore sustaining a significant competitive advantage. Dell is the entire distribution channel from the procurement to the delivery of the finished product/service to the consumer. By eliminating the middleman in the supply chain Dell is able to exert greater control over cost and quality in the product and the efficiency of the lead-time. The organisation realises that each of its market

Monday, November 25, 2019

Balustrades, Balusters, and How to Preserve Them

Balustrades, Balusters, and How to Preserve Them A baluster has come to be known as any vertical brace (often a decorative post) between an upper and lower horizontal railing. The purposes of the baluster  (pronounced BAL-us-ter) include safety, support, and beauty. Staircases and porches often have rails of balusters called balustrades.   A balustrade is a row of repeating balusters, similar to a colonnade being a row of columns. What we call a balustrade today is historically a decorative extension of the Classical Greek colonnade on a smaller scale. The invention of the balustrade is generally thought to be a feature of Renaissance architecture. One example is the balustrade of the 16th century Basilica St. Peters at the Vatican. Todays balusters are constructed of wood, stone, concrete, plaster, cast iron or other metal, glass, and plastics. Balusters can be rectangular or turned (i.e., shaped on a lathe). Today any decorative patterned grille or cutout (patterned after the Roman lattice) between railings are referred to as balusters. Balusters as architectural details are found in homes, mansions, and public buildings, inside and outside. The Baluster Shape: Balustrade (pronounced BAL-us-trade) has come to mean any series of vertical bracings between rails, including spindles and simple posts. The word itself reveals a certain design intention. Baluster is really a shape, coming from the Greek and Latin words for a wild pomegranate flower. Pomegranates are ancient fruits indigenous to the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, and Asia, which is why you find the baluster shape in these areas of the world. Having hundreds of seeds, pomegranates also have long been symbols of fertility, so when ancient civilizations decorated their architecture with objects from nature (e.g., the top of a Corinthian column is decorated with acanthus leaves), the shapely baluster was a good decorative choice. What we call the baluster shape was depicted in pottery and jugs and wall carving in many parts of the world from the earliest civilizations- the potters wheel was invented around 3,500 BC, so wheel-turned shapely water jugs and baluster vases were more easily produced- but the baluster was not used in architecture until thousands of years later, during the Renaissance. After the Middle Ages, from roughly 1300 until 1600, a new interest in Classical design was reborn, including the baluster design. Architects like Vignola, Michelangelo, and Palladio incorporated the baluster design into Renaissance architecture, and today balusters and balustrades are considered the architectural detail itself. In fact, our common word banister is a corruption or mispronunciation of baluster. Preservation of Balustrades: Exterior balustrades are obviously more susceptible to decay and deterioration than interior balustrades. Proper design, manufacturing, installation, and regular maintenance are keys to their preservation. The US General Services Administration (GSA) defines balustrade by its components, consisting of the handrail, footrail and balusters. The handrail and footrail are joined at the ends to a column or post.   The balusters are vertical members that connect the rails. Wooden balustrades are subject to deterioration for a number of reasons, including exposed end grain from the manufacturing process and butt joints that are prone to moisture. Regular inspection and maintenance of a well-designed balustrade are the keys to continued care and preservation. A wooden balustrade in proper condition is rigid and free from decay, the GSA reminds us. It is designed with sloping surfaces to repel water and has properly caulked, tight joints. Exterior cast stone (i.e., concrete) balusters will have moisture problems if not designed and installed properly and if not routinely inspected. Balusters come in many shapes and sizes, and the quality of construction and thickness of the balusters neck may affect its integrity. The variables involved in manufacture are considerable, and it is wise to use a firm with experience in ornamental and custom work rather than a precast concrete firm which manufactures stock structural items, suggests preservationist Richard Pieper. The Case for Preservation: So, why preserve balustrades in public buildings or on your own home? Why not just cover them up, encase them in metal or plastic and protect them from environmental hazards? Balustrades and railings are not only practical and safety features, write preservationist John Leeke and architectural historian Aleca Sullivan, they typically are highly visible decorative elements. Unfortunately, balustrades and balusters are frequently altered, covered, removed or completely replaced even though in most cases they can be repaired in a cost-effective manner. Routine cleaning, patching, and painting will preserve all kinds of balustrades. Replacement should be a last resort only. To preserve historic fabric, the repair of old balustrades and railings is always the preferred approach, Leeke and Sullivan remind us. A broken baluster usually is one in need of repair, not replacement. Sources: Baluster, Illustrated Architecture Dictionary, Buffalo Architecture and History; Classical Comments: Balusters by Calder Loth, Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources; Securing An Exterior Wooden Balustrade, U.S. General Services Administration, November 5, 2014; Removing And Replacing Deteriorated Cast Stone Balusters, U.S. General Services Administration, December 23, 2014; Preserving Historic Wood Porches by Aleca Sullivan and John Leeke, National Park Service, October 2006; The Maintenance, Repair and Replacement of Historic Cast Stone by Richard Pieper, National Park Service, September 2001 [accessed December 18, 2016]

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Case study of Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case study of Business strategy - Essay Example e origins of CEMEX was traced in 1906 as Cementos Hidalgo and eventually merged with Cementos Portland Monterrey to form the Cementos Mexicanos, later renamed CEMEX, with Lorenzo Zambrano as its founder. The Lorenzo Zambrano, appointed as the CEO of contemporary CEMEX, was a direct descendant and namesake of the original founder. From the strategies employed and implemented by Zambrano, the most critical was refocusing from the horizontal diversification to a strategy of geographic diversification within the cement business with the objective of attaining growth through acquisitions (Bartlett, Ghoshal & Beamish, 2008, p. 251). This defined Zambrano’s vision to make CEMEX an emerging global giant entrenched as a leader in the cement production and marketing. CEMEX slowly developed its competitive advantage in the cement industry by gaining expertise with priority in its homeland, Mexico. By investing in a$1 billion merger through the acquisition of significant cement producers in Mexico (Cementos Anahuac and Cementos Tolteca); CEMEX was able to secure the market leader position in Mexico, a move which proved to be an effective strategy prior to focusing in geographic diversification through purchase of cement companies in selected international markets. As averred by Ghemawat & Hout (2008), there are basically three significant strategies employed by global giants of the future, to wit: (1) exploiting evolving market conditions; (2) managing convergences in costs; and (3) reworking value chains (pp. 82 – 87). CEMEX has been effective in exploiting evolving market conditions. Through the challenges met from its stance to dominate the Mexican market, despite the peso crisis and the political instability that marked years of operating in their local market, CEMEX managed to generate profit margins partly due to servicing the self-construction part which was minimally affected by the crunch. Further, during the period, CEMEX has already started to venture into

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Aristotle's Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aristotle's Theory - Essay Example e fact that Aristotle believes that the soul exists until there is a body, the philosopher recognizes activity of the mental processes and their involvement in physiological states of a person. Considering the relationship between body and soul, Aristotle points out an inextricable link between them. â€Å"Unlike Plato, he has no objection to so intimate a relation between the mental and the physical† (Caston 331). In fact, he expresses the conviction that their interaction can be regarded as monism. Recognizing the link between body and soul, Aristotle says that the soul is active, not passive. Unlike the supporters of epiphenomenalism, Aristotle argues that the physiological processes can be the result of certain psychological processes. There are two possibilities (Caston 330). Some physiological processes are the result of both physical and psychological conditions, while others can only be the result of certain mental changes. To sum up, there are no reasons to believe that Aristotle supports the standpoint of epiphenomenalism on the importance of psychological states in human activities. On the contrary, Aristotle emphasizes activity of the mental properties and their impact on various physiological states. Thus, Aristotle understands the unity of body and soul as an opportunity to influence each

Monday, November 18, 2019

Relationship between Terrorism and Religion Essay

Relationship between Terrorism and Religion - Essay Example Principally, this ideologically has driven our world since the twentieth century, and it is now making way to the twenty-first century. Also, now it appears to have settled in people in a more ‘religious accommodating’ manner. The final years of the twentieth century, in fact, already underwent an exceptional resurgence of historical religions in numerous parts of the globe, comprising the former USSR, Eastern/Central Europe, as well as China. It is not restricted to only the rebirth of historical religions or faiths, but also extended to the surfacing of neo-religious groups such as the New Age spirituality, as well as the surge of faithfully based experiences and practices ranging from medicine to meditation. These movements have made their way into societies and communities all through the globe where definite levels of freedom for spiritual and religious groups are present. Religious values and views play a significant role in the lives of individuals as they cope wi th issues affecting their communities. Religions educate people concerning ultimate views on believers’ lives. They also offer a core vision for people’s lives, which habitually shades its followers’ socio-political hopes, behaviors and engagements. Therefore, the significance of religion to terrorism cannot be overlooked. This paper will focus on the relationship between terrorism and religion based on what these three authors say in their writings: Brigitte Nacos, Martha Crenshaw and Richard Connerney. These articles are â€Å"The Making of Terrorists: Causes, Conditions, Influences;† â€Å"The Logic of Terrorism;† and â€Å"Islam† respectively.... The author also touches on the new-fangled and past/historical trends of terrorism. Extensively discussing the subject â€Å"What is terrorism?,† the author, a celebrated expert in this field, visibly discusses and explains terrorism’s numerous causes, strategies and actors, as well as counter- and anti-terrorist responses. This article, in addition, outstandingly examines terrorism’s relationship with religion, the public and the media. Highly readable and also comprehensive, â€Å"The Making of Terrorists: Causes, Conditions, Influences† introduces the readers to significant concepts and theories in the study of terrorism with its relation to religion and political turmoil. It also helps them challenge presumptions of this vital, as well as complex issue. Any macro level matter, according to Nacos (61), cannot be tackled without being receptive to realities of religion experienced by humans. Whether the hope of humanity will be formed by the ‘clash of ignorance,’ the ‘clash of societies,’ the clash of religions/faiths and traditions, or conflicts between the ‘West and the rest’ is difficult to predict. It might be an amalgamation of a number of the above because they are all intricately related (Nacos 61). Also, it might be caused by the surfacing of previously unclear issues or problems of polarization. Nacos gives the instance of the 9/11 attacks where Muslim terrorists from the Middle East decided to attack the famous American Twin Towers. In the past, there has always been a religious conflict between the people of the Middle East and the Americans. This was the main reason that according to Nacos (62) led to the bombing of the American Twin Towers. Therefore, Nacos concluded in her article that a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

What Materials Can Be Recycled Environmental Sciences Essay

What Materials Can Be Recycled Environmental Sciences Essay Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste management and is the third component of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle waste hierarchy. Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles and electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegrabale waste- such as food or garden waste- is not typical considered recycling. Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned up, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing. In a strict sense recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material, for example, used office paper to more office paper, or used foamed polystyrene to more polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so recycling of many products or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials (e.g., cardboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their natural value (e.g., lead from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from various items). Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs. Specififically, critics argue that the costs and energy saved in collection and transportation detract from (and possibly outweigh) the costs and energy saved in the production process, also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry production, can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining and other industries associated with virgin production, and that the materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling counter each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides led to enduring controversy. History Early recycling: recycling has been a common practice for most of human history, which recorded advocates as far back as Plato in 400 BC (Greek, 428/427 BC 348/347 BC, was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues.Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of natural philosophy, science, and Western philosophy. Plato was originally a student of Socrates). During periods when resources were scarce, archeological studies of ancient waste dumps show less household waste ( such as ash, broken tools and pottery)- implying more waste was being recycled in the absence of new material. In pre-industrial times, there is evidence of scrap bronze and other metals being collected in Europe and melted down for perpetual reuse. In Britain dust and ash from wood and coal fires was collected by dustmen and downcycled as a base material use in brick making. The main driver for these types of recycling was the economic advantage of obtaining recycled feedstock instead of acquiring virgin material, as well as a lack of public waste removal in ever more densely populated areas. Wartime recycling Resource shortages caused by the world was, on other such world-changing ocurrences greatly encouraged recycling. Massive government promotion campaigns were carried out in the World War II in every country involved in the war, urging citizens to donate metals and conserve fibre, as a matter of signigicant patriotic importance. Resource conservation programs established during the war were continued in some contries without an abundance of natural resources, such as Japan, after the war ended. Post-war recycling The next big investment in recycling occured in the 1970s, due to rising energy costs. Recycling aluminium use only 5% of the energy required by virgin production, glass, paper and metals have less dramatic but very significant energy savings when recyclind feedstock is used. Process Collection: A number of different systems have been implemented to collect recyclables from general waste stream. These systems tend to lie along the spectrum of trade-off between public convenience and government ease and expense. The three main categories of collestion are drop-off centres and curbside collection. Dro-off centres require the waste producer to carry the recyclables to central location, either and installed or mobile collection station for the reprocessing plant itself. They are the easiest type of collection to establish, but suffer from low and unpredictable throughput. Buy-back centres differ in that the cleaned recyclables are purchased, thus providing a clear incentive for use and creating a stable supply. The subsides are necessary to make buy-back centres a viable enterprise. Curbside collection: Curbside collection encompasses many subtly different systems, which differ mostly on where in the process the recyclables are sorted and cleaned. The main categories are mixed waste collection, commingled recyclables and source separation. A waste collection vehicule generally picks up the waste. At one end to the spectrum is mixed waste collection, in which all recyclables are collected mixed in with the rest of the waste, and the desired material is then sorted out and cleaned at a central sorting facility. This results in a large amount of recyclable waste, paper especially, being too soiled to reprocess but has advantages as well, the city need to pay for a separate collection of recyclables and not public education is needed. Any changes to which materials are recyclable is easy to accomodate as all sorting happens in a central location. In a commingled or single- stream system, all recyclables for collection are mixed but kept separate from other waste. This greatly reduces the need for post-collection cleaning but does require public education on what materials are recyclable. Source separation is the other extreme, where each material is cleaned and sorted prior to collection. This method requires the last post-collection sorting and produces the purest recyclables, but incurs additional operating costs for collection of each separate material. An extensive public education program is also required, which must be successful if recyclables contamination is to be avoided. Source separation used to be the preferred method due to the high sorting costs incurred by commingled collection. Advances in sorting technology (explained in Sorting paragrapgh below), however, have lowered this overhead substantially-many areas which had developed source separation programs have since switched to commingled collection. Sorting: Once commingled recyclables are collected and delivered to a central collection facility, the different types of materials must be sorted. This is done in a series of stages, many of which involve automated process such as the truck-load of material can be fully sorted in less than an hour. Some plants can now sort the materials automatically, known as Singke Stream. A 30% increase in recycling rates has been seen in the areas where these plants exist. Initially the commingled recyclables are removed from the collection vehicle and placed on a conveyor belt spread out in a single layer. Large pieces of cardboard and plactic bags are removed by hand at this stage, as they can cause later machinery to jam. Next automated machinary separates the recyclables by weight, splitting lighter paper and plastic from heavier glass and metal. Cardboard is removed from the mixed paper, and the most common types of plastic, PET(#1) and HPDE (#2), are collected. This separation is usually done by hand, but has become automated in some sorting centres, a spectroscopic scanner is used to differentiate between different types pf paper and plastic based on the absorbed wavelenghts (lenght of wave cycle), and subsequently divert each material into the proper collection channel. Strong magnets are used to separate out ferrous metals, such as iron, steel, and thin-plated steel cans (tin cans). Non-ferrous metals are ejected by magnetic eddy currents in which a rotating magnetic field induces an electric current around the aluminium cans, which in turn creates a magnetic eddy current inside the cans. This magnetic eddy current is repulsed by a large magnetic field, and the cans are ejected from the rest of the recyclable stream. Finally, glass must be sorted by hand based on its color: brown, amber, green or clear. Common recyclables Many different materials can be recycled but each type requires different technique. Aggregates and concretes: Concrete aggregate collected from demolition sites is put through a crushing machine, often along with asphalt, bricks, dirt, and rocks. Smaller pieces of concrete are used as gravel for new construction projects. Crushed recycled concrete can also be used as the dry aggregate for brand new concrete if it is free of contaminants. This reduces the need for other rocks to be dug up, which in turn saves trees and habitats. Batteries: The large variation in size and type of batteries makes their recycling extremely difficult, they must first be sorted into similar kinds and each kind requires an individual process. Additionally, older batteries contain mercury and cadmium (mettalic chemical element), harmful materials which must be handled with care. Because of their potential environmental damage, proper disposal of used batteries is required by law in many areas. Unfortunately, this mandate has been difficult to enforce. Lead-acid batteries, like those used in automobiles, are relatively easy to recycle. Biodegradable waste: Kitchen, garden, and other green waste can be recycled into useful material by composting. This process allows natural aerobic material to break down the waste into fertile topsoil. Must composting is done on a household scale, but municipal green-waste collection programs also exist. The programs can supplement their funding by selling the topsoil produced. Clothing: Recycling clothe via consignment or swapping has become increasingly popular. In a clothing swap, a group of people gather at a venue to exchange clothes amongst each other. Electronics disassembly and reclamation: The direct disposal of electrical equipment, such as old computers and mobile phones, is banned in many areas due to toxic contents of certain components. The recycling process works by mechanically separating the metals, plastics, and circuit boards contained in the appliance. When this is done on a large scale at an electronic waste recycling plant, component recovery can be archived in cost-effective. Ferrous metals: Iron and steel are the worlds most recycled materials, and among the easiest to reprocess, as they can be separated magnetically from the waste stream. Recycling is via a steelworks, scrap is either remelted in an electric arc furmace (90-100%scrap), or used as the part of the charge in a basic Oxygen furnace (around 25%). Any grade of steel can be recycled to top quality new metals, with no downgrading from prime to lower quality materials as steel is recycled repeatedly. 42% of crude steel product is recycled material. Non-ferrous metals: Aluminium is the most efficient and widely-recycled materials. Aluminium is shredded and ground into small pieces or crushed into bales. These pieces or bales are melted in an aluminium smelter to produce molten aluminium. By this stage the recycled aluminium is indistinguishable from virgin aluminium and further processin is identical for both. This process does not produce any change in the metal, so aluminium can be recycled indefinitely. Recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy cost of processing new aluminium. This is because the temperature necessary for melting recycled, nearly pure, aluminium is 600 Â °C, while to extract mined aluminium from its ore requires 900 Â °C. To reach this higher temperature, much more energy is needed, leading to the high environmental benefits of environmental benefits of aluminium recycling. Also the energy saved by recycling one aluminium can is enough to run a television for 3 hours. Glass: Glass bottles and jars are gathered then sorted into color categories. The collected glass cullet is taken to a glass recycling plant where it is monitored for purity and contaminants are removed. The cullet is crushed and added to a raw material mix in a melting furnace. It is then mechanically blown or molded into new jars or bottles. Glass cullet is also used in the construction industry for aggregate and glassphalt. Glassphalt is a road-laying material which comprises around 30% recycled glass. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed. Paper: Paper can be recycled by reducing it to pulp and combining it with pulp from newly harvested wood. As the recycling process causes the paper fibres to break down, each time paper is recycled its quality decreases. This means that either a higher percentage of new fibres must be added, or the paper downcycled into lower quality products. Any writing or colouration of the paper must first be removed by deinking, which also removes fillers, clays, and fibre fragments. Almost all paper can be recycled today, but some types are harder to recycle than others. Paper coated with plastic or aluminium foil, and paper that are waxed, pasted, or gummed are usually not recycled because the process is too expensive. Gift-wrap paper also cannot be recycled due to its already poor quality. Plastic: Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products. Compared to glass or metallic materials, plastic poses unique challenges. Because of the massive number of types of plastic, they each carry a resin identification code, and must be sorted before they can be recycled. This can be costly, while metals can be sorted using electromagnets, not such easy sorting capability exists for plastics. In addition to this, while labels do not need to be removed from bottles for recycling, lids are often made from a different kind of non-recyclable plastic. To help in identifying the materials in various plastic items, resin identification code numbers 1-6 have been assigned to six common kinds of recyclable plastic resins, with the number 7 indicating any other kind of plastic, whether recyclable or not. Standardized symbols are available incorporating each of these resin codes. Textiles: When considering textile recycling one must understand what the material consists of most textiles are composites of cotton (biodegradable material) and synthetic plastics. The textiles composition will affect its durability and method of recycling. Workers sort and separate collected textiles into good quality clothing and shoes which can be reused or worn. There is a trend of moving these facilities from developed countries to developing countries either for charity or sold for cheaper price. Usually, international organisations collect used textiles from developed countries as a donation to those third world countries. This recycling practice is encouraged because it helps to reduce unwanted waste while providing clothing to those in need. Damaged textiles are further sorted into grades to make industrial wiping cloths and use in paper manufacture or material suitable for fibre reclamation and filling products. If textile reprocessors receive wet or soiled clothes however, these may still disposed of in a landfill, as the washing and drying facilities are not present at sorting units. Wood: Recycling wood has become popular due to its image as an environmentally friendly product, with consumers commonly beleiving that by purchasing recycling wood the demand will fall and ultimately benefit the environment. The arrival of recycled wood as a construction product has been important in both raising industry and consumer awarness towards deforestation and promoting wood mills to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Other techniques: Several other materials are also commonly recycled, frequently at an industrial level. Ship breaking is one example that has associated environmental, health, and safety risks for the area where the operation takes place, balancing all these considerations is a environmental justice problem. Tyre recycling is also common. Used tyres can be added to asphalt for producing road surfaces or to make rubber much used on playgrounds for safety. There are also often used as the insulation and heat absorbing/releasing material in specially constructed homes known as earthships.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dodge Ram Quad Cab Advertisement :: Advertising Marketing

Ram Tough The makers of the Ram Quad Cab make the claim that this truck is representative of the new Dodge. This truck is, according to the makers, more comfortable and easier to ride in than other trucks. In addition, loading and unloading people and cargo is made easier when using their truck. The Dodge company makes the claim that their full-size pickup truck is among the best and backs this up with impressive evidence in this advertisement. When Dodge says in their opening sentence that their company is always open for new ideas, they could be suggesting that other companies are not as willing to accept change. They also insinuate that they give people what they want and expect from a truck, resulting in the company's success. Implying that their company is "legendary" because of their reputation for having powerful trucks, they show complete confidence in the fact that their truck is better in its class. This Dodge Ram 4x4, according to the advertisement, is the "first extended-cab pickup ever with four doors", placing it among an elite group of vehicles. It appears that the company is so confident in its product that they even predict it will win a fourth J.D. Power and Associates in the upcoming year. In addition to the evidence, Dodge even makes an appeal to the "common man" by saying that they make their truck roomier mainly because they "think it's a darn good idea", believing that they are providing people with what they have come to expect from them. They emphasize what a "proud" company they are because of their many achievements and their devotion to the consumer. The Dodge company does not make their claims lightly. They back up their statements with strong support. One example of this is their assertion that they have a "roomy, even more economic interior" and a "big, comfortable backseat" that help to separate their truck from the competition. Even more convincing is their factual evidence by J.D. Power and Associates, noted for their credible analysis of cars and trucks, who ranked the Ram Quad Cab as the "Most Appealing Full-Size Pickup" for the third year in a row. These facts, coupled with an appealing and vibrant picture of the truck, draws the reader in and makes him more interested in the product.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Android Os

CELLPHONE OPERATING SYSTEM 2010 CP 303 – Operating Systems 5/14/2010 Android is a complete set of software for mobile devices. It consists of: * An operating system * Middleware * Mobile applications Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. An application can call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. It is open source and can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. Android does not differentiate between the phone's core applications and third-party applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone's capabilities providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. With devices built on the Android Platform, users are able to fully tailor the phone to their interests. A developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual's mobile phone, also, he/she can build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect. ANDROID FEATURES Contacts/ Accounts: * Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. * Developers can create sync adapters that provide synchronization with additional data sources. * Quick Contact for Android provides instant access to a contact's information and communication modes. A user can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Other applications such as Email, Messaging, and Calendar can also reveal the Quick Contact widget when you touch a contact photo or status icon. Email: * Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page. * Exchange support. Messaging: * Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages. * Auto deletes the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached. Camera: * Built-in flash support * Digital zoom * Scene mode * White balance * Color effect * Macro focus Virtual Keyboard: Refreshed UI with actionable browser URL bar enables users to directly tap the address bar for instant searches and navigation. * Bookmarks with web page thumbnails. * Support for double-tap zooms. * Support for HTML5 * Database API support, for client-side databases using SQL. * Application cache support, for offline applications. * Geo-location API support to provide location information about the device. ANDROID SUPPORTED DEVICES Smartphones: * Acer Liquid A1 * Bluelans Communication Sciphone N19 * Bluelans Communication SciPhone N21 * Dell Mini3i * Geeks'Phone One * General Mobile DSTL1 Imaginary * HKC HKC Pearl * HKC Imobile v413 HTC Desire * HTC Dream * HTC Hero * Droid Incredible * HTC Legend * HTC Magic * HTC Tattoo * Google Nexus One * T-Mobile Pulse * Lenovo OPhone * GW620 Eve * Motorola CLIQ XT * Motorola Droid * Motorola MB300 * Motorola Devour * MOTO MT710 * MOTO XT800 * Motorola CLIQ * Sirius Sky * Qiji I6 Tablet PCs: * Archos 5 Internet Tablet * Camangi WebStation * Eken M001 (TP701) * Enso zenPad * Smart Devices SmartQ-V5 * Smart Devices SmartQ-V7 * Hardkernel ODROID-T E-Readers: * Barnes & Noble nook * enTourage eDGe * Spring Design Alex Other: * Acer Aspire One D250 REFERENCES www. developer. android. com www. android. com www. wikipedia. com

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The History of the Human Management of Honey Bees

The History of the Human Management of Honey Bees The history of honey bees (or honeybees) and humans is a very old one. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are an insect that has not exactly been domesticated: but humans have learned how to manage them, by providing them with hives so we can more easily steal the honey and wax from them. That, according to research published in 2015, happened in Anatolia at least as long ago as 8,500 years. But physical changes to bees that are kept are negligible from those that are not kept, and there are no specific breeds of bees that you could reliably identify as domesticated versus wild. Three distinct genetic subspecies of honey bees have been identified, however, in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. Harpur and colleagues identified evidence that Apis mellifera originated in Africa and colonized Europe at least twice, producing the genetically distinct Eastern and Western species. Surprisingly, unlike most domesticated species, managed bees have a higher genetic diversity than their progenitors. (See Harpur et al. 2012) Honey Bee Benefits We are fond of the stinging Apis mellifera, of course, for its liquid honey. Honey is one of the most energy-dense foods in nature, consisting of a concentrated source of fructose and glucose containing approximately 80-95% sugar. Honey contains trace amounts of several essential vitamins and minerals and also can be used as a preservative. Wild honey, that is to say, collected from wild bees, contains relatively higher levels of protein, because the honey contains more bee larva and larva parts than kept bees. Honey and bee larva together are excellent sources of energy fat and protein. Beeswax, the substance created by bees to encase their larvae in combs, was and is used for binding, sealing and waterproofing, and fuel in lamps or as candles. The 6th millennium BC Greek Neolithic site of Dikili Tash contained evidence for the use of beeswax as a binding agent. New Kingdom Egyptians used beeswax for medicinal purposes as well as embalming and mummy wrapping. Chinese Bronze Age cultures used it in the lost-wax technique as early as 500 BC, and as candles by the Warring States Period (375-221 BC). Early Use of Honey The earliest documented use of honey dates to at least the Upper Paleolithic, some 25,000 years ago. The dangerous business of collecting honey from wild bees was accomplished then as today, by using a variety of methods, including smoking the hives to reduce the response of the guard bees. Upper Paleolithic rock art from Spain, India, Australia, and southern Africa all illustrate collecting honey. Altamira cave, in Cantabria, Spain, includes depictions of honeycombs, dated approximately 25,000 years ago. The Mesolithic Cueva de la Araà ±a rock shelter, in Valencia Spain, contains depictions of honey collection, bee swarms, and men climbing ladders to get to the bees, at ~10,000 years ago. Some scholars believe that collecting honey is much earlier than that  since our immediate cousins the primates regularly collect honey on their own. Crittendon has suggested that Lower Paleolithic Oldowan stone tools (2.5 mya) could have been used to split open beehives, and theres no reason that a self-respecting Australopithecine or early Homo could not have done that. Neolithic Bee Exploitation in Turkey A recent study (Roffet-Salque et al. 2015) reported discovering beeswax lipid residues within cooking vessels throughout the prehistoric world from Denmark to North Africa. The earliest examples, say researchers, come from Catalhoyuk and Cayonu Tepesi in Turkey, both dated to the 7th millennium BC. Those come from bowls which also contained mammalian animal fat. Further evidence at Catalhoyuk is the discovery of a honeycomb-like pattern painted on the wall. Roffet-Salque and colleagues report that according to their evidence, the practice became widespread in Eurasia by 5,000 cal BC; and that the most abundant evidence for honeybee exploitation by early farmers comes from the Balkan peninsula. Beekeeping Evidence Until the discovery of Tel Rehov, evidence for ancient beekeeping, however, was restricted to texts and wall paintings (and of course ethnohistoric and oral history records, see Si 2013). Pinning down when beekeeping began is thus somewhat difficult. The earliest evidence of that is documents dated to the Bronze Age Mediterranean. Minoan documents written in  Linear B  describe major honey stores, and based on documentary evidence, most other Bronze Age states, including Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia, and the  Hittite kingdom  all had beekeeping operations. Talmudic laws from 6th century BC describe the rules of harvesting honey on the Sabbath and where the proper place was to put your hives relative to human houses. Tel Rehov The oldest large production facility for producing honey identified to date is from Iron Age Tel Rehov, in the Jordan Valley of northern Israel. At this site, a large facility of unfired clay cylinders contained the remains of honey bee drones, workers, pupae, and larvae. This apiary included an estimated 100-200 hives. Each hive had a small hole on one side for the bees to enter and exit, and a lid on the opposite side for the beekeepers to access the honeycomb. The hives were located on a small courtyard that was part of a larger architectural complex, destroyed between ~826-970 BC (calibrated). About 30 hives have been excavated to date. Scholars believe the bees are the Anatolian honey bee (Apis mellifera  anatoliaca), based on morphometric analyses. Currently, this bee is not local to the region. Sources Bloch G,  Francoy  TM, Wachtel I, Panitz-Cohen N, Fuchs S, and Mazar A. 2010.  Industrial apiculture in the Jordan valley during Biblical times with Anatolian honey bees.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  107(25):11240-11244. Crittenden AN. 2011.  The Importance of Honey Consumption in Human Evolution.  Food and Foodways  19(4):257-273. Engel MS, Hinojosa-Dà ­az IA, and Rasnitsyn AP. 2009. A honey bee from the Miocene of Nevada and the biogeography of Apis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apini).  Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences  60(1):23. Garibaldi LA, Steffan-Dewenter I, Winfree R, Aizen MA, Bommarco R, Cunningham SA, Kremen C, Carvalheiro LG, Harder LD, Afik O et al. 2013.  Wild Pollinators Enhance Fruit Set of Crops Regardless of Honey Bee Abundance.  Science  339(6127):1608-1611. doi: 10.1126/science.1230200 Harpur BA,  Minaei  S, Kent CF, and Zayed A. 2012.  Management increases genetic diversity of honey bees via admixture.  Molecular Ecology  21(18):4414-4421. Luo W, Li T, Wang C, and Huang F. 2012.  Discovery of Beeswax as​   Journal of Archaeological Science  39(5):1227-1237.binding agent on a 6th-century BC Chinese Turquoise-inlaid Bronze sword. Mazar A, Namdar D, Panitz-Cohen N, Neumann R, and Weiner S. 2008.  Iron Age beehives at Tel Rehov in the Jordan valley.  Antiquity  81(629–639). Oldroyd BP. 2012.  Domestication of honey bees was associated with   Molecular Ecology  21(18):4409-4411.expansion of genetic diversity. Rader R, Reilly J, Bartomeus I, and Winfree R. 2013.  Native bees buffer the negative impact of climate warming on honey bee pollination of watermelon crops.  Global Change Biology  19(10):3103-3110. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12264 Roffet-Salque, Mà ©lanie. Widespread exploitation of the honeybee by early Neolithic farmers. Nature volume 527, Martine Regert, Jamel Zoughlami, Nature, November 11, 2015. Si A. 2013.  Aspects of Honeybee Natural History According to the  Solega.  Ethnobiology Letters  4:78-86. doi: 10.14237/ebl.4.2013.78-86 Sowunmi MA. 1976.  The potential value of honey in  Ã‚  Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology  21(2):171-185.palaeopalynology  and archaeology.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Example

Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Example Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Max Weber has claimed that power arises when given two people in a social relationship one will try to get himself in a better position to enforce his will on the other despite any form of resistance.  Ã‚   This then assumes that there is conflict between these two parties in the social relationship as both try to enact his will and only one succeeds in doing so because level of power differ between individuals and groups and some who have limited power are subject to accept the will of those with greater power.According to Weber, there are 3 kinds of power: coercive which means that the object is forced to accept another’s will for fear of punishment and repercussions; utilitarian which means that the object obeys the will of the subject because it furthers his own interests and motives; finally, because the subject has a legitimate claim to power and necessitates obedience from others.   Weber further streamlines his definition of power with domination and authority, whe rein domination are the probabilities that one will be obeyed, its truest form being that obedience is given voluntarily as it is within the interest of the follower to do so.   Authority is a form of domination which Weber goes on to define in his treatise to take the form of traditional, charismatic and legal.With this kind of power, Weber illustrates a stratified form of social relationships wherein the one with power will be on top of the structure commanding the rest of society who obey him and who are positioned underneath him.Foucault’s definition of power is totally different from that of Weber’s since his sense of power is not associated with positioning or domination but is closely linked to knowledge.   Foucault claims that power is derived from the exchange of knowledge in the economy of discourse.   In this economy there is a constant exchange of knowledge the veracity of which is arbitrary. Thus, declarations of knowledge will only be accepted as tr ue if the receiver of that knowledge holds it to be true.   Upon acceptance of the knowledge as truth, the receiver is then affected by this truth thus resulting in the subject, the declarer, to have power over its object, the receiver.   Therefore, the definition of power for Foucault is the ability of one to affect another’s behavior and actions.Both sociologists agree that power comes with resistance.   In the case of Weber, resistance will come in the form of the opposite which the receiver would want to enforce as well but due to his limited level of power cannot but obey the command of the subject.   Foucault claims that the discourse that creates power is the same discourse that forms the resistance.   Within a dialogue, to forms of knowledge will be declared and the non-acceptance of the declarations as truth will create the resistance to the influence or power of the other.Because of the subjectivity of Foucault’s power and knowledge base, Weber†™s definition of power and its implementation in society is far more accepted as the true definition of power – and following Foucault, it would mean that his economy of discourse serves as the resistance to the power of Weber.References:Peterson, Ryan. Michael Foucault Power/Knowledge. 12 November 2001. 14 February 14, 2008. colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory54.htmMathiason, John. The Power to Legitimize: from Max Weber to Hans Blix. International Studies Association. 2004. 14 February 2008. http://classes.maxwell.syr.edu/intlmgt/readings/The_use_of_legitimation.htmPower, Domination, Legitimation, and Authority. Sociology 250. 1999. 14 February 2008. http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/o12f99.htm

Monday, November 4, 2019

Planning Careers and Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning Careers and Demand - Essay Example re also applicable in the United States? And (2) if so, what career advice would you give to these people if you were mentoring them? Specify three key pieces of advice. Planning Careers and Demand Applicability of Findings The findings in the United Kingdom indicating that the trend for college graduates is to look for jobs that accord vast opportunities for career breaks could not possibly be applicable in the United States. As aptly quoted from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding career decisions, â€Å"making informed career decisions requires reliable information about opportunities in the future. Opportunities result from the relationships between the population, labor force, and the demand for goods and service† (cited from The Indians Abroad, 2009, par. 1). ... y Anderson (2001) acknowledged that "workers in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world" (Anderson, 2001, par. 1). The above information disputes UK’s trend on college graduates’ priorities on career breaks as being likewise applicable in the US. The mere fact that students opted to pursue college careers indicate that they are holistically prepared to get into the greater responsibilities, accountabilities accorded to college graduates – with the aim of being remunerated more than their non-college degree holder counterparts who are looking for employment. These groups of graduates are more high achievement oriented and recognize the need to earn more while the demands for their respective professions are high. Further, the basic difference in UK and US economy pertains to availment of health insurance benefits. The National Health Service (NHS) of the UK â€Å"provides free essential health care for all UK citiz ens - regardless of age, occupation or the ability to pay† (Healthinsurance, 2010, par. 1). In contrast, health insurance in the US is still being reformed to accommodate millions of uninsured Americans, who could not afford to pay for insurance coverages and therefore need to seek for appropriate high-paying jobs to afford exorbitant health insurance fees and medical costs. Thus, while newly hired college graduates in the UK could afford to look forward to career breaks, their counterparts in the US need to work their way up the organizational ladder to save for a rainy day. Finally, there really is a big difference in the standard paid vacation between the UK and the US. Infoplease (2011) cited the World Tourism Organization’s data which revealed that the number of days of paid vacation per year that

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Introduction to Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Criminal Law - Essay Example In addition, Title 18, Chapter 31 of the U.S code is inclusive of sections dealing with different types of embezzlement and how to deal with them. Criminal offences can be based on different kinds of conduct and therefore, causes complexity in defining what crime is and what it entails. The different types of crimes include, theft, rape, murder among others. From ideological and scientific points of view, there are different conceptions of crime that may include any activity due for penalty. This according to the criminal law is written as a crime regarding the formal legal. A social harm definition of crime is an offence which involves civil offences, as well as criminal offences. A labeling approach, however, states that crime is only viable when there is a label of a criminal activity, and there is a social response to that activity. Otherwise, where there is no label there is no crime (Cockcroft, 1899). According to Neumann, human rights, whenever a human right is violated, there is an occurrence of crime. All these however, do not limit the definitions of crime as crime definition depends on a person’s perspective (2002). This is an action that is against the law, although considering the common law; there was no crime as embezzlement of funds, (Cockcroft et. al., 1899). Larceny as a crime has with time evolved to embezzlement, although it is a modification to cover up some of the acts, which are not within its area of coverage. Neumann states that embezzlement is one form of financial fraud. It is a dishonest act, concealing assets in an organization or a company by one or more individuals. For example a person’s financial advisor can embezzle his or her investors’ funds; and a lawyer could embezzle a client’s accounts of trust. Embezzlement of funds ranges from minor to immense, involving small amount of money to large sums respectively (2002). Davis explains that embezzlement in America has