Case study - holden australia - Marketing and Survey Research

- holden australia - Marketing and Survey Research - Case Study Example ative technologies to their car models or introduce a completely different product range so as to attract more of the Australian consumers towards their brand? Rationale: The major managerial problem was rapid failures in the new product development. Holden should have tried to determine the reason behind the failures of its new product developments. The company did not aim to understand the changing needs of the consumer market but focused only on profit growth which led to such an erroneous managerial decision. The new product development is a strategy that is adopted by a company when it intends to enter into new market with existing products. Customers nowadays focus on more on quality and new technology based products. The problem that resulted from the management’s decision was quitting the Australian market which somewhere was coincided with Holden’s failure in the local market. The flagship product of Holden was Commodore whose sales fell down by 9%. The vehicle manufacturing company was producing those cars that were not demanded by the consumers anymore. Commodore which had hit high sales three years ago was declini ng on the sales growth. Though the vehicle market was booming the locally made cars by Holden was failing miserable. The traditional small cars had hit high sales in the financial year but the locally made cars by Holden had seen a slump down in sales. The company was manufacturing different kind of products without being concerned of what was actually the demand of the Australian market. Then because of the problem faced by Holden the management decided to leave the Australian market. Holden’s key goals were to be the market leader of the vehicle manufacturing industry through the range of products it offered. Its aim was to acquire more of market share than to really understand what kind of modifications its product line required so as to support the changing consumer demand. The new product development strategy is adopted to sustain

Applications of Sustainable Architecture

Applications of Sustainable Architecture ‘Sustainability: What it means for Architecture’ Abstract This thesis considers what sustainability means to architecture, and how architects can utilise their knowledge to not only ensure a greener future for buildings, but to promote a better understanding of sustainability on a far wider scale. The areas under study include an appraisal of the technical, social, and financial and energy-saving aspects of sustainable development. Research proposes that systematic research and study into what sustainability means can help the concept to be more fully understood and better implemented in industry. Research is secondary, and uses three case studies which I have selected for their relevance to my design interests and which I believe represent a unique and innovative approach to the concept and interpretation of sustainability in architecture. Introduction Contemporary definitions of sustainability suggest that it is a generic term which encompasses many areas of society and industry, including buildings, transport, and public space. Sustainable architecture has been defined as a ‘cultural construction in that it is a label for a revised conceptualization of architecture [†¦] A sustainable design is a creative adaptation to ecological, sociocultural and built contexts (in that order of priority), supported by credible cohesive arguments.’[1] This dissertation seeks to address and discuss the varied ways in which sustainability relates to architecture, including physical constraints, impact of sustainable design, political and social trends and needs, and the availability of resources with which to build sustainable architecture. For architects sustainability and its implications have become of great value and importance ultimately changing the direction of architecture as a discipline and practical science. I believe that the term sustainability is a term thrown around very often without much thought as to what it means often because it is a concept of such great depth with potentially world-changing consequences and that the concept requires far more research if it is to be fully implemented on a mass scale. Throughout this thesis, I seek to define my own professional and creative interpretation of sustainable architecture by examining and learning from the work of others. In my structuring of the thesis I have narrowed down these interests to focus on three key areas as represented by three chosen case studies. These are to include: Chapter One. Technical sustainability: Werner Sobek This chapter examines how German engineer and architect Werner Sobek has integrated sustainable technical features into the design of his ecological home. The social housing Bed Zed project in London is also examined for its contributions to developing a clearer understanding of how architects might incorporate sustainable technology into their designs. Chapter Two. Social Sustainability: Seattle Library OMA. This chapter considers the impact and function of the public building for the immediate neighbourhood, and why the development is socially important. Chapter Three. Economical and Energetic Sustainability at Beddington. This chapter examines the key features of the Bed Zed project and what energy-saving and economic incentives the project offers to the wider community. Now one of the most well-known sustainable social housing developments, designed by Bill Dunster Architects, Bed Zed provides a useful and insightful point of comparison for the other studies. This allows me to assess the changes and improvements which sustainable development has undergone over the last decade. Chapter One: Technical Sustainability: Werner Sobek As outlined by Stevenson and Williams the main objectives of sustainability include significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving resources, creating well-structured and cohesive communities, and maintaining a consistent and successful economy[2]. For architecture these concepts have opened up a new industry involving use of alternative often re-usable materials, which offers the architect space to experiment with new designs. A considerable body of research exists into the best use of construction materials, offering guidance to architects and construction companies. For example, in 2000 The Building Research Establishment published a paper called a ‘green’ guide to construction materials which presents Life Cycle Assessment studies of various materials and their environmental impacts[3]. Whereas Energy Efficiency Best Practice in Housing have already established through research that there is global pressure to ensure that construction materials are susta inable.[4] Sobek’s design of his own sustainable home has been described as ‘an ecological show house of precise minimalism.’[5] Its principal design is of a cube wrapped in a glass shield, where all components are recyclable. The most obviously sustainable technical feature is the building’s modular design glass panels and a steel frame, which forms a lightweight structure. Sorbek’s work illustrates a high degree of thought behind the architect’s conceptual understanding of sustainability. Sorbek has obviously thought about what sustainability means and has implemented his knowledge to create an example from which future practitioners will learn. In Sobek’s work we see the high degree to which he has embraced new technology and made sophisticated use of new materials, while also maximising user comfort by incorporating sensor and controlling technology. Furthermore, the use of arbitrarily convertible ducts makes the use of traditional composites unnecessary. Thus, Sorbek is progressing the discipline of sustainable architecture, branching out into bolder, and stranger designs, which displace the functionality and detract saleability from traditional designs. In contemporary sustainable designs there needs to be a regularity and simplicity of form as this seems best to reflect the sustainable philosophy of the architect. As Papenek said of the designs of ecologically sensitive projects: ‘common sense must prevail when a design is planned.’[6] Considering the example of Sobek it is clear that sustainable building although fairly simple can nevertheless draw from a range of theoretical models in its designs. For example, the influence of traditional, even classical traditions will never be entirely absent from contemporary design; moreover contemporary sustainable designs require a re-assessment of architectural theory and practice. As Williamson et al phrases it: ‘green, ecological, and environmental are labels that embody the notion that the design of buildings should fundamentally take account of their relationship with and impact on the natural environment [..] labels refer to a particular strategy employed to achieve the conceptual outcome, and the strategies that occur in a discourse must be understood as instances from a range of theoretical possibilities. The promotion of a restricted range of strategic options regulates the discourse and the ways of practising the discipline [..] Overall, practitioners modify their concept of their discipline to embrace these new themes, concerns and ways of practice.’[7] Ways in which these theoretical influences might be expressed include experiments in symmetry, and regularity of form. Very often, as shown by Sobek’s work, the sustainable features require certain areas of space which can be unified under the more common purpose of working collaboratively. At Bed Zed in London any aesthetic compromises are more than compensated for by the provision of its own renewable energy. Forms, although not ambitious or ornamental do adhere to the Vitruvian principles of symmetry, where symmetry is defined as : ‘A proper agreement between the members of the work itself, and relation between the different parts and the whole general scheme, in accordance with a certain part selected as standard.’[8] In the BedZed project the regular layout, consisting of the assimilation of many component parts, reflects the sense of collaboration amongst the different companies which joined forces to create BedZed, and also the community feel amongst the people who live there. There is certainly a sense of completeness, deriving from the presence of many different units, fortified by sustainable features, where vents of varying colours detract from the strict regularity of forms, creating a light-hearted and ‘sunny’ aspect. Order and symmetry are integral to the design, as without these principles the amalgamation of materials and technological apparatus has the potential to look untidy. In both Sorbek’s project and at Beddington the presence of many windows, and solar panelled roofs, will come to symbolise not a lost tradition of architecture, but the securing of conceptual ideologies which aim to combine practicality with ecological sound principles and materials. Chapter Two. Social Sustainability: Seattle Library OMA. The Seattle Central Library, that opened in 2004, offers a unique blend of technical and social sustainability; where multi-functional spaces are combined with the most recent and efficient methods of construction. An important feature of the library’s placement is that it occupied the same site as the previous library. All too often new developments such as the newly proposed re-building of the Thomas Cooper Library at USC, Columbia involve purchasing a bigger site, often removed from the original location. This changing of location alters the layout of the city or town and thus changes the social dynamic of the area as well as the ways in which the public use the building. Designed by OMA Architects (Rem Koolhaas) and LMN Architects, the Seattle library has become one of the most famous buildings in North America[9]. Athens attributes this rise to fame to the building’s ‘daring form, soaring spaces, and unique interpretation of library functionality’, a s well as being a primarily green building with a LEED certification. The building is an irregular shape; this is necessary in order to maximise the exposure of the high performance glazing system to the light. A triple-layered glass wall allows for people within to have a shaded view out, while having plenty of daylight in the interior. One of the most sustainable features of contemporary projects should be to maximise daylight within the building and make best use of the energy that the sun affords. This not only means a greener ethic behind the building’s construction but also encourages people to make more use of the building as a public space, eg: for conferences, functions etc. The Seattle Library seeks to mark out a new definition of what public space means to the public, and how such a space can be multi-functional and dynamic in nature and design. Furthermore, the function of the building is not entirely contained to the immediate area or immediate society. For instance, the library has a rainwater collection system that is combined wit h a storm water detention tank. This means that the 40,000 gallon tank makes use of the required stormwater detention tank and increases its size by about 50% offering additional storage capacity for landscape irrigation, thus both conserving natural resources and benefiting the local farming and economic community. This library project is of particular relevance to the subject of this dissertation as it made use of LEED NC points an assessment method for the sustainable ‘points’ of a building as it is created. The Seattle library LEED NC points check highlighted social credits as being 28%: This project is a good example of how sustainable development can benefit the community and promote social engagement within the design process. As expressed by Athens,[10] ‘by its very nature, design process can represent the social side of sustainability because it is all about the people involved—their vision, creativity, and collaborative skills.’ Because the library project was aiming to provide a large community of people with an important service, and because the project needed to ensure a high level of longevity for the building, an extra three months was taken before the actual project design in order to research and map out the future of libraries their evolution, functionality and use of technology. Athens explains that ‘this process served to question assumptions regarding the core purpose of the project, and assess fundamental concepts for how needs could be met.’[11] The Bed Zed project in London although a social housing development provides a useful point of contrast to the Seattle project. For example, Bed Zed is a good example of how local government can work with local society, in a community-based project. While Athens expresses, ‘social aspects are harder to define as value propositions within the triple bottom line, and are often thought of as â€Å"externalities,†[12] it was the primary objective of the Bed Zed project to ensure that all parties were represented and consulted throughout the course of the project. In this way the social sustainability of the project is best achieved as once completed, the residents of the 82 homes have expressed their enthusiasm for the project, highlighting its convenience, its thoughtfulness in design, and its energy-efficiency. As Buckingham said of the social cohesion that went into the Bed Zed project, and which the project itself precipitated: ‘There is a synergy from building on these links so that capacity building is achieved through partnership in delivering local environmental sustainability projects and policies. Greater capacity as the sum of the collective work done in various initiatives is greater than the individual parts or partners, and, overall, individual projects and initiatives have a positive impact locally regarding environmental sustainability[..] The design provides a carefully researched balance between the needs of residents, businesses and community activities; the need for sunlight and daylight; an economic construction system and high levels of insulation without losing contact with the outside world.’[13] As designers Bill Dunster Associates have noted, ‘the true value of any site is determined by the amount of accommodation the local planning area sub-committee will allow to be built on it-empowering local communities to promote zero emissions developments, without relying on large central government grants, or asking the developer to pay for the increased building costs of super efficient urban fabric.’[14] Thus, in the design and implementation of sustainable projects it is necessary for architects to work closely and liaise with the local planning committee, stakeholders, and potential residents. Chapter Three: Energetic and Economic Sustainability In this chapter I seek to define the nature and importance of low-energy expenditure in construction and how to lower the building’s eventual energy output through new and innovative designs. Bed ZED Project, or Beddington Zero Energy Development, is the UKs largest carbon-neutral eco-community in the UK. It was built in 2002 in Wallington, within the London Borough of Sutton, and offers 82 residential homes. The Project was developed by the Peabody Trust, a social housing initiative in London, that aims to fight poverty within the capital. The aim of this project was to build in partnership with both an architect and an environmental consultancy firm, in order to create a housing project that incorporates new approaches to energy conservation and sustainability, and to develop a thriving community to live within it[15]. The BedZed design is unique for having incorporated a zero energy policy, where the energy that the building’s inhabitants need is produced by renewable sources generated on site.[16] Reclaimed materials were used, including floorboards, bollards, and timber.[17] It is a large site, including a sports field, offering 50 dwelling spaces per hectare, 120 workspaces per hectare, and over 4000m2 of green open space per hectare.[18] Utilisation of space is a key component of the design; the roofs of workspaces are used as gardens, where in comparable circumstances, most densities might only have room for a balcony.[19] According to the designers of BedZED, the â€Å"combination of super-insulation, a wind driven ventilation system incorporating heat recovery, and passive solar gain stored within each flat by thermally massive floors and walls, reduces the need for both electricity and heat to the point where a 135 kW wood fuelled combined heat and power plant (chp) can meet the en ergy requirements for a community of around 240 residents and 200 workers.†[20] The community treats all its black and grey water on site, and collects rainwater to minimise mains water consumption. A photovoltaic installation provides enough solar electricity to power 40 electric cars and the community has the capability to lead a carbon neutral lifestyle-with all energy for buildings and local transport being supplied by renewable energy sources. Other environmentally sensitive practices include community composting and plans for urban gardening on part of the adjoining Metropolitan Open Land, subject to local authority approval. Using the Bio-Regional principles of local material and labour sourcing stimulating the local economy, and minimising pollution from transportation, the team is now developing a site based prefabrication technique. Buckingham records that on-site workshops took second hand materials directly from demolition sites, cleaning up both timber and steel, and using simple jigs to build structural frames. Materials for this development such as new hardwoods, including oak and chestnut were sourced from local WWF Forest Stewardship Council approved woodland. Whereas local brick, concrete aggregate and precast floor planks were all sourced within 35 miles of the site, thus ‘ensuring that all bulky materials have a reduced embodied energy.’[21] It is important for architecture to embrace and promote new sustainable housing as a viable and prosperous alternative to renovating older style homes and installing sustainable features as to the potential home-owner an affordable, sustainable home is far more likely to be a more valuable asset of the future, offering them more efficient use of energy and a better quality of life. As highlighted by Glasgow Housing Association[22] the most toxic build up of emissions occurs within the home, rather than outside the home, which is why new developments have greater viability for meeting the needs of housing associations and potential inhabitants. As stated in The Architectural Review, BedZed is ‘a piece of radical architectural design, and deserves to be seen within a wider context as a model for future volume housing.’[23] In terms of sustainability BedZed betters the Millennium Village as it includes photovoltaic cells and individual power units, and the heating require ments of BedZED homes are around 10% of that of a typical home.[24] On their design of BedZed, Bill Dunster Architects is quoted as saying that it was a ‘high profile housing development: designed to be carbon neutral eco-housing with ostensible eco styling’[25]; one where the houses were designed around a heat and power unit that operates on heat and electricity from tree waste[26]. The project, did however, run over budget and well over its timescale due to problems in implementing the design and generating a truly sustainable outcome. As discussed by Williamson et al, sustainable design can be problematic in decision processes being made throughout the design process: â€Å"In practice an architect must make many decisions quickly and simply, on the basis of apparent fittingness with the right thing to do rather than deep analysis. Designers are also typically concerned with many decisions at the same time, switching from one to another in an attempt to find a fit between them, and initially regard most decisions as provisional anyway. Moreover, design problems are notoriously difficult to manage, to the extent of being labelled wicked.† Whereas traditional strategies for decision-making and overcoming problems might rely upon an architect’s experience and ability to identify key features of a new situation and apply their knowledge correctly, within the relatively new field of sustainable architecture, architects have to make decisions based on the work of others. As Williams and Radford suggest: ‘skilful practitioners learn to conduct frame experiments in which they impose a kind of coherence on messy situations and thereby discover consequences and implications of their chosen frames. Long webs of what if I try this? speculations are spun out in the process of making a design. In this way designers come to understand the possibilities and scope of a problem through a circle of making proposals and reflecting on their implications. From time to time, their efforts to give order to a situation provoke unexpected outcomes back talk that gives the situation a new meaning. They listen and reframe the problem.’[27] It is this ability to problem frame; to on-the-spot experiment, and detect the consequences and implications of sustainable designs that will allow architects to succeed in creating truly sustainable designs designs which do not overrun budget or time-frames, but which seek to make a compromise between the interests of all parties and the resources available. As suggested by a number of researchers including Buckingham and Healey, ‘building local knowledge and building on local knowledge within civil society is key to the development of social capital and institutional capital.’[28] Healey comments on the importance of local knowledge within different areas of civil society, and suggests that there is a need for local government to learn about different social worlds from which stakeholder groups and organisations come.[29] Analysis The case studies under discussion have exhibited the varied considerations and implications that sustainable development involves. Contemporary projects require an interdisciplinary approach one that consolidates information and can be used as a resource for future projects and research. As expressed by Hinchcliffe et al calculations and projections for the economic viability of sustainable projects require making ‘what formerly might be held to be no expertise as a resource for possible innovation, and to think of a project whereby expertise is less about distant judgments and more about learning to gather together in innovative ways.’[30] A thorough means of assessing to a specific degree the sustainability of projects can be achieved by measures such as the LEED NC, which should be a valuable and essential element of architectural practice. What the case studies have shown is that all sustainable projects need to be cohesive stakeholders, interested parties, need to be involved and to work with the architect, if the sustainable aims are to be achieved. What all the sustainable developments under study have shown is that sustainable development is concerned with creating a build that is durable, while being economically, energetically, and practically sustainable. The overriding principle as expressed by company ‘Sustainable Build‘ is that ‘less is more’, and it is easy for a design to run over its budget simply by trying to include too much or be too clever. Thus, a professional architect will need to aim for simplicity and functionality, and aim to make optimum utilization of space, often by thinking dual-purposefully as shown by the water tank at Seattle Library. Peter Fawcett sums up the contemporary relationship between architecture and sustainability offering an explanation to the question posed at the beginning of this thesis: ‘People may ask what does sustainability mean for architecture? but perhaps the proper question is what does architecture mean for sustainability? The former question suggests a weak approach to sustainability, i.e. an implicit assumption that sustainability has implications (possibly serious) for our present ways of procuring the built environment but those ways are basically appropriate. The latter question recognizes sustainability as the overarching concern, in terms of which all social disciplines and conduct must be reinterpreted and reformulated.’[31] As mentioned above, sustainable development is about keeping within the means of a realistic and attainable budget and within the aims and scope of the people involved. It is not only about ‘installing energy efficient and environmentally friendly appliances, some of which can be expensive and where the paybacks may not materialise for some time but also about recycling and making the most use out of natural materials and other materials which may have been discarded or dismissed.’[32] Different people have different environmental goals that they wish to achieve, and each sustainable development will thus reflect these goals. Benefits to the community and to the individual can be huge, and often simultaneous. Yet more than this, sustainable development is more of an umbrella term that affects (or should affect) the ways in which people live and build within their environments, and how these attitudes and practices can evolve and make best use of these environments. In an article for the Guardian, architect Bill Dunster expresses his concerns that green-living should not mean ‘dull’ living: ‘I find the checklist-orientated green movement very dull. I am worried about eco-fascism and a distinct loss of joie de vivre‘[33] With respect to the designs studied in this thesis there is certainly a lively, contemporary feel to the design of the Seattle project, combined with an optimum utilisation of space. Again, in the Bed Zed project, the symmetry of design and the colours used in the materials created a fun, individual look, that could not easily be replicated. Taking all the above into consideration my own research into what sustainable development means has led me to the conclusion that sustainable architecture does not mean dull or simple living for buildings’ inhabitants. Rather, the use of sophisticated technology as exemplified by the work of Sorbek can mean a wholly different form of living to traditionally constructed buildings which are not sustainable. This new way of living where space is used differently and more efficiently, and the impact of a person’s existence is immediately reduced and made to feel ‘sustainable’ offers a unique and more wholesome existence for the occupier. Conclusion In conclusion, research for this project has highlighted the term ‘sustainable’ to relate both directly and indirectly to architecture. While depending upon the social, technical, and financial structure of a project and its outcomes, sustainable development necessitates a flexible and dynamic understanding of energy, it’s potential, and its conservation. Sustainable development is all too often restricted by the options available, whereby practitioners modify their concept of their sustainability to suit individual projects. Although a degree of flexibility is required in order to modify design projects to suit the needs of all parties involved, it is essential for a professional architect to keep a clear focus on his or her definition of sustainability and what sustainability brings to the discipline and to their working life. In this way architects such as Sorbek can ensure that they create examples of truly sustainable architecture that can be used to teach younger architects entering into the profession. As explained by Williamson et al, the practice of the discipline of sustainable architecture is necessarily subject to ‘concepts and strategies based on common themes or concerns’ where ‘the continuation, small shifts, fundamental transformations, or replacement of issues can be affected by institutional settings such as political events, changes in technologies, scientific discoveries, calamities (actual or imagined) or economic practices and processes.’[34] Seen in this way, says Williamson et al, green, ecological, and environmental are ‘labels that embody the notion that the design of buildings should fundamentally take account of their relationship with and impact on the natural environment’, but the practice of implementing these concepts into physical realities requires a much deeper and more intrinsic understanding of what sustainability means for design, operation, and budget of a project. Designs of longevity thus require an intellige nt assimilation and interpretation of cultural trends and the ability to envision how a design might be embraced by future generations. Designs for the BedZed project might appear to have compromised some aesthetic elements in favour of cost and time efficient means of production. Yet these principles are essential to the future of housing design if the demands of the housing market are going to be met. Design thus involves incorporating aspects of the traditional, and the classical, in a new and dynamic housing solution, whereby the traditional principles of an architecture will never disappear from design, but will necessarily adopt a more subtle position in the ideologies of contemporary architects. The potential remains for further research into the construction of more gracious buildings than the BedZed project, but perhaps less expensive than the Seattle library. Sustainability is about finding middle ground between sustainable objectives and availability of resources and the type of budget available. Research has shown that it is possible to construct buildings which can incorporate the fundamental technologies to propitiate sustainability, but remain aesthetically impressive or even monumental in their design. Yet it is important to remember that building with sustainability in mind is still a recent trend, and one that has not yet overridden the non-ecological techniques of mass housing developments which are all too often seen as the easier, cheaper option for local governments. Therefore, sustainable designs remain very much in their infancy and future research will require sustained interest and financial support from both architects and from Governments alike if they are to be incorporated into mainstream architectural

Computer Crime :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The technological revolution has taken full swing. If a business doesn't have some form of e-commerce, or if a person does not have some form of an e-mail address, they are seen as living in the stone age. This new world of virtual life, where with the click of a button a person can travel millions of miles in a few seconds, millions of new opportunities have arisen. However, someone has to always ruin the good things in life. Very similar to Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," where the second thing built in a Utopia was a prison, the advent of computer crime is only becoming more prevelant everyday. The whole idea of a computer crime is rather absurd indeed. Really, who wants to go around spray painting on computers anyway? Though the definition of computer crime varies from source to source, the most common being," any illegal act which oinvolves a computer system" (  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "What is a computer..." p.1). This holds true even if the computer contains s omething as simple as a threatening e-mail. Computer crime in nature ranges from relatively small things such as software piracy to magnificent crimes like fraud.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer crime itself has metamorphasized from its mere infancy. In the late 1970's, a would-be criminal would need direct access to the actual computer terminal. This is because the most computer crime of that time actually involved hardware sabotage and theft, rather than a more software oriented problem. In the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s, computer crime had elevated a notch with the advent of the inter-schiool network. This network was a connection of several major universities through modem lines. Educated computer users were now changing each others ideas and information, but not for the malicious, but instead for the better. The mid to late 1980s saw the rise of computer "hackers" such as Kevin Mitnick. kevin Mitnick was caught at least a half dozen times, with the charges ranging from criminal tresspassing to fraud. Mitnick had broken into several corporations' servers,n one being the well reknowned Sun Microsystems. When he was arrested Mitnick beca me a martyr and a heron to many teenage computer enthusiasts. These teens would be determined to carry on the symbolic spirit, or what they thought to be, of Kevin Mitnick. However, the computer crimes that thses users perpatrate cost small businesses and corporations millions each year, put restraints on legitimate computer users and still remain an extremely dangerous, costly and virtually unstoppable crime.

Effective Study Habits Worksheet

University of Phoenix Material Effective Study Habits Worksheet Respond to the following in 50 to 100 words each: 1. Describe your ideal study environment. I would describe my ideal study environment up in my home office away from everyone. A quiet place is where I can focus and concentrate on my assignement. I can brainstorm and jott my ideas freely when I am distraction free. I can usually complete my assignment in a timely manner when I am relaxed and comfortable. 2.List some of the distractions that might hinder your study progress or your performance in an online classroom. Some of the distractions that might hinder my study progress or performance from being in an online classroom are: watching television, listening to music, cooking dinner, eating dinner, children up and about, telephone ringing, visitors coming by home, and getting sleepy or not getting the proper rest will easily cause you to become distracted and unable to focus on your assignment. 3. What actions can you t ake to manage and eliminate distractions?The actions that I can to take to manage and eliminate distractions are: recording my favorite television shows for later playback, elimating distracting music, cooking/ eating dinner before beginning my homework, turning my telephone off and making sure that get the proper rest before sitting down to complete my assignments. 4. How will you apply your personal learning style? How does your personal Learning style affect your study habits? My personal learning style is somewhat complicated and complexed.I would say that my style is not structured because I really learn from doing. I am a very hands on learner so it is very challenging for me to understand just from reading/doing alone. I feel that my personal learning style can hinder my study habits because I am not in a classroom physically where I the instructor can demonstrate or teach in person. Whereas, I have to create ways for me to comprehend what I am learning myself. 5. List 5 effe ctive study strategies from this week that you will use.Explain why you selected them and why they are effective strategies for online learning. The strategies that I will use are visual, musical, verbal, logic and interpersonal. Visually I can take notes and create charts and timelines that will assist me highlighting important points. Music- I will incorporate music with my learning by allowing myself to medicate on music that relax me before actually starting my assignments. Verbal- I plan to read and ask questions from others that will assist me in understaning the lesson as well as provide feedback to others.Logic- I fell that I use the logic strategy a lot. I always apply my assignments to my real-life situations in order to comprehend what I am learning better. Interpersonal- This is one I feel that I am not that good at but plan to do my best at. Studying in groups is very new to me. I feel that it really is a great way to learn from others on their thoughts and views on a g iven assignment. 6. Identify one change you can make immediately to increase the effectiveness of your study habits. Explain how this will help you become more effective.One change that I can make immediately will be to utilize the logic method more efficiently. I feel that if I ask others more and interact more, then I would be able to express my thoughts and views on each assignment more better. I always feel that I would be embarrassed if I asked certain questions to my peers, so I don’t ask at all, then feel bad because I don’t know or feel somewhat confused about an assignment. I know that if I start utilizing this method more, then it would really increase my study habits.

Brl Hardy Driving Forces to Become a Global Company

What are the driving forces behind BRL Hardy to become a global company? â€Å"A Global company is an organization that attempts to standardize and integrate operations worldwide in all functional areas. † In general, there are multiple Globalization forces; some of them are: * Industrial: get access to a bigger market to sell the product. * Financial: by emerging worldwide, it is easier to borrow money * Political forces: the raising globalization goes along with the decrease of the importance of the state. Companies can set up their headquarter in different countries, in function of the legislation in those countries. * Technological forces: the new discoveries and the fast evolving technology eases the communication and makes it easier to collect information about foreign/other goods. * Market: when companies globalize, they also become global customers. * Cost: By becoming global, companies can benefit from economies of scale. The company can also locate production in countries where production costs are lower. In early times, the wine industry was very little. There were little village labels and the grapes grew on tiny vineyards. Those factors made the wine industry very agricultural i. e. the harvest was very vulnerable to weather and diseases. On the other side, the wine business had very few multinational companies and therefore very few true global brands. This made BRL Hardy think about expanding its business to multiple locations over the world and become one of the world’s first global wine companies. The first company on the market has a big chance to become one of the biggest companies in his sector. By breaking the habit of growing and selling only its own wine, Hardy was able to build the scale necessary for creating strong brands and negotiating with retail stores. In 1882, BRLH won his first international gold medal at Bordeaux. Winning a price creates a certain reputation, which makes it more likely that the wine will sell if the company becomes a global company. Also, the company was Australia’s largest winemaker, and one of the most respected. Next to this, Australian wine was becoming a trend, and the demand from new customers in nontraditional markets grew rapidly. All this were driving forces to become a global company. Sources: http://www. slideshare. net/gugaslide/global-business-presentation http://www. slideshare. net/RealRedOne/harvard-business-school-brl-hardy-globalizing-an-australian-wine-company http://www. businessschoolnetherlands. com/files/bsn-article_marius-leibold_business-model-innovation_1. pdf http://www. andidas. com/academic/lse_coursework/MN498%20-%20Tesco%20Internationalisation_by_andidas. pdf http://scholar. sun. ac. za/bitstream/handle/10019. 1/3328/Ewouba-Biteghe,%20BS. pdf? sequence=1 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Globalization

Students Skipping School Essays

Students Skipping School Essays Students Skipping School Paper Students Skipping School Paper Truancy has been a problem since the first schools. In the past, students were punished by parents and their schools for skipping. Today however, with many human rights laws and rules against punishing children (Parliament of Canada), truancy comes with almost no consequences and has grown in popularity (The Independent). Truancy is often caused by the students family problems, abuse and neglect, mental and physical health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, low self esteem, lack of friends, safety concerns and a number of other reasons. Some effects of truancy on students include involvement in crime, more likely to be unemployed, decreased academics, and risk of not obtaining a higher education (GTC Michigan). Truancy not only effects the truant student itself, but also an entire class, when a teacher slows down to help him catch up. Theory  B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) was only concerned with observable behaviors, not the mental processes behind them. Skinner used animals to study how the use of rewards and punishment can influence behavior, which became known as operant conditioning. He performed the Skinner box experiment, where a rat in a cage must press a button for food to be released into the cage. After the food has run out, the rat stopped pressing the button after a few futile attempts. This is called extinction. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) studied â€Å"self actualizing† people, which is reaching ones full potential, only after basic needs are met. Maslow created his Hierarchy of Needs, it explains that basic needs must be fulfilled before higher order needs become important.  Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987) developed client-centered therapy. This approach focuses on the potential of each person to realize his or her own growth in self-awareness and self-fulfillment. I think B.F Skinners research could be applied to the issue of skipping school the best. Although therapy is important for truant students, rewards and punishments are more important. School is a place that teaches discipline, and Skinners idea demonstrates just that.  Solutions  The following are some possible solutions to dealing with truancy in the classroom.  1. Make students feel needed at school. To do this, teachers can assign certain responsibilities to the students, such as group projects. This way, the students will feel a responsibility to others and may be less likely to skip because they will feel guilty. 2. Use a reward system (operant conditioning). Offer truant students a reward for perfect attendance for a certain amount of time. This may encourage them to attend school for the reward.  3. Make students feel liked at school. To do this, teachers can display students work, be supportive of students, and engage students in group activities and clubs where they can be social and do work at the same time.  4. Work together with the truant students families. Find out why the student skips school and figure out a solution to prevent or change this behavior. This is an effective method because the families know the students the best and can find productive solutions together with the school. 5. Find out why the students skip school and figure out a solution. Counseling groups and guidance counselors are very important for this role, but they must respect the students opinions and statements and work with them to fix their problems (client-centered therapy).  6. Some students skip school because they are failing and see no point of returning to school. Teachers should give these students an opportunity to make up for their missing work and provide extra help at lunch or after school.  7. Make sure that the school is a safe and positive atmosphere for all students. Teach students to respect each other through assemblies and in class work. Increase teacher supervision. Conduct student surveys to find out how they feel about the school environment. Be open to suggestions from students on how to improve the school environment.

A Persuasive Essay on Swimming

A Persuasive Essay on Swimming Free Online Research Papers Everyone should learn how to swim. Swimming gives a wide range of benefits for people of all age groups. It can help prevent calamities from happening and is a great way to stay active. It is a simple and affordable way to keep busy year round and have a great deal of fun. Many people begin swimming as a child and become very passionate about the sport as they grow up, and some even swim professionally. Knowing how to swim can avoid many injuries and accidents from occurring. Although there is lots of fun to be had in the water, it can be dangerous for those who are not capable to keep themselves afloat. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children between the ages of one and fourteen, according to a document published by the Centers for Disease Control in 2003. Are these deaths preventable? Absolutely. Everyone should at least have a basic skill to keep their head above water and ideally the ability to help save someone else if they are in trouble. Swimming can be a great way to make friends and meet new people. Joining the local swim team is a popular activity among children and teens. While there, they are able to spend time with friends and even meet new ones while maintaining an active lifestyle. Many kids spend their summers at pools or beaches. These are wonderful ways to relax and have fun, but beaches and pools can be very dangerous for those who are unable to keep themselves afloat. It is not necessary to master difficult strokes. Knowing a simple freestyle or even the â€Å"doggie paddle† will be adequate to make the water a much safer place. Children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at-risk of drowning, according to the USA Swimming Foundation as of 2009. Swimming is a common way to stay healthy and maintain an active lifestyle. Swimming has also become a major part of many physical therapy routines for those recovering from surgery or injuries. According to Livestrong.com, when compared to running, swimming burns approximately 89 percent of the calories burned during running. Elderly people can also benefit from swimming and other water related exercises because it is a low impact activity which decreases their chance of injury or joint stress. Some might dispute that swimming is a waste of time or that it is an unnecessary pursuit but, they have the wrong impression. As swimming is not only a popular and enjoyable pastime, it also has numerous benefits. Learning how to swim is important for everyone and it should not be overlooked. The process of learning to swim is a great way for younger children to gain independence and confidence in their own abilities. It teaches them that if they try hard they can accomplish a task all on their own and gives them the ability to stay safe in the water at the same time. Everyone should give swimming a try at least once in their life. It might not become a lifelong passion for everyone but it will for a select few. And no matter how someone feels about swimming, they will at least have gained a valuable ability and can now safely enjoy the many other water sports and activities. So, to sum everything up, everyone can benefit from learning how to swim. Research Papers on A Persuasive Essay on SwimmingStandardized TestingThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Why Trenches Were Used in World War I

Why Trenches Were Used in World War I During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at a  relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I. Why Trench Warfare in WWI? In the early weeks of the First World War (late in the summer of 1914), both German and French commanders anticipated a war that would involve a large amount of troop movement, as each side sought to gain or defend territory. The Germans initially swept through parts of Belgium and northeastern France, gaining territory along the way. During the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. They subsequently dug in to avoid losing any more ground. Unable to break through this line of defense, the Allies also began to dig protective trenches. By October 1914, neither army could advance its position, mainly because war was being waged in a very different way than it had been during the 19th century. Forward-moving strategies such as head-on infantry attacks were no longer effective or feasible against modern weaponry such as machine guns and heavy artillery. This inability to move forward created the stalemate. What began as a temporary strategy evolved into one of the main features of the war at the Western Front for the next four years. Construction and Design of Trenches Early trenches were little more than foxholes or ditches, intended to provide a measure of protection during short battles. As the stalemate continued, however, it became obvious that a more elaborate system was needed. The first major trench lines were completed in November 1914. By the end of that year, they stretched 475 miles, starting at the North Sea, running through Belgium and northern France, and ending in the Swiss frontier. Although the specific construction of a trench was determined by the local terrain, most were built according to the same basic design. The front wall of the trench, known as the parapet, was about 10 feet high. Lined with sandbags from top to bottom, the parapet also featured 2 to 3 feet of sandbags stacked above ground level. These provided protection, but also obscured a soldiers view. A ledge, known as the fire-step, was built into the lower part of the ditch and allowed a soldier to step up and see over the top (usually through a peephole between sandbags) when he was ready to fire his weapon. Periscopes and mirrors were also used to see above the sandbags. The rear wall of the trench, known as the parados, was lined with sandbags as well, protecting against a rear assault. Because constant shelling and frequent rainfall could cause the trench walls to collapse, the walls were reinforced with sandbags, logs, and branches. Trench Lines Trenches were dug in a zigzag pattern so that if an enemy entered the trench, he could not fire straight down the line. A typical trench system included a line of three or four trenches: the front line (also called the outpost or the fire line), the support trench, and the reserve trench, all built parallel to one another and anywhere from 100 to 400 yards apart. The main trench lines were connected by communicating trenches, allowing for the movement of messages, supplies, and soldiers and were lined with barbed wire. The space between the enemy lines was known as No Mans Land. The space varied but averaged about 250 yards. Some trenches contained dugouts below the level of the trench floor, often as deep as 20 or 30 feet. Most of these underground rooms were little more than crude cellars, but some, especially those farther back from the front, offered more conveniences, such as beds, furniture,  and stoves. The German dugouts were generally more sophisticated; one such dugout captured in the Somme Valley in 1916 was found to have toilets, electricity, ventilation, and even wallpaper. Daily Routine in the Trenches Routines varied among the different regions, nationalities, and individual platoons, but the groups shared many similarities. Soldiers were regularly rotated through a basic sequence: fighting in the front line, followed by a period in the reserve or support line, then later, a brief rest period. (Those in reserve might be called upon to help the front line if needed.) Once the cycle was completed, it would begin anew. Among the men in the front line, sentry duty was assigned in rotations of two to three hours. Each morning and evening, just before dawn and dusk, the troops participated in a stand-to, during which men (on both sides) climbed up on the fire-step with rifle and bayonet at the ready. The stand-to served as preparation for a possible attack from the enemy at a time of day- dawn or dusk- when most of these attacks were likeliest to occur. Following the stand-to, officers conducted an inspection of the men and their equipment. Breakfast was then served, at which time both sides (almost universally along the front) adopted a brief truce. Most offensive maneuvers (aside from artillery shelling and sniping) were carried out in the dark when soldiers were able to climb out of the trenches clandestinely to conduct surveillance and carry out raids. The relative quiet of the daylight hours allowed men to discharge their assigned duties during the day. Maintaining the trenches required constant work: repair of shell-damaged walls, removal of standing water, the creation of new latrines, and the movement of supplies, among other vital jobs. Those spared from performing daily maintenance duties included specialists, such as stretcher-bearers, snipers, and machine-gunners. During brief rest periods, soldiers were free to nap, read, or write letters home, before being assigned to another task. Misery in the Mud Life in the trenches was nightmarish, aside from the usual rigors of combat. Forces of nature posed as great a threat as the opposing army. Heavy rainfall flooded trenches and created impassable, muddy conditions. The mud not only made it difficult to get from one place to another; it also had other, more dire consequences. Many times, soldiers became trapped in the thick, deep mud; unable to extricate themselves, they often drowned. The pervading precipitation created other difficulties. Trench walls collapsed, rifles jammed, and soldiers fell victim to the much-dreaded trench foot. Similar to frostbite, trench foot developed as a result of men being forced to stand in water for several hours, even days, without a chance to remove wet boots and socks. In extreme cases, gangrene would develop and a soldiers toes, or even his entire foot, would have to be amputated. Unfortunately, heavy rains were not sufficient to wash away the filth and foul odor of human waste and decaying corpses. Not only did these unsanitary conditions contribute to the spread of disease, they also attracted an enemy despised by both sides- the lowly rat. Multitudes of rats shared the trenches with soldiers and, even more horrifying, they fed upon the remains of the dead. Soldiers shot them out of disgust and frustration, but the rats continued to multiply and thrived for the duration of the war. Other vermin that plagued the troops included head and body lice, mites and scabies, and massive swarms of flies. As terrible as the sights and smells were for the men to endure, the deafening noises that surrounded them during heavy shelling were terrifying. Amid a heavy barrage, dozens of shells per minute might land in the trench, causing ear-splitting (and deadly) explosions. Few men could remain calm under such circumstances; many suffered emotional breakdowns. Night Patrols and Raids Patrols and raids took place at night, under cover of darkness. For patrols, small groups of men crawled out of the trenches and inched their way into No Mans Land. Moving forward on elbows and knees toward the German trenches and cutting their way through the dense barbed wire on their way. Once the men reached the other side, their goal was to get close enough to gather information by eavesdropping or to detect activity in advance of an attack. Raiding parties were much larger than patrols, encompassing about 30 soldiers. They, too, made their way to the German trenches, but their role was more confrontational. Members of the raiding parties armed themselves with rifles, knives, and hand grenades. Smaller teams took on portions of the enemy trench, tossing in grenades, and killing any survivors with a rifle or bayonet. They also examined the bodies of dead German soldiers, searching for documents and evidence of name and rank. Snipers, in addition to firing from the trenches, also operated from No Mans Land. They crept out at dawn, heavily camouflaged, to find cover before daylight. Adopting a trick from the Germans, British snipers hid inside O.P. trees (observation posts). These dummy trees, constructed by army engineers, protected the snipers, allowing them to fire at unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Despite these strategies, the nature of trench warfare made it almost impossible for either army to overtake the other. Attacking infantry was slowed down by the barbed wire and bombed-out terrain of No Mans Land, making the element of surprise unlikely. Later in the war, the Allies did succeed in breaking through German lines using the newly-invented tank. Poison Gas Attacks In April 1915, the Germans unleashed an especially sinister new weapon at Ypres in northwestern Belgium: poison gas. Hundreds of French soldiers, overcome by deadly chlorine gas, fell to the ground, choking, convulsing, and gasping for air. Victims died a slow, horrible death as their lungs filled with fluid. The Allies began producing gas masks to protect their men from the deadly vapor, while at the same time adding poison gas to their arsenal of weapons. By 1917, the box respirator became standard issue, but that did not keep either side from the continued use of chlorine gas and the equally-deadly mustard gas. The latter caused an even more prolonged death, taking up to five weeks to kill its victims. Yet poison gas, as devastating as its effects were, did not prove to be a decisive factor in the war because of its unpredictable nature (it relied upon wind conditions) and the development of effective gas masks. Shell Shock Given the overwhelming conditions imposed by trench warfare, it is not surprising that hundreds of thousands of men fell victim to shell shock. Early in the war, the term referred to what was believed to be the result of an actual physical injury to the nervous system, brought about by exposure to constant shelling. Symptoms ranged from physical abnormalities (tics and tremors, impaired vision and hearing, and paralysis) to emotional manifestations (panic, anxiety, insomnia, and a near-catatonic state.) When shell shock was later determined to be a psychological response to emotional trauma, men received little sympathy and were often accused of cowardice. Some shell-shocked soldiers who had fled their posts were even labeled deserters and were summarily shot by a firing squad. By the end of the war, however, as cases of shell shock soared and came to include officers as well as enlisted men, the British military built several military hospitals devoted to caring for these men. The Legacy of Trench Warfare Due in part to the Allies use of tanks in the last year of the war, the stalemate was finally broken. By the time the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, an estimated 8.5 million men (on all fronts) had lost their lives in the so-called war to end all wars. Yet many survivors who returned home would never be the same, whether their wounds were physical or emotional. By the end of World War I, trench warfare had become the very symbol of futility; thus, it has been a tactic intentionally avoided by modern-day military strategists in favor of movement, surveillance, and airpower.

Journal 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Journal 6 - Essay Example She is a feminist and therefore, feminism is a belief which is evoked by this representation. Grahn, being a feminist herself, seeks to protect Monroe’s body from the eyes of merciless cameramen and media reporters. She blames all such men who have taken power from women and have become the decision-makers. These men are to be blamed for victimizing and harassing women like Monroe. Like Monroe lying dead, the speaker of the poem is also a woman. So, she describes how the male reporters want to have a crack at her too, which signifies the harassment women have to go through at hands of men. According to her, it is the media which is responsible for objectifying and influencing women to the point of helplessness. These are the women who end up killing themselves for being pretty. I ordinarily regard this cultural icon as being the epitome of American female beauty. This icon stands for ultimate beauty in my own world. The meaning attached by me to this cultural icon differs from that attached by Grahn to Monroe. The meaning attached by Grahn is deeper and more meaningful. It seeks to expose the real bitter truth hidden behind the glitz and glam of

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) - Essay Example A change in any factor that has an impact on the consumption apart from the income is said to result in a shift in the consumption function and this would ultimately affect the saving potential of an individual. The factors affecting the consumption function are: A cut in the interest rate will enhance the consumption at all levels of income and will lead to an upward shift in the consumption function. Lower interest rate act to reduce the cost of servicing any mortgage or other debt and thereby increases the effective disposable income in the hands of the homeowners. Contrastingly a period of higher interest rate is expected to curtail the consumer spending. Any apprehension about rising unemployment levels resulting in worsening situations of income level might result in a reduced confidence level of the consumers and a fall in the spending at all levels of income. In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. ... In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. The consumption function thus determines the amount of saving that an individual can earmark out of his disposable income towards saving. This ultimately goes to decide the saving ratio which is a factor of the saving against the disposable income. Saving Saving represents a decision to postpone the consumption by saving the money out of the disposable income. There exist a number of motivations behind the saving habits of individuals: Precautionary Saving With a view to avoid the future inconveniences and other potential financial issues that may arise due to unemployment or any other reason, people resort to saving by smoothing their present spending. Building Spending Power Saving presently will enable any one to acquire a future spending power and to meet any major financial commitments at a future data that may arise due to unexpected happenings. Interest Rates and Savings The incentives offered by higher interest rates from banks, building societies and other financial institutions may generate more willingness to save. Desire to Bequeath Strong desire to bequeath more wealth to future generations act as a strong motivator for saving habits Impact of Life Cycle of Consumers At the young age the consumers may borrow more to meet their commitments and once they become older with the easing of

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomics (savings ratio) - Essay Example A change in any factor that has an impact on the consumption apart from the income is said to result in a shift in the consumption function and this would ultimately affect the saving potential of an individual. The factors affecting the consumption function are: A cut in the interest rate will enhance the consumption at all levels of income and will lead to an upward shift in the consumption function. Lower interest rate act to reduce the cost of servicing any mortgage or other debt and thereby increases the effective disposable income in the hands of the homeowners. Contrastingly a period of higher interest rate is expected to curtail the consumer spending. Any apprehension about rising unemployment levels resulting in worsening situations of income level might result in a reduced confidence level of the consumers and a fall in the spending at all levels of income. In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. ... In contrast to this situation any expectations of improvement in the health of the economy would increase the confidence of the consumers and the resultant planned spending. The changes in the spending behaviour of the consumers affected by the above factors will have a direct bearing on the saving potential of the individuals. The consumption function thus determines the amount of saving that an individual can earmark out of his disposable income towards saving. This ultimately goes to decide the saving ratio which is a factor of the saving against the disposable income. Saving Saving represents a decision to postpone the consumption by saving the money out of the disposable income. There exist a number of motivations behind the saving habits of individuals: Precautionary Saving With a view to avoid the future inconveniences and other potential financial issues that may arise due to unemployment or any other reason, people resort to saving by smoothing their present spending. Building Spending Power Saving presently will enable any one to acquire a future spending power and to meet any major financial commitments at a future data that may arise due to unexpected happenings. Interest Rates and Savings The incentives offered by higher interest rates from banks, building societies and other financial institutions may generate more willingness to save. Desire to Bequeath Strong desire to bequeath more wealth to future generations act as a strong motivator for saving habits Impact of Life Cycle of Consumers At the young age the consumers may borrow more to meet their commitments and once they become older with the easing of

Evaluation of CAPM using American stock market data Dissertation

Evaluation of CAPM using American stock market data - Dissertation Example So investors prefer to choose mean-variance-efficient portfolios that would either minimize variance with a given expected return or would maximize expected return given variance. Thus, CAPM is a theory that defines the relationship between risk and the expected return of a security or a portfolio of securities. The theory is based on the assumption that the security market is generally composed of risk-averse investors and the type of investors who prefer and will to take more risk only when they expect to earn a higher return in commensuration with that risk. The return from an asset varies through successive periods and an asset which has a fluctuating return is considered to have greater risk. So, the tendency of investors is to diversify their investment portfolio so that they could minimize the effect of risk volatility, i.e. the unsystematic risk attached to the portfolio. Thus due to diversification only market related or systematic risk is relevant in the risk-return trade-o ff. The portion of risk volatility which is systematic, i.e. measured by the extent to which return varies with respect to the overall market, is measured by the parameter ? (Beta). Beta is a measure of risk contributed by individual securities to a well-diversified portfolio, and measured by- rA = return of the asset rM = Return of the market ?2M = variance of the return of the market cov(rA, rM) = covariance between the return of the asset and the return of the market. Beta is calculated with the help of historical returns for both the asset and the market. Assumptions of CAPM The assumptions of CAPM are- Investors in the market are concerned only about the expected return and the volatility of risk involved with their investment All investors have homogeneous idea about the concept of risk and return associated with an investment. Systematic risk factor is common to a broad-based market portfolio as systematic risk brings volatility which is non-diversifiable. So, if a securities beta can be identified, then the expected return from that security can be calculated. Economic Rationale behind CAPM and its Consistency with the regulatory and the economic standards The relationship in risk and return in CAPM is measured using- Where, Rt = the expected return on a security or a portfolio Rf = Risk-free rate of return ?i = Beta of the security or portfolio i Rm = expected return on the equity market performance The rationale behind the CAPM equation is to persuade the investors to shift their money from riskless assets to risky assets such as equity security. The usefulness of CAPM lies in the measurement of the expected return premium appropriate for an investment with respect to the risk involved relative to the market index risk. The economic explanation of the equation brings out that how risk-free rate of return (Rf) and market-wide risk premium (Rm- Rf) aid to persuade investors from investment in risk-free securities to risky securities.

Compare and Contrast an Alligator vs. Crocodile Essay

Compare and Contrast an Alligator vs. Crocodile - Essay Example Alligators are generally categorized as belonging to the alligatoridae family of crocodilians that is seen to also include the caimans. Perhaps on the most distinguishing characteristic aspects of the alligator is the fact that the noses of alligators are generally shaped to have a rather wide U-shaped, and rounded snout that can be deemed as having the appearance of a shovel (Barnes-Svarney and Svarney187-188). This broad design of an alligators snout can be perceived to have been designed mainly for strength and is designed to ensure that the animal can be able to easily withstand the stress to its bone structure caused when it applies massive force in cracking the rather hard shells of invertebrates such as turtles that form a significant part of its diet. As a result of an alligator’s upper jaw being significantly larger than its lower jaw, its jaws completely overlap when its mouth is closed with the teeth on the lower jaw becoming completely hidden as they neatly fit int o small depressions located in the upper jaw (Barnes-Svarney and Svarney187-188; Tan 40). This aspect can be seen to be especially pronounced in relation to the large fourth tooth of the animal located in the lower jaw. The salt glands situated on the tongues of alligators are less effective as compared to those of crocodiles and generally appear to have lost their innate ability of enabling the animal to excrete significant amounts of salt (Tan 40). Alligators can be able to grow and attain a length of about 14 to 16 feet a length that is considerably larger that of some crocodile species (Smith 205). With a V-shaped snout, the snout of a crocodile is basically found to be more pointed as compared to an alligator. The shape of its snout is seen to cause the animal to become more generalized and much better adapted for a wider range of prey. A crocodile’s upper and lower jaws are fundamentally the same width

How does a society's relationship to the natural environment influence Term Paper

How does a society's relationship to the natural environment influence the cultural beliefs and practices of its people - Term Paper Example 1). Anthropology came from the Greek word arthropos which means human and logos which mean study of. The discipline of anthropology is about the human behavior with the combination of humanistic, scientific, historical, psychological, social and biological views (Jurmain, Kilgore and Trevathan, 2009, p. 6). According to Angrosino (2002), two fields of anthropology currently exist: physical anthropology and cultural anthropology. Human population is studied by physical anthropology through their genes and mechanics of evolution. The fossils and the living creatures are compared to come up with conclusions. On the other hand, cultural anthropology is concerned with the human societies and its impacts in the daily lives of the people. Cultural anthropology has five subdivisions: archaeology, ethnography, ethnology, social anthropology, and linguistics. Archaeology deals with the culture through studies using the remains or materials (artifacts) while ethnography describes the society sy stematically and vividly usually through field work. Ethnology deals with the interpretations of the information from ethnology while social anthropology is concerned with the social structure and groups. ... Various views may help the readers to understand the importance of knowing how the ways of life of people is affected by their surroundings. DISCUSSION Environment greatly affects the culture of people like the concept of racism. The variation within the human race is not caused by biological changes but more of cultural concepts like difference in access to social and economic resources (Goodman, 2006, p. 161). It can be said that the differences is manmade because biological variation is nonconcordance according to Goodman (2006). It is inherited separately or independently. Also in the biological perspective, genes are not the only means where the effect of nature can be seen or measured. Physical body is also checked to prove the differences among races and researchers also tried to prove that racism is a biological effect. Craniometry was done by experts to compare the intelligence of the human ancestors. It was even use in the society to rank criminals and people from different races because the traditional belief of intelligence is affected by the size of the brain (Lansing and de Vet, 2006, p. 4). Many myths have been held by people regarding the concept of racism as biology, but no matter what they do, the commonly-held beliefs are still beliefs and myths, not a reality. First of all, race is not based upon fixed, ideal and unchanging concepts contrary to the popular belief which was favored by the popular culture but not science (Goodman, 2006, p. 163). A good example is the traditional concept of beauty which turns against the black. The fad favors the European-looking people to be beautiful (Mercer, 1990, p. 247). The same can be seen in the chapter of a book written by Richard Rodriguez. According to Rodriguez (1990, p. 277-278), his

Select writter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Select writter - Assignment Example This paper is narrowing the hospitality industry to discuss the hotel industry alone (hostels, hotels and resorts). In addition, this paper will discuss whether the hotel industry is perfectly competitive or not. The hotel industry is very competitive with lots of giant hotel companies in the market (Enz, 65). These hotels and resorts have huge finances thus give each other high and on toes competition. Huge finances ensures the hotels offer the best packages, best food variety and standards, best facilities with additionalinfrastructures like gyms, spas, Jacuzzi, internet, cableTV, Wi-Fi , salons and barber shops and many more . This industry no few firms can claim dominance because they are each giants in their own ways.Althoughin 2014, a list of the best hotels in the world included a few like the Hilton hotels, Fairmonthotels, the Four Season hotels, intercontinental hotels and the Grand Regency. A typical hotel business includes a building with a part set for the restaurant where clients can eat and drink. It may also contain a small side bar where smokers and alcoholic drinks are served where only adults are allowed entry. A typical hotel can also have rooms where clients can book to spend the nights. Other facilities like a telephone booth and ATM machines can be included. The management includes a manager, supervisors, waiters, cooks and cleaners(Barrows, Clayton & Thomas, 109). Also a person handling finances may be included. The hotel market is open to all thus serves a large number of consumer. In fact hotels are the most used services after transport and fashion because people have to eat daily and event take place daily. This is because due to the harsh competition every hotel has to package its services at a cost friendly price in order of the target market. This means everybody has his or her standard where they can find cost and quality attractive at the same time. According toHarris et al, hotels make an average of 4410 pounds

How does a society's relationship to the natural environment influence Term Paper

How does a society's relationship to the natural environment influence the cultural beliefs and practices of its people - Term Paper Example 1). Anthropology came from the Greek word arthropos which means human and logos which mean study of. The discipline of anthropology is about the human behavior with the combination of humanistic, scientific, historical, psychological, social and biological views (Jurmain, Kilgore and Trevathan, 2009, p. 6). According to Angrosino (2002), two fields of anthropology currently exist: physical anthropology and cultural anthropology. Human population is studied by physical anthropology through their genes and mechanics of evolution. The fossils and the living creatures are compared to come up with conclusions. On the other hand, cultural anthropology is concerned with the human societies and its impacts in the daily lives of the people. Cultural anthropology has five subdivisions: archaeology, ethnography, ethnology, social anthropology, and linguistics. Archaeology deals with the culture through studies using the remains or materials (artifacts) while ethnography describes the society sy stematically and vividly usually through field work. Ethnology deals with the interpretations of the information from ethnology while social anthropology is concerned with the social structure and groups. ... Various views may help the readers to understand the importance of knowing how the ways of life of people is affected by their surroundings. DISCUSSION Environment greatly affects the culture of people like the concept of racism. The variation within the human race is not caused by biological changes but more of cultural concepts like difference in access to social and economic resources (Goodman, 2006, p. 161). It can be said that the differences is manmade because biological variation is nonconcordance according to Goodman (2006). It is inherited separately or independently. Also in the biological perspective, genes are not the only means where the effect of nature can be seen or measured. Physical body is also checked to prove the differences among races and researchers also tried to prove that racism is a biological effect. Craniometry was done by experts to compare the intelligence of the human ancestors. It was even use in the society to rank criminals and people from different races because the traditional belief of intelligence is affected by the size of the brain (Lansing and de Vet, 2006, p. 4). Many myths have been held by people regarding the concept of racism as biology, but no matter what they do, the commonly-held beliefs are still beliefs and myths, not a reality. First of all, race is not based upon fixed, ideal and unchanging concepts contrary to the popular belief which was favored by the popular culture but not science (Goodman, 2006, p. 163). A good example is the traditional concept of beauty which turns against the black. The fad favors the European-looking people to be beautiful (Mercer, 1990, p. 247). The same can be seen in the chapter of a book written by Richard Rodriguez. According to Rodriguez (1990, p. 277-278), his

Benchmarking - Marketing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benchmarking - Marketing assignment - Essay Example The set standards for the classification of this type of coffee suggests that it can only grow at certain height and therefore the brand as such has to meet certain criteria in order to be categorized as blue mountain coffee. There are two important reasons as to why the Blue Mountain Coffee became the leading coffee brands in the world. First is the overall quality of the coffee which is relatively superior to other brands of coffee whereas secondly, strict quality controls and protection has been ensured in order to make the brand an exclusive brand. These characteristics of the product therefore made it one of the most acceptable coffee brands in the world. Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is considered as the most controversial coffee brands in the world. It is also however, one of the premium brands of coffee due to its overall aroma, flavor as well as acidity and other qualities. It is however, argued that overproduction and changes in environment in recent years has resulted into the decline in the overall quality of the coffee. (Flock)2 Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee shot to the prominence during 1960’s and 1970’s when it was considered as the best coffee in the world. It takes around seven years to mature and contains less caffeine as compared to other commercially produced brands of coffee. The history of Blue Mountain Coffee suggests that it was introduced in the region by Sir Nicholas Lawes during 1728. However, gradually, it spread to other parts of the Blue Mountain Area and as such was widely cultivated and exported. 3During first half of 20th Century, the overall quality of the coffee deteriorated thus resulting into significant reduction in exports of the brand from Jamaica. However, in 1948 Coffee Industry Regulation Act was passed in order to promote the industry as well as the social and economic life of those who are involved in the cultivation of the coffee. It is

An Analysis Of Environmental Toxicology Environmental Sciences Essay

An Analysis Of Environmental Toxicology Environmental Sciences Essay Environmental Toxicology is a rapidly developing field concerned with the research how natural and man-made pollutants impact the health of humans, wildlife, and whole ecosystems. It involves application of a variety of techniques to study the impact of toxic agents on living organisms and provides powerful tools for assessing the risks associated with the presence of these agents. It draws on a variety of scientific disciplines to describe, measure, explain and predict the severity and frequency of adverse effects on living organisms due to environmental toxicant exposure. Pollution, depletion of resources and disintegration of ecological functions are of global, regional and local concerns. Environmental toxicology presents many practical applications to these problems. The findings are used by government agencies to set new pollution control standards and to analyze the severity of damage in an ecosystem and develop the smartest ways to go about cleaning it up. Land development co mpanies may also work with environmental toxicologists to make sure that clearing and construction efforts are as environmentally-friendly as possible. It involves testing soil, water, and air samples to look for the source pollution, and use their findings to better understand health impacts on native species. Pakistan, as developing country, is facing challenges with a number of serious environmental issues such as degeneration of natural resources, industrial and vehicular pollution, pollution of coastal environment, deterioration of human health. Summarizing in financial terms, the annual cost of environmental derogation in the country is about 4.3 % of GDP (US $ 4.3 billion). This workshop is about the growing amount of pollution in Pakistan. Examines findings of different studies proving that health is being adversely affected by a variety of environmental contaminants. The above situation has arisen due to a number of factors including high population growth rate, prevailing poverty, unplanned urban and industrial expansion, insufficient emphasis on environmental protection in the government policies, lack of public awareness and education and lack of institutional capacity and resources for effective environmental management. To prevent continued environmental degradation and the decline of human environmental health, interactions between human, other living organisms and the environment have to be in harmony. This is achievable through an integrated, holistic approach encompassing education and research activities in natural sciences, socio-economic and political factors with technological, economic and socio-cultural interventions. Increasing awareness of environmental degradation is resulting in proliferation of environmental legislation throughout the world. This drive towards greater environmental protection has created a demand for scientists skilled in assessing environmental resources and more importantly the problems associated with their exp loitation. Environmental assessment may be required to evaluate the biological, physical or hydrological resources of any environment, and to place these resources within a wider geographical context. This workshop is an effort to provide a broad foundation of scientific based skills to evolve, equipping environmental professions, particularly in areas relating to environmental protection and management. Furthermore, the national and international requirements have been under concern for better environmental management understanding the inter-relationship between sustainable economic development and environmental protection. Opening remarks from Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman department of pharmacology and toxicology/the Director Research UVAS, were followed by that of Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nawaz, Vice chancellor UVAS, and Prof. Dr. Mrs. Kausar Jamal Cheema, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, all of whom emphasized the importance to utilize the collective wisdom in provision of improved methods for toxicity assessment and rational means for estimating health risk in order to promote public health and to provide a better and safer environment to prevent health problems before they occur. They added further it is our mission to train new environmental toxicologists and address pertinent environmental toxicology questions through education and research in areas such as chemical fate, bioavailability, biological effect, toxicokinetics, and mechanisms of action. A focus on interdisciplinary approaches and scientific skills is fundamental to our education and research acti vities. Dr. Sohail Ejaz (co-author of this report), PhD, University of Cambridge, UK co-ordinator and workshop organizer presented on the innovative assessment techniques for evaluating impact of Air Pollution upon Neuroinflammatory diseases of Central nervous system and how these studies could be implemented in our laboratories. New dimensions have been added to the array of outcome measures. Medical outcomes research now recognizes that patient well-being should be broadly conceptualized and measured rigorously, in addition to considering the biological process of the disease itself. As a result, health-related quality of life, the perception of well-being, is now considered a necessary component of outcomes research. Toxicologic studies have also gained in sophistication through incorporation of more sensitive indicators of effect and the careful tracing of the relationship between exposure and biologically relevant doses to target sites, which may now be considered at a molecular level. He also gave an overview of all his research activities conducted at Department of Clinical Neuroscience and how to work upon such techniques in our country with scarced resources and what targets to be achieved further to overcome environmental pollution issues in Pakistan. Dr. Sohail Ejaz bring to a close to develop and support research programs, outreach and other services that address critical issues in environmental health and toxicology. An international speaker Prof. Dr. Gerry Amor Camer, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine from University of Eastern Philippines, broad casted through video conferencing facility. He shared his remarkable research work on tissue toxicology and presented a talk on Understanding the pathology of tissues exposed to various toxins and pollutants. Assessment of the environmental effects of chemicals is complicated as it depends on the organisms tested and involves not only the toxicity of individual chemicals, but also their interactive effects, genotoxicity, mutagenecity and immunotoxicity testing. He further elaborated that a number of stressors affect the environment and sometimes when showing synergistic effects they become difficult to quantify or predict their individual effects. Thus, there is a need to understand the toxicant effects at molecular levels to predict their effects and existing techniques to be constantly modified to provide better means of their quantification. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Department of wildlife and ecology, UVAS, presented on Sources and Health effects of different Air pollutants. The mechanisms for modeling and understanding the fate of air pollutants through atmospheric transport, deposition into water and soil, bioaccumulation, and ultimate uptake to receptor organs and systems in the human body are complex. These require more experimental and theoretical developments in order to produce approaches for characterization and appropriate strategies and assays for screening in order to detect the harmful agents and prevent them from reaching sensitive endpoints. This seminar and workshop provided researchers from all over Pakistan a comprehensive platform where all facets of environmental pollution as it exists in our country to be fully explored and a forum to these professionals and researchers to discuss and present latest research trends and results in the field of Toxicology. Such initiatives help to support the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems which are ultimately affecting the health of human beings, animals, plants, soils and over all eco-system integrity. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf highlighted different research activities rendered by the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the recent years at his institution. He discussed the establishment of new laboratories at the department an effort to open doorways to many new dimensions thus promoting the advancement and application of scientific research related to the contaminants. This included the establishment of Angiogenesis Toxicology lab (ATRL) and a Ne uropharmacology lab in the faculty a progressive step for Applied Neuropharmacology Cancer research. He elaborated further that our research aims to determine how environmental pollutants interact with cellular functions and give rise to long-lasting adverse health effects in vertebrates including humans. We are particularly interested in toxic effects that target the hormone system, the reproductive system and the early brain development and other systems in vertebrates. Enzyme-catalysed activation in target cells and tissues and receptor-mediated responses are important areas of research. With an introduction of these laboratories, it is also an effort in attracting very high quality students across Pakistan and foreign qualified and relevant faculty members to take lead on viable research projects needed to address our country-specific problems. Speakers from various universities and Govt. departments presented their research projects and research papers. Mr. Khaleeq Anwar, PhD Scholar, presented his work on Impact of Automobile rickshaw on Public health. He presented evidence that Automobile rickshaws are among one of the major sources of air pollution in Pakistan, contaminants released from them include the major pollutants Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC) and Particulate Matter (PM) expressing their devastating effects in deteriorating public health. To have a control over contaminants realized by these two-or three stroke conventional rickshaws CNG rickshaws were introduced. Mr. Rizwan Ahmad, Assistant Director, Vehicular Pollution Control, Govt. of Punjab, further extended the talk by presenting on Advantages of CNG over other fuels. He presented his study on the nature of the toxicants effluent by burning natural gas as fuel and a comparative analysis was made between the nature of the con taminants released by both conventional automobile rickshaw and CNG rickshaw. Statistically significant data was evidenced that emphasized the use of CNG rickshaw to be preferred over the conventional two-or three stroke rickshaws. Lubna Shakir, PhD Scholar, discussed the public health problems aroused due to discharge of tannery effluent wastewater directly into the ground in the city of Kasur. The environment is under increasing pressure from solid and liquid wastes emanating from the leather industry. These are inevitable by-products of the leather manufacturing process and cause significant pollution unless treated in some way prior to discharge. The effect of excessive pollutant levels commonly found in tannery effluents can be severe. Water is so contaminated that potable water has high levels of chromium and other toxicants have been reported in appreciable amounts unfit to be used by public. She presented a comprehensive lecture entitled, Chemical, microbiological and toxicological screening of tannery effluent wastewater. In her work she quantified the various toxicants and studied their deleterious effects using laboratory animals by using various dilutions of this tannery waterwaste. She further elab orated her talk that assessment of the environmental effects of chemicals is complicated as it depends on the organisms tested and involves not only the toxicity of individual chemicals, but multiple factors are involved in relation to health behaviors, which may often result in adverse health outcomes. Zahida Umer, a young researcher, outlined the data showing the Measurement of pollution levels in different areas of Lahore by using carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide meters, and other available contaminant measurement meters and impacter for particulate matter in different areas of Lahore and provided a comparative analysis of these toxicants at different areas. She further lucubrated her talk by explaining different methodologies for air pollution measurement. Air pollution can be directly measured as it is emitted by a source in mass/volume of emission (e.g., grams/m3) or mass/process parameter (e.g., grams/Kg fuel consumed or grams/second). Air pollution can also be measured in the atmosphere as a concentration (e.g., micrograms/m3). Ambient air monitoring data is used to determine air quality, establish the extent of air pollution problems, assess whether established standards are being met, and characterize the potential human health risk in an area. Alternatively, air pollution concentrations can be simulated using computer models, and then validated using data collected from direct measurements at selected monitors or sources. Air pollution data and models are used together to examine the impacts of control strategies on the ambient air. Kanwal Zahra, Government College University, presented on Effects of industrial effluent on the thyroid glands of human population. The human body is immensely complex, and our knowledge and awareness of its complexity continues to grow. One of the most disquieting discoveries in recent years concerns the possible roles of environmental chemicals on endocrine systems. Among the hormones (chemical messengers) operating within the endocrine system are estrogen (a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries); thyroid hormone (influencing the function of virtually every cell in the body); and ACTH (produced by the pituitary gland to influence the release of adrenalin from the adrenal gland). Endocrine systems can be affected by these pollutants by interfering with the normal communication between the messenger and the cell receptors, the chemical message is misinterpreted, generating abnormal response(s) in the body. As thyroid glands releasing hormones influencing the total metabolic rat e of the body, in her study she evidenced the various pathological outcomes of thyroid intoxication by these industrial wastes and could be the possible damaging effects resulted. Prof. Dr. Sharif Mughal, Government College University, discussed the impact of various toxicants on marine environment. Petroleum hydrocarbons are found in sea surface film throughout the world. The oceans have served as a repository for a multitude of wastes and receive effluent from rivers, streams, and groundwater. Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other hydrocarbons adds to the burden of pollutants in the marine environment. Industrial smokestacks, incinerators, outfall pipes, automobiles, lawn chemicals, agricultural chemicals, homes, businesses, commercial ships, and motorized pleasure craft are all sources of contaminants. Many of these chemicals are fat-soluble and come to reside in the fatty tissues of marine animals. Some of these chemicals have been characterized as endocrine disrupters; some are believed to reduce reproductive success, to interfere with developmental processes, and/or to suppress immune function. Other chemicals, such as PAHs, do not bioaccumulate in marine mammals but may have adverse impacts on the health of marine animals through repeated exposure and metabolic response. He evidenced the above scenario by presenting his study on the Serological and histological changes in the liver of Labeo Rohita dur due to fluoride intoxication. An effort to characterize the types of lesions produced by these chemical contaminants found in, the metabolic response to such contaminants, and the extent of tissue damage caused by exposure to these contaminants. He further elaborated his talk that animals are exposed to natural toxicants in their native environments as well as to synthetic chemicals and drugs. Factors that affect the toxicity include; those related to the toxicants , which influence how it  ­Ã‚ ­enter and ultimately influence the factors related to the host animals that change its ability to detoxify or adapt to the toxicant. The final Lecture of the workshop was presented on the topic, Characterization of Environmental pathologies by immunohistochemistry by Dr. Sohail Ejaz, PhD, University of Cambridge, England. He flesh out his talk that Environmental toxicity encompasses the study of the toxic properties of not only synthetic chemicals but natural also, including their effects on humans and animals as well as their movement and fate in the environment. It is a need to develop research techniques for the assessments of effects of these pollutants and monitoring their lethal effects not on human health only but affecting every living being and our eco-system. Thus putting our joint efforts to provide a better and safer environment to prevent health problems before they occur. Conclusion: This was a variegate workshop to support and promote the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems which ultimately affecting the health of human beings, animals, plants, soils, damage buildings and other property and uplift of awareness level at National and International level through research and development. We can live a healthy life in a clean environment and it can only be achieved by realizing and understanding the importance of clean environment. Therefore to provide awareness about the effects of all possible environmental pollutants and the corresponding measures to be taken to decrease contaminants exposure. Also to encourage research techniques for the assessment of effects of these pollutants and monitoring their lethal effects on human health and conserving and protecting our environment. Disclosures and Supplementary Information: This workshop was organized at Department of Pharmacology Toxicology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK This meeting was funded by Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan.