Pesticide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pesticide - Research Paper Example The term pest includes insects, weeds, mammals, and microbes, among others† (Tadeo 2). They are categorized based on the pest that they destroy. For example, herbicides kill eradicate weeds and other plants growing in places where they are unwanted, insecticides destroy insects and other anthropods and fungicides are used to kill fungi (Atterholt). Other types of pesticides are acaricides, molluscicides, nematicides, pheromones, plant growth regulators, repellants, and rodenticides (Tadeo 2). Pesticides are usually chemical substances, although they can be sometimes biological agents such as virus or bacteria. â€Å"They may be derived from natural sources such as pyrethrin insecticide extracted from certain chrysanthemum plants. Another example is azadirachtin, an extract from the neem tree† (â€Å" natural and synthetic†). Pesticides are also made from artificial (synthetic) sources such as pyrethriods, which is an insecticide. Herbicides can be further classified as soil- or foliage-applied compounds which are normally absorbed by roots or leaf tissues, respectively. These compounds can be total or selective herbicides. Total herbicides can kill all vegetation, whereas selective herbicides can control weeds without affecting the crop (Tadeo 4). Insecticide Pyrethrum, the dried flower of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, or its solvent extract, has been used for centuries in order to kill insects. The plant, is originally native to the Near East (Adriska 24). The active substances of pyrethrum are pyrethrin I , pyrethrin II, Cinerin I, cinerin II, the 3-but-2-enyl analogues, as well as jasmolin I and jasmolin II, the 3-pentyl-2-enyl analogues of the pyrethrins. When an insect is intoxicated with pyrethroids, it quickly develops hyperexcitation and tremors, which are followed by paralysis. These symptoms of poisoning imply that pyrethriods act primarily on the neuromuscular system (Narahashi 337). The highly lipophilic nature of the synthetic pyrethoids

Islam in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam in Europe - Essay Example The chief among them is that Islamic law differs from the laws of ‘first world’ countries of Europe, and that Islam dominates lifestyle and culture of millions of Muslims in Europe (Roald, 2001, p 295- 296). Islam: Family Law The Islamic family law does not support the ‘liberal -minded ‘European family law. In European countries family laws support step families, unmarried spouse, nuclear families, free mixing of both the sexes, and above all, the equality of sexes. Conventional Islamic law holds male members of a family to be superior compared to their female counterparts. More importance is given to them and they also hold decision making power. Also, Islam propagates the doctrine of large family with many members (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Many orthodox Muslim families in Europe still abide by the Islamic family law which separates the rules and rights of women from men. However, in European countries like Bulgaria, modern age Muslim families are denouncing s ecularism (Ghodsee, 2009, p 5). The newer generations of Muslims are more in support of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘tolerance’ policies that are held by European nations. They are not much affected by the fact that predominantly Islamic nations like Egypt has stressed CEDAW, 15th and 16th article denying formal equality of rules and right among men and women. In other words, Muslims in Europe are trying to redefine their identity outside the realm of Islam (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Conventions and Practices: With change of perspectives and outlooks, social practices are also changing among Islamic families. As in England one can find that marriages are still held through the ‘nikah’ ceremony. It is not recognized by the English court of law. With the changing of perspectives, around two-thirds of Muslim couples are marrying again to enjoy the protection of English legal systems. Also, they are renouncing pluralism of marriages as it is not recognized . They are holding their religious roots on one hand and on the other adopting the newer form. This scenario can be found all over Europe (BuChler, 2013, p 77). ‘Talaq’, another important provision of Islamic family law is â€Å"taken into consideration in gender- neutral divorce law and legal practice†. Also, in Europe, no direct legal measures taken against polygamy as because European courts do not hold polygamy as an unlawful act (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Though from time to time social issues have been raised about use of head- covering or hijab, many Muslim women still continue to wear them as a part of their religious convention. Islam: Law Council In European countries, Muslims have their own quasi- judicial institutions. These institutions are basically the shari?ah law councils which impart judgment to large sections of Muslim communities in Europe, as most Muslims in Europe do not recognize the authority and legitimacy of any other legal system. Thus the y turn up to these councils mostly with problems regarding family matters. The law councils have a separate code of law and adopt unconventional modes of settling disputes, formulated according to legal norms of Islam. One such country is England where the unofficial yet autonomous shari?ah courts serve millions of Muslims (BuChler, 2013, p 76-77). Durham,  Kirkham,  & Torfs (2012, p 6) insist that from the view point of European Courts, no discrimination is made between Muslims and non- Muslim subjects, though their ways of resolving or

Alitalia Airlines: Financial Crisis Management

Alitalia Airlines: Financial Crisis Management Crisis survival for Alitalia:  Strategy re-evaluation for its continuous  viability in the medium and long term. Contents (Jump to) Introduction Alitalia Management Re-focusing Alitalia Recovery Conclusion Bibliography Introduction Based out of Rome, Alitalia is the national airline of Italy which was founded on 16 September 1946 under the name ‘Aerolinee Italiane Internazionali’ and is known as ‘Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. (Alitalia, 2006). Alitalia is 49% owned the Italian Ministry of the Treasury, other shareholders, which includes its employees at 49% as well as Air France – KLM which holds a 2% stake (Alitalia, 2006). As the leading airline in the country, Alitalia flies to more than 100 locales from its hubs in Milan and Rome, utilizing a fleet of 175 aircraft (Hoover’s, 2006). A major factor t be remembered and considered throughout this analysis and examination that Alitalia is a state owned airline and history has shown that the large staffs, inefficiencies, lower productivity and higher operational costs associated with such institutions makes them uncompetitive when matched against private industry. That legacy befell the fates of Sabena, Swissair and saw KLM Royal Du tch Airlines become an acquisition by Air France in May of 2004 (BusinessWeek online, 2004). The liberalisation of the European airline industry was the beginning of the downward spiral for the indicated airlines as the process, as deregulation entails the removal of government restrictions which opened the domestic markets of all European Union countries to any company in Europe (Badi et al, 1995, pp. 245-59). The process of deregulation increased competitive levels in the industry thereby promoting heightened productivity, increased efficiency and lowered prices as markets were pen to the laws of supply and demand. Under the deregulation process implemented by the European Union, legal monopolies as well as government aid for carriers disappeared, and aid reduction was supplanted by public funds, with most airlines finally becoming privatized (Ng and Seabright, 2001, pp. 591-619). Thus, the open sky policy, as it is termed, caused European airlines to restructure the manner in which they conducted business internally, through improving efficiencies as a result of direct competition. The main strategy that has arisen from the preceding has been the increasing of productivity. The emergence of the low cost carriers as a force in the industry has created additional pressures for the traditional full service airlines. The low cost carrier model of no frills, utilization of secondary airports and concentration on lower ticket prices has shaken the underpinnings of the traditional full service carriers which took off in Europe after the events of September 11th which generated a global melt down thro ughout the industry. Prior to deregulation, the national flag carriers, such as Alitalia, were supported by monopolies, legal, and were dominant throughout the European community (White, 1979, pp. 545-73). Airlines during that era shared intra European routes as a result f bilateral agreements and the airlines companies were primarily owned by governments with their losses underwritten by public funds (White, 1979, pp. 545-73). This structure left little incentive for bottom line accountability, productivity or innovation, a situation which aptly describes Alitalia, and this atmosphere served to shape the company’s operational and management culture as a job with Alitalia was decidedly plush and devoid of the usual performance standards. Today’s market has seen a shift to where almost all of these carriers have been privatized, with the disappearance of the corresponding government aid, and the legal monopolies have disappeared. Alitalia has always been a plodding governmental type airline operation, burdened with over staffing and low productivity. Examples of the foregoing can be found in the fact that Alitalia pilots average less than 500 flying hours per year versus the industry average f 600 to 700 for most carriers in Europe (BusinessWeek online, 2004). Half of the company’s fleet consists of high maintenance McDonnell-Douglas airframes that cost twice as much to operate than the newer more efficient airframes resulting in what analysts estimate as operational costs that are between 30% to 40% above the industry norm of other European Flag airlines (BusinessWeek online, 2004). The historical summary of the airline climate in Europe prior to deregulation, and the nuances of the monopolistic environment surrounding the flag carriers is an important background variable in understanding the manner in which Alitalia evolved, and the underpinnings of its organizational and cultural structures. Indicative of the waste which is prevalent in the company, as indicated by the examples of pilot flight hours and the age as well as composition of its fleet, is that the crews for the Milan hub live in Rome and commute via the airlines flight to work, occupying on average 60 percent of the seats on the morning flight (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The preceding example along with the other samples of waste serves to illustrate the spending and lack of fiscal accountability at the carrier. Also at fault, as a main contributor to the operational waste the airline generates, is the political climate of the country and how it impacts on the carrier. As a governm ent controlled entity â€Å"Alitalia has always been a place where politicians could get their people hired †¦Ã¢â‚¬  stated Allessandro Frigerio, fund manager for Pigoli Consulenza (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). This type of mentality says more about the climate the company operates in than any other, thus over staffing is a natural outgrowth. The preceding represents the historical corporate culture setting which prevailed during the industry shaking events of September 11th. As a result of the foregoing that date is utilized as a starting point for the discussion of the company’s financial situation. In revisiting this date, it must be remembered that the global economy was in the throws of a recession. The United States economic slowdown was pegged in March of 2001, and Japan along with Germany exhibited nearly zero growth (Drakos, 2002). The foregoing was the economic stage upon which the events of 9/11 transpired setting off shock waves in the global economy, inhibiting both leisure as well as corporate travel as a result of fear and the recession. The last year Alitalia recorded a profit from operations was in 2000, and the company has been unprofitable for 11 of the past 16 years (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). In 1999, Alitalia registered a net income of â‚ ¬380 for each of the companyâ€℠¢s 20,770 employees as compared to losses of â‚ ¬23,400 for each employee in 2003 (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The aviation industry lost an estimated $25 billion since the eventful date of 9/11 through 2003 and airlines have reacted to the economic realities by laying off in excess of 100,000 employees as well as remove an estimated 700 airframes from service to cut costs (Amos et al, 2004). The culture of Italy is adverse to shedding employees as a cost cutting measure, as evidenced by a 1970 statute that requires any business with more than 15 employees to appear in court to justify any layoffs or firings, failing that, company’s would have to rehire said workers and compensate them up to three months in lost wages (Bloomberg.com, 2004). In response to the economic crisis prompted by the global recession and the events of 9/11, the then Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, Francesco Mengozzi announced a plan whereby 1,200 jobs would be outsourced to effect economies in operations, and an additional 1,500 jobs would be cut, with wage scales frozen. The preceding action resulted in th e company’s unions initiating three strikes, one of which resulted in the cancellation of half of the airline’s flights, upsetting the plans of more than 18,000 customers (BBC News, 2004). The layoff plan was an attempt by management to cut costs in an effort to head the company back towards profitability and possible privatization, as well as a potential alliance with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (BBC News, 2004). The Italian government led by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi fired Mengozzi and replaced him with Marco Zanichelli who subsequently put forth a plan to either fire or contract out a total of 3,300 jobs. That recommendation also got Zanichelli fired, paving the way for the installation of Giancarlo Cimoli as Chairman and Managing Director. The problems created as a result of the global economic slowdown and the events of 9/11 were further exacerbated in Europe by the introduction of the low cost carrier business model, which was based upon the successful concept utilized by Southwest Airlines in the United States (Southwest Airline, 2006). Companies such as Ryanair have successfully entered the Italian market and accounted for 45% of the flights originating in Italy in 2002, which increased to 51% in 2003 and rose to 66% in 2004 (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The low cost model has proven to be a successful concept in that southwest Airline in the United States has rem ained profitable throughout the recession and events of the recession of 2001 as well as 9/11 and subsequent events, while in Europe easyJet, Ryanair and other low cost carriers have been expanding at the expense of flag carriers such as Alitalia (Drakos, 2002). The European airline market differs from the American airline industry fundamentally in the areas of their respective regulatory histories as well as the smaller size of their carriers (Ng and Seabright, 2001, pp. 591-619). Baumol et al (1981, pp. 231-56) advise that corporate theory to address the effects of reduced earnings owing to adverse economic and or competitive conditions is to utilize the conditioned demand function with defines the operation of cost functions. This states that the reduction of costs and implementation of diversification and innovation are solutions to be addressed in such circumstances. The failures of Alitalia in effectively implementing such measures over the past 16 years, along with the company’s corporate culture, unions and the political climate of the country have hampered all efforts to return the company to profitability and compete with rivals. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has stated that the airline â€Å"†¦ has twice as many wo rkers as necessary and this has been something that has been inherited from the past †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bloomberg, 2004). Berlusconi when on to add that it is difficult to cut costs at the carrier â€Å"†¦ because any cuts provoke the kind of reaction from unions and workers †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bloomberg, 2004) that result in strike and work stoppages. The preceding effectively indicates the reasons behind the financial crisis facing Alitalia presently: an oversized and unproductive work force that resists management actions to implement measures to cut costs, a company as well as political culture that is still rooted in policies of the pre deregulation era, a lack of response to the inroads of changes in the airline industry as marked by Emirates and Singapore airlines that emphasis customer satisfaction and service, as well as a failure to respond to the inroads and profit generating models as shown by the low cost carriers Customer opinions regarding the company are reflected in the Skytrax survey of 2005, which reveals the following on varied areas: Table 1 – Alitalia Customer Survey Comparison (Skytrax, 2006) Legend 5 stars = Excellent 4 stars = Good 3 stars = Fair 2 stars = Poor 1 star = Very Poor The preceding indicates that while unprofitable, the staff at Alitalia is performing at levels that are comparable to one of the world’s acknowledged best airlines, Emirates, and at a level that exceeds Ryanair, the market leader in passenger flights in Italy. Dealing with the aftermath of the economic events of 9/11 and the new competitive market will require the company to make changes in the manner in which it does business internally to enable it to cut costs and offer product route that are profitable. Alitalia Management The effects of deregulation and the introduction of the low cost carrier model in the airline industry has changed the context of management within the industry in Europe. The state supported monopolies and subsidies as well as the protectionist climate has given way to a true business model whereby the cost of the product to reach destinations represents one of the most important considerations. As shown via Table 1 Alitalia Customer Survey Comparison, the company compares favorably with Emirates Airline on service and score well ahead of Ryanair in all facets, yet Emirates is regarded as one of the best carriers in the world, and Ryanair has accomplished the feat of securing 66% of all passenger departures in Italy. These facets point to operational modes regarding overhead as the key reasons for the company’s dismal earnings and profit performances. Delfmann et al (2005, p. 20) advise that the â€Å"†¦ the most spectacular growth over the last 20 years among all tran sport sectors has occurred in aviation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This contrasts to the 11 years of unprofitable operations shown by Alitalia over the last 16 years. Delfmann et al (2005, p. 20) add that â€Å"†¦ increasing competition between network carriers has been given added impetus by the emergence of new, low cost carriers†. This climate has provided passengers with a wider array of destination choices, timetables and prices from which to select. As a fiercely competitive business, to prosper and survive in the airline industry, carriers must address the factors which prompt passengers to fly as well as streamline internal operations to reduce costs so that they can trim ticket prices. This model has proven successful in the low cost segment, and also has served the full service carriers in working their way back to profitable operations. Ryanair has captured a huge segment of the departures from Italy by adherence to these principles, which Krzos et al (2003) refer to as the application of knowledge management skills to define the key aspect of operations and thus focus on getting said areas up to and exceeding industry standards. Knowing what the problems are is the first step to devising solutions, and the application of knowledge management skills such as (Krzos et al, 2003): Flight Scheduling Pricing Support Services Crew and Staff Scheduling Represent internal key to aid in competitiveness. Flight scheduling represents charting and understanding the departure, arrival and destination preferences the market has and is showing and responding to these patterns through the arrangement of flights to met this demand (Krzos et al, 2003). Pricing represent a function of internal operations and efficiencies whereby waste, over staffing, and productivity impact on operating expenditures and the reduction of these costs permits reduced ticket pricing. The preceding brings up the issue of support services and crew / Staff scheduling which are personnel, policy and corporate culture problems at Alitalia. McAfee and te Velde (2004) indicate that the utilization of yield management is an important set of strategies that increase profits through the understanding of metrics in industries such as airlines. Yield Management is helpful when a product has two important characteristics (McAfee and te Velde, 2004): The product has a pre-set expiration at a definitive point in time, as evidenced by hotel rooms, airline tickets, and or time-dated products, and the capacity for same is known and fixed in advance and can only be changed at a high cost McAfee and te Velde (2004) state that forecasting the preceding utilizing present sales, competitive data, overall demand and forecasting provides companies with the ability to vary elements of their fixed cost, such as staffing, equipment, and facilities to put these resources to work at where they will meet the supply demands and reduce waste. The application of yield management has shown results for American Airlines which generated an additional $500 million through the application of this technique. Bieger and Agosti (2005, pp. 41-64) advise that management needs to be cognizant of and focus on: asset utilization, such as facilities, fleet costs, landing charges, handling charges and pro-rating of tickets, increased utilization of low cost subsidiaries to take over operations where the market model indicates a better fit with a division within the company, understanding the operational cost of fleet dynamics, fuel and operational costs of equipment alliance strategies for key business areas, staffing, airports These core business areas, with respect to the airline industry represent the means via which to focus operations on profitable business generation and reduced internal costs to maximum returns. Alitalia’s management practices have exhibited operational aspects that have run counter to the preceding management theory applications. The most obvious hamstring on management operations is a result of the government appointment of top management staff. Such an example is provided by the appointment of Giuseppe Bonomi, who served as Chairman for one year, and was an ally of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and a member of his Northern League separatist party (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The problem of political influence has helped to create the company’s choice of a poorly performing fleet which consists of U.S. made MD80 and Boeing airframes that were purchased â€Å"†¦ to please the Americans †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as stated by Oliviero Baccelli, a professor who teaches at Bocconi University in Milan (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The preceding fleet choices are coupled with Airbus airframes and ATR planes thus creating a highly divers ified fleet which increases ground maintenance, crew training, staff familiarities and inventory problems, having a tremendous upward effect on costs. Baccelli summarizes the preceding mix and match of differing airframes by stating that â€Å"Alitalia has always been managed with diplomatic goals in mind†, a view that is also shared by Marco Ponti, who serves as a professor at Politecnico University, who stated â€Å"Political interference has led to choices to please special interests and not the bottom line† (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). This type of climate has hampered effective operations and efforts on the part of management. Further examples of the preceding as shown as follows (Bloomberg, 2004), (BusinessWeek online, 2004).: The company’s unions have indicated that areas such as contracts for purchasing, as well as commercial costs have been excessive over the past ten years. Through renegotiating contracts the company would stand to gain an estimated â‚ ¬200 million yearly which represents approximately ten percent of costs as represented by areas such a food, fuel and the costs of maintenance. The company either needs to add routes to fully engage its over staffed operations or trim its workforce to match the level of flights. The multi airframe problem is illustrated by a cancelled flight from Malpense to Palermo in June of 2004 as a result of the fact that a replacement tyre could not be found. The politically charged investment in the airport at Malpensa which does not have any highway or fast train links to Milan. Despite this fact, Alitalia increased the size of its workforce at the airport by seven percent in 2001 for additional ground staff which were mostly idle due to reduced flights. The preceding illustrate the inefficient operations as well as limitations and political influence that have helped to hamper management’s efforts in the face of applicable management theory and operations germane to the industry. Re-focusing Alitalia The preceding events and long history of inefficient operations resulted in the appointment of Giancarlo Cimoli as Chairman and Managing Director of Alitalia. The situation had become so dire for the company that Cimoli stated that he had plans calling for splitting the company into two parts and to cut 5,000 jobs as a tactic which got the attention of unions who had effectively blocked all job cutting efforts in the past † (Business Report Independent Online, 2006). The tactic has apparently worked as the company and the unions, along with the government have agreed to a series of agreements that were signed in May of 2004 that paved the way for guidelines for the company’s restructuring plan (Alitalia, 2004). The â€Å"Director’s report on the activities of the Alitalia Group and Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiance S.p.A. in the first six months of 2004† stated â€Å"†¦ it has been clear for some time that the grave financial and profitability crisis th e Company finds itself in requires a prompt change of approach†. This sobering thought is seemingly back up by sweeping changes as contained in this plan, which are as follows (Alitalia, 2004): A ‘Bridge Loan’ amounting to â‚ ¬400 million the company as guaranteed by the Italian Government under EU regulations to enable the company to meet its fiscal obligations through March of 2005. The business plan for the period 2005 through 2008 devotes itself to the creation of conditions that will result in a rapid and sustained return to profitability, utilizing restructuring as a means to increase efficiency and set the stage for what the company terms as a re-launch in 2007 as represented by more favorable economic, market and business conditions. Said plan calls for: the moderisation of the company through the restructuring of procurement contracts for fuel, food, maintenance, general purchases and all commercial activities. A major re-launch and restructuring of the following: Restructuring of the two hubs in Rome and Milan to provide increased company exposure and the lack of adequate use of assets. This area is meant to respond to the inroads of Ryanair that holds 66% of departures from the country. Increase of flights and attractive routes to stave off competitive inroads Improvement of the company’s airframe fleet to remove aging aircraft and provide a smoother mixture of maintenance and parts inventory via a reduction of model types. Reposition and improve the brand name to exploit its ?Italian Style’ by focusing on customer satisfaction and improving services to improve public image. Restructure the pricing of products, yield management techniques, through an overhaul of the fare structure and change in pricing procedures to meet competitive innovations. Upgrade the use of technological innovations such as the Internet to sell tickets and provide customer information in keeping with the Internet oriented practices of the low cost model with has proven to be user friendly and used by customers in securing tickets. Redesign of the support and operational activities in flight as well as procurement and operations. Enhance the airline’s positioning in the European as well as Italian market to defend the company against inroads from rival carriers and then to aggressively pursue the acquisition of increased market share through winning back demand and use by Italian passengers as well as Europeans. Cimoli implemented the creation of AZ Fly, which handles the core business activities of the company as represented by (Alitalia, 2004): Marketing and Network, Flight Operations Sales and Distribution, Product Integration and Delivery, Cargo, Specified Corporate activities, and the Governance of activities constituting this new subsidiary In addition, Cimoli created AZ Servizi which will handle (Alitalia, 2004): Engineering and Maintenance, representing engines, allied components and engineering services, As well as ground handling, ICT, Sale of services as well as products to third parties, Shared services such as Administration, Planning and Control, Human resources, Centralized Business Services, and Call centers Cimoli’s plan divides the airline’s operations into external (customer, flight and related public activities), and internal operations to split the union’s influence and thus make each service or operational center accountable for achieving operational goals. This technique is described by Delfmann et al (2005, pp. 65-96) as consolidating the business model and shifting the orientation of the business to customer centric operation (Delfmann et al, 2005, pp. 97-117). Recovery The global economic recovery has aided in Alitalia achieved measures of success n its restructuring plan. The following list the areas that the company has achieved since Cimoli’s plan was implemented: The company trimmed its losses in 2005 to â‚ ¬167.5 million from the â‚ ¬858 million it lost in 2004 by the spin off of divisions indicated in the Director’s report on the activities of the Alitalia Group and Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiance S.p.A. in the first six months of 2004, which contained Cimoli’s restructuring plan. The preceding has not been accomplished without clashes with the company’s unions over job cuts that have reduced labor costs by close to one third. In addition the company’s revenues increased by twelve percent to â‚ ¬4.797 billion, and increased passenger traffic by eight percent over 2004 levels (BBC News, 2006). Implemented the cut of 3,700 jobs, representing an estimated one sixth of the workforce thus amounting to â‚ ¬280 million in savings (USA Today, 2004). The acquisition of Gandalf Airlines, a regional carrier that is based out of Orio al Serio Airport in Milan that flies jet as well as turboprop planes to such destinations as Barcelona, Bari, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Catania, Brescia, Pisa, Stuttgart and Verona. This move enabled Alitalia to gain access to additional slot facilities at a number of European airports and helped to increase passenger traffic (Alitalia, 2005). Reduced fuel costs in 2005 by 10% (Alitalia, 2005). Reduced sales cost to 13.5% in 2005 from 17% in 2003 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased Internet ticketing to 49% in 2005 from 11% in 2003 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased personnel productivity by 43.4% (Alitalia, 2005). Increased passenger traffic by 7.8% over 2004 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased passenger traffic revenues by 11.3% over 2004 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased pilot productivity by 12% over 2004 raising pilot flight hours to 563 from 504 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased the medium and short haul fleet utilization turnover by 15 minutes in 2005 over 2004 (Alitalia, 2005). Increased revenues by 11.6% to 4.797m euros from 4.299m in 2004 (Alitalia, 2005). Decreased operating costs by 2.9% to 4.537m from 4.674m in 2004 (Alitalia, 2005). Reduced the losses to 168m euros in 20

William Gibsons Neuromancer - Syntactic Essay -- Neuromancer Essays

Throughout William Gibson's Neuromancer, the text shows many ways of using the syntactic rhetorical strategy. Within the text, many examples show a break in perception or explain quickly areas that span over a long period of time. For all of these reasons Gibson cleverly uses the syntactic approach to allow his readers the freedom to make their own assumptions and to illustrate his plot in this novel Neuromancer. Whether it be changing the point of view from inside the Matrix to indicating Case catching up on some sleep, Gibson constantly uses this great rhetorical strategy to illustrate his many different scenes. On almost every page, the reader notices a break within two lines of the text, which usually signifies the use of syntactic approach. For example, he always uses the approach to signify when Case is jacking in and out or when he changes from viewing through his eyes to Molly's or vice versa. "She turned, opened the door, and stepped out, her hand brushing the checkered grip or the holstered fletcher. Case flipped." (Gibson, 180) Up unto this point in the scene,...

A study of reading habits Essay

The theme of journeys is present in Philip Larkin’s poem, A Study of Reading Habits. However, it is not a physical journey that we see, but a metaphorical journey about the speaker’s life progression through his changing escapisms created by books. The title is a mock, serious title for it sounds like a piece of academic research Larkin uses first person persona to give expression to things he would prefer not to have attributed to himself. The structure of the poem divided into three stanzas; school years, adolescent years and the present. The tone is sarcastic and colloquial, that along with the shorter lines, creates a less serious poem from Larkin. In the first part of his journey, the persona is imaginative and loves to read, so much so that is it ‘ruining [his] eyes’. He imagines a fantasy world where he could be cool and ‘deal out the right hook to his bullies’. The alliteration of ‘dirty dogs’ is symbolism of the persona’s bullies, which portrays them as the villains. It is the stories, which makes him believe he is invincible, like that of the heroes he reads about. The stories provide an escapism to which he can be brave, hero, and not the bullied kid to which he is in reality. There is a smooth, harmonious quality in the beginning stanza due to Euphony. This underscored how easygoing and fantasy-like childhood can be. The second part of his journey represents his adolescent years. We now see him with ‘inch thick specs’, which is ironic to him previously stating his compassion for reading was ‘ruining [his] eyes’. We see the persona become more gothic and dark, with his new love of Horror Fiction. ‘Cloaks and fangs’ sounds dangerous and eerie, which is his new escapism. Some critics suggest that ‘ripping’ could be vampire vocabulary but it also can refer to being posh. Through his journey through stanza two, we see him move on to more lustrous novels, where his escapism is him being a womanizer. Larkin use borrowed language of ‘clubbed with sex’ and ‘broke them up like meringues’ to create the poet’s whimsical world. The similie refers to his lust for sexual encounters with women. The phrases are quite cheesy and some suggest it is bad writing on Larkin’s behalf, but some argue it is Larkin trying to sound like a bad guy. Larkin is trying too hard to sound like Raymond Chandler’s character, Marlowe, but it just doesn’t work. In the final part of the persona’s journey, which leads him up to the present tense, we see a completely conflicting view of reading. In the final stanza the speaker comes to terms with reality; he can no longer hide behind books. He realizes that his world is less fulfilling than the fantasies portrayed in books, and says ‘don’t read much now’. He feels betrayed by books and his tone becomes bitter. The ‘yellow’ figure evokes the sense of weakness and represents cowardly characteristics. This metaphor produces the effect of a cowardly character, which evidently relates to the persona. This means he can no longer fantasice for the characters he looked up to are weak. With no more escapism, the persona no longer wants to read. In the penultimate line of the poem Lark says ‘Get stewed’, which is said in a light hearted jokey way. Some suggest it refers to getting drunk, which may be his alternative escapism, but some argue it means get lost, referring to the disappointment. On the contrary, the final line represents the persona’s new feelings towards books. He believes they are a worthless â€Å"load of crap†. The theme of the poem is that escapism and ignoring reality only makes life less fulfilling, which is illustrated through the theme of a journey.

Aegean, Roman, and Greek Cultures Essay

Aegean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age in Greece and the so-called Aegean Age. Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were among those civilizations in the Aegean that has made its zenith during this era. Minoan civilization developed on the mountainous areas of Crete. Crete naturally possessed a wide-range of harbors which made it possible for the Minoans to settle and establish permanent livelihood as traders and merchants. From 1700 BC, they were involved in various trades including the important tin trading that is used to make bronze. Minoans focused their belief on female deities (note that Minoan women were usually appointed officials – a symbol of respect and authority). Many archeologists believed that the Minoans have equal treatment to men and women. Evidences from Minoan artworks showed that the equal status of men and women. Minoan artworks also showed evidences of the development of the Minoan civilization (three periods of Minoan civilization – EM, MM, and LM). Among the surviving Minoan arts is Minoan pottery. Different periods of Minoan civilization also showed different modes of design of their ceramics which include spirals in the Early Minoan, natural designs like flowers and birds during the Middle Minoan. After the demise of the Aegean civilization (during the Hittite invasion of Asia Minor), Greece began to make advances in culture. The development of the city-state allowed the propagation of culture across geography – enabling city-states to develop its own cultural tools. It can be said that the zenith of Greek culture was during the Hellenistic period (lasted for about 200 years). The Greek Hellenistic period span from 323 B. C. up to the Battle of Actium in 31 B. C. The Hellenistic period paved the way to many transformations of Greek art. Though the Classical concepts in art were not thoroughly abandoned, the birth of the Hellenistic period made the artists create different and unique art concepts. The artists during this time explored and manipulated their imagination on their subject. It was also during this period that higher degree of Naturalism took place as a logical conclusion to great sculptors like Praxitelis and Lysipos whose works demanded for the art representation of the human figure. In a Greek art (Boy Jockey), the bold expression of energy and power during great pressure was represented. The change of focus of the Hellenistic art from religious and naturalistic ideas and concepts to human expressions, psychological concern and theatrical background, paved the way to the sculptures that includes the natural physical surroundings with creative landscaping and theatrical groupings. The Nike of Samothrace is a sculpture that embraced the true meaning and understood the world through the application of certain techniques and aesthetic conventions. The winged goddess with her outstretched wings gracefully prevents the stone from falling due to gravity. The sculpture also represented the physical human presence and the external force within it. The representation evidently speaks for the Greeks acceptance of the physical power of human being and all other external forces acting on it. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a new power was on the rise. Roman expansion to the East resulted to: 1) consolidation of the Greek peninsula under Roman rule; 2) the destruction of Macedonia, weakening of the Seleucid Empire, and the incorporation of the states of Bithynia and Pergamum to Rome; and 3) increased Greek influence on Roman culture. Although Roman art is essentially a derivation of Greek art, it is different in two respects. First, Roman art is generally a modification of Greek art. The invention of concrete during the 1st century A. D. greatly advanced Roman art and architecture. For example, the simple amphitheatre of the Greeks was transformed into a colosseum. Concrete allowed the construction of more complex structures. Second, Greek art was essentially religious in character (this is assertion is debatable for some historians). Roman art and architecture was a mixture of religious and political philosophies. The Roman poet Ovid often referred to the Greeks as the champion of religious authority – the center of religious worship in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Romans as the bearer of Greek culture. Here, Ovid was essentially arguing that Roman culture cannot be solely religious in nature. As the forerunner of ancient democratic institutions, Rome must distinguish itself politically from its subject peoples. With Roman domination of the Mediterranean, Greek culture spread to all parts of the Roman Empire. In the East, it became the ethos of a new cultural revival – Greek in orientation. This revival was essentially the last if not the least of Hellenism prior to the rise of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. Before the Christian culture, Greek culture was the predominant mode of humanistic endeavor. However, one must understand that Greek culture was a partial derivation of Aegean culture – a culture which is embellished in myth, tragedy, and greatness. Here, one can clearly see the development of Western culture – a result of the transfusion of Greek culture and Christian learning.

The Downfall of MacBeth Essays

The Downfall of MacBeth Essays The Downfall of MacBeth Essay The Downfall of MacBeth Essay The Downfall of MacBeth BY Kill_em123 MacBeth, Lady MacBeth, and the three witches are all to blame for the tragedy of MacBeth. Lady Macbeth is to blame through her convincing of Macbeth, MacBeth for following his ambition instead of his conscience, and the witches for putting the idea of being king into Macbeths head. Let not light see my black deep desires. (l, i, 51) Lady MacBeth is to blame for the tragedy because she convinces manipulates MacBeth into killing Duncan. She does this by insulting his manhood, to which MacBeth takes great offense to. She does this to feed her hunger for power, all the while she knows that she has the ability to control MacBeth through her words. Also, she knows hed let her have some control and be queen. This illustrates Lay MacBeths motives to lead MacBeth to his eventual downfall. miet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. (l, v, 16-18) MacBeth is also to blame in how the play turned out. This is because if he wasnt so ambitions and narrow minded, things might have ended differently. MacBeth howed concern for the killing of Duncan, and at one point states that he would Proceed no further in this business (l, vii, 31). However, his ambition gets the better part of him, and makes him directly responsible for what happens after he murders Duncan. Without him seeing the ghost of Banquo, there would have been minimal suspicion in his involvement in the murder. Without the three witches intervention, the idea to murder King Duncan wouldnt have crossed MacBeths mind. The witches tell MacBeth that he will be king, and that is how he ultimately comes up with the idea to murder Duncan. This thought, however, ultimately leads to MacBeths demise. The three witches accounted three prophecies of MacBeth: That he would be Thane of Cawdor (the last one was executed), the Thane of Glamis (Which he already was), and finally to be king of Scotland. Fair is foul, and foul is fair. (l, i, 2). In conclusion, without Lady MacBeth convincing him, the three witches putting the idea in his head, and MacBeth actually acting out, and murdering or hiring people to murder others, the tragedy wouldnt have happened. With this happening, the play wouldVe changed dramatically and ended differently.

Whats Tested on the SAT Math Section Topics and Practice

What's Tested on the SAT Math Section Topics and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your first step in preparing for the math section of the SAT should be familiarizing yourself with exactly what’s on it. Whatever math class you’re taking in school, you should be able to conquer the SAT math topics with the right approach to test prep. Let’s start this guide by reviewing the overall format of the math section of the SAT. SAT Math Format Math will be your third and fourth sections on the SAT, right after Reading and Writing Language. You’ll first get a 25-minute section, during which you can’t use a calculator. After a short break, you’ll move onto the 55-minute section. During this longer section, you’re allowed to use your calculator. Both sections will begin with multiple-choice questions, each of which will feature four answer choices. Then you’ll be asked for some student-produced responses, more commonly known as "grid-ins." On the calculator section, some of these grid-ins will relate to one another as part of an Extended Thinking question. // Here’s the breakdown of time, number of questions, and question types on the two SAT math sections. Section Number of Questions Time No calculator 15 multiple choice, 5 grid-ins 25 minutes Calculator 30 multiple choice, 8 grid-ins (including one Extended Thinking question) 55 minutes Total 58 questions 80 minutes While you can only use a calculator on the longer Math section, you’ll have access to the following reference information for geometry in both sections: Of course, you’d be better off having this information memorized than wasting time flipping back in your test booklet to these formulas. This material isn’t actually all that important on the math section, as geometry problems make up less than 10% of the questions. That being said, what skills and concepts are most prevalent in the math section? Content is king! Or, at least, it's very important to master before you take the SAT. SAT Math Topics // While the math section doesn’t place a large emphasis on geometry problems, it does focus on algebra, solving equations, and data interpretation from tables and graphs. College Board sorts the question types into three main categories: Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Problem Solving and Data Analysis (they apparently gave up on the creative naming once they reached the third category). These three realms describe about 90% of the SAT math questions. The remaining 10% are simply called Additional Topics, and they mainly include geometry, basic trigonometry, and complex numbers. Let’s take a closer look at each of these categories by going over the SAT math topics and skills they test. After a description of each one, you’ll see three official sample practice questions from College Board. Heart of Algebra SAT math questions in the Heart of Algebra category have to do with linear equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs. Below are the official topics as defined by College Board, followed by a summary of tasks you’ll need to be prepared for to tackle these questions and some example problems. // Official Topics Solving linear equations and linear inequalities (in these expressions, x is a constant or the product of a constant) Interpreting linear functions Linear inequality and equation word problems Graphing linear equations Linear function word problems Systems of linear inequalities word problems Solving systems of linear equations Summary of Tasks // Use multiple steps to simplify an expression or equation or solve for a variable. Solve for a variable within functions or systems of inequalities with two variables (usually x and y). Determine whether a given point is in a solution set or what value would make an expression have no solution. Select a graph that shows an algebraic equation, or, on the flip side, choose the equation that describes a graph. Indicate how a graph would be affected by a given change in its equation. Sample Questions Solving systems of linear equations: Solving systems of linear inequalities: Graphing a linear equation: Grab your passport- we're crossing the border into the land of advanced math. // Passport to Advanced Math While Heart of Algebra questions are focused on linear equations, Passport to Advanced Math questions have to do with nonlinear expressions, or expressions in which a variable is raised to an exponent that’s not zero or one. These questions will ask you to work with quadratic equations, exponential expressions, and word problems. Read on for the full list of topics that fall under Passport to Advanced Math, followed by a summary of tasks and three sample SAT questions. Official Topics Solving quadratic equations Interpreting nonlinear expressions Quadratic and exponential word problems Radicals and rational exponents Operations with rational expressions and polynomials Polynomial factors and graphs Nonlinear equation graphs Linear and quadratic systems Structure in expressions Isolating quantities Functions // Summary of Tasks Solve equations by factoring or using other methods to rewrite them in another form. Add, subtract, multiply, or divide two rational expressions or divide two polynomial expressions and simplify your results. Select a graph that matches a nonlinear equation or an equation that corresponds to a graph. Determine the equation of a curve from a description of a graph. Figure out how a graph would change if its equation changed. Sample Questions Functions: Nonlinear expressions: // Nonlinear equation graphs: Problem Solving and Data Analysis This third and final major category includes questions that ask you to work with rates, ratios, percentages, and data from graphs and tables. Read on for the official topics, a summary of tasks, and three sample questions. Official Topics Ratios, rates, and proportions Percents Units Table data Scatterplots Key features of graphs Linear and exponential growth Data inferences Center, spread, and shape of distributions Data collection and conclusions // Summary of Tasks Solve multi-step problems to calculate ratio, rate, percentage, unit rate, or density. Use a given ratio, rate, percentage, unit rate, or density to solve a multistep problem. Select an equation that best fits a scatterplot. Use tables to summarize data, such as probabilities. Estimate populations based on sample data. Use statistics to determine mean, median, mode, range, and/or standard deviation. Evaluate tables, graphs, or text summaries. Determine the accuracy of a data collection method. // Sample Questions Calculating data based on rate: Scatterplot and calculating rate: Calculating percentage based on table data: These next few categories don't quite fit anywhere else. Additional Topics in Math While 90% of your questions will fall into the Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, or Problem Solving and Data Analysis categories, the remaining 10% will simply be classified as Additional Topics. These topics include geometry, trigonometry, and problems with complex numbers. Official Topics // Volume word problems Right triangle word problems Congruence and similarity Right triangle geometry Angles, arc lengths, and trig functions Circle theorems Circle equations Complex numbers Summary of Tasks // Determine volume of a shape. Apply properties of triangles to determine side length or angle measure. Apply properties of circles to measure arc length and area. Solve problems with sine, cosine, and tangent. Sample Questions Right triangle problem with trigonometric functions: Congruence and similarity: Angles and parallel lines: To truly prepare for the math section of the SAT, you should make sure to review all of the above mentioned topics. Some problems, furthermore, will integrate topics and require you to apply multiple skills and concepts as you work toward a solution. Multi-step problems are prevalent throughout the math section. Let’s take a closer look at multi-step problems, along with the other main features you need to be aware of as you prep for SAT Math. // Grab your snacks and turn off your cell phone- it's time for the main feature(s)! What Are the Key Features of SAT Math? In addition to understanding content and format of the SAT Math section, there are some key features you should know about. As you study, keep an eye out for these features. By familiarizing yourself with them, you may even be able to use practice materials for the old SAT effectively to prepare for the current SAT. Multi-Step Problems You may notice that several of the above problem types state that they require multiple steps to solve. While wording of math questions should be straightforward, the thinking and calculations required will be relatively involved. To prepare, you'll especially want to focus on time management and working quickly and efficiently. // To solve a word problem, you may have to combine skills from one more than one content area or use several steps to get to your answer. Word problems may present a long scenario, and you’ll need to figure out what data to use and what concepts to apply to get to your answer. Speaking of word problems... Emphasis on â€Å"Real World† Applications According to College Board, much of its purpose behind redesigning the SAT was to make the test more closely aligned with classroom learning and real world skills. As a result, the math section won’t feature too many abstract reasoning questions. Instead, the word problems will be grounded in realistic situations. Some may ask you to calculate gas left in a car’s gas tank or the conversion of money from one country’s currency to another. Most word problems will present scenarios that you might encounter in your life. // There will be a few questions that test your understanding of sines. Also, cosines and tangents. A Few Geometry and Trigonometry Questions About 10% of the questions will feature geometry and/or trigonometry. Since not everyone has studied trigonometry in school by the time they take the SAT, these questions may call for separate, SAT-specific preparation. You should acquaint yourself with the relevant concepts and formulas, but focus most of your energies on preparing for algebra, functions, inequalities, graphs, and word problems. A No-Calculator Section and a Calculator Section For 25 minutes, you won’t be able to bring out your calculator to answer any of the math questions. There’s no need to worry! The problems in the 25-minute section won’t require a calculator; in fact, using one on those problems would probably just slow you down. // Calculator fluency, or knowing how and when to use your calculator effectively, is an important skill on the SAT math. The College Board says, â€Å"Calculators are important tools, and...you’ll need to know how - and when - to use them...The calculator is, like any tool, only as smart as the person using it. The Math Test includes some questions where it’s better not to use a calculator, even though you’re allowed to.† So you definitely won’t need one on the shorter â€Å"no calculator† section, and you may not even need one on many of the problems in the longer â€Å"calculator† section. Answering lots of practice questions can help you get better at deciding when a calculator would be helpful and when it would just slow you down. An Extended Thinking Problem A few of your questions will be part of an Extended Thinking problem. Typically, this Extended Thinking problem will be part of the grid-in questions near the end of your 55-minute section. // Basically, you’ll get a graph, table, or word problem scenario and then have to answer multiple questions about it. The following is one example of a word problem-based Extended Thinking question. Notice the bent toward â€Å"real world† application! Grid-in Math Questions Speaking of grid-ins, you'll have thirteen of these student-produced responses that you'll answer in a special part of the bubble sheet at the bottom. While you can write your answer in the spaces provided, you'll have to fill in the corresponding bubbles for credit. There are bubbles for digits between 0 and 9, as well as for decimal point (a period) and fraction line (a slash). To practice gridding in your responses, you can practice on College Board's SAT practice test answer sheet. As long as you're familiar with the key features and directions of SAT Math, you can hit the ground running and not waste time figuring out logistics. So whether you're prepping with PrepScholar, online practice questions, official College Board tests, or a combination of all of these, how should you approach prepping for SAT Math? // Unleash the power of prep. How You Should Study SAT Math Many of the concepts on SAT Math you'll learn in your math classes in school. This doesn't mean that classwork will prepare you enough to perform well on the SAT, though. SAT Math questions test the above concepts in a unique, SAT-specific way. In order to prepare and learn to be speedy in your time management, you'll want to practice and get familiar with the wording with high-quality practice questions. Official practice tests will also help you uncover and diagnose your strengths and weaknesses. If you find yourself consistently stumped by function questions, for example, you'll know to focus your energy and studying there. Even if you haven't taken an advanced algebra or trigonometry class yet in school, you can still prep for these questions by studying SAT concepts and questions. If you're strong in math and looking to achieve a top score, you want to approach the math section in a strategic way. This perfect scorer shares the techniques he used and how they can help you score at or near 800 on your SAT math. What's Next? // Are you scoring on the low side on math and hoping to break 600? Here are the steps you need to take to score a 600 or more on the SAT math. Looking for book recommendations specific to the math section? Here are our suggestions for the best prep books for SAT Math, along with a few pointers on how to use them most effectively. Want to make sure you're solid on math basics before diving into SAT Math? Check out our refresher articles on solving inequalities, adding and subtracting fractions, multiplication, perfect squares, and the distributive property. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Air quality Essay Example for Free (#2)

Air quality Essay ? The quality f air that we breathe in today has significantly reduced over the years. Atmospheric air contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and rare inert gases. Of these, the two highly inevitable ones are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Theses are important for the survival of life n the planet: 02 is useful for animals and CO2 for photosynthesis in plants. The quality of these gases is determined by availability and its pollution-free state. Both factors have contributed to the present unfavorable status quo of these gases with respect to the sustenance of life on the planet. Many conferences have held in nations of the world; quite a handful of International Summit have held to address the prevalent menace of environmental pollution that threatens all lives on the Earth. Daily, the number of endangered species increase, and many plants and animals have already gone into extinction as a result of the pollution affecting the quality of atmospheric gases available for daily cellular functions. Human activities such as deforestation and degradation, water pollution through oil spillage and poor river basin development programs have indeed played significantly roles. Besides, exhauist from mechanical equipment and vehicles, gaseous wastes from manufacturing industries, pollution with indiscriminate use of plants chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, etc have contributed to the reduction in the quality of air available to plants. This has affected the produce of plants, and the health of animals including humans. One must realize the fact that plants constitute a major recycling pathway for the purification of atmospheric air. Photosynthesis uses sunlight and such inorganic molecules like CO2 to produce organic compounds in the from of glucose. This is consumed by animals to produce CO2. O2 is used in oxidation of food in animals with carbon dioxide as byproduct. This pathway is important in determining the quality of atmospheric CO2 and O2, a byproduct of photosynthesis. This implies that any process, natural or man-made, that alters this pathway will affect the recycling process and the availability of good quality air for life. The threat of destruction of rainforest would have tremendous impact on future levels of these gases: It would cause an automatic alteration in the pathway describes above. Plants population would reduce and animals would suffer greatly for this. As a result of this imbalance, atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide would change accordingly. The quality of atmospheric oxygen and CO2 has changes over the years. The threat of rainforest destruction would worsen the change in the future. www.climatechangeissues.com/files/science/Plimer.doc Air quality. (2018, Nov 08).

Donald Greenbergs achievement in the field of computer graphics(Term Essay - 1

Donald Greenbergs achievement in the field of computer graphics(Term paper ) - Essay Example The term Computer Graphics has numerous values like: Today computers and computer-generated images stroke many features of our every day life. Computer images are found on television, in newspapers, in weather reports, and during surgical dealings. A well-constructed graph can present multifarious information in a form that is easier to understand and understand. Such graphs are used to illustrate papers, reports, theses, and other presentation material. A range of tools and conveniences are available to facilitate users to visualize their data, and computer graphics are used in many disciplines. (Hill, 2001) As an educational discipline, computer graphics studies the manipulation of visual and geometric information using computational techniques. It focuses on the mathematical and computational foundations of image generation and processing rather than purely aesthetic issues. Computer graphics is often differentiated from the field of visualization, even though the two fields have many similarities. (Xiang ,Plastock, 2000) Charles Csuri is well known for pioneering the field of computer graphics, computer animation and digital fine art, creating the first computer art in 1964. Csuri has been acknowledged as the father of digital art and computer animation by Smithsonian, and as a leading pioneer of computer animation by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and The Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group Graphics (ACM-SIGGRAPH). (Lewis, Luciana, 2004) Donald P. Greenberg is an internationally recognized pioneer in computer graphics. Greenberg has written hundreds of piece of writings and served as an educator and adviser to many prominent computer graphic artists and animators. Five previous students have won Academy Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievements, five have won the SIGGRAPH Achievement Award, and many now work for Pixar Animation Studios. In 1991, Greenberg was the

Up In the Air Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Up In the Air - Essay Example The primary location depicted in the film is St. Louis Missouri, although it was substituted by other cities like Michigan, Omaha, Detroit, Las Vegas, Florida, Miami and Nebraska (Abramowitz, 2009). The film has won several awards in screenplays and nominations. This analysis looks at ‘Up in the Air’ film with particular reference to its music, sound, continuity and editing among other aspects of movie analysis. Music and soundtrack ‘Up in the Air’ film features different music including songs by; The Black Keys, (Black Keys member gone solo), Elliot Smith, Dan Auerbach’s ‘which is quite good stuff between’ and Crosby. Other artists that the film features include Sad Brad Smith, Stills & Nash and Sharon Jones & the Dap among others. In actual analysis of the music in this film, most of the songs featured can make up a 12 track soundtrack CD (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Furthermore, the film also includes Kevin Renick’s titular song ‘Up in the Air’. This is the song that plays in the closing credits of the film and is about uncertainty, loneliness, and disconnection where career transition is eluded. ‘Up in the Air’ is a melancholy song which also narrates about where one expects his or her life to go. ‘Angel in the Snow’ song by Elliot Smith is also included in the soundtrack of the movie. Analysts reveal that the application of this song is one of the best uses of music within a film (French, 2010). Continuity In any film making process, continuity is always an important threshold worth meeting, whereby a series of shots and casts are required to be physically continuous such that the cinema appears only to change angles during a single event. Technically speaking, it is the responsibility of the film director in this case Jason Reitman and the script supervisor who are responsible for keeping continuity in the film. ‘Up in the Air’ presents different dates of casting which also took plac e in different cities (Abramowitz, 2009). This calls for a professional editing to enhance the continuity of the film at the best recommended levels. For instance, the film was mostly cast at the St. Louis area, although other cities like Omaha, Missouri and Detroit are also featured. The filming of ‘Up in the Air’ commenced in March 2009 continuing all the way to the end of April, including more than 80 locations, and featuring heavy product placement with the American Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Hertz and even the Chrysler (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Therefore, with all these details and complexity of issues to be included, it can be deduced that ‘Up in the Air’ Film achieved some great milestone as far as its continuity is concerned. Editing It will be realized that the ‘Up in the Air’s’ post production schedule was much shorter in comparison to the previous films done by Jason Reitman. The editing of this film lasted between 16 to 17 wee ks as opposed to the usual editing periods which is normally between 22 to 26 weeks (Abramowitz, 2009). This is attributed to the fact that Reitman was heavily involved in the post production of the movie during shooting. Moreover, the entire shooting of the film took place on location. Scenes would be sent to the film chief editor everyday as soon as they were ready from the source (Schuker, & Lauren, 2009). Editing of the film was quite essential in determining how the nonverbal moments shaped the cast characters i.e. Alex and Ryan’

Case study 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

2 - Case Study Example The reason one experiences pain in the right upper quadrant is because of the position of the gallbladder, and what happens to the gall bladder whenever it is blocked by the gallstones. The gall bladder has the cystic duct through which bile flows into the duodenum. A blockade of this duct means that bile cannot pass through. It becomes concentrated in the gall bladder causing irritation and inflammation. This inflammation causes pain that radiates to the surrounding parts. This is why an individual with gallstones experiences pain in the right upper quadrant that may further extend to the back (Whitney & Pinna 565; Bluth & Benson 1). When one eats, more bile is produced from the liver, and this goes into the already inflamed gall bladder. The act of eating stimulates the gall bladder to contract and push the bile into the duodenum for the normal digestion process. Because of the existence of the gallstone on the cystic duct, the contraction causes pain (Crutchlow, Dudac, MacAvoy and Madara 213). If Martha gets lucky and the doctor finds out that the gallstones can be dislodged, they will pass through the duodenum. Here they can be dissolved using ursodeoxycholic acid, or can pass through the intestine (DeBruyne, Whitney & Pinna

Article # 8 (due 11-16) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article # 8 (due 11-16) - Essay Example The total cost of NovaHealth per member had reduced by 16.5 percent to 33 percent as compared to non-Aetna members. The program major achievement is cost savings resulting from decreased readmissions and emergency department usage. According to the article, such partnership will lead to savings. The money saved can be used in the improving reimbursement to primary care physicians. The article stipulates that such results can only be achieved when there is implementation of several essentials. The two organizations had to adopt electronic health record in order to facilitate data sharing and analysis. The communication and trust between the organizations is also vital for the success of the program. The health plan requires the assurance that healthcare providers are delivering the highest quality services at the lowest possible cost. On the other hand, healthcare providers require health plan willingness to share with them accurate data. According to the articles, the success of the program has motivated NovaHealth and Aetna to plan on extending the program to all NovaHealth patients and Aetna’s non-Medicare members. I feel that such partnership should be encouraged so as to improve healthcare delivery and save

MKTM003(1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKTM003(1) - Essay Example What is Marketing Before going to discuss the futuristic approach towards strategic marketing, let us get a better understanding of what marketing actually is. Marketing means to promote a product or to make the people aware of the products of the company. Companies launch marketing campaigns for creating awareness among the public about the newly manufactured products. A marketing campaign not only includes defining marketing goals of a company but also includes development of marketing strategies to achieve those goals. Role of marketing in the promotion of new brands can never be denied. Marketing not only helps the companies achieve higher levels of profits but also helps them establish their brands in any international market. Marketing plays a vital role in making any new product or brand popular and successful. According to Perez (2010), creation of an effective marketing plan is extremely important for a company because it helps the company create the entire business plan for carrying out the business activities. It is due to effective marketing plans that most of the new products get recognized all over the world in a very short span of time. 2. The Strategic Imperative - A Future Focus Masters (2011) states, â€Å"Strategic marketing is a consumer-based approach to product promotion that identifies market segments and attempts to make them more profitable by providing superior value†. ... According to Cooper (2000), strategic marketing improves productivity of a company. Productivity of a company depends on some critical factors, such as, customer satisfaction and employee retention. Let us take example of hospitality industry. If the customers will be satisfied from the food and beverages provided to them by any specific restaurant, they will work as a source to attract more people towards the restaurant, which will ultimately help the company achieve competitive advantage in the industry. Tatum (2011) states, â€Å"A strategic marketing plan is an approach to structuring marketing efforts in a manner that identifies and meets consumer demand†. In future, the objective of developing an appropriate strategic marketing plan will only be achieved when all departments of the companies will work in proper collaboration with each other. They will not only need to work together to create a marketing plan by researching customer attitudes and designing metrics to meas ure performance but also they will have to help the authorities in the implementation of those plans effectively. Some of the main factors which marketers consider while developing strategic marketing plans include needs and demands of the customers, ways in which a customer’s needs can be met, potential market segments, and changing trends in the customers’ taste. Marketing professionals develop the strategic marketing plans in three stages. In the first stage, they segment the market according to the geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral aspects. In the next step, managers develop profiles of the market segments by considering the revenue potential, profitability potential, and market share potential of the company. In the last

Home Depot VS Lowe's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Home Depot VS Lowe's - Essay Example Such conditions only intensify the inability of the customers to improve their homes by making purchases in Home Depot or Lowe’s. This is a big risk for both companies (Good fellow, 2013). However, in such a complicated time, Home Depot overcomes financial barriers, and if one compares the change in capitalization, then Home Depot will have more than seventy billion dollars, that is approximately thirty- five percent of the increase in selling. At the same time, Lowes states about thirty billion and fourteen percent of decrease of its selling availabilities. Moreover, the prices at Home Depots were lower, while at Lowe’s they stayed an edge. However, the online availabilities showed that a certain store had lower prices in one area or the item; the other store had the advantage. A price variation, at the same time, revealed great difference between the two retailers and here one could give the edge to Home Depot, especially when the current economic environment squeezed out profits. However, the higher margins give Home Depot possibility to pressure the returns of Lowe’s. Since the return on assets  is essential for discount retailers it is practically impossible to raise prices easily, asset turnover gives the possibility to enhance one’s profitability. ROA indicates how effective one can turn assets into benefit for further profit. While, one wants to see the ROA minimum of seven percent, the advantage here is for Home Depot. For the business the return on equity  measures the way the company is generating good returns of the shareholders’ money. Here again persistence is an important and any number over fifteen percent is determined as exceptional. Other words, the higher percent of persistence, the better the company develops. This is a considerable advantage for Home Depot (Stock, 2013). In addition, according to the Net Promoter Score, special measures that determine a

MKTM003(1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKTM003(1) - Essay Example What is Marketing Before going to discuss the futuristic approach towards strategic marketing, let us get a better understanding of what marketing actually is. Marketing means to promote a product or to make the people aware of the products of the company. Companies launch marketing campaigns for creating awareness among the public about the newly manufactured products. A marketing campaign not only includes defining marketing goals of a company but also includes development of marketing strategies to achieve those goals. Role of marketing in the promotion of new brands can never be denied. Marketing not only helps the companies achieve higher levels of profits but also helps them establish their brands in any international market. Marketing plays a vital role in making any new product or brand popular and successful. According to Perez (2010), creation of an effective marketing plan is extremely important for a company because it helps the company create the entire business plan for carrying out the business activities. It is due to effective marketing plans that most of the new products get recognized all over the world in a very short span of time. 2. The Strategic Imperative - A Future Focus Masters (2011) states, â€Å"Strategic marketing is a consumer-based approach to product promotion that identifies market segments and attempts to make them more profitable by providing superior value†. ... According to Cooper (2000), strategic marketing improves productivity of a company. Productivity of a company depends on some critical factors, such as, customer satisfaction and employee retention. Let us take example of hospitality industry. If the customers will be satisfied from the food and beverages provided to them by any specific restaurant, they will work as a source to attract more people towards the restaurant, which will ultimately help the company achieve competitive advantage in the industry. Tatum (2011) states, â€Å"A strategic marketing plan is an approach to structuring marketing efforts in a manner that identifies and meets consumer demand†. In future, the objective of developing an appropriate strategic marketing plan will only be achieved when all departments of the companies will work in proper collaboration with each other. They will not only need to work together to create a marketing plan by researching customer attitudes and designing metrics to meas ure performance but also they will have to help the authorities in the implementation of those plans effectively. Some of the main factors which marketers consider while developing strategic marketing plans include needs and demands of the customers, ways in which a customer’s needs can be met, potential market segments, and changing trends in the customers’ taste. Marketing professionals develop the strategic marketing plans in three stages. In the first stage, they segment the market according to the geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral aspects. In the next step, managers develop profiles of the market segments by considering the revenue potential, profitability potential, and market share potential of the company. In the last

Inferential Statistics Essay Example for Free

Inferential Statistics Essay With inferential statistics, you are trying to reach conclusions that extend beyond the immediate data alone. For instance, we use inferential statistics to try to infer from the sample data what the population might think. Or, we use inferential statistics to make judgments of the probability that an observed difference between groups is a dependable one or one that might have happened by chance in this study. Thus, we use inferential statistics to make inferences from our data to more general conditions; we use descriptive statistics simply to describe whats going on in our data. Here, I concentrate on inferential statistics that are useful in experimental and quasi-experimental research design or in program outcome evaluation. Perhaps one of the simplest inferential test is used when you want to compare the average performance of two groups on a single measure to see if there is a difference. You might want to know whether eighth-grade boys and girls differ in math test scores or whether a program group differs on the outcome measure from a control group. Whenever you wish to compare the average performance between two groups you should consider the t-test for differences between groups. Most of the major inferential statistics come from a general family of statistical models known as the General Linear Model. This includes the t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), regression analysis, and many of the multivariate methods like factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, discriminant function analysis, and so on. Given the importance of the General Linear Model, its a good idea for any serious social researcher to become familiar with its workings. The discussion of the General Linear Model here is very elementary and only considers the simplest straight-line model. However, it will get you familiar with the idea of the linear model and help prepare you for the more complex analyses described below. One of the keys to understanding how groups are compared is embodied in the notion of the dummy variable. The name doesnt suggest that we are using variables that arent very smart or, even worse, that the analyst who uses t hem is a dummy! Perhaps these variables would be better described as proxy variables. Essentially a dummy variable is one that uses discrete numbers, usually 0 and 1, to represent different groups in your study. Dummy variables are a simple idea that enable some pretty complicated things to  happen. For instance, by including a simple dummy variable in an model, I can model two separate lines (one for each treatment group) with a single equation. To see how this works, check out the discussion on dummy variables. One of the most important analyses in program outcome evaluations involves comparing the program and non-program group on the outcome variable or variables. How we do this depends on the research design we use. research designs are divided into two major types of designs: experimental and quasi-experimental. Because the analyses differ for each, they are presented separately. Experimental Analysis. The simple two-group posttest-only randomized experiment is usually analyzed with the simple t-test or one-way ANOVA. The factorial experimental designs are usually analyzed with the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Model. Randomized Block Designs use a special form of ANOVA blocking model that uses dummy-coded variables to represent the blocks. The Analysis of Covariance Experimental Design uses, not surprisingly, the Analysis of Covariance statistical model. Quasi-Experimental Analysis. The quasi-experimental designs differ from the experimental ones in that they dont use random assignment to assign units (e.g., people) to program groups. The lack of random assignment in these designs tends to complicate their analysis considerably. For example, to analyze the Nonequivalent Groups Design (NEGD) we have to adjust the pretest scores for measurement error in what is often called a Reliability-Corrected Analysis of Covariance model. In the Regression-Discontinuity Design, we need to be especially concerned about curvilinearity and model misspecification. Consequently, we tend to use a conservative analysis approach that is based on polynomial regression that starts by overfitting the likely true function and then reducing the model based on the results. The Regression Point Displacement Design has only a single treated unit. Nevertheless, the analysis of the RPD design is based directly on the traditional ANCOVA model. When youve investigated these various analytic models, youll see that they all come from the same family the General Linear Model. An understanding of that model will go a long way to introducing you to the intricacies of data analysis in applied and social research contexts. The T-Test The t-test assesses whether the means of two groups are statistically  different from each other. This analysis is appropriate whenever you want to compare the means of two groups, and especially appropriate as the analysis for the posttest-only two-group randomized experimental design. Figure 1. Idealized distributions for treated and comparison group posttest values. | Figure 1 shows the distributions for the treated (blue) and control (green) groups in a study. Actually, the figure shows the idealized distribution the actual distribution would usually be depicted with a histogram or bar graph. The figure indicates where the control and treatment group means are located. The question the t-test addresses is whether the means are statistically different. What does it mean to say that the averages for two groups are statistically different? Consider the three situations shown in Figure 2. The first thing to notice about the three situations is that the difference between the means is the same in all three. But, you should also notice that the three situations dont look the same they tell very different stories. The top example shows a case with moderate variability of scores within each group. The second situation shows the high variability case. the third shows the case with low variability. Clearly, we would conclude that the two groups appear most different or distinct in the bottom or low-variability case. Why? Because there is relatively little overlap between the two bell-shaped curves. In the high variability case, the group difference appears least striking because the two bell-shaped distributions overlap so much. Figure 2. Three scenarios for differences between means. | This leads us to a very important conclusion: when we are looking at the differences between scores for two groups, we have to judge the difference between their means relative to the spread or variability of their scores. The t-test does just this. Statistical Analysis of the t-test The formula for the t-test is a ratio. The top part of the ratio is just the difference between the two means or averages. The bottom part is a measure of the variability or dispersion of the scores. This formula is essentially another example of the signal-to-noise metaphor in research: the difference between the means is the signal that, in this case, we think our program or  treatment introduced into the data; the bottom part of the formula is a measure of variability that is essentially noise that may make it harder to see the group difference. Figure 3 shows the formula for the t-test and how the numerator and denominator are related to the distributions.

Influence of Asias Economy on Australia

Influence of Asias Economy on Australia People call 21st century an Asian Century because of Asia’s rise, which leads to a huge change in global power and opulence to Asia or more precisely, move to Asia after peculiar centuries. The inferences for Australians and Australia are intensive, and also they will effect on every part of both external and domestic policy. It is considered to be perilous to extrapolate from the trends that are current. But comparative growth rates of economic, investment and trade patterns, defense capacities, population futures, and impact in worldwide decision making platforms all are directing towards one direction. Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia implied the economic numbers last September while declaring the White Paper commissioning on Australia in the Asian Century, are humbly spectacular. Advancement done by Japan and after that by Asian Tigers i.e. Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, or by Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia recently, have been laid in the dark by the vivid performance of India and China. In the last twenty years, these two giant countries have already gained the 40% of the world’s population and also they have enhanced their economic size nine times, while China doubles its economy after every eight years and India after eleven years. They both together have grown their economy in the last two decades and capture almost the fifth part out of tenth of the world’s economy, and further after two decades it can be seen that they will project their economy from fifth to third. China now is the second largest economy of the world and now on its way to become the first in the coming twenty years, or even may be earlier. At the same time, India is trying to exceed the US economy by the mid-century if they are successful in acquiring the power terms. If we talk about per capita term then neither India nor China will be rich enough because of the fact of their tension and internal problem. However, it cannot change the simple truth of a big wealth shift. The growth of economic has been followed by prominent escalations in the military expenses by both India and China, this is 2010 news, after US the China is ranked in second number while India at ninth after France, UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Russia. In this modern age, one cannot think about the war between the world’s main powers, power is all about the political influence or its about perception, or it can be defined in terms of military capability, and it can be seen from this context that India and China are making absolute progress in this military weight. The white paper will focus devastatingly on domestic policy settings that how we should gear or take maximum benefit of the great opportunities, especially economic opportunities, from management of macroeconomic, to trade, innovation or industry, training and education, infrastructure, immigration, business regulation, arts and the environment. This paper will mainly focus on the main challenges for Australian foreign policy. In the Asian Century, there are many challenges that are posed for Australia. First is to abstain from the zero sum game option in the terms with US and China; second to maintain a healthy relations with India; third to establish a good relationship with Indonesia; fourth to take part in the establishment of security cooperation and regional economic mechanisms in which Australia is seen as the effective and relevant player. In considering not only the extent but also the nature of foreign policy challenges, also having the capability to perform something in favor of them, it could be profitable to say somewhat in more general manner about the national interest of Australian and the weaknesses and strengths. To every other country the foreign policy primary role is to advance and protect the national interests, and it can be defined firstly by security interest at one hand and on the other hand it can be trade and economic interests; there is nothing more important for any country to guard the country form attack or threat or to enhance the quality of living and income of its people. This idea is based on the fact that there are many problems in the modern world that oblige not just bilateral or unilateral but supportive multilateral act to solve the problem. It can be terrorism, piracy to climate change, mass massacre crimes, from health plagues to unstructured population streams; this is what has been said by Kofi Annan â€Å"Problems without passports†, or international problems or worldwide public problems. Each problem is beyond the capacity of any state to solve, however huge and powerful it is. The ability of any country to follow national interests, in all the dimensions that have been explained above, is its strength promotional by the weakness. Being Self-evident are the Australian strength limits: it will not or will never become the superpower. It is best at middle power, never expected to have military, political or economic influence to force our will on others, and finally dependent on the capacity to admire. But if the Australia plays at middle level diplomacy with the like countries of same characteristics it is possible to generate a healthy relation with the other countries and thus creating a good return in any field. Australia on the other hand is the 12th largest economy, and by landmass it comes at sixth and in maritime zone it comes in third place; it is multicultural country of the world; it shows inimitable viewpoint linking Asia Pacific geography and European history. Individual and peacekeepers of Australia while working in worldwide establishments, both nongovernmental and official, have greatly an exceptional reputation; also as a security alliance with US, we also obey or show strong commitments globally and regionally. The ties between China and US are sound at the moment, enduring some acute connections in 2010 on amount of challenging deeds by China against territorial issues on water over the China Sea towards south, and recently the tension that has been created by the support of US to Chen Guangchen. But still many thinks about this issue that how US will react on the China’s acceleration of Economic Growth. One of the most dangerous or discussed issue of all times in the region is the ill use of nuclear weapons, Washington on the other hand is fully convinced with the performance of Beijing to compel North Korea. In practice by working all the way, and its entailments for how long can we manage our defense carriage and future expenses, in such a way that provides us more comfortable independent security against different ugly possibilities without indulging in such a tension? Australia on the other hand is not interested any more on China’s investment and trade and it can be seen that the relationship is ended with tears, and also with the passage of time Australia has sad that they are not keen in assembling anything from China creating the Cold War strategy. Australia has shown its keens interest in developing a healthy ties with US or South East Asian neighbors. The importance or upswing of India is as important as China, but policymakers have not noticed that. Trade capacities between West and South Asia and East Asia particularly now far offset those over the pacific and they are increasing vividly. China’s growth has been fueled by Gulf oil, and also between the two giants a bilateral trade. There is nothing especial that can alarm Australia, and many among these are happy with this development. Importance of South East Asia in the geographic hub is important due to the fact that it links the South West and North West, same is the case with Australia it also plays a significant role in this action. Australians are now recognizing the importance of Indian economic potential is almost same as that of China. For Australian, India has become a very big market for the natural resources such as gold, coal and copper in general and also the educational services. It can be said that India is the fourth biggest market for export destination of services and goods after Japan, Korea and China and now have the caliber to become the second. In terms of diplomatic, the relations with India are amiable though they are narrow during the Cold War due to some strategies, or due to personality conflict between the PM Menzies and Nehru also they have worked together on different general issues from decades. Australia has a strong tie with India on security issues, too. Indians have strong relation with Australians and consider Australia a perfect place for excursion. But the relation between India and Australia is not as healthy as it should be. There have been seen some episodic disturbance from Indian side. The good place to start with is with the economic relationship, if the bilateral investment and trade ties are to take at some level then there is a need to be an integration of economic with the help of trade agreement which Australia is discussing with the three great partners Japan, Korea and China and it launched an agreement with India. One of the main concerns of the Australian Public policy is that why still Indonesia has not gained the level of understanding and attentions from the leaders than other Asian countries have gained, though it deserves. Mostly people forget about the importance of Indonesia as it comes in number four in the world in area, and it is also the largest Islamic country and the most effective and potential player in ASEAN. The Indonesia in progressing day by day and this cannot be denied that its economy is increasing incredibly and it plays a significant and thoughtful role in both global and regional affairs. There are number of factors that lack the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. One of the factors is the stereotype perception about Indonesia that it is not changed, still some thought as the military dominance, undemocratic, authoritarian, there exist terrorist and a culture that is unknown to Australia. The point is that this concept of stereotype is now obsolete and there in Indonesia there is a proper democratic transformation. There are various factors and issues that are arising over the last number of years, make it authoritative that they are trying to work as hard as they can to implement the policy making architecture, security cooperation and regional economic mechanisms that truly work. There has been seen three basic differences between the Indo Pacific and Asia Pacific, cooperation and dialogue, there is no platform for security that bring all together, another key platform of APEC which plays a significant role in trade facilitation, even if it has not complete the hopes and not lived that much excluding India; there is another platform or forum named as East Asia Summit for policy issues like economic, security and socio political also it excludes the countries like Russia and US. Australia indeed is hopeful and can meet the challenges in foreign policy, but still it needs to be quick and show more reflexes, because things happens, incidents occur, sometimes there have made a misjudgments, peace can be turned into the war, we can see that these things happened in the past and still can be happened again.