Anthem Analysis Essay

Anthem is a novel which describes a future in which people have lost all wisdom of individualism, to the point where people don’t even use the words â€Å"I† or â€Å"me.† It is a tribute to one’s ego, as in the value of individualism and one’s uniqueness. By the end of the novel, the main character, Prometheus, comes to understand that their battle is one that is impossible to loose. The liberty that they died to save can never pass away. Every human’s inner-self will always desire freedom, which can’t be killed by any leader, dictator, or ruler like the society in which they lived in. The society claimed that all of his actions were sins, due to the fact they wanted everybody in the society to be an equal, and they don’t like it when people strive more than others, like Prometheus did. He decided to choose how to live, instead of letting someone choose for him. That is what Prometheus grew to learn, that freedom is necessary, and can’t be shattered, and that is why it is impossible to loose their battle. The author, Ayn Rand, made that clear in this novel, while portraying diction, syntax, and figures of speech. Rand uses diction in the novel to state that it is good to be an individual instead of being a part of a matching set. â€Å"Our name is Equality†¦ We are twenty†¦ We are six feet†¦ We were born†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , is a symbol of â€Å"unity† that the author shows us in the novel, she uses plural pronouns such as we, our, their, etc., whenever she means one person because the community in the novel treats everyone as an equal and singular pronouns do not exist. Prometheus calls Gaea â€Å"The Golden One† to emphasize that she is different from the others, he actually looks at her differently than he does to other men, which is a sin in the community because you may not love one person in specific, you must love all your brothers equally. Knowing the word â€Å"Ego† is the best way to understand the concept of this novel. Ayn Rand uses the word, â€Å"Ego† to express self individualism, your ego is something that makes u special from anyone else, it defines you as someone that is distinct, and that’s what the author is portraying. The author uses syntax to help the reader understand the tone, and develop the main character’s understanding of his actions. The quote, â€Å"We shall not report our find to the City Council. We shall not report it to any men.† demonstrates that Prometheus felt that if he reported the tunnel to the city, then he would keep letting them walk all over the community, and decides to keep it to himself because he wanted freedom for once. The author writes, â€Å"This God, this one word: ‘I’† as a symbol of his praise to the word, it emphasizes his first real taste of freedom. The use of anaphora is illustrated at the beginning of chapter 12 when the main character, Prometheus, keeps repeating the word â€Å"I† to show that he truly now knows the meaning of the word, to be an individual. Ayn Rand uses figures of speech to demonstrate that individualism is a huge part of life, and everybody should have it no matter what, and helps understand the characters more thoroughly. The author uses allusion when she gives the main characters, Equality and Liberty, the names Prometheus and Gaea. Prometheus stole fire from the gods, and gave it to the humans, and Gaea was the mother of earth and of all gods. Irony is demonstrated in the novel when Prometheus talks about how he felt happy when he was committing â€Å"sins† while he was in a dark and lonely tunnel working on his experiments, but then he feels sad and depressed whenever he is in the white, bright room, with all of his brothers. Individualism is a huge part of someone, it identifies you as someone distinct than anyone else, and it is what makes you special. If you don’t have individualism then you might as well not have a face, you’re not different from anyone else, you are a person that has no true identity, and is identical to everyone else. Individualism allows you to have a name, unlike the story, that also makes you distinct from anyone else. The novel, Anthem, is an incredible story that makes you realize that you are unique in your own special way, and that everyone deserves freedom of who they truly are no matter what.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Accouniting Information System Essay

Abstract- In this study the effectiveness of accounting information systems from finance managers of listed companies at Tehran Stock Exchange is evaluated. The results indicate that implementation of the accounting information systems at the companies under study caused the improvement of managers decision-making process, improving internal controls, improving the quality of the financial reports and facilitated the process of the company’s transactions. The results did not show any indication that performance evaluation process had been improved. Key words: Accounting Information Systems, Quality of Financial Reports, Internal Controls, Decision Making, Performance Evaluation. INTRODUCTION In managing an organization and implementing an internal control system the role of accounting information system (AIS) is crucial. An important question in the field of accounting and management decision-making concerns the fit of AIS with organizational requirements for information communication and control, Nicolaou (2000). Although the information generated from an accounting information system can be effective in decision-making process, but purchase, installation and  usage of such system is beneficial when its benefits exceeds its costs. Benefits of accounting information system can be evaluated by its impacts on improvement of decision-making process, quality of accounting information, performance evaluation, internal controls and facilitating company’s transactions. Regarding the above five characteristics, the effectiveness of AIS is highly important for all the firms. An AIS is defined as computer-based system that processes financial information and supports decision tasks in the context of coordination and control of organizational activities, Nicolaou (2000). LITERATURE REVIEW Accounting information system is considered as a sub system of management information system (MIS). Regarding accounting as information system perhaps is the latest definition of accounting. For the first time in 1966 the Statement of Basic Accounting Theory, published by the American Institute of Certified Accountants (AICPA), stated that: â€Å"Accounting actually is information system and if we be more precise accounting is the practice of general theories of information in the field of effective economic activities and consists of a major part of the information which is presented in the quantitative for†. In the above definition, accounting is part of general information system of an economic entity. Boochhold (1999) defines accounting information systems as systems that have function of data gathering, processing, categorizing and reporting financial events with the aim of providing relevant information for the purpose of score keeping, attention directing and decision-making. Accounting information systems are considered important organizational mechanisms that are critical for effectiveness decision management and control in organizations, (Galbraith, 1983; Zimmerman, 1995). Systems will be useful when information provided by them is used effectively in  decision-making process by the users. Otley (1980, 325) argues that Accounting System are an important part of the fabric of organizational life and need to be evaluated in their wider managerial, organizational and environmental context. Therefore, the effectiveness of accounting information systems not only depends on the purposes of such systems but also depends on contingency factors of each organization. Accounting information systems are said to be effective when the information provided by them serves widely the requirements of the system users. Effective systems should systematically provide information which has a potential effects on decision-making process, Ivest et.al. (1983). The effectiveness of accounting information systems has long been a subject of many research, (Chong, 1996, Chenhall and Moriss, 1986, Kim, 1988, Mia and Chenhall 1994).Accounting information usually are categorized under two categories; 1) information that influence decision-making and mainly used for the purpose controlling the organization and 2) information that facilitate decision-making process and mostly used for coordination within an organization, (Demski and Feltham, 1976, Kren, 1992). Huber (1990) argues that, integration of accounting information systems leads to coordination in organization which in turn increases the quality of the decisions. Some research in accounting show that the effectiveness of accounting information systems depend upon the quality of the output of the information system that can satisfy the users’ needs, (Cameron, 1986, Lewin and Minton,1986, Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1983, Deone and Mclean, 1992, Kim, 1989). Generally, accounting information systems; 1) provide financial reports on a daily and weekly basis and; 2) in addition provide useful information for monitoring decision-making process and performance of the organization. Simons (1987) in his study we used the first part of the above statement as measure of control for management and the second part for evaluating the effectiveness of the accounting information systems via continuous monitoring. By reviewing research studies during 1987-1999, one finds out that 57 research has been conducted on the issue of accounting information systems and decision-making. Therefore, it shows the importance of the research in  this area. Accounting information systems provide primary data for decision-making. Information technology has caused many changes in reporting information. Thus, the characteristics of information currently prepared can help decision-makers to seek more alternatives to the solution of the problem in hand. Accessibility to information related to the main transactions of an organization leads to a categorized detailed information which facilitates decision making in any difficult situation, Sutton and Arnold (1995). Accounting information system, is a computer based system that is defined by Nicoloau (2000) as a system that increases the control and enhance the corporation in the organization. Management is engaged with different types of activities that are requiring good quality and reliable information. They require also non-financial information such as production statistics, quality of production and so on. However, quality of information generated from AIS is very important for management, Mckinnon and Bruns (1992). Kim (1989) argues that usage of AIS depends on the perception of the quality of information by the users. Generally the quality of information depends on reliability, form of reporting, timeliness and relevance to the decisions. Effectiveness of accounting information system also depends on the perception of decision-makers on the usefulness of information generated by the system to satisfy informational needs for operation processes, managerial reports, budgeting and control within organization. Some research indicate that the effectiveness of accounting information systems depend on the quality of output information that satisfy the users, Cameron (1986), Lewin and Minton, (1986), Quinn and Rohrbaugh, (1983), Delone and Mclean, (1992) and Kim, (1989). Effectiveness of accounting information systems can be analyzed on three basis: 1)- information scope, 2)- timeliness, 3)- aggregation. Information scope is considered as financial and non-financial information, internal and external information that is useful in prediction of future events. Timeliness quality is related to the ability of accounting information system to satisfy informational needs by providing systematic reports to the users of information. Aggregation of information is considered as means of collecting and summarizing information within a given  time period, Choe (1998). Doll and Torkzadeh (1988), for studying the satisfaction of the users’ of information use some concepts to measure the effectiveness of the accounting information systems. These concepts are information content, accuracy, format, ease to use and timeliness. HYPOTHESES After reviewing relevant literature, five main variables and three moderator variables were hypothesized. Hypothesis 1: Accounting information systems leads to better decision-making by managers. Hypothesis 2: Accounting information systems leads to more effective internal control systems. Hypothesis 3: Accounting information systems enhance the quality of financial reports. Hypothesis 4: Accounting information systems improves performance measures. Hypothesis 5: Accounting information systems makes financial transaction process easy. MODERATOR VARIABLES Hypotheses based on moderator variables are set up to see whether such variables have any impact on the respondents’ responses to the research questions. One expects that such variables do not influence the way that respondents reply to the questions in the questionnaire. Hypothesis 1: There is a relationship between the levels of respondents’ education and evaluation of the effectiveness of accounting information system. Hypothesis 2: There is a relationship between the job experience of the respondents and evaluation of the effectiveness of accounting information system. Hypothesis 3: There is a relationship between the field of respondents’ education and evaluation of the effectiveness of accounting information system. RESEARCH METHOD Sample and data collection This study is based on the companies listed at Tehran’s stock exchange. No specific time period is considered since it is not a time series study. A  questionnaire is designed and after pilot study was sent to the sample firms. A population of 347 companies has been listed at Tehran’s stock exchange up to 1383. These companies are distributed along fifteen industries. Our sample has been randomly selected using sampling with no replacement process. For this purpose the below formula: 2 2 N ZÃŽ ±/2 ÃŽ ´ X n = ————————— 2 2 2 Ã'” (N-1) + ZÃŽ ±/2 ÃŽ ´ X 22 347 ( 1.96) (0.29) n = ———————————— = 95 (0.05)2 (347-1) + (1.96)2(0.29)2 Based on the ratio of the companies in each industry to the total number of companies in the population, the number of companies in each industry for the sampled firms was determined. The main data collection instrument in this study is questionnaire. For this purpose a questionnaire was designed after reviewing the relevant literature. The questions are on the five point Likert type questions, with a choice of very little to very much. The questionnaire consists of twenty questions, which were carefully designed to collect relevant data. The research instrument was pilot studied, by expert panels including faculty members. The revised instrument and a cover letter were mailed to the specific individual who was listed as financial managers of the sampled firms. A reminder was sent and non-respondents were followed up with two additional mailings. In the first questionnaire launching 54 questionnaires were completed and returned. In the second and third mailings a total of 33 more completed questionnaires were returned. Altogether 87 questionnaires were available for data analysis in this study. STATISTICAL TESTS To test the hypotheses of this research we have used z and χ2 statistics at confidence level of 95%. The research hypotheses were put in the form of statistical hypotheses such as H0 and H1. With regards to the nature of five-point scale questions, therefore, we test whether the mean value of each question is less than or greater than 3. Number 3 is the average number of the five choices in each question: 1+2+3+4+5  µ = ——————- = 3 5 Thus, statistical hypotheses are set up as follows: H0:  µ ≠¤ 3 H1:  µ > 3 Testing moderator variables: to test the moderator variables and see whether they have any impact on the main variables, in this research χ2 tests were conducted. TESTING HYPOTHESES AND ANALYZING THE RESULTS To study the research hypotheses eighty seven finance directors (financial managers) were selected as final sample in this study to answer the question put forward to them in the questionnaire. The data collected in this way was edited and some questions merged to measure each hypothesis. Average number of 3 was taken as the mean of the five-point questions in the questionnaire. Table -1 shows a descriptive statistics of five hypotheses. Table-1 Descriptive statistics MinMaxStd.Error of KurtosisKurtosisStd. Error of SkewnessSkewnessVarianceStandard DeviationModeMeanStd. Error from  MeanAveHypotheses 2.53.50.5110.0940.258-1.0870.1040.3223.53.250.3453.227H1 2.540.5110.799-0.2580.5680.1780.422330.0453.244H2 2.5.7540.5110.252-0.2580.364-0.2630.51243.750.5493.75H3 2.53.50.5110. 890-0.2580.8250.1380.3722. 52.750.3992.80H4 2.754.50.5110.419-0.2580.175-0.1950.4423.53.50.4743.58H5 Results of the first hypothesis: Accounting information systems lead to better decision-making by managers. Z statistic concerning the test of first hypothesis is equal to 6.47 (table-2 ).By comparing this value with the critical value of 1.645, we accept H1 and reject H0. Therefore, the first hypothesis is accepted indicating that implementation of an accounting information system in an organization could improve decision making by managers. The average of the questions measuring this hypothesis is 3.227 and the skewness of -1.087. The kurtosis of 0.094 indicates that the distribution of our data is slightly taller than normal distribution with 0.322 standard deviation. Thus, we could conclude that our respondents on average and slightly above the average believe that accounting information systems lead to better decision-making by managers. Results of the second hypothesis: Accounting information systems leads to more effective internal control systems. Table-2 shows the Z value of testing the second hypothesis equal to 5.389. Again, comparing this value with the critical value of 1.645, we accept H1 and reject H0. This indicates that from the respondents’ point of view accounting information systems would lead to better internal control systems. Descriptive statistics shown in table-1 gives the average of 3.224 to the questions measuring the second hypothesis, skewness of 0.568, kurtosis of -0.799 and standard deviation of 0.442. This information indicates that the distribution of our data is slightly shorter than normal distribution.

Genetically modified organism Essay

Genetically engineered food is an epidemic all around the world. There are factors that make these types of foods undesirable for many reasons. Public opinions on how genetically engineered foods will effect the consumer market and farmers cannot afford the new seeds that are genetically altered. There are many cons of genetically engineered food that have long term and short term risks. Some risks have been found by scientists while other risks are still unknown and will remain so unless a researcher tests for them. These foods have become very common in America as well as other countries. Almost every grocery store in the United States carries a wide array of food that has been genetically modified. Most of the genetically engineered foods in markets are not labeled to tell consumers they were altered in any way. Environmental risks are also a concern for genetically engineered food. Different animals, including farm animals or insects can be harmed from genetically engineered food. Genetically engineered food has negative effects on the human population. Genetically engineered food was first introduced into society in the early 1990’s. Many people today do not know what kind of extensive research and development goes into making these types of foods. Sharon Palmer, a reporter, writes that genetic engineering is either â€Å"Doomsday tech† or â€Å"biotechnology for the future† (Palmer 1). The process of altering an organism completely changes the original organism and transforms it into something new. This new way of altering an organism’s genetic makeup bypasses common breeding methods used by scientists (Genetically Modified Foods 1). The process of creating genetically altered food usually involves â€Å"identifying the genes governing a desirable characteristic in one organism, and inserting them into another in the expectation that the trait will be transferred† (Genetically Modified Foods 1). Sometimes the process of creating these organisms does not work so scientists have to do the process over again until they get a transformed organism. In 1973 scientists were able to achieve using another organism as a vector which essentially was the beginning of the development of genetically engineered foods. Although genetically engineered foods were not fully introduced until the early 1990s, they were in the process of becoming what society knows today. Newer techniques have been introduced that make it easier for gene insertion. This new method is the use of DNA bullets where â€Å"microscopic metal beads can be coated with DNA fragments, and then â€Å"fired† from a miniature gun into the host cell, where DNA may integrate into the genome† (Genetically Modified Foods 1). A few of the genetically engineered foods are soybeans, corn, canola, cotton, squash and papaya (Palmer 1). There are many other foods that people see on the shelves in grocery stores that may be genetically altered but these are some main ones. Statistics show that â€Å"an estimated 70 to 75 percent of all processed foods in U. S.grocery stores probably contain ingredients from GE plants† (Palmer 6). Many foods have been genetically altered to make them â€Å"better† or resistant to herbicides. Despite the fact that scientists consider these foods to be revolutionary there are hidden consequences to the development of such organisms. The public opinion on genetically engineered food is that it is not a good improvement. Many citizens believe that the introduction of altered foods is going to have negative side effects on everything. People feel that genetically engineered foods should not be put on the market until they have had adequate testing (Current Issues 3). Many of the alterations done to food have not had extensive research conducted to find harmful effects that they might have on humans and animals. Any research that had been done usually had negative effects but scientists found a way to â€Å"throw out† the research so that it would not go against genetically engineered food. Andrew Simms states that the â€Å"evidence of harm is not evidence of the absence of harm† (Simms 1). In Simm’s article he describes how consumers do not need genetically modified food. Scientists brought genetically engineered foods into the market and advertised them as a way to help the world. Different techniques can be used to approach the issue of world hunger. Introducing these foods to third world countries can only harm them not help them. There is a high cost of development for making genetically engineered foods. Also there is a monopoly involved with these foods. There are only a few corporations in the United States that are developing genetically altered seeds. This in turn drives up the price of the seed making it more expensive and poor farmers cannot afford to buy them (Current Issues 3). Farmers have lost billions of dollars because foreign buyers do not want to buy genetically engineered foods (Kupfer 1). Many states have passed legislation against having genetically modified foods. States do not think that genetically engineered foods can help anything except make things worse (Kupfer 2). Foods are altered to have different traits that would normally take a few generations to make but with genetically engineering their DNA scientists are able to do a lot more. Scientist use genetic engineering to make crops or animals drought tolerant and be able to tolerate pests. Consumers do not want crops that are mutations. They want natural crops and animals. Other public opinions on worldwide hunger are that GM crops will not change it. â€Å"People go hungry because they’re either poor, powerless, both, or have no land to grow food on† (Simms 2). Public opinion on genetically engineered food is that they do not want it. Many factors have led people to choose not to accept genetically engineered foods into their lives. Genetically engineered food effects everything in a negative way. There are cons to the development and introduction of genetically engineered foods into civilization. There are many risks involved with these types of foods that are unknown to the public. Scientists try to cover up the experiments they had on genetically altered foods because they had negative outcomes. In one study scientists fed corn to rats and then checked the rats’ livers and kidneys, particularly males, and the study revealed adverse effects. In another study conducted on GM foods many of the mice that ate the food developed health problems or even died during the experiment (Current Issues 4). The introduction of genetically engineered foods has been linked to the rising levels of food allergies in the United States. Genetically modified foods can effect organic foods if they are processed in the same place. Allergic reactions are greater since genetically engineered foods have been introduced (Smith 1). There are many environmental concerns as well. Although long term impact is unknown many researchers can conclude some of the negative side effects. A few difficulties have already developed. Plants can cross-pollinate with other plants around them which may seem like a great thing but it is not. Some plants are engineered to be pest resistant which seems good but in all actuality those plants can cross-pollinate with the weeds around them which in turn makes the weeds stronger and become more resistant to herbicides. The cross-pollination of plants creates a problem for farmers who then have to spend additional money to buy more herbicide to kill new weeds (Current Issues 3). Another common modification is adding a gene called Bacillus thuringiensis which is a bacterium that helps that plant develop poison that kills pests such as bollworms and stem borers. This seemed like a good modification by scientists but in fact the plant emits these toxins into the environment and it is deadly to all insects, not just the pests. Reports have been shown that these toxins from the crops also killed a large amount of butterflies (Current Issues 1). U. S. Government does not require reviews on genetically engineered foods. Genetically altered foods are not FDA regulated either. Foods are being modified without having adequate testing and then put on grocery shelves. People are eating food that they do not know whether or not it is safe. There are many other potential concerns with genetic engineering like an organisms genetic makeup, anti-nutrients, viral DNA, antibiotic resistant genes, absorbing genes, and allergic responses. Many genetically altered foods have been used as feed for animals as well. These animals have shown effects on body growth, changes in blood, kidney, pancreas, liver, erosion and necrosis of the gastrointestinal tract, and alterations in reproduction, development and mortality (Palmer 6). There are many unknown risks of genetically engineered foods. Unknown long term health risks have not been identified and cannot be identified until researchers conduct more research. Genetically modified foods are not something people should rely on in the future as their base food. There are risks today and also many other unknown risks. Genetically engineered food is a hazard to the human population. This creation was introduced to try and stop world hunger, make food cheaper to buy and many other reasons. These issues have not changed because of the introduction of genetically engineered food. The effects these types of foods have on humans and even animals can be harmful. Research shows that there are long term risks involved with genetically engineered foods. Potential cancers, diseases, environmental changes, and possibly a rising cost in food are all negative factors of genetically engineered food. Genetically engineered foods should be eliminated from people and animal’s diets. Works Cited â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods. † The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 05 November 2011. Kupfer, David. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Damages Trade with Other Nations†. Genetically Modified Food. Diane Andrews Henningfeld, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2009. David Kupfer, â€Å"The Genetic Resistance: ‘Mendocino Is the First GMO-free County in the Nation, and I am Sure It Will Not Be the Last,† Earth Island Journal, vol. 19, summer 2004, pp. 42-44. Copyright  © 2004 Earth Island Institute. Reproduced by permission. Palmer, Sharon, and Chris McCullum-Gomez. â€Å"Genetically Engineered Foods Update.. (Cover Story). † Environmental Nutrition 33. 7 (2010): I-6. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. Simms, Andrew. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Will Not Ease World Hunger†. Social Justice. David Haugen, Susan Musser, and Vickey Kalambakal, Eds. Opposing Viewpoints ® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010 Andrew Simms, â€Å"World Hunger Needs a Simple Solution Rather Than Hi-Tech GM Food,† Guardian, (UK), August 4, 2003. Copyright  © 2003 Guardian Newspapers Limited. Reproduced by permission of the author Smith, Jeffrey M. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods May Cause Allergic Responses†. Food Safety. Judeen Bartos, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Jeffrey M. Smith, â€Å"Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies,† Institute for Responsible Technology, May 2007. Copyright  © 2007 by Virago. Reproduced by permission by Time Warner Books UK.

Quality statistics paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Quality statistics - Research Paper Example Here quality plays a significant role in ensuring the survival of companies in tough competitive businesses by inspecting the existing processes and discovering the new ones. In order to manufacture goods or offer products or services to the customers, companies employ different processes. A process is defined as a collection of interrelated and planned activities carried out to produce goods (products) and services (Oakland, 2008). There are different variations associated with each process due to number of sources and factors. Berger and Hart (1986) highllighted that variations can be inherent to the process due to its nature and are terms as common causes of variation. However, there are variations in process that result from external sources or special causes and are termed as special causes of variation. Since 1920s manufacturing has benefitted from the SPC techniques in its decision making processes (Morestream, 1920). Especially, this is true with the control charts that help to identify if a variation is really present and assist to determine if the actions need to be taken to bring the process back in statistical controls. The strength of the statistical process control techniques is its simplicity and ease in understanding equally at the management and worker level as appreciated by Thompson and Koronacki (2002). Statistical process controls allows objective investigation of the parts or whole of a process that may mask sources of variations that interfere with the level of product quality. If detected, SPC can help to numerically measure the significance of the variations and subject these to correction (Wheeler and Chamber, 2010). Consequently, the controlling of variations would reduce wastes and improve the product quality. It is crucial to understand that not all the SPC techniques are applicable to all scenarios and largely depend on type of the data and the type of the variation under investigation (Czitrom and Spagon, 1997). For example, in th is report we have analyzed the processes of providing the customer support services by an IT Call Center. In this aspect, the major quality issue was the call waiting time i.e., average waiting time during a service call. This is the time when the customer is holding on the phone line and waiting to be connected to any of the customer service representative. Introduction From the conception to design and further to manufacturing of a product, the variations introduced during initial processes become manifold towards the delivery of the product to the customer and severely impact the quality of the product. Oakland (2008) explains that there are two major types of variations in the process; common and special variations. The common variations are generally intrinsic to the process and cannot be eliminated without modifying and even eliminating the process or switching to an entirely new process. On the other hand, special causes are a result of some causes that are identifiable and a ssignable and usually appear in more periodic fashion, thus these can be identified and can be reduced/removed with eliminating the source of variation that does not involve process changes (ASQ, 1920). In an effort to identify the process variation and understand the process behavior, statistical techniques and probabilistic methods would be used for analysis. The analysis would be based on the actual

Criminal Justice and Deviance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Justice and Deviance - Coursework Example Political influence for material leads to bribery, extortion, and kickbacks in the society. For instance, the Watergate scandal in America history illustrated the web of affairs between the political class and organized crime in addition to dirty politics affects citizens’ welfare. In view of this, public funds were lost through unscrupulous payment, for instance in the Watergate scandal, President Reagan ex-GSA appointee and his associates received a total of 2.3 million dollars through the sale of tax credits for a HUD-sponsored project (Simon, 2008). The interrelationship between the political elite with political clout is a fundamental constituent in upholding deviance, in that corporation persuade law makers to make certain that their actions escape criminalization and rigorous sanctions. The use of unfair means to gain and maintain power is also synonymous to political clout because, both distort democracy by disrupting, national unity in addition to destroying freedom. Political power is meant for national building (Bharathi, 1998). 2. Chapters 7 & 9 of Elite Deviance explore many type of political deviance in the US. What can be done to curtail the many types of deviance discussed? Political policing is one of the methods, which can be used to curtail political deviance. Civil societies have undertaken the role of political policing in the government for many years in American and across the globe, by advocating for citizens civil engagement in issues affecting their existence, such as allocation of funds and social equality. The political deviance of secrecy, lying and deception bestowed to politicians especially presidents and vice presidents through executive powers can be curtailed through cutback of executive privileges and immunity to president on leaving office or while in office. This is because presidential immunity allows presidents and other high-ranking politicians to withhold crucial information from the public, the court system, and the legislature such as Congress and senate, which may be crucial to national security. For example, General M. Taylor refused to appear before the House Subcommittee on Defense Application to give information regarding the Bay of Pigs offensive in 1963 (Simon, 2008). Other political deviances like abuse of power by government agencies, war crimes, official violence, political prisoners, and international crimes can be curtailed through imprisonment of the culprits after their rein in power or impeachment of sitting presidents (Hodge & Nolan, 2007). 3. If marijuana were to be legalized in the US with 3 years, would a stigma be associated with its use? Legalization of marijuana would not attract stigma in its users, because its current use in America is widespread despite being illegal. Statistics indicate that marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance under the illicit drugs category. In addition, the drug is relatively socially acceptable as compared to other illicit d rugs such as cocaine and heroin (Husak & De Marneffe, 2005). The social stigma associated with marijuana use would be curtailed by the fact that, at present some states in America have legalized its use for medicinal purpose, hence a marijuana user would support his or her use through the medical facts currently offered. A cultural movement of cannabis enthusiastic called 420 has made cannabis smoking relatively social

Lesson 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lesson 9 - Essay Example Thus, this comparison draws from the way the system of beliefs in each of the two societies shape people’s behavior so as to understand the magnitude of control that beliefs have on people. This will help appreciate the important role of beliefs in the society. Both essays reveal that in a given society, a system of beliefs serves as an important component by portraying how it governs the norms and practices of the members to a greater extent. The online society of anorexics and bulimics in the Floridian society has it practices motivated by a system of beliefs drawn from the Thin Commandments and the Ana Creed. The belief that â€Å"if thou aren’t thin, thou aren’t attractive† makes girls and women in Florida to join the pro-ana society which practice anorexia and bulimia so as to keep thin (Udovitch 112). Similarly, the Dakotan society does not support women writers who tell the truth in their works. This society believes that discouragements are not mea nt for public consumption, hence the reason why women writers should not tell the truth in their writings, otherwise they risk being separated from the society. Since setting oneself apart from the rest of the society is hard to do according to Norris (128), these women writers content in writing what is acceptable, the untruth. This similarity portrays a system of beliefs in a society as an important aspect in shaping the behavior of its members. It even overrides the truth to determine what they should and should not do. Udovitch and Norris, in their respective essays, allude on the importance of a system of beliefs in the society by fronting the argument of its unifying role. The writers bring out beliefs as the glue that puts people together physically and psychologically. In Florida, the girls and women who believe that if â€Å"you do wrong and you eat, then you sin† have been brought together to an online society where they share their experiences on their practice of anorexia and bulimia (Udovitch 110). With the rest of the Floridian society opposed to this practice, the online society provides a platform to meet with people of like minds. Even in Dakota, by female writers appreciating and abiding by the general belief that â€Å"if a discouraging word is heard, it is not for public consumption,† they become acceptable in the larger Dakotan society (Norris 127). These beliefs set a standard code of expected behaviors and norms which define a particular society. Observing this code promotes harmony among the members of the given society, thus uniting them. The need for sacrifices with regard to any system of beliefs in each of the essays enhances the importance that beliefs have to a society. For the Floridian women to achieve and maintain the thin body considered to be attractive, they have to suffer pain and sacrifice eating according to the anorexia practice. Furthermore, a woman observing the anorexia and bulimia beliefs has to sacrifi ce her publicity because as one of the members confesses, â€Å"I can’t just come out and tell them I don’t eat†¦ they will get on my case† (Udovitch 111). These women sacrifice the comfort of free-will eating and publicity of their practices, which could cause deterrence from the public, so as to live up to the expectations of their beliefs. In the same way, the Dakotan women writers sacrifice the truth so as to be acceptable in the

Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example It is possible that the latter might reveal additional information. One would make no mistake that codes of conduct that are promoted among athletic directors strictly forbid them to conceal such important information as true medical state of a person. That is why if I decide to help Matt, I will clearly violate the code of conduct which will show my lack of professionalism. Contrary to that, I believe that Matt is a rather promising young man who should be given a chance to pursuit his dream. In spite of the fact that I believe in him, I think that the diagnosis will not allow him to become a successful athlete. I think that the situation is really difficult; so, I might benefit from contacting my peers. There is no doubt that other athletic directors would support me in refusing to conceal the health condition of Matt since this will not only endanger him and me, but also other people and show my lack of professionalism. So, there are basically several options: one – I agree not to inform the coach about Matt’s disease and two – I tell the coach right away and Matt does not play sports in the future. It is extremely hard to find a win win situation in this case. However, I assume that the second option will bring more benefit to Matt since in this case he will be able to direct all his efforts on treatment of the virus. I am strongly convinced that my family would support my decision since they know that I am always willing to help people and will never harm them in any way. Indeed, though there might be some negative consequences for Matt in the short run, in the long perspective he will probably benefit. Having examined all the options, I believe that the correct decision in this case would be to tell the coach about Matt’s health condition. Some people might think that I am being insensitive and not helpful, since the young man

Applying Philosophy to Life Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applying Philosophy to Life - Assignment Example these setups are extremely vulnerable due to their illness and if the services of hospitals are not under ethical controls, the visitors can possibly get affected by the behavior of hospital staff. Another reason that makes ethical oversight necessary is the sensitive nature of information about patients that is accessible by the hospital staff. The availability of information in digital format renders the hospital patients more vulnerable to misuse of information. This misuse can have far reaching detrimental consequences for the patients and it is therefore necessary to associate this access to information with certain ethical principles to ensure patients are not harmed in any way (Stahl et al, 2013). In the view of Immanuel, moral requirements are interlinked to rationality standards; an immoral behavior is therefore irrational by nature. It therefore follows that for any action to be morally acceptable, it has to be rational; Immanuel has referred to this rationality standard as ‘Categorical Imperative’. Other proponents of this philosophy include Hobbes and Locke. An extension of this notion is the idea of good will which clearly associates the nobility of any action to the principle that governs that action. If this underlying principle follows a moral law, the action regardless of its outcomes should be considered as being moral. As far as the application of principles of this philosophy is concerned, there is a need to apply a high degree of rationality in decisions that are being made. The responses of interviewees need to be judged on rational basis and irrational responses should be regarded as indicators of unethical behavior. Secondly, since morality is re lated to the underlying principles upon which actions are based; the questions asked during interview should attempt to get an insight into the basic principles upon which interviewees base their decisions. This will enable the interviewer to understand the capability of interviewees to work

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literature Review - Essay Example It was possibly the only study which was conducted to trace the transportation, occurrence in the environment and the ultimate end result of these chemicals, especially harmonically active chemicals that significantly stimulate physiological response in human-beings. The study had selected 95 organic wastewater contaminants or OWC from the US streams that were observed to be the most damaging to the environment and to the health and survival of human-beings. The study had some startling results that showed the serious lapses on the part of the industries and pharmaceutical companies who were not effectively treating their effluents for the dangerous chemicals that were allowed to be passed onto the streams whose water was being used by the population at large. Indeed, the presence of many of these potentially fatal and active chemicals in the water pose serious threat to the health of the masses and needs to be addressed at the earliest. The scientists’ concern is genuine and reiterates that the conservation and preservation of natural resources are important part of population dynamics as its sustenance depends on the available resources. The population growth has brought into focus the issue of sustainable development that promotes maintenance of ecosystem that facilitates a continuous supply of natural resources like safe drinking water, clean air, energy and food with proper waste disposal system. The wide ramification of science and technology are both good and dangerous and therefore, they must be tempered with conscious efforts towards environment conservation and preservation. Kolpin, Dana W.; Furlong, Edward T.; Meyer Michael T.; Thurman, E. Michael; Zaugg, Steven D.; Barber, Larry B.; Buxton, Herbert T. (2002).Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999-2000: A National Reconnaissance. Journal of Environment Science and

Quality Management Tools & Techniques Individual Project Assignment

Quality Management Tools & Techniques Individual Project - Assignment Example Actually, the establishment of this plant has been of much significance to the company. As a matter of fact, the beverage sector has become so competitive. Although the management of the Coca-Cola Inc. deeply understands much about it, they acknowledge that a lot still need to be done. For the company to continue enjoying a large share of the market, especially in this market, it needs to put in place a team of competent, highly qualified and motivated managers. These will be conserved about the management of its human, financial and all the other resources. Once the company has such management, it will be much possible for it to discharge all its operations without many challenges. First, the management will do this by hiring a large pool of professional employees to work for the company. Besides, they will be highly motivated to ensure that their productivity is boosted. Moreover, through a proper utilization of the company’s resources, the organization will manage to come up with novel ideas and viable strategies to improve the company’s products, quality of services to the satisfaction of all its clients. All these should be properly done as they can enable the company to record a tremendous growth. Once it can satisfy its clients, it will definitely have to accomplish its set short and long-term objectives. As part of the larger Coca-Cola Incorporations, Al Ahlia Gulf Line acknowledges that the satisfaction of its clients’ diverse needs is the corner stone of its success. Just like the rest of the stakeholders, the customers constitute a very significant section of the company. Without them, nothing much can be achieved. For this reason, the company has dedicated its time to ensure that the clients are provided with the necessary services and products which they always require. Beverage is a very popular product which is consumed by a large number of people in the country. However, this does not necessarily mean that the company is assured of

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 59

Assignment Example In addition, professionalism may face numerous issues during the presentation because of the dressing code. Having attire that makes an individual confident during a presentation is an added advantage as it raises the self-esteem to overcome all stances of incivility. Presentations may pose problems to an individual when he or she lacks the etiquette required. Business etiquette involves numerous issues that may hinder an individual’s presentation especially in instances where the presenter parties with his or her work mates and act irresponsibly. Such a trait may augment undesirable behavior from the work mates thereby making the presentation a hard thing to achieve in such situations. A presenter may face stances of incivility in instances where the presentation is targeted to an unfamiliar audience. Unfamiliar audience may not know the characteristics of the presenter thereby acting in a disrespectful manner. When a face-to-face presentation target a multitude of audience, the presenter may be disrupted in substantial levels thereby hindering his or her presentation. In the grouping, I would group Joe and Ellen as teammates. Both of them are hard workers, and that would enable them to complete on the assignment administered. Since Joe is punctual, he will be able to utilize and work on the assignment given with Ellen who may stay late working. These individuals should not work alone as they have varied traits that require each other’s participation. I would assign this group with the responsibilities of drafting the final document after other tasks have been accomplished. During his task, Joe can write the document after Ellen tests and verifies the document. Such document will enable both members to have a thoroughly scrutinized document that has undergone testing and verification. In the next group, I would group Marsha and Suzanne

Discuss Explanations of Forgetting Essay Example for Free

Discuss Explanations of Forgetting Essay We forget things for two reasons, firstly the memory has disappeared- it is no longer available or secondly the memory is stored in the memory system but cannot be retrieved. The first theory is more likely to be applicable to forgetting in the short term memory and the second in the long term memory. You can differentiate between availability and accessibility. Availability is whether the information has been stored in the memory or not and accessibility is the ability or inability to retrieve information if it has been stored. Forgetting information from the short term memory can be explained using the theories of trace decay and displacement. In reference to the multi store model of memory the theory states that in the STM both capacity and duration are limited. The capacity of STM is about 5-9 units of information and the duration of STM is given at only a few seconds, to a maximum of a minute or so. As information cannot stay indefinitely In STM, if it is not transferred into LTM it will be forgotten. Therefore theories of forgetting in STM are based on availability. There are two main theories about how information is lost from the STM, trace decay and displacement theories. Trace decay theory of forgetting (STM) relates to both long term and short term memory and also relates to lack of availability. The theory suggests that the STM can only hold information for between 15 and 30 seconds unless it is rehearsed. After this time the information decays (fades away). This explanation of forgetting in short term memory assumes that memories leave a trace in the brain. A trace is some sort of physical/chemical change in the nervous system. Trace decay theory states that forgetting occurs as a result of the automatic decay or fading of the memory trace. Trace decay theory focuses on time and the limited duration of short-term memory. Decay theory assumes that memories have a physical or biological basis in the brain, and that the encoding of memories involves a structural change in the brain. The physical representation of a memory is called a memory trace or an engram. This theory sees forgetting as the physical breakdown or decay of the memory trace. Assuming that rehearsal does not take place, the mere passage of time will cause the memory trace to break down. This explains why forgetfulness increases with time. According to the theory, metabolic processes happen over time which causes the structural change to break down if it is not maintained through repetition. Strengths of the decay theory are that it appeals to common sense that if we don’t use/activate the memory we will lose it. However the theory also has weaknesses and it does not explain why some older memories (especially in those who have Alzheimer’s) are not lost and can still be remembered whereas newer memories seem to decay more easily/quicker. A theory that supports decay theory is Peterson and Peterson (1959). They provide evidence for this theory. They conducted a study where they asked participants to recall a string of consonants selected so as to be difficult to pronounce. Recall delay was set to 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 during which rehearsal was prevented by participants counting backwards in threes from a target number (e. g. 397). Each subject was tested a total of 8 times at each of the 6 delay intervals. The findings of the study showed that while after a 3 second retention interval trigrams about 90% of trigrams were recalled, after 18 seconds only 10% were. The duration of STM without retention is very short. In terms of decay theory, the engram could not grow stronger and so broke down. Another theory of forgetting in the short term memory is the displacement theory. This theory suggests that new information received by the STM overwrites or displaces previous information. In a system of limited capacity, forgetting would take place through displacement in STM. According to this theory, when the system is full, the new information will push the old information out. A strength of the displacement theory would be that it provided a good account of how forgetting might take place in Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1968) model of short term memory. However it does have its weaknesses, it did become clear that the short term memory was much more complex than Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed. Forgetting from the STM can occur due to displacement or decay but it is difficult to specify which. Forgetting information from the LTM can be explained by the decay theory; we forget things because the physical memory trace has disappeared due to the passage of time. It can also be explained by interference theory, when one set of learning interferes with another. For example, things learned in the past may interfere with things learned now or vice versa. Or cue dependant forgetting can also explain forgetting information from the LTM. This theory suggests that information is not lost from LTM, but is simply inaccessible until an appropriate cue is given which triggers the memory. The multi store model of memory states that LTM has an unlimited capacity and memories have duration of potentially forever. However, we know from our own lives that we o forget from LTM. But does that mean the memories are gone, or we just can’t reach them? Theories of forgetting in LTM therefore are a mixture of accessibility and availability. An experiment that supports decay theory in the long term memory is Lashley (1931) he investigated whether by making physical alterations to the brain, he could induce forgetting. If this was the case, then it would suggest that memory has a physical basis and that forgetting is a result of the decay of the memory trace. He trained rats to learn mazes and then removed sections of their brains. He found a relationship between the amount of brain removed, and the amount of forgetting. This study supports decay theory although there are issues of ecological validity and whether it is generalizable from rats to humans. However if decay was the only explanation for loss of memory in the LTM we would expect that all memories would decay at the same time regardless of what happened in the intervening time. Generally there is little support for decay theory, as it cannot explain how we are able to remember things from many years ago. Another theory that may be able to explain why we forget in the LTM is interference. According to this theory there are two types of interference, proactive interference and retroactive interference. Proactive interference is when previous learning interferes with later learning and retroactive interference is when later learning disrupts earlier learning. A common everyday example of proactive interference is placing household objects in a different place in a room and going back to the place where the object used to be to try and find it rather than where you have now put it. Underwood and Postman (1960) used a pair associate learning task to test the effect of interference. Participants were asked to learn a series of word pairs, so that they can be presented with the first word (the stimulus word) and recall its paired word (response word). They are then given another list of word pairs to learn which have the same stimulus word, but a different response word. Participants have their recall tested on either the first or second list of words. As expected, recall of the response words is poorer, and affected by both previous learning (proactive) and later learning (retroactive). However this effect is only present when the stimulus words are kept the same throughout the lists. Overall the proactive and retroactive effects are reliable and robust; however there are a number of problems with interference theory as an explanation of forgetting. Firstly, interference theory tells us little about the cognitive processes involved in forgetting. Secondly, the majority of research into the role of interference in forgetting has been carried out in a laboratory using lists of words, a situation which is likely to occur fairly infrequently in the real world. As a result it may not be possible to generalise the findings of the studies supporting interference theory. The final theory that may explain why we forget in the LTM memory is cue dependant forgetting. This theory states that forgetting is not due to the loss of a memory, but rather is due to the inability to access it. This is known as retrieval failure. The memory is still there but it is inaccessible. The reason that it is unavailable is because you do not have the right cue. Cues can either be external (something about the environment or context) or internal (something about your own state or mood). There is lots of evidence to support this theory of forgetting from laboratory experiments. The ecological validity of these experiments can be questioned but their findings are supported by evidence from outside the laboratory. Context dependant learning (external) was demonstrated by Abernethy (1940) who found that students who sat a test in the same room with the same teacher as their normal lessons got higher results. Therefore, the environment acted as a cue to memory in this study. Our internal mental or emotional state can also act as a cue. This is state dependant learning. Goodwin et al (1969) found that people who had forgotten things when sober could remember once they had drunk sufficient alcohol. Repression may also cause forgetting because it causes traumatic memories to be repressed into the unconscious where they cannot be retrieved. Depression is also another factor that can cause forgetting because due to either the shrinking of the hippocampus due to a rise in cortisol of depressed people or possibly due to low motivation and inattention. Out of all the theories of forgetting discussed, you can see that not one theory covers all aspects of memory. There are many different theories to suggest why we forget different types of information and the theory that applies depends on many things such as whether the information is stored in the STM or the LTM. Not one theory can explain every result that is given from these studies but they are matched to the theories they support the most. A theory that is supported by a particular study can also have studies going against it. For example, evidence for interference would be underwood and postman (1960 however the Tulving and Psotka (1971) study goes against the interference theory.

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis Evaluation of the microbiological and physicochemical quality of Artesian well water used for irrigation in ArRiyadh Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 Abstract The quality of water from artesian wells used for irrigation was analyzed. Water samples were collected from 12 wells from different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer which is an area located approximately 35 km south of ArRiyadh. The major parameters for assessment of the groundwater quality used here were analysis of the major cations (K+, Na+and NH4 +) and the major anions (Cl-, SO42-, NO3- and PO43-). A total dissolved solid (TDS) is a summation of the all major constituents. pH, temperature and electrical conductivity (EC) were also measured as important indicators of groundwater quality. The samples were also tested for the presence of total and fecal coliforms bacteria. All the samples were free from contamination by coliforms bacteria; the physicochemical parameters of the all of the samples were not however, within the acceptable limits prescribed by WHO and FAO. Key words: Physicochemical quality, Artesian well water quality, Irrigation, coliforms, Cations      Ã‚   Introduction Water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater aquifers is an essential human resource and is needed for direct consumption as well as for recreational purposes1. Groundwater is a vital source for fresh water in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding Gulf states2; groundwater being the major source of both potable and irrigation waters in Saudi Arabia. As the population of Saudi continues to increase, especially in the big cities such as ArRiyadh, the demand for adequate and high-quality groundwater resources continues to increase. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (about 2.25 million km2) is one of hottest and most arid countries in the world, with an average summer temperatures of 46oC and an average rainfall of 120 mm per year over most of the country2. The available surface water and groundwater resources is limited, precipitation rates are low, while evaporation is high. With increasing population and agricultural use there is an increasing need for high quality water in Saudi Arabia 3. The total population of Saudi Arabia has increased from about 7.7 million in 1970 to 11.8 million in 1990 and is expected to reach 19 million in 2010, if the present growth rate of 3 per cent per annum continues. Consequently, domestic water demand has increased from about 446 MCM in 1980 to about 1,563 MCM in 1997, and is expected to reach 2,800 MCM in 20104,5. Agriculture accounts for some 88% of water use, while industry consumes only around 3%6. Saudi Arabia faces severe water problems and as a result, is in need of new water policies to achieve sustainable development in its harsh environment. Problems include balancing supply and demand while facing aridity and water scarcity, nonrenewable supplies, poor quality of ground water, poor distribution of supplies, salt water intrusion, and the overuse and contamination of aquifers7. Available water resources in Saudi Arabia are a) conventional, i.e. groundwater and surface water, and b) non-conventional such as desalinated seawater and treated waste water. About 88 percent of the water consumption in Saudi Arabia is met from groundwater supplies2.Groundwater is generally presumed to be ideal for human consumption and is used as a potential source of drinking water, agricultural development, urbanization and industrialization8. Around 47% of the water supplied in ArRiyadh is groundwater pumped from local aquifers9. It is estimated that 18% of worldwide cropland is irrigated, producing 40% of all food. Irrigation water and any foliar applied water, in intimate contact to the developing or mature edible portions of fresh produce, is likely to lead to contamination with human waste, although irrigation using surface water is likely to pose a greater risk to human health than irrigation water obtained from deep aquifers drawn from properly constructed and protected wells10. Water-borne pathogens infect around 250 million people and result in 10 to 20 million deaths world-wide each year. An estimated 80% of all illness in developing countries is related to water and sanitation, with some 5% of all child deaths under the age of five years occurring in developing countries resulting from diarrheal diseases 11,12. Pathogens pose a risk to human health as a result of the various uses of water (Figure 2). For example, it was suggested that contaminated irrigation water was a possible source of a recent outbreak of E. coli across USA13. Fruit and vegetables are frequently contaminated impacted by fecally-polluted irrigation water14. As a general rule, surface water resources are more susceptible to microbial contamination than are groundwater supplies. Microbial contamination introduced through sprinkler irrigation systems may also affect the surface of a crop for varying periods of time, and the risk is increased when the irrigated crop is consumed raw and so metimes unwashed15. Pathogen-contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables is a significant issue in agriculture. In many cases, fecal-oral pathogens such as toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella spp., and norovirus are the causative agents16. Fecally contaminated irrigation water is frequently a possible or likely source of contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables17. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)18, at least 12 percent of foods borne outbreaks during the 1990s were attributable to fresh produce, and the economic cost of food borne illness is estimated at around $10 to $83 billion per year19. Water is subject to varying degrees of fecal pollution, and consequently fresh waters are a vector transmission of many pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Fecal pollution can reach water resources as the result of human activities, such as sewage treatment plants and communities where sewage treatment is not available. Many diseases are related to fecal polluted water, but the majority is caused by enteropathogenic microorganisms, and not surprisingly therefore, the presence of enteric pathogens in waters is of considerable concern. For this reason, maintaining the microbiological safety of water is very important issue relating to the protection of public health1. Washing and disinfection practices are less effective against pathogens which in penetrate the plant interior20., and for this reason the prevention of water-borne contamination is considered to be an important primary means of controlling health risk associated with food borne pathogens19. The quality and safety of farm irrigation water determines the quality and safety of the resultant crop, and the safety of water depends on its source. Human pathogens can be introduced into irrigation water via run-off of manure from animal production facilities, from domestic/urban sewage systems or directly from wildlife. Extreme rainfall (which lead to storm overflows), spills of manure, or human waste can all increase the probability of the occurrence of contamination21. The quality of water needed for various uses is determined by its physical characteristics, chemical composition, biological parameters and the conditions of use and all surface or sub-surface waters contain varying amounts of salts which increase in irrigated soil due to evaporation. The aim of the work reported here was to determine the microbiological and physicochemical quality of waters obtained from artesian wells used for irrigation near the city of Riyadh. Materials and methods Description of the artesian wells: The samples were taken from wells of depth ranging from (60-100 m); some wells were open while others were closed. Sampling collection: Sampling: All ground water sampling (chemical or microbial) was conducted with the existing well pumps which were run for a sufficient time (10-15 minutes) in order to replace the old water in the pipes with fresh water and thereby obtain reliably stable readings of pH, specific conductance and temperature. Well water depths were measured with a graduated (l/l00th foot) steel tape. A total of three water samples were collected from 12 different wells located in different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer, which is an area located some 35 km south of Riyadh, during November 2010. The water samples were collected in plastic bottles, pH, EC and TDS were measured on site; samples were subsequently transported to the laboratory in an ice box. Each sample was divided into three portions; one for cation analysis, one for anion determinations and the third for coliform analysis. The concentration of total dissolved ions, Na, K, P, Cl, S04, NH4 and N03 were determined. The analytical procedures used for these determinations were those described in standard methods or the examination of water and wastewater. The evaluation of the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purpose is based here on the irrigation water specification provided by the Saudi Arabian Standards organization (SASO), irrigation water standards 1993, and water quality for use in agriculture by the FAO (1994). (Table 1) shows the concentration (mg/l) of individual constituents, groundwater, hardness, electrical conductance and pH of the groundwater. Coliform determination: Sample Preparation: The samples were diluted in the range- 10-1 to 10-6 and the original water sample were aseptically diluted into 9 ml buffered peptone prepared in three series. The number of total and fecal coliforms was determined using the MPN method and statistical tables were used to interpret the results. From each dilution, 1ml was removed and added aseptically to triplicate tubes containing 5ml of lauryl tryptose broth (LSB). The tubes were then incubated at 37  °C for 48 hours. Tubes showing color change or gas production were recorded as positive, and the number of positive tubes at each dilution was referred to MPN tables to obtain the number of bacteria present in the original sample. Results and Discussion Microbiological analysis: None of the water samples obtained from any of the wells contained coliforms, a fact which shows that the general sanitary conditions around the wells are excellent. Analysis of physicochemical parameters: Physical Characteristics: Table 1 shows the laboratory determinations used, together with the acceptable range to evaluate common irrigation water quality, as prepared by FAO 1994. Table 1. Laboratory determinations used to evaluate common irrigation water quality problems. Water parameter Symbol Unit1 Usual range in irrigation water SALINITY Salt content Electrical Conductivity ECw dS/m 0 3 dS/m (or) Total Dissolved Solids TDS mg/l 0 2000 mg/l Cations and anions Calcium Ca++ me/l 0 20 me/l Magnesium Mg++ me/l 0 5 me/l Sodium Na+ me/l 0 40 me/l Carbonate CO3 me/l 0 .1 me/l Bicarbonate HCO3- me/l 0 10 me/l Chloride Cl- me/l 0 30 me/l Sulphate SO4 me/l 0 20 me/l NUTRIENTS2 Nitrate-Nitrogen NO3-N mg/l 0 10 mg/l Ammonium-Nitrogen NH4-N mg/l 0 5 mg/l Phosphate-Phosphorus PO4-P mg/l 0 2 mg/l Potassium K+ mg/l 0 2 mg/l MISCELLANEOUS Boron B mg/l 0 2 mg/l Acid/basicity pH 1-14 6.0 8.5 Sodium Adsorption Ratio3 SAR (me/l)1, 2 0 15 1 dS/m = deciSiemen/metre in S.I. units (equivalent to 1 mmho/cm = 1 millimmho/centi-metre) mg/l = milligram per litre à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã†â€™ parts per million (ppm). me/l = milliequivalent per litre (mg/l à · equivalent weight = me/l); in SI units, 1 me/l= 1 millimol/litre adjusted for electron charge. Table 2. Physical parameters of analyzed groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Temperature (Degree Celsius) pH E.C* (ms/cm) T.D.S** (mg/L) Turbidity (NTU) Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3) A 25.0 8.15 3.87 2476 11.30 1800 B 25.5 8.13 8.89 5689 28.70 3000 C 24.5 8.17 4.48 2867 20.50 1200 D 25.5 7.98 3.74 2393 18.00 1400 E 23.5 8.19 5.49 3513 6.24 1000 F 24.5 8.05 9.41 6022 2.98 2600 G 28.0 8.02 9.19 5881 0.73 2800 H 25.0 7.84 10.78 6899 21.90 3600 I 26.5 8.29 9.41 6022 0.94 3200 J 26.0 8.07 10.29 6585 5.78 3200 K 27.0 8.06 11.13 7123 12.30 3800 L 27.0 8.11 10.16 6502 5.63 3600 * E.C = Electrical Conductivity ** T.D.S = Total Dissolved Solids Table 2 shows the physical parameters of the groundwater samples; the data reveals the following: pH: The pH values of all gr the groundwater samples tested was alkaline (around 8); a pH which is generally not conducive to optimal crop plant growth Total dissolved solids (TDS) : Suspended solids and total dissolved solids (TDS) are indicators of polluted water. The value for TDS of the samples ranged from 2393-7123 mg/l. Most of these values are outside the standard values generally considered to be suitable for irrigation purposes. TDS values exceeding 3000 mg/l are high values for irrigation of some crop types. The high TDS values found in groundwater sampled from the study area are likely to be due to high concentrations of sodium, chloride, sulfate and nitrate. Conductivity: Electrical conductivity gives a measure of all of the dissolved ions in solution. Electrical conductivity values measured in this study varied from 3.74 to 11.13 ms/cm with sample-K exhibiting the highest conductivity (11.13) and sample D the lowest, (3.74). The acceptable limit of conductivity is 1.5 ms /cm22. Generally, the conductivity of clean water is lower but as water moves down the soil profile it leaches and dissolves ions and also picks up organic from the biota and detritus23. Generally the conductivity values recorded for wells sampled here were not within the acceptable limit prescribed by WHO and FAO limits. Total Water Hardness: Water hardness is primarily a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium, and to a lesser extent, iron in a water sample. Water hardness is measured by summing the concentrations of calcium, magnesium and converting this value to an equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO3); a value which is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water. Water with hardness greater than 200 mg/L is considered to be of poor quality and water with hardness greater than 500 mg/L is normally considered to be unacceptable for domestic purposes. The analyzed samples for hardness, had hardness concentrations ranges between 1200 to 3800 mg/L been found then the samples would be assessed as belonging to the fourth category with very hard water and unacceptable for domestic purpose without treatment. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples: Table 3 shows the cations and anions loads of groundwater samples, the data shows the following: Sodium: An infiltration problem related to water quality occurs when the normal infiltration rate for the applied water or rainfall is appreciably reduced and water remains on the soil surface for long periods, or infiltrates too slowly to supply the crop with sufficient water to maintain acceptable yields. The infiltration rate of water into soil varies widely and can be greatly influenced by the quality of the irrigation water. The two most common water quality factors which influence the normal infiltration rate are water salinity (total quantity of salts in the water) and sodium content relative to the content of calcium and magnesium. Water which is highly saline will increase infiltration, while a low salinity water, or a sample with high sodium to calcium ratio will decrease infiltration; both of these factors may operate simultaneously. One serious side effect of an infiltration problem is the potential to develop plant disease and vector (mosquito) problems. An infiltration problem related to water quality in most cases occurs in the surface few centimetres of soil and is linked to the structural stability of this surface soil and its low calcium content relative to that of sodium. When a soil is irrigated with sodium-rich water, a high sodium surface soil develops which weakens soil structure. The surface soil aggregates then disperse into much smaller particles which clog soil pores. The problem may also be caused by an extremely low calcium content of the surface soil. In some cases, water low in salt can cause a similar problem but this is related to the corrosive nature of the low salt water and not to the sodium content of the water or soil. In the case of the low salt water, the water dissolves and leaches most of the soluble minerals, including calcium, from the surface soil. Analyses of the ground water samples tested here shows that that all have sodium ranges over 500 (mg/L);sodium contents greater than 500 mg/L are normally c onsidered unacceptable for irrigation according to water quality standards used by the FAO for agricultural use. Table 3. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Sodium Na (mg/L) Potassium K (mg/L) Phosphorus P (mg/L) Sulphate SO4 (mg/L) Ammonia NH3 (mg/L) Nitrate NO3 (mg/L) Chloride Cl (mg/L) A 500 17.0 0.53 1437 0 2.0 1250 B 1375 28.0 0.37 3275 0 10.0 2500 C 750 15.0 0.15 1302 0 5.5 1500 D 500 15.0 0.11 1380 0 2.0 1250 E 750 23.0 0.10 1607 0 4.0 1500 F 1500 27.0 0.00 3675 0 3.5 2850 G 1375 26.0 0.33 3275 0 13.5 2500 H 1375 27.0 0.25 2587 0 49.5 3000 I 1125 30.0 0.81 1737 0 138.0 2750 J 1375 27.0 0.00 2987 0 35.0 2750 K 1375 31.0 0.00 3075 0 142.0 3250 L 1125 30.0 0.25 1595 0 158.0 3000 Nitrates: The nitrate content of the analyzed groundwater samples ranges between 2 mg/l in well A and D and reaches a maximum of 158mg/l in well L .Many of the sampled groundwater wells contain nitrate exceeding the guideline values for irrigation water prescribed by FAO (0-10 mg/l), with most of the nitrogen present being probably derived from the biosphere. The nitrogen originally fixed from the atmosphere, is mineralized by soil bacteria into ammonium, which is converted into nitrate by nitrifying bacteria under aerobic conditions24. The main sources of nitrate result from either natural or anthropogenic activities rainfall and dry fall out, soil nitrogen, nitrate deposit, sewage, septic tank and animal waste, manure or compost, green manure and plant residues, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, fertilizer nitrogen from irrigated overflow water outlets and industrial effluent25. Nitrate is the end product of the oxidation of nitrogen in the environment. Particularly high nitrate concentrations indicate pollution from either sewage or agricultural fertilizer waste. Nitrate is without doubt an essential plant nutrient, but is equally a potential threat to human health when present in excess concentrations in the drinking water 26. The data obtained from the samples tested here shows that the ground waters examined contain high level of nitrate, concentrations which exceed the permissible limits for drinking purposes (Table 3). Ammonia: The term ammonia includes the non-ionized (NH3) and ionized (NH4+) species. Ammonia originates in the environment from metabolic, agricultural and industrial processes and from disinfection with chloramines. Natural levels in groundwater and surface water are usually below 0.2 mg/liter27. Anaerobic ground waters may contain up to 3mg/liter. Intensive rearing of farm animals can give rise to much higher levels in surface water. Ammonia contamination can also arise from cement m

The Grand Inquisitor Poem Theology Religion Essay

The Grand Inquisitor Poem Theology Religion Essay The Grand Inquisitor is part of the stories found in the book by Fyodor Dostoevsky entitled Brothers Karamozov. Dostoevsky concerns himself in analyzing the psychological consequences of engaging in crime, and the moral consequences of engaging in such kind of vices. In the grand Inquisitor, the characters question the validity of religion, free will and morality. The main dilemma that these characters ask, is it prudent for man, to observe the laws of religion? The other questions that linger on the minds of these people is whether they should take the role of God, and ignore the various religious believes or traditions. The poet identifies the various degrees of freedom, and this includes positive and negative freedom, rational egoism, Christian idealism, and nihism. He does this through the various characters in his poem the Grand Inquisitor (Dostoyevsky,, Richard and Larrisa, 27). The Grand Inquisitor is based on the idea of freedom and human nature. In the poem, Alysha is a monk, and Ivan questions the benevolence of God. According to the Grand Inquisitor, the notion of freedom does not exist. The Grand Inquisitor observes that people need to be selfish, and by doing that the whole society will benefit. This is because the needs of individuals are the same and complement each other. On this basis, the freedom the Jesus Christ brings to the world is not freedom but slavery. This aspect is denoted in the poem when the Grand Inquisitor tells Jesus that by coming again, he is destroying the church. He further tells Jesus that the devil tempted him with three items, food, power, and divine authority (Dostoyevsky and Constance, 33). For instance, the devil told Jesus to turn stone into bread. According to the Grand Inquisitor, Jesus should have done that. According to him, men will only follow people who feed their bellies. By turning stone into bread, Jesus will demonstrate his ability to feed the multitudes. The Grand Inquisitor further tells Jesus that he should have cast himself down from the temple and caught by angels. This would have demonstrated his godhead abilities, therefore acquiring worship and trust from the people. Finally, the Grand Inquisitor believes that had Jesus accepted to rule over the world, then the world would have seen salvation (Leatherbarrow, 24). On this basis, the Grand Inquisitor accuses Jesus of giving humanity freedom to choose. According to him, the masses do not have the capability of choosing what is right or wrong. This freedom has led to the destruction of mankind. The Grand Inquisitor therefore believes that the freedom that Jesus gave to mankind, by refusing to oblige to the temptations of the devil, was too much for the people. On this basis therefore, the Grand Inquisitor advocates for selfishness of an individual. However, this freedom that comes with selfishness is an illusion, and does not exist in Christianity. The Christian teachings advocate for love, and humanity. For instance, the Inquisitor believes in giving people bread, in exchange of their souls. According to this teaching, the freedom of people will only come through coercion. On this basis, the Grand Inquisitor takes the role of God, instead of man. In my own opinion, the kind of freedom that the Grand Inquisitor advocates for is the negative freedom. The Inquisitor tries to justify his believes by identifying the roles of Satan in providing real freedom. He does this by denoting that the catholic church long left the teachings of Jesus, and followed the teachings of Satan. In his own opinion, freedom that comes from the devil is sufficient in taking care of the needs of humanity. This is because the devil gives authority to the few, who have the capability of handling their freedom. By doing, the devil manages to end the suffering of humanity, and uniting the world, through the church, i.e. the Catholic Church (Crane and Faynia, 19). No matter what justification the Grand Inquisitor gives, this is negative freedom. This is because it is against humanity to act in a selfish manner. For people to stay together, they must satisfy the various needs of others. There is no way leadership by a few people and through coercion can result to the promotion of humanity, and hence positive freedom. This is because people will always be dissatisfied by the selfishness of individuals, resulting to rebellions. Dostoevsky presents the freedom denoted as Christian idealism through the actions of Jesus Christ. For instance, the Grand Inquisitor accuses Jesus of allowing people to choose on what they want and what they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want (Davis, Gary, David, John, 28). For instance, the Grand Inquisitor argues that by refusing to accept the temptations that the devil offered to Jesus Christ, he gave mankind the freedom to choose. This is what Christian idealism is all about. To Christians, they have a role to play in their lives, in regard to worshiping God. They can choose either choose to worship God, and achieve eternal life, or to go against God, and be lead to eternal death (Dostoyevsky, 33). The Grand Inquisitor acknowledges these teachings, and he tell Jesus that even though the devil is leading them to death and destruction, the freedom that he gives is for the benefit of humanity. This kind of freedom is the elimination of the free will of individuals, in exchange of providing for their needs, and happiness. In conclusion, Dostoevsky manages to highlight religious bondage in the manner in which the Grand Inquisitor argues about the freedom. The Grand Inquisitor is under religious bondage because of his assumptions that freedom to choose is limited to a few individual. In reality, this is not freedom but bondage. This is because an individual will not have the capability of acting by himself. The person will always live in fear of need, because the authority will fail to provide for her due to disobedience. On this basis, the notion of harmony does not exist; instead individuals are under spiritual bondage, in the name of self-gratification, and self-love.

Abbey Road Essays -- essays research papers

â€Å"Abbey Road† By The Beatles Abbey Road is heralded as one of the greatest rock ‘n roll albums ever. It grinds with hard rock and sways with soft guitar. The variety of the tracks provides something for everyone. It was created in 1969 at the famous Abbey Road studios. George Martin and Geoff Emerick, who had produced many other Beatles’ albums, contributed to this work. This album is one of the more famous albums of the Beatles, who are one of the most popular bands ever. Almost every piece of this album, even the cover, is art works in themselves. The album begins with the hard-rocker â€Å"Come Together†. The song is a perfect example of John Lennon’s rock influence in the Beatles. â€Å"Come Together† is a song that’s popularity has been revived due to its appearances in many commercials. Its trademark chorus, â€Å"Come together right now over me†, is known just about everywhere. Ringo’s heavy drums and John’s deep poetic lyrics drive the song, while Paul’s voice and George’s sharp guitar contribute to the body of this song. John Lennon was well known for his creative lyrics. His mind provided lyrics for such insightful songs such as â€Å"Across the Universe† and â€Å"A Day in the Life†. The third track is â€Å"Maxwell’s Silver Hammer†. This song is a humorous tune about a boy who enjoys attacking people with a silver hammer. It is a playful piano jingle that reflects on Paul’s influence on the album. Paul McCartney’s songs usually presented the lighter, more friendly side of the Beatles. Pau...

Free the Children, by Craig Kielburger Essay -- abusive child labor

Iqbal Masih was just four years old when his single mother used him as collateral on a loan between a local employer of a carpet weaving factory in Pakistan to pay for her eldest son’s wedding. For the six long years he was employed, a typical workday included at least 14 hour shifts for six days a week with only one 30 minute break. Even though Iqbal lived under terrible conditions and the relentless threats of abuse, his mother had no choice but to keep borrowing money from the employer to make ends meet at home. Employers charging high interest rates and increasing the total debt owed by a family was not out of the ordinary. Masih’s employer included fines to the original loan when he erred on the job and for the daily bowl of rice—making freedom an unattainable goal. During the six years he was â€Å"employed†, the debt increased from a mere 600 rupees ($6.06) to 13,000 rupees ($13.13). But with the aid of an organization for human rights, Masih escaped at the age of ten and was soon after enrolled in school. After his escape, he helped others break free and traveled to numerous countries as an advocate against child labor. Sadly, at the young age of 12, he was murdered under mysterious conditions, which gave way to conspiracy stories. The fact that the stories from key witnesses changed on more than one occasion did not help the truth come out. Major newspapers around the world wrote about Masih’s story, even though it was often demoted towards the end of the newspaper. It was not long before both the media and the public disregarded it. A little less than seven thousand miles away from Pakistan, however, another 12-year-old boy in Thornhill, Canada devoted Masih’s story to memory, an undertaking that signified the beginning ... ...urger. Every person begins as an average person, but somewhere down the road they realize what they are doing is not enough. As a result of this enlightenment, they walk down a different path than others and stand up for what they believe in. It is this commitment that changes this ordinary person into an extraordinary individual. They embark on adventures that are said to be hopeless and succeed in attaining it. Arising from there – a tenacious resolution to do what is morally correct – nothing is no boundary for what can be accomplished. Works Cited http://history1900s.about.com/od/1990s/a/IqbalMasih.htm Craig Kielburger, Kevin Major, Free the Children, (New York: Harper Collins, 1998), p. 10. bid. Free the Children p. 280 http://www.peaceheroes.com/CraigKielburger/craigkielburgerbio.htm#Top http://www.freethechildren.org/aboutus/history-ftc.htm

Abortion Poems Essay

Gewndolyn Brooks and Anne Sexton both wrote poems about the controversial subject of abortion. Brooks wrote a poem titled â€Å"The Mother† which stressed the physiological and ethical consequence of her choice. While in Sextons poem â€Å"The Abortion† the focus is more on the emotions felt before and after the actual process of aborting the baby. Yet both poems posses similar use of words to get a point across. The main way the authors did this is through the use of tone. The tone of these poems easily allow the reader to see just how easy it is to know something is wrong, but do it anyway. In Brooks poem â€Å"The Mother† she selects words and expressions that give the poem an air of sadness. By saying things such as â€Å"You will never neglect or beat Them, or silence or buy with a sweet.† it shows her longing to do things that mothers are generally thought to be good at. At the same time this also shows she is aware that she has essentially taken life and its experiences away from not only her unborn child but herself as well because she never gets the chance to do the things she speaks of. The title of the poem demonstrates this trough a paradox, she never actually got to be a â€Å"Mother† because she aborted her baby. The line in which she states, â€Å"you will never end up sucking thumb† reinforces all this as well as demonstrates her use of imagery thought the entire poem. By creating such vivid images of things she and her child would have done it connects the reader on a more personal level because it gives them a chance to really imagine everything Brooks is saying. Having the connection and the images in their mind while knowing that the baby was aborted makes it all the more real, allowing the reader to feel similar emotions that the mother herself had felt such as sorrow and remorse. The remorseful feeling is really expressed towards the ending of the poem when there is a change in whom she is addressing. Brooks now begins to address the actual child that was aborted and ask for forgiveness while acknowledging she has done wrong by saying â€Å"the crime was other than mine†. She also tells the child that she loves them and that â€Å" even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate.† showing that she is sorry for what she has done even though she knew what she was getting into when she did it. All of these things together give Brook s poem a remorseful tone that perfectly expresses how someone can so easily do something they know deep down is wrong. In Sextons poem â€Å"The Abortion† the emotions she is feeling are expressed to the reader through the change setting. It begins while she still has the baby inside her and she uses words that make the world sound as though it is full of life such as puckering and puffing. She describes the landscape hilly mountainous and green, which is a color that symbolizes new life. Towards the end of the poem when returning from her abortion the setting is described in a more gloomy empty way. The sky had grown thin and the roads were flat. This shows the change in her emotions, just like the land she used to be full of life as well and afterwards she was empty and flat without a child in her womb. The first line of the poem â€Å" Somebody who should have been born is gone.† is an expression of her feelings on abortion. The statement itself lets the reader know right off the bat that she thinks abortion is wrong, yet she goes along and does it anyway. She does not even describe the actual process of aborting the baby as badly as one would imagine someone with that view on the subject would have. She makes an allusion to Rumplestilksen saying that the man who performed the abortion for her was nothing like him at all, basically meaning that she didn’t feel the experience was horrible and as though he was forcing her to give up her first born child like Rumplestilksen had done in a fairy tale. The repetition of the first line thought the entire poem expresses the regret she is feeling thought the entire experience of her abortion. She even calls herself a coward at the very end for doing such a thing. But none of that stopped her from getting the abortion done. The tone of regret Sexton set for this poem once again shows that it’s not at all hard to go ahead and do something they you are sure is wrong. Both of these women were well aware that getting an abortion, in their opinion, was wrong. They each expressed their regret and remorse through the wording of their poems and both poems were quite simple and soothing, something a child would understand. The poems described different aspects of abortion but stress the idea that having an abortion comes with the emotions of sadness, sorrow, and guilt. The reader is easily able to connect to the pome and understand the emotions that are being felt through the imagery used and tone set by the authors. But even with all of that both women still chose to abort their baby. Doing something you know is wrong is something every reader can easily relate to and understand.

Impacts of Business Environment Change Essay

IP/MIP techniques have been used most often to aid supply chain configuration decisions and there have been many successful applications [9]. Two recent articles [9; 11] made comprehensive reviews about facility location models relevant to global manufacturing operations. This review section focuses on optimization models which are closely related with impacts of business environment cost parameters on the design of manufacturing networks. Cohen and Lee [12] developed a MIP model for a global manufacturing and distribution network. It demonstrated significant impacts of changes in the foreign exchange rate. Cohen and Moon [13] used a MIP model to analyze impacts of changes in a firm’s cost environment. It was found that scale economies, scope economies, and transportation costs could alter optimal facility network design strategies. Vidal and Goetschalckx [14] analyzed impacts of uncertainties on global supply chains through a MIP model. Foreign exchange rate was identified to be influential on global supply chain configurations. Using a two-stage optimization model, Kulkarni et al. [15] evaluated trade-offs between risk pooling and logistics costs in a multi-plant network with commonality. Their analyses showed that impacts of operational cost parameters may be significant and non-intuitive. All these models suggested that cost parameters have significant impacts on manufacturing facility location decisions, and may even alter supply chain configuration strategies. However, they only considered a single objective of profits or costs. The consideration of both costs and responsiveness was seen in the reconfiguration of global manufacturing and distribution network at Digital Equipment Corporation. It used a bi-objective model to minimize total costs and activity days. The model was implemented successfully with savings over $100 million [10]. However, the application did not explore impacts of changes in cost parameters. Overall, there is a lack of using a bi-objective approach to analyze impacts of business environment changes on the configuration of GMNs.