Societys Perception About Weight

The topic of weight is very prevalent among people in today's society. Everywhere we look we find people of all sorts of different weights and appearances. Tall, small, thin, wide, fat and skinny are just a variety of the words we use to describe people. Almost no one is completely happy with their weight. We are constantly looking for ways to better ourselves and improve our physical appearance. It is this paper's purpose to provide information in helping a person feel comfortable with their weight and aid in determining an ideal body weight for you. Topics also include: society's view on weight, the dangers of various weight-related disorders and diseases, and methods of achieving a recommended healthy weight. The goal is that once you have the proper information you will be able to achieve this ideal weight safely and on your own, giving you an ultimate sense of satisfaction. The question that is constantly being asked is just what is the ideal healthy weight? The ideal body weight is different for every individual as healthy ideal weight depends on a person's sex, race, and genetics. To quickly simplify and determine an individual's ideal weight we use a simple chart called the Body Mass Index or BMI for short. This chart determines how much a person should weigh. People can calculate their BMI by dividing their weight in pounds by their height in inches squared and multiplying the resulting number by 704. 5 (Woods 98). A person who weighs 164 pounds and is 68 inches would do the following calculation: 164/4624 x 704. 5 = 25 BMI. A BMI between 18. 5-24. 9 is normal and is called the safe zone (Woods 98). The people in this recommended safe zone are considered to be in the best health. A BMI less than 18. 5 usually means that a person is underweight (Woods 98). Studies indicate that the underweight have an increased risk of death compared to those of normal weight. A BMI of over 30 means obesity, and obese people take a lot of health risks (Woods 98). People with obesity have an increased risk of: high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, the most common form of diabetes, gallbladder disease, arthritis, respiratory problems, and certain types of cancer. As long as you fall into or close to the recommended safe zone you should feel comfortable and happy with your weight the way it is. This paper will now discuss the dangers that society's infatuation with weight can have on a person. It will also provide methods on how a person can change to find a comfortable and healthy weight. Eating disorders are a common and very realistic part of our society. They are seen as the most dangerous health related risks involving weight. Dieting, binge-eating and food obsessions are prevalent among all weight groups. Many people strive to be lighter than their natural weights and exercise excessively and eat sparingly to attain an often-unrealistic weight goal. Societal pressures share blame for producing eating disorders. Some victims of eating disorders feel that others are pressuring them to be thin, making them feel guilty about what they eat (Washington 99). They become isolated from family and friends and turn to food as a release and source of comfort (Washington 99). People with eating disorders excessively exercise and are known to induce vomiting after eating or drinking (Washington 99). Eating disorders target many people in society. The main target group is females, especially in the traditionally masculine cultures. Society places a great deal of emphasis on the physical appearance of a person's body and this alone is enough to drive someone into an eating disorder. An example is the supermodel with the skin and bones look whom you see on television. With this in mind many women might look at their weight and find themselves socially unacceptable. The result can be an eating disorder. Another target group is athletes. For example, in the sport of gymnastics there is pressure on the female athlete to maintain a low weight and petite slim figure. Since gymnastics is judged on how an athlete looks in competition many gymnasts develop an eating disorder as a result of the importance of body image to the sport. Another example of the occurrence of eating disorders is in boxing and wrestling. Sometimes there is pressure on the athlete to have a rapid weight loss in order to compete in a lower weight class where he or she might have a better chance of winning. There are two main eating disorders that effect many people in society. They are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is a deliberate and obsessive starvation in the pursuit of thinness. It is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, or the disturbance in the way one's bodyweight size and shape is perceived by another individual (Clark 96). Bulimia is described as recurrent episodes of binge eating and a lack of control over one's eating behaviour resulting in purging (Clark 96). Purging can be achieved by using laxatives and/or vomiting. Many of the symptoms of eating disorders are similar; however, each disorder is somewhat different. If someone is anorexic, symptoms might be: an extremely thin person, isolation, loneliness, obsessive preoccupation with food as regards: obtaining it, cooking, and eating, and compulsive exercise (Washington 99). If someone is bulimic, you might expect to see: the use of food as a comforter, laxative abuse, mood swings, constant concern about body image and weight, quick trips to the bathroom after meals, excessive exercise, some isolation, and low self-esteem (Washington 99). Both forms of eating disorders are dangerous to your health and can cause major problems, both now and in the future. Some immediate physical problems include constantly feeling cold, bloodshot eyes with dark circles, finger calluses, dizziness, weakness, moodiness, insomnia, swollen glands, sore throat, or dry skin (Washington 99). Some of the long-term effects include gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, malnutrition, heart attack, permanent damage to internal organs, kidney failure, and death (Washington 99). Family and friends of people affected should be aware of the symptoms and risks associated with disordered eating patterns. It is imperative to avoid becoming a victim to an eating disorder. You will only end up hurting yourself and loved ones around you. Now that the dangers of weight have been discussed an effective method of weight gain and loss will be presented. This information will help you reach a desired ideal weight so you can be happy and take pride in yourself. The topic of weight management is prevalent in today's society and is discussed from two different perspectives. People might think that they are too small or weak and in this case they will want to put on more weight. On the other hand, others might think that they are too big. In this case they will try to reduce their weight. Requirements of caloric intake differ for everyone. These requirements are determined by age, sex, weight and activity level. The simple definition of weight is the balance between caloric intake and caloric expenditure (Berning 96). Your body weight will change when there is a difference between calories taken in and calories burned up. Taking this into account, for the average person to lose weight the caloric intake must be less than caloric expenditure. Put simply, to lose weight you must eat less, exercise more, or a combination of both. For the average person to lose one pound they would have to run about 35 miles or eat 3,500 fewer calories (Berning 96). This is impossible to do in one day. To put this into perspective the following formula is given: 3,500 calories 7 days per week = 500 calories per day. It can than be said that eating 500 calories less per day will result in a weight loss of one pound per week. The same can be said by combining 250 calories less per day and burning 250 calories in exercise. Weight loss is most successful when diet and exercise are combined. The safe weight loss recommendation for the average person is no more than 1-2 pounds per week (Berning 96). By using this method of losing weight a person will decrease their chance of health problems and achieve their ideal weight. This method of weight loss will leave you with a sense of satisfaction and pride in reaching your ideal weight. The same basic theory applies for weight gain. In order to gain weight you need to consume more calories than you expend (Berning 96). Family history plays a major role in the development of a body. For example, people from thin families are less likely to transform their bodies into bulky muscular ones. A person can increase his chance of gaining weight with improved nutrition and appropriate weight training. Muscle is gained through intense training and the consumption of additional calories. For each pound gained as muscle you would need to consume 500-1000 additional calories each day (Berning 96). The key to weight gain is consistency and with a little hard work the average person should be able to get to his/her desired ideal weight. By combining a high calorie diet and a rigid exercise program you will find that your body will produce weight in the form of muscle, making you healthy and giving you your desired physical body image. We all must act together and make it our priority to help change society's perception of body images. This can protect everyone by making others feel comfortable with their weight and prevent them from developing eating disorders. Education is essential. By studying our ideal weight in the BMI chart and keeping an eye on the amount of calories in our diet we can stay healthy and feel good about ourselves. This process is aided through complete reinforcement and support from our family and friends. It doesn't stop there as we all must refrain from prejudicial treatment of fat or thin people and see beyond their weight. It is only then that we can feel comfortable with our weight and develop satisfaction in knowing that we have obtained an ideal healthy lifestyle for ourselves.

Online MBA Degree University of Phoenix

When more income is earned the demand for goods will shift to the right as more goods and higher levels of goods are demanded across the board. The budget line follows the law of demand as it shifts to the right showing an Increase In the quantity demanded of Items. This should not be confused with movement along the curve which Is caused by a change in price of a specific good. The purpose of a market system To allow government to control what is sold. To set constraints between buyers and sellers. To bring buyers and sellers Into contact * d.To allow an organization to set prices In relation to their products. Rejoinder: In the market system an exchange of money for goods and or services takes place. A true market system sets the price through barter where the goods and services sell for the best price offered by the buyers creating equilibrium. For this exchange to take place the market serves as a meeting place for buyers and sellers. If the organization sets its prices there may not be market equilibrium and that can result in either a shortage or a surplus.By specializing In the production of one good a company Is able to benefit from economies of scale which Increases their revenues. Attributes of specialization Include Reducing costs by creating a surplus. Saving time by allowing a worker to focus on one task* Encouraging workers to learn new skills. Encouraging workers to learn a number of different skills. Rejoinder: Specialization occurs when a firm is able to use the resources available to it to produce one product or family of products rather than trying to produce multiple goods and spreading the firm's resources In many directions.By focusing or concentrating on one task workers can achieve a higher level of training in that skill and become more productive. Firms always strive to produce only the amount of reduce they can sell to maximize their profits. The market system promotes progress by a, Creating incentive to continue to do things In the same way b. Restricting the amount of capital directed to specific goods. C. Slowly adjusting to changes In the In ten prices AT resources. A Provoking Incentive Tort technological advances.Rejoinder: Because firms are competing for consumers' dollars they always want to have the newest and latest product available which will be the most advanced in their category and appeal to consumers as new purchases. This provides incentive to stay ahead of the competition in developing new technology. If a firm continues without advancing its product the competition that do advance will attract their customers which is why firms dedicate resources to research and development.Revenue increases when producer surplus increase* producer surplus decreases consumer surplus increases consumer surplus decreases. Rejoinder: Producer surplus is the difference between the minimum price the producer is willing to receive and what they actually receive. The surplus is their profit and the larger the surplu s the greater their profit on the good. When it decreases they are receiving a price closer to their minimum acceptable. The consumer surplus measures what the consumer is willing to pay and its difference from the market price.The closer to the market price the higher the consumer surplus because they are spending less than they are willing to and the less spent the lower the revenue will be for the good. An increase in the price of an inelastic good will decrease revenues decrease the percentage change in quantity less than the percentage change in price increase revenues* increase the percentage change in quantity more than the percentage change in price Rejoinder: Inelastic goods are necessities that consumers will continue to arches even when price increases.This increases the revenue as more is paid for each good. The percentage change In price increases faster than the change in quantity which may remain constant. When we pay more for a good or service revenue will increase. Objective 1. 2: Explain market equilibrating process Productive efficiency is when the most valued combination of resources is used. The best technology is used. * when production occurs at a fair cost per unit. Fewer resources are left for production of other goods.Rejoinder: Efficiency is when we get the most out of the resources that are used to produce a good. This means having the newest and unsurpassed technology to produce the least waste and the lowest cost. Unused resources due to the new technology can then be allocated to the production of other goods. The market is said to be in equilibrium when there is potential for a shortage but not a surplus there is potential for a surplus but not a shortage. Neither a shortage nor a surplus exists* the quantity sold equals the quantity purchased. Appliers are asking for a product. It is the market price where the two come together and all the goods produced are sold without leaving anyone demanding additional units of that good. T he market will move too higher equilibrium price if the decrease in supply is greater than the decrease in demand* the increase in supply is greater than the increase in demand. The decrease in demand is greater than the decrease in supply. The increase in demand is greater than the increase in supply. Rejoinder: Price serves as a rationing tool for the demand of goods.If the price is too high fewer of the good are demanded and if it is too low more of the good is demanded than is available. The market seeks a price where the demand for goods will equal the supply of goods. When supply decreases the price will ration the good y increasing till there is no excess demand for the good or shortage of the good. The intersection of supply and demand will be at a lower equilibrium price but a higher equilibrium quantity if supply is constant and demand increases. F supply is constant and demand decreases if demand is constant and supply decreases. If demand is constant and supply increases * Rejoinder: Supply and demand intersect at the equilibrium price. The demand curve is a straight line measuring the quantity demanded at different price levels. When supply increases the supply curve shifts to the right and more of the good is available. Since the demand curve remains constant the supply curve will intersect at a lower point indicating the increase in quantity.When a price ceiling occurs the market price will be lower than the equilibrium price * the market price will be higher than the equilibrium price. The supply will exceed the demand buyers will not be willing to pay more than the ceiling price. Rejoinder: A price ceiling is the maximum price that can be charged for a good or service. It is imposed below the equilibrium price to allow those who would otherwise not be able to afford the good to purchase it. Placing it above the equilibrium price would make it ineffective ND unnecessary as the market price would then prevail.Income elasticity increases when the number of complementary goods decreases when the number of substitute goods decreases when buyers' income decreases* when buyers' income increases Rejoinder: Income elasticity measures the percentage change of the quantity demand to the percentage change in a consumer's income. If the consumer's income changes disproportionably to prices it affects the demand for goods. If income decreases and the price of goods stay the same then fewer goods are affordable and more goods become elastic as they are no longer a necessity or must have to the buyer.

Contemporary Issues in Eastern Religion - Jainism Research Paper

Contemporary Issues in Eastern Religion - Jainism - Research Paper Example 1). The core beliefs of Jainism focus on the existence of the soul for every living being, karmas, and the concept of non-violence, among others. These beliefs were deeply rooted in Indian traditions and belief in reincarnation and karma. As closely related to Hinduism, Marett indicated that â€Å"in many ways the Jain community has been influenced by the customs and traditions of the larger Hindu community. Jain influence on Hinduism must include non-violence and vegetarianism Mahatma Gandhi, as is well-known, was deeply influenced, particularly in his attitude to non-violence by the Jains† (n.d., par. 5). In contrast to the predominant religions of the West, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Jainism’s interaction with them are manifested in ways of communal living. As opposed to Christianity and Islam, religions that believe in a supreme being, Judaism and Jainism, â€Å"is both a religion and a community, a close-knit community with a way of life and worship which keeps religion in a central place in society. Unlike Jainism the religion of Judaism centers around the worship of a single all-powerful creator God. The code of right and wrong is strict but Judaism pays less attention to life after death than almost any other religion† (Marett, n.d., par. 7). Likewise, as averred by Ahmad (2010), â€Å"through various  interactions in India, Jainism had an influence on Hinduism and Buddhism, and they share concepts such as the seeking of freedom from  worldly life and reincarnation of the soul. Some scholars suggest that Hinduism adopted vegetarianism through strong Jain influence across India† (par.6). In the modern world, Jainism’s influence could be exemplified by the practices of monks and nuns who believe in celibacy and adhering to austere lifestyle. By living in a community committed to peace and non-violence, the traditions of Jainism are manifested. Further, devotees of Jainism are known to be vegetarians

International Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Marketing Management - Essay Example Globalization and Liberalization has opened many doors to the international companies like Coke and they are currently exploiting these opportunities. The destruction of communism has made the business climate in Bulgaria more suitable for the American business tycoon Coke. Earlier the communist regime looked suspiciously at the intrusion of the products and organizations from the capitalist countries. On the other hand, Spain had no such political obstacles for the entry of Coke in their market. Spain traditionally a close ally of America and American products never faced many barriers in Spain. This report analyses the macro-environmental analysis of Coca Cola product in Bulgaria and Spain. Coca Cola is currently marketing across different countries and different cultures. One of the major characteristics of Coke’s international marketing strategy is the custom made marketing strategies for each country and region where Coke operates. Coke knows that different countries may have different social, political, economical environmental, legal, cultural and communal factors and each country needs marketing strategies suitable to their characteristics. Even though Coca Cola is marketing same products all over the world, they have realized that even for same product, different marketing techniques needed in different countries. Since 1990, Bulgaria has embraced parliamentary democracy as communism failed to fulfil the needs of the people. Spain on the other hand is a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy since 1975. In short both these countries are under democratic administration at present which is a good sign for Coke’s business hopes in these countries. Historically, communist countries were reluctant in allowing American companies to function in their soil because of suspected spy work. But the current political systems in Spain and Bulgaria offers less resistance to

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Field Project Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Field Project Research Paper - Essay Example In my personal audit, the following relevant information were collected and gathered: (1) identifying and examining if my identity is safe; (2) the reasons why I need to protect myself from identity theft; and (3) how I could protect myself using very basis guidelines against potentially exposing myself for incidents of identity theft ( (Identity Theft Protection (IDPST), 2012). During the course of the personal security audit, as I was made aware that through answering and going through the questions, the following areas were the identified strengths: (1) logging off and locking my computer every night; (2) responsible use of access information by not sharing it to others; and (3) being extra careful on transmitting personal information through email. However, one noted that there was an eminent weakness in the use of passwords. In one instance, I discovered through friends that there were sent some messages through email apparently being sent from my email address. In this regard, there was potential risk in my password being compromised. As needed, I immediately changed my password and the incident did not happen again. Through browsing more information on doing a personal security audit, I learned that by believing that I would not become a victim of identity theft, I was actually exposing myself to the risks of being unprotected and exposed to security risks. In the LifeLock official website, an organization that aims to provide proactive identity theft protection to members who opt to register, it was disclosed that through do-it-yourself personal security audits using free credit bureau reports (AnnualCreditReport, 2012), I would only receive the minimum amount of information for personal security audit. Credit monitoring done by financial institutions generates credit alerts, address monitoring and information from the credit bureau reports. The LifeLock Identity Theft Protection boasts of covering proactive protection, advanced internet monitoring, cre dit alerts, non-credit alerts, address monitoring, lost wallet protection and credit bureau reports (LifeLock, 2012) for prices such as $25.00 / month or $275.00 / year for a LifeLock Ultimate package or a minimum of $10.00 / month or $110.00 / year for a LifeLock package (LifeLock, 2012). The safety tips provided by the IDPST site are likewise helpful in making me more aware of areas to focus on, such as the need to dispose of mail or correspondences that has my personal address and information; never carrying the SSS card; never using the SSS card as an identification number; being careful of credit card receipts; being careful of using debit cards when shopping online; and keeping personal information within my area of residence and not to be carried along. By doing so, the personal security audit enhanced my awareness on areas to be most careful of and to follow the simple guidelines that would assist in protecting myself from identity theft. In sum, the personal security audit made me realize that my personal practices in terms of identity protection (never carrying my SSS card in my wallet; locking up personal ids and information in a safe box at home); credit cards (using a virtually difficult signature to replicate and indicating that a photo ID is required; having photocopies of the credit cards safely at home; checking and monitoring all credit card transactions) and improving my password all ensure that I would be duly protected from identity the

Persuavive Letter to I.M. Bibe stating the reasons that Bibe is bound Research Paper

Persuavive Letter to I.M. Bibe stating the reasons that Bibe is bound by the Contract - Research Paper Example A possible argument would be the intoxicating effect of wine that distorted your judgment; however, this will encounter legal obstacles. This is because an individual who is highly subdued by the wine cannot enter into valid contracts. As such, in an extreme intoxicated state your hand will not be firm enough to outline a clear signature. The signature was firm and accurate like your other signatures. Furthermore, there are few cases, which back Owen Lotts claim of holding you liable to the agreement. The courts set precedents on earlier cases that make it possible for the legal representation of Lotts to pursue this issue with vigor. The argument in Guidini vs. Guidini Case where the plaintiff claimed he was not sober upon making the agreement cannot apply. Although they are similar because Lotts was buying the wine for you (I.M.Bibe); furthermore, in the Guidini case, the contract was signed after two weeks (Guidici v. Guidici, 2 Cal.2d 497 (Cal., 1935). This technicality erodes an y binding precedent to the case since not all factors are similar. The case of Donnelly’s vs. Rees indicates that one of the parties was intoxicated and convinced into finalizing a contract (Donnelly v. Rees, 141 Cal. 56 (Cal. 1903). However, in the Donnelly’s case, the plaintiff was drunk for longer periods unlike in your setting where you had lunch. This is a basis to argue the non-application of this precedent in this case. Interestingly, the elements in Marron vs. Marron are similar to the Donnelly’s case, and will emphasize Lotts plea in affirming your liability (Marron v. Marron, 19 Cal. App. 326. (Cal.App. 1 Dist. 1912). It would be considerably difficult to present your innocence since no supportive precedent of your situation exists. Furthermore, in the case of Swan v. Tablot, the precedent was affirmative that equity will not allow an individual to escape liability claiming he was not sober upon

Irrigation and Water Distribution Research Paper

Irrigation and Water Distribution - Research Paper Example Water conservation is a general reference to methods or procedures applied for the purpose of achieving a reduction in water usage or consumption. Around the world, there are a wide variety of methods associated with water conservation, for an equally wide variety of purposes. Regardless of diversity in technique, there is a primary objective common to all the methods- the use of less water while achieving irrigation's necessary end. Needless to say, the interplay between the reduction in water consumption and achievement of viable irrigation introduces the question of water use efficiency. In irrigation, water reuse and recycling become crucial considering the heavy use of the resource (water), and indeed its wastage. The FAO Corporate Document Repository states in a report that "40% or more of the water diverted for irrigation is wasted at the farm level through either deep percolation or surface runoff." Moreover, "water conservation has been found to be a cost-effective way to meet increased water demands. Conserving water by consuming less, wasting less or reusing more reduces cost and postpones or eliminates the need for expensive and environmentally damaging new dams or similar water supply projects." (Texas Water Matters). For centuries, water reuse and recycle have been an integral part of the techniques applied to the irrigation of land, for effective ecosystem management (Noah). Without doubt, it is not totally devoid of drawbacks, in an environmental context. However, as a result of its relatively natural mode of application, it has (and is) successfully been used in many places around the world to achieve environment-friendly irrigation. Rain Harvesting and Water Conservation- Usefulness And Applicability in Irrigation: The interconnected nature of the entire ecosystem and the hydrological cycle ensures that ensures that irrigation does not function in isolation. For this crucial reason, water conservation as applied to irrigation, assumes greater relevance regarding the availability of water for other uses. A vital approach is that the end-use of water needs to feature more prominently in the methodology considerations of irrigating land. For instance, gray water usage- an aspect of water conservation- basic as it may be, surprisingly encapsulates the is water-efficiency philosophy. One of water conservation's crudest forms, gray water use is generally believed to be unsuitable for irrigating certain types of ground or plants- on account of its high acidic or chemical content- and in certain places (such as California) is restricted by legislation as applicable only to non-edible plants (Alyce). However, the author notes, it finds reasonable applicability, being useful in the "subsurface irrigation of non-edible plants." Conservation, in such a case, has successfully helped avoid a situation of wastage or inefficiency through a proper recognition of end use, even in this most basic or crude mode of irrigation. Other aspects of water conservation also appear to be naturally inclined to efficiency, particularly with the end use of water properly defined.

An analysis of macroeconomic and industry conditions of woolworths Essay

An analysis of macroeconomic and industry conditions of woolworths - Essay Example ASX reveals the details of Woolworths and Wesfarmers in the competitive market. It is a financial market exchange that offers services such as listings clearing, settlement, and trading across a wide range of asset classes. Woolworths is a retail chain store that deals with food merchandise. On the other hand, Wesfarmers is a company that deals with retail operations covering food merchandise, supermarkets, specialty department stores, liquor and fuel outlets, office and home supplies etc (Mankiw, 2003). A set of factors largely influence how companies, for instance Woolworths and Wesfarmers, will operate. These factors determine whether or not a particular company will meet its mission as well as realise its vision. The Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) is a pact that combines Australia and New Zealand. Woolworths strives to meet the needs of its large market of customers in both countries. This is made simpler due to the fact that political stability is experienced in both countries. Political stability is a crucial factor in development. Economic factors are quite advantageous to Woolworths considering that Australia and New Zealand show economic stability. Based on gross domestic product, Australia and New Zealand are ranked 10th and 30th respectively the by International Monetary Fund (Mankiw, 2003). Customers are loyal to companies that meet their individual desires. These desires include preference for organic products over inorganic ones. These socio-cultural factors influence the companies’ strategies as they also desire to fully tap into the market. The purchasing power of the customers is good due to the economic stability that fuels the high standard of living. In addition, legal and regulatory factors such as policies favour the retail industry in Australia. It is these factors that make Woolworths a huge beneficiary. However,

Case Study - Washburn Guitars Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Leadership and Management Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Management Essay Initially I plan on reviewing the prevailing leadership styles in my organisation and then assessing the impact of these on the organisation’s values and performance. In order to assess the leadership styles I have produced a questionnaire (see appendix 1). The questionnaire was designed to find out how directive, participative and permissive each manager in our organisation is and then study the most prevailing style. It was evident from the information collated that the prevailing leadership style in our organisation is participative and directive rather than permissive. On assessing this information it became apparent that our manager’s leadership styles reflect a Contingency theory and they rather be present and take part in services in order to ensure controlled success. Contingency theory is a class of behavioral theories that claim there is no best way to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the best action is contingent (dependent) upon the situation. Several contingency approaches were developed in the1960s. They suggested that previous theories such as Webers bureaucracy and Taylors Scientific Management had failed because they neglected that management style and organisational structure were influenced by various aspects of the environment: known as contingency factors. There could not be one best way for leadership or organisation. Historically, contingency theory has attempted to formulate broad views about formal structures that are typically associated with or best fit the use of different organisations. This perspective originated with the work of Joan Woodward (1958), who argued that skills directly determine differences in such organisational attributes as a span of control, centralisation of authority, and the formalisation of rules and procedures. My Organisation Values and Performance The organisation that I work for delivers a range of high quality services and projects, these services follow the principles of empowering communities, developing lives, furthering equality, diversity and inclusion and strengthening local voluntary sector delivery. These principles dictate the values in which we function. We are very much a voluntary sector, charitable organisation ensuring that at the heart of our services are the people that access them. Performance is measured through a set of service delivery indicators which form the base of our promises to funding bodies, staff, volunteers and customers in everything we do. These indicators are measured via our service development plan. Each year we publish an Annual Report based on our Service Delivery Indicators, which measure our progress and informs the public of our work over the previous year in delivering against our priorities. (See Appendix 2 for our organisations SDI’s) Our organisation values and performance clearly highlight a need for the leadership to be open and receptive. This allows us to except feedback and input from our service users. A directive and participatory leadership style is imposed by managers in our organisation for staff; however when dealing with service users we have to adopt a more directive style to ensure commination is clear and there is no room for bought. We have found in the past when we have given service users who are vulnerable and have mental health difficulties an opportunity to contribute to services they feel empowered, however they need time and guidance in order to make informed decisions. Effectiveness of my Own Leadership Style On assessing my own leadership style I appeared to be more directive, in the middle when it came to participation, however I did not seem to be very permissive. The results did not surprise me and seemed to be consistent with my approach. I tend to direct staff by the use of many models including action plans which are produced in team meeting and each member of staff is allocated actions, timescales, budget and directions. I am participatory when tasks are being carried out I ensure I understand the delivery method and observe when necessary. For example if we are promoting a new group I will ensure all promotion literature is checked by me prior to going out and visit the new group to view session delivery. I do not hide away form front line delivery and ensure I gage with staff, clients and volunteers therefore I understand the reason why on my leadership assessment I did not score highly on being permissive. Therefore I feel my management style suits the organisation. However with the changing nature of our organisation leading towards a more business-like approach I may find I have to review my management style. I may need to become more permissive, less participatory and even more directive. This will ensure I can work more strategically to order to retain services and staff. Changing my approach may be difficult for my staff to accept, however explaining that their jobs may be at risks if I do not manage differently may put it all into perspective. By applying a Contingency theory mentioned earlier I should be able to manage this effectively. I asked my staff to assess my leadership style using the questionnaire I produced and gave to fellow managers (Appendix 1). The results mirrored my self assessment, demonstrating that I understand my own leadership style well and that the staff have the same opinion. Apply Own Leadership Style in Range of Situations Over the last two weeks I have begun to assess my own leadership style in a variety of situations. These have mainly taken the form of meetings. I have chaired a client/volunteer meeting and a full staff meeting. My leadership style tended to change in these situations. I became less formal with the client and volunteer meeting in order to project at their level of understanding. Less detail was presented and less decision making was required. The meeting was more informative and decisions had been made by the staff team prior to the meeting. Feedback and participation was welcomed however it was in a manner in which it could be controlled so as a staff team we could make informed decisions.

Neurological Effects of ART of HIV Patients

Neurological Effects of ART of HIV Patients NEUROLOGICAL  MANIFESTATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION IN THE ERA OF COMBINED ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY Neurological disorders are the most debilitating of manifestations seen in patients infected with HIV. The clinical profile of neurological manifestations in HIV patients has undergone a shift in recent years with opportunistic infections being controlled with combination anti retroviral therapy and the advent of drugs which have higher central nervous system penetrability. Aims and Objectives To study the clinical, investigation profile and various neurological disorders in HIV patients on anti-retroviral therapy. Materials and Methods Fifty HIV patients with neurological manifestations were studied. A complete neurological examination including neurocognitive functioning using Montreal Cognitive Assessment and HIV Dementia scale were assessed. Apart from relevant investigations, CD4 count, Computed Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain, cerebrovascular fluid analysis was done where required. Results Neurocognitive disorders formed the largest group with 42% suffering from HIV associated Neurocognitive Disorders .Among them asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment was seen in 28%; mild neurocognitive disorder in 12%, and 2% had HIVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ associated dementia. Opportunistic infections of the nervous system accounted for 32%, with meningitis being the most common. Four patients had space occupying lesions of central nervous system; four tuberculomas and one toxoplasmosis. Conclusion With the advent of highly active retroviral therapy HIV patients have longer life spans with suppression of viral load leading to decrease in opportunistic infections of the nervous system. Neurocognitive disorders are now the most common neurological dysfunction seen and thus neurocognitive assessment must be done in all patients with HIV. Keywords : cognitive dysfunction, neurological manifestations in HIV, opportunistic infections ,dementia, anti retroviral therapy INTRODUCTION Human Immunodeficiency Virus is one of the greatest challenges faced by the medical fraternity in the 21st century. The infection has become pandemic in many parts of the world and affected every corner of the globe. According to the data released by NACO Annual Report 2012-2013, the revised estimate of people with HIV as of 2011 is 2.08 million (equivalent to 0.27percent of the adult population)1. Though these figures represent a positive trend of decreased incidence of new cases, the prevalence is not changed as HIV patients are now able to live for longer time because of the advent of Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The virus has the unique ability to mutate itself constantly and conveniently integrates itself into the genome of the cells of the immune system which ironically are supposed to protect us from infections. Although many drugs are active against the virus it has so far eluded complete cure. HIV is known to affect all organ systems in the body causing a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Neurological disorders among them are considered to be among the most debilitating of manifestations seen in HIV positive patients .Opportunistic infections of the CNS were the main cause of neurological deterioration for a vast majority of these patients in the earlier times when combination anti retroviral treatment for HIV was not yet instituted. The major neurological disorders in HIV patients are opportunistic infections, immune reconstitution, HIV associated neuro-cognitive disorders (HAND), sensory neuropathies among others. As the patients are now able to have longer life spans with good viral control the clinical profile of neurological manifestations and disorders has undergone a paradigmal shift with opportunistic infections being controlled with combination ART and the advent of drugs which have higher CNS penetrability. Neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric manifestations are the new area of focus with emphasis being made on diagnosing and treating their subclinical forms. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was done on HIV patients getting admitted in a tertiary hospital and research center in Bijapur from April 2014 to June 2014.Fifty HIV positive patients with clinical neurological manifestations during this period have been included in the study. Inclusion criteria HIV patients on combined anti retroviral therapy having signs and symptoms caused by neurological dysfunction. Exclusion criteria Patients with pre-existing neurological conditions like epilepsy, mental retardation, cerebrovascular diseases, parkinsonism, movement disorders not attributable to the HIV. Patients not on any therapy. Patients who have discontinued their treatment for duration of more than a month. An informed consent was obtained from the patients prior to their inclusion in the study. A detailed history, general physical examination with thorough neurological examination was done. The patients were also assessed for their cognitive functions as a part of neurological examination using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)2, International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS)3.If cognition was affected it was quantified based on the effect it had on everyday activities using Lawton scale for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living4. The tests were performed on all patients in study. Patients were classified as HAND based on the scoring and clinical judgment of impaired performance in at least two domains of MoCA and IHDS tests. MoCA was assessed on delayed recall, executive function, visuospatial function, attention, language function, abstract thought and orientation. The maximal score was 30 and patients with IHDS was scored on three variables motor speed, psychomotor speed and memory recall, the patients are scored on each of these. The maximum possible score was 12 points. A patient with a score of The patients with HAND were further subdivided into Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment (ANI), Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MND) or HIVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ associated dementia (HAD) using revised research criteria for HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND)5.The patients in study group not diagnosed with HAND were used as reference group for standardized neuropsychological tests and compared. Demographic, relevant clinical data and laboratory data were collected. Data included age, sex, level of education, occupation,current CD4 cell count, and antiretroviral therapy. Laboratory work up include hemogram, CSF analysis and imaging like CT/MRI when needed. Statistical analysis The data was entered in MS Excel Sheet and analysed using SPSS 18 software.Appropriate statistical test like Chi square standard deviation mean and z test were used. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 32.3 years with all of them being between 20 to 45 years. There were 36 males and 14 females. The mean years of education of the group was 6.41 years with only 30% being employed in professional jobs and the rest either unemployed or intermittently worked as unskilled labor.(Table 1) The most common symptom in these patients was headache seen in 42% of cases followed by fever (30%) and altered sensorium(10%).Seizures were present in three of the five patients with with space occupying lesions. (Table 2) Neurocognitive dysfunction were the most common neurological disorders (42%) followed by opportunistic infections(32%). The MoCA and IHAD test results were used to diagnose the patients with HAND. These patient data were then compared with the other HIV patients who underwent these tests. ANI was present in 28% ,12% had MND and 2% were suffering from HAD. The patients with neurocognitive disorders were included in group A and the rest in group B. (Table 3) Cryptococcal meningitis was the most common infection accounting for 14% followed by tubercular meningitis with 12% of the cases. Co infection was seen in six cases. There was one case each of myelitis and toxoplasma.Space occupying lesions were found in five cases, four of which were tuberculomas and one lymphoma.(Table 4) According to WHO immunological classification for established HIV infection based on CD4 counts6 ;52% had severe disease, 24% had advanced disease , 4% had mild disease and remaining 4% did not have significant disease. Fifty six percent of patients in group A had CD4 count less than 200cells/mm3 [severe disease] and of the 21 patients in group B, 71.5% had severe disease.(Table 4) Nineteen patients underwent CT scan and/or MRI of which 13 had normal scan results ,five patients were diagnosed to be having intracranial masses,four tuberculomas and one lymphoma .Toxoplasma was suspected in one patient which was later confirmed with finding Toxoplasma- IgM antibodies in blood. One patient had features on CT suggestive of encephalomyelitis. CSF analysis was done in 17 patients of whom seven were diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis by India ink preparations. Six patients had findings suggestive of tubercular meningitis. DISCUSSION Neurologic abnormalities are common in late stages of HIV infection and are an AIDS defining condition. Central nervous system disease occurs in 40-90% of HIV positive patients. The predominant cell types that are infected are monocytes and macrophages. Virus may enter the brain through infected monocytes and release cytokines that are toxic to neurons as well as chemotactic factors that lead to infiltration of the brain with inflammatory cells.7 Our study showed a male preponderance towards neurological manifestations in HIV with 72% of the patients being male similar results were seen in other studies. Deshpande et al reported 87.5% male patients8 and Chan LG et al had 93.3% male subjects9.This could be attributed to higher incidence of multiple sexual partners in males compared to females, except for high risk groups like commercial sex workers. In our study the most common manifestation of HIV patients with neurological disorder was headache, seen in 42% patients which corroborated with other studies. Sharma SK et al. also reported headache as the commonest neurological manifestation seen in 62.5% cases10. The neurological symptoms associated with HAND like forgetfulness, mental slowness, poor concentration, clumsiness, tremors, apathy were seen in less than six percent of people although HAND accounted for 42% cases. This data suggests the huge propensity to miss the diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction as the disease usually exists in its subclinical form with little or no symptoms. The few patients who did have these symptoms did not associate them to their disease. The approach towards neurological diseases in HIV has always been directed towards opportunistic infections. Most studies on neurological complications did not assess for neurocognitive disorders although some studies have reported on dementia. In our study the prevalence of neuro-cognitive disorders surpassed opportunistic infections of CNS in HIV patients. HAND was seen in 42% of the cases similar to study done by Chan LG et al. in Singapore where the prevalence was 22.7% .They also used the revised 2007 updated research nosology for HAND. Singh R et al. reported a 33.65% incidence of HIV associated Dementia.This study showed similar result to our study but the assessment was done using MMSE11. Deshpande AK et al reported only 6% patients with dementia.Satishchandra et al. reported dementia in only four patients out of 100 patients12. Sharma et al. did not report on neurocognitive disorders.All these studies did not employ an objective methodology for assessing the cognitive function and based their results on clinical and neurological examination findings. It is very common to assess cognitive impairment based on clinical judgement and brief bedside neurological examination, this methodology though novel severely limits the providers ability to diagnose subclinical forms of cognitive dysfunction and being subjective their results cannot be used to compare with studies were standardised tests were employed. The CD4 counts in patients with HAND are below 200 cells/mm3 in 71.4% of cases.Thus we concluded that HAND is usually seen with lower CD4 counts associated with severe form of disease. Chan LG et al. reported similar findings were HAND was seen in patients with CD4 counts less than 200cells/mm3 in 63.3% , Singh R et al. reported similar findings in 83.52% patients. Our study did have its shortcomings, our sample size was smaller and strict compartmentalization of neurological disorders into opportunistic infections and neurocognitive dysfunction may have given a lower incidence of opportunistic infections .Thus further studies need to be taken up with larger sample sizes using standardized cognitive assessment tests . With the widespread use of HAART the incidence and mortality associated with HIV is decreasing throughout the world.By keeping the of viral loads suppressed and prolonging the lifespan of HIV individuals a new profile of neurological disorders is emerging which warrants a change in approach to the management.Along with opportunistic infections emphasis must be made towards diseases caused by direct effect of the virus on the nervous system.Neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric illnesses should be thoroughly investigated using standardised mental status examination (those acceptable in updated research nosology for HAND considering resource limited contexts) 5; as they can be subclinically present severely affecting the patient’s daily activities and add to the overall burden of the disease.

Evolution Of Warehouse Management Systems Information Technology Essay

Evolution Of Warehouse Management Systems Information Technology Essay The evolution of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) is very similar to the evolution of many other software solutions. Initially a system to control movement and storage of materials within a warehouse, the role of WMS is expanding to including light manufacturing, transportation management, order management, and complete accounting systems. To use MRP, as a comparison; Material Requirements Planning (MRP) started as a system for planning raw material requirements in a manufacturing environment. Soon MRP evolved into Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII), which took the basic MRP system and added scheduling and capacity planning logic, and eventually evolved into Enterprise Resource Planning, incorporating all the MRPII functionality with full financials and customer and vendor management functionality. Even though WMS continues to gain added functionality, the initial core functionality of a WMS has not really changed. The primary purpose of a WMS is to control the movement and storage of materials within an operation. Directed picking, directed replenishment, and directed put-away are the key to WMS. The detailed setup and processing within a WMS can vary significantly from one software vendor to another however the basic logic will use a combination of item, location, quantity, unit of measure, and order information to determine where to stock, where to pick, and in what sequence to perform these operations. 1.0. Introduction to Warehouse Management Systems Technology The majority of the problems that occur in the warehouse occur because of a lack of control: a lack of inventory control, operational control and/or management control. To become a dynamic, consistent organization, all the operations must be under control. In order to achieve this control, all the tools and technology available has to be used to get control and manage the warehouse operations. A control system is a means, mechanism or procedure by which we manage these operations. There are three basic objectives of a control system, either manual or computerized: To identify and coordinate the work that has to be performed. To direct the achievement of the work to maximize performance (productivity of warehouse resources and customer satisfaction) and minimize or eliminate human errors. To report the status of the work that needs to be, or was, done. A manual control system uses physical, paper-based technology to attempt to optimize warehousing operations. Due to the rate of change, demands for accurate, real-time in-formation, next-day-service mentality and marketplace competition, the use of manual systems in the next millennium will be unrealistic. A computerized warehouse management system (WMS) is the integration of bar coding technology, Radio Frequency (RF) communications equipment, hardware and software. Warehouse management software has the capability to optimize the warehouse and warehouse-related operations. Whereas the sophistication of manual control systems is low, the sophistication of WMSs can vary from simple stock location control to systems that truly optimize customer service, space, labor and equipment in the warehouse. It is important to note that one should not confuse WMS technology with business systems applications that impact the warehouse. A WMS is an operating tool that is based upon the needs of the warehouse operation and provides tools and information for the management of the warehouse. 2.0. Warehouse Functions To have a better understanding of the requirements of a warehouse and thus, the benefits of the warehouse management systems we first introduce the basic functions of the warehouse and then we can get into the benefits of having a WMS implemented in the daily operations. Traditionally a warehouse performs four basic functions: (1) receive product, (2) store product, (3) pick product and (4) ship product. Receiving. The basic functions in the receiving area are: the packaging of raw materials from suppliers, finished goods from manufacturers and other sources, and customer returns. Generally, receiving operations have two major needs: The need to have accurate receipt information with advanced notice, this facilitates the receiving operations by providing accurate and quick information from the senders host system directly to a WMS. This system translates receipt information into usable information for dock activity planning, order release and inventory allocation. The need to reduce the time the product spends in staging. A WMS minimizes the time the product sits in staging due to operator-directed put-away and system-directed put-away and system-directed put-away locations. Storage. The basic functions in the storage area are: quality inspection, put-away, product location and lot control and crossdock operations. The typical needs with respect to product storage are: The need to have adequate identification and tracking of product that are ready for put-away. The need to have an automatic selection of storage locations for pallets loads, designed to maximize space utilization, picking efficiency and minimize retrieval or put-away labor. The need for a stock location system that tracks identity and quantity of each SKU by unique storage location (in order to ensure product trace ability to customer). The real-time update of inventory, locations of lot and stock records to provide timely information. The more real-time update, the greater the reduction in the information lead time. The ability to cycle count inventory by storage location, as opposed to a physical on-hand inventory count. A WMS, uses cycle counting techniques. Crossdocking. A major deficiency in many warehousing operations is the absence of a stock location system. Knowing where and how much of a product is in the warehouse, is a basic fundamental to success of the operation. The absence of a stock location system requires that the inventory accuracy be reliable. Usually this implies counting the entire on-hand inventory for a single SKU. This process is not only labor intensive, but also can be affected by human error. A WMS provides the feature of cycle count by location, record accuracy can be verified by location. The result is a drastic decrease in labor requirements and time and a dramatic increase in inventory accuracy. Picking The basic functions in the picking area are: raw material picking, work in progress picking and finished goods picking. The shipping needs of a warehouse typically include: The need to select specific storage locations for picking based parameters such as lot number, stock rotation, order quantity and pick location. The need to minimize pick travel distance and multiple handling by pre-route and pre-post customer orders in storage location sequence. The need to perform case picking and broken case picking. Again the need for a stock location system is essential, since it provides a the foundation for efficient order picking. The picking functionality provided by a WMS is designed to exploit the existence of the stock location system to further maximize the picking efficiency. The ability of the computerized control system allows to minimize the picker travel time between picks and maximize actual time spend picking during discrete picking. 2.4. Shipping The typical shipping needs include: The routing of picked goods to predetermined staging lanes for order control and consolidation from multiple pick zones. Automatic bill-of-landing generation. Automatic updating of customer files. Automatic shipping notification to customer (via EDI  [1]  ). The shipping functions are designed to maximize the control of orders moving through packing, checking and loading. In addition, bill-of-landing, packing list, and customer file updating are used to minimize manual clerical tasks to reduce labor and improve accuracy and customer service. 2.5. Other Warehouse Function Capabilities. There are other functional capabilities required by every warehouse. Some of these need include: The ability to maintain product data files. The ability to generate activity reports in order to manage warehouse performance. The ability to monitor employee performance through transaction activity accumulation. The creation of an audit trail to facilitate error corrections in warehouse activities. The ability to track and access order status from order entry through shipping. The ability to provide access as needed, maintaining data security. The ability to facilitate efficient material replenishment. 3.0. Warehouse Management Systems Integration 3.1. Real-Time Radio Frequency Communications. The benefits realized from real-time Radio Frequency (RF) communications are as follows: Information availability Real-time status updates of receipts, manufacturing requests and customer orders provides the warehouse with tools to manage the on-going activities. Providing the warehouse with adequate response to the changing needs and allowing management to relocate its labor, equipment and space resources as required to maximize performance. Material Tracking Real-time communications allows verification of all transactions which affect material location. This verification updates status records are used in future transactions, are used to eliminate most material transaction errors, and provide immediate solutions to errors that are identified. Real-time communications allows the warehouse to operate more efficiently by providing quick and accurate information about open/empty storage locations for put-away loads, without the necessity of manually searching of the rack. Labor Pacing Real-time communications between the system and the operator allows the system to pace the operator from one assignment to the next. The system will provide the operator with the proper task or tasks depending on each operator availability and product requirement. The result is workload management that maximizes task accomplishment and minimizes labor idle time. Real-time RF communications is a valuable operational investment. The improvement in stock and inventory accuracy, labor management and responsiveness to manufacturing result in tangible cost savings. Most up-to-date WMS packages will support real-time RF communications. It is important to remember that effective real time communications will be depended upon the response time by the control system computer. It is important that the control system does not degrade the response time of existing applications, nor have an excessive response time. 3.2. Bar Coding. The benefits from bar coding can be classified as follows: Labor Reduction Reduces the time required to identify loads and locations to support real-time RF communications transactions. Data Acquisition Accuracy Bar code data entry, with a typical error rate of one in one-two million scans is both fast and very accurate. As oppose to keystroke data entry, with typical error of one in three hundred keystrokes, which is both error prone and time consuming. The importance of data accuracy is essential to the success of real-time RF communications, which is provided by bar code data entry. Compliance Labeling Bar coding is being consent, even mandated, by customers as standards placed upon product. This enables the customer quick receipt and confirmation of receipt when combined with EDI shipment data. It can be seen that the most compelling benefit gained from the use of bar coding is the effective support of data collection and real time RF communications. Without the bar code, both data collection and real-time communications (through manual keystroke input) will be full of errors and will slow productivity. Bar coding is a fast and accurate method through which real time communications can provide extremely important benefits. 3.3. Warehouse Management System Software. The warehouse management system application software, also known as supply chain software for distribution centers of warehouses, facilitates speedy execution of product orders for suppliers and vendors at warehouses. The WMS software is currently mainly used for inventory management. Most of the companies involved in the industrial, retail and transportation business are looking at this type of software as a solution to their current warehouse operational problems. Even though warehouse operations are not a completely new issue, there is not much information concerning the WMS. What are the top players? What is the global market share? The local market share? What are the vendors doing to keep up with on going market changes? To try and have a more clear picture the WMS an in depth look at the market trend for WMS has been performed and is presented in the following section. 3.3.1. WMS A Global Market Trend Report In the current market the software must handle merge-in-transit operations, multi-warehouses inventory visibility, multi-level bill-of-material, synchronized movement of component parts and light assembly and reverse logistics. WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Supply Chain Planning Software Order Management Systems Management Systems Inventory Management Systems Transportation Management Systems 3.3.1.1. WMS Market Highlights  [2]   Global markets for WMS software is expected to grow to $11 billion by the year 2005 at an average annual growth rate of nearly 32% over the 2000 estimates of $2.8 billion. See Figure 1 in Appendix 1. The worldwide market for WMS is highly fragmented. It is estimated that the top fifteen supply chain execution software vendors accounted for a meager 32% of the $2.2 billion market in 1999. See Table 3 in Appendix 2. Most WMS vendors are adapting to provide software that offers web-based graphical user interface for convenient usage by internal users in warehouse, suppliers, customers and service providers. Greater demand for software that integrates WMS with order management, transport management execution, warehouse optimization or slotting, labor management and yard management, cross docking and reverse logistics. Implementation of WMS applications is increasingly measured in parameters including order and inventory accuracy, storage use, order fill rates, orders per hour and costs per order. Success in e-commerce is measured as a parameter of connectivity to trading partners, speed at which an order is executed, adaptability to ever changing customer requirements. These factors are driving the demand for supply chain execution software including WMS. The WMS market in North America was estimated at $1.1 billion during the year 2000. Market is expected to grow between 29-33% annually, during the period 2001 to 2005. The region accounts for slightly over 40% of the global WMS market. See Figure 2 In Appendix 1. North America market for WMS was estimated at $885 million in 1999. The industrial manufacturing and retail sector made up more than half the demand for WMS in the region. See Figure 2 in Appendix 3. 3.3.2. WMS Software Vendors The worldwide market for WMS is highly fragmented. It is estimated that the top fifteen supply chain execution software vendors accounted for a meager 32% of the $2.2 billion market in 1999. See Table 3 in Appendix 2. Most WMS vendors are adapting to provide software that offers web-based graphical user interface for convenient usage by internal users in warehouse, suppliers, customers and service providers. Vendors are not only trying to facilitate the acquisition of this technology, but they also are trying to keep up with the distribution dynamics that tend to change at the same pace as the market trends do. See Table 2 in Appendix 2. The integration of the real-time RF communications, bar coding and the WMS software, provides the proper platform for a computerized warehouse management system to perform the proper operational control in the warehouse. Nevertheless, the thought that WMS is the answer to every warehouse problem is not completely true. Even though the WMS are a necessity in todays warehouse operations, they still rely on human control, and having the proper team to perform the implementation and every day functions is as essential as choosing the proper system. 3.3.3. WMS Software Functions and Capabilities 3.3.3.1. General System Functions. Most of the available management system softwares have common functions in their platforms, although the products tend to have its uniqueness feeling attached to each one, the reality is that there is a standard for a typical WMS software. The following are the standard functions of a WMS system: Appointment Scheduling. Receiving. Cross Docking. Inventory Control. Put-away. Replenishment. Order and Wave Management. Picking and Packing. Shipping. Yard Management. The capabilities of each function are explained below in more detail. 1. Appointment Scheduling. Provides the tools to collect carrier information and apply it to a calendar for better utilization of dock and warehouse resources. 2. Receiving. Handles all range of receiving possibilities that exist for the distribution operation. The most common capabilities are: Real-time RF or paper based receiving. Flexible PO/ASN verification. Critical data validation. 3. Cross Docking. Tasks are automatically created to locate the product at the receiving dock and move it to the correct shipping lane or storage location. 4. Inventory Control. Provides a feature to manage and control inventory in the warehouse. The most common capabilities perform by this function are: Inventory ownership tracking. Item attribute tracking, i.e. lot, shelf life, data code, and serial number. Inbound and outbound catch-weight capture. Flexible inventory transfer, moves, and adjustments. Cycle counting processes. Wall-to-wall physical counting. Real time inventory status control and inquiry. Location and zone configuration. 5. Put-away. Provides put-away features that can be used in the warehouse. The capabilities of this function are: System directed or assisted put-away. Configurable put-away strategies to optimize storage and asset utilization. Configurable generation of put-away tasks (typically put-away algorithms). 6. Replenishment. This function provides the process for directing inventory movement from reserve and overflow locations to primary pick locations in real time fashion. The capabilities of this function are: Automated replenishment task generated and dispatch. Multiple replenishment options, i.e. split case, case, pallet, etc. Configurable replenishment strategies. 7. Order and Wave Management. Provides the ability to accept and validate orders from the hosts order entry system, to coordinate picking and shipping activities, and to create waves that will sequence which orders are grouped and released to the warehouse. Waves can be planned based on criteria such as, routes, zones, zip codes, hot orders, carriers, or any other order information. The most common capabilities of this function are: Extensive wave building criteria. Configurable allocation strategies and dynamic allocation. Configurable cartonization. 8. Picking and Packing. Provides several picking and packing capabilities: Automated picking task generation and dispatch. Real-time RF and label based picking. Supports piece, case, and pallet picking. Multiple picking options: discrete order picking, cluster picking, and batch picking. System assisted packing. Outbound container ID generation and tracking. 9. Shipping. The shipping processes ensure that customer order quality and compliance labeling requirements are met. The capabilities of this function are: Real-time RF loading. Shipment consolidation and compliance labeling. Shipping documentation generation. Shipment loading management. Shipment verification and close. Carrier manifest generation. 10. Yard Management. Optimizes the productivity and accuracy in the trailer yard. It also extends customers control and visibility deeper in the supply chain by providing real-time access to trailer content early in the distribution process and more comprehensive trailer management inside the yard. Reduces yard labor costs by minimizing manual processes. 3.3.3.2. Additional System Functions. In addition to the standard functions of the WMS software several companies have constructed their platforms with additional ones. I have compiled a list of the best selling softwares and their added and sometimes unique functions. See Table 1. Table 1. Functions for various WMS softwares. Company WMS Software Function EXE Technologies EXceedTM WMS Task Management Value Added Processing Billing Optimize  [3]   Manhattan Associates PkMS Task Management Third Party Billing Reverse Logistics (Returns) Value Added Processing Foreign Trade Zone Shipment Staging Transportation Management Systems3 HK Systems IristaWarehouseTM Value Added Processing Container Management Reverse Logistics (Returns) Shipment Staging Catalyst International CatalystCommand 9.0 Slotting International Trade Logistics Reverse Logistics (Returns) Transportation Management Systems Collaboration/EAI Systems Uniteq/ AquiTec SCM/400TM Reverse Logistics (Returns) Transportation Management Systems Interleaving/Multitasking Each function presented in Table 1 is described below in more detail. Task Management. Provides automatic generation and dispatching of tasks to users for: receiving, put-away, moving inventory, cycle counting, replenishment, picking, loading, and shipping. Value Added Processing. Provides inbound VAP such as: inspection, repack, and returns, as well as outbound VAP such as: kitting, packing, and inspection, and complex final assembly operations for customer-specific products. Billing/ Third Party Billing. Captures and invoices charges for storage and labor, enabling accurate and timely customer billing. Optimize. Models planned and existing facilities to identify cost effective and efficient layouts, product placements, and labor routings. Reverse Logistics. Provides the functionality needed to handle returns to your facility, either from the customer or the supplier; managing return authorizations, re-fulfillment, repair and other capabilities for the reverse supply chain. Foreign Trade Zone/ International Trade Logistics. Improves management of the firm by automating global logistics/ delivery operations while coordinating the management of documents and transactions for customer compliance. Shipment Staging. Provides processes to improve layout and dock utilization by assigning the proper space for picking and retrieving operations. Slotting. Provides optimized product placement strategies. Transportation Management Systems. Provides an upgrade to the transportation section by designing efficient networks for the movement of products through shipping confirmation, carrier assignment, schedule coordination, and payment processing. Collaboration/ EAI Systems. Improves the firm by expanding the supply chain network by synchronizing transactions and data among widely dispersed systems. Interleaving /Multitasking. Provides the ability to perform move operations across multiple functions. WMS Software Integration. WMS software con integrate with vrtually all bussiness applications. Usually most of the softwares include integration products that speed integration to host applications (such as advanced planning and scheduling (APS), transportation Management (TMS), order management (OMS)), ERP systems, radio frequency (RF) data collection devices and material handling equipment. 3.3.5. Benefits from WMS Software. The benefit from implementing such a system in a company is that enables then to move their product across the supply chain more efficiently, thus, increasing sales, improving fill rates and decreasing costs. Benefits from this type of systems include the following: Improved inventory accuracy and control. Improved customer satisfaction. Increased throughput and productivity. Minimize labor and material costs, and reduced operating costs. Efficient use of employees, space and equipment. Increased order accuracy and fewer selection mistakes. Increase on-time delivery rates. Integrate seamlessly witth ERP, APS, OMS and MHE Sytems. 3.3.6. Software Selection and Implementation. Software selection and implementation services have become major business for the different consulting firms and the software vendors. The importance of selecting the proper software and the proper implementation is never being so evident since the software and implementations failures have become very common in todays business. 3.3.6.1. Software Selection. Enterprise software ranges in price from a few thousand dollars to millions. Most of the time a manufacturer with annual revenues of less than 200 million, wont even be consider a s a potential customer by the top software vendors. Implementation costs are also expected to match or exceed the cost of the software. Unless one is shopping for a very simplistic low-end package it is highly advisable to seek the services of an independent software selection firm. They can not only help to narrow down the list of potential vendors but can also help to prepare you in initial assessments of implementation costs and time frames. The most important part of the software selection process is to define the processes within your organization and to determine functionality that is key to your operation. Many times customers get lost in the excitement and forget about their core business functions. If you are a manufacturer, manufacturing is your core business function and you should be looking at packages that have been designed specifically for manufacturers. Dont buy an accounting package with a manufacturing module tacked on. In addition you should be focusing on the specific type of manufacturing you are conducting. Software designed for make-to-stock manufacturers may not work well for a make-to-order manufacturer. Software designed for electronics manufacturing may not work well in a machine shop. Software designed for discrete manufacturing may not work well for process manufacturing. Most software packages are initially designed with specific customers in mind, asking the vendor about their biggest custome rs will often give you an idea as to the type of operation the software was designed for. When you look at the detailed functionality of a product it will be important to have listed detailed functionality requirements of your operation. Never assume a software package must be capable of handling something you consider a standard business function. Some examples of detailed functional requirements are as follows: Multi-plant demand planning, Outsourcing specific operations, Back-order processing, Lot tracking, Forward pick location replenishment, Shipment consolidation, First-in first-out processing. Its unlikely that the software package will do everything you wanted it to do, so be prepared to compromise on some of the functionality. A list of some of the most known softwares can be seen in Table 1. 3.3.6.2. Software Implementation. As with the software selection, the implementation will likely also need outside assistance. Whether you use consultants from the software vendor, a business partner, or an independent firm, the implementation plan will likely be the same. Its very important to listen to the consultants and be prepared to dedicate the resources outlined in the implementation plan. A common mistake made by companies going through their first major implementation is to underestimate the complexity of their operations, the extent of system setup and testing, and the impact the implementation will have on their operation. Like most other things the success of a software implementation will be based upon the skill of the people involved, training, and the effort put forth. One should plan to have your most knowledgeable employees heavily involved in the system setup and testing. Even with extensive testing there will still be some issues that wont be identified until after the system is up and running. Major issues have to be identified prior to implementation to avoid major pitfalls. After the system has been thoroughly tested you need to begin the process of employee training. The training should consist of written procedures for the tasks they must perform and hands on training. 4.0. Warehouse Management Systems Justifications As mentioned above the savings in a warehouse come from improving our operations. How do we achieve this? By control, and this control is achieved by using WMS. Some of the potential savings that can be expected from a WMS are the following: Reduction in operator key entry labor. Reduction in safety stock levels. Reduction in labor associated with not having to do a physical inventory. Lost sales and back orders due to inaccurate inventory. Reduction of manufacturing overruns due to inaccurate inventory levels. Reduction of manufacturing disruptions costs due to material outages. Reduction in inventory write-offs. Reduction of operator labor due to decrease time spent searching for a product or open location. Optimization of picking paths. The best way to understand the true financial benefits of a WMS is to properly document these savings and the magnitude of the savings. Since different warehouses have different areas of improvement, the savings will differ for each warehouse, but the overall savings that will be reflected/compensate with the investment of a WMS. 6.0. Conclusion. A key to the success of a company is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is based on the ability to control your warehouse. A WMS not only will allow you to optimize customer satisfaction but also to maximize operati

Contemporary Cosmology and Philosophy and the Beginning of the Universe :: Natural Science

Contemporary Cosmology and Philosophy and the Beginning of the Universe ABSTRACT: Since the 1970s both in physics and cosmology, there has been a controversy on the subject of the ‘beginning of the universe.’ This indicates that this intriguing problem has reached scientific consideration and, perhaps, a solution. The aim of this paper is to try to answer the question as to whether the origin of the world has slipped out of the hands of philosophers (and theologians), and passed in its entirety into the realm of science, and whether science is able to solve this problem by itself. While presenting the main views in this dispute, I try to show also that metaphysics, philosophy of nature and epistemology provide important premises, proposals and methods that are indispensable for a solution. These premises concern such issues as the extremely subtle problem of the sense and existence of ‘nothing,’ the problem of extrapolation of local physics onto the large-scale areas of the universe, the epistemological status of cosmological pr inciples, as well as problems of the origins of the laws of nature. This last issue is entangled in the difficult problem of the ‘rationality of the world’ and the problem of overcoming the dichotomy of laws and preconditions, according to which the conditions and laws are independent of each other. I. Introduction One of the determinants of scientific rationality is the condition that science undertakes only those problems whose solution is within the range of possibilities of research methods which science currently applies or is able to apply. Simply speaking, scientists are attracted by solvable problems. If this is really so then the fact of widespread discussions since the 70s among physicists and cosmologists on the subject of "the beginnings of the Universe" seem to be an obvious sign that also this unusually intriguing problem has matured to its scientific solution. The purpose of my paper is to attempt to answer the question whether the problem of the origin of the world currently evades philosophers (and theologians) and passes completely to the realm of science (i.e. physics, astronomy and cosmology), or whether science by itself is not able to solve this problem. In the latter case one would have to acknowledge that metaphysics, the philosophy of nature and epistemology, provides important premisses, assumptions and methods indispensable for this solution. II. Two Approaches in Cosmology The task cosmology has to perform is to explain the structure of the Universe as it is observed.

Standardization Of The English Language :: essays research papers fc

Standardization of the English Language There are several important events before 1500 that when listed together show a series of steps in the struggle for English language supremacy. These steps are mainly governmental, legal and official events that pushed English usage. In 1356 The Sheriff's Court in London and Middlesex were conducted in English for the first time. When Parliament opened in 1362 the Statute of Pleading was issued declaring English as a language of the courts as well as of Parliament, but it was not until 1413 that English became the official language of the courts everywhere. Thirteen years later in 1423, Parliament records start being written in English. 1400 marks date that English is used in writing wills, a seemingly small step, but one that impacted many people and began a legacy of record keeping in English. In 1450 English became the language used in   writing town laws and finally 1489 saw all statutes written in English. But it was not until 1649 that English became the language of legal documents in place of Latin. The formal rules intended to keep the use of French in official capacities were not enough to combat the effects of the Black Death and the Hundred Years War between France and England, which both contributed greatly to the rise of English and fall of French. By the fourteenth century, English was again known by most people, although French was not forgotten, and the people who spoke French were generally bilingual. The   Statute of Pleading made it law that English and not French would be used in the courts. However, it needs to be emphasized that at the end of this statement, it says that after the pleadings, debates, etc. in English were finished, they should be entered and enrolled in Latin. English became the official language of the court in 1413, but French was permitted until the eighteenth century. More than the official bureaucratic changes in rules and law were the changes in the use of the language by the everyday speakers. The changes that distinguish Early Modern English from Middle English are substantial. The rules for spelling were set down for the first time. The key is the new consistency used by teachers, printers and eventually by the general populace. The sign of maturity for English was the agreement on one set of rules replacing the spelling free- for-all that had existed. Out of the variety of   local dialects there emerged toward the end of the fourteenth century a written language that in course of the fifteenth century won general recognition and has since become the recognized standard in speech

Networking Computer Systems :: Computer Networks

Networking Computer Systems A network is a group of two or more computer systems sharing services and interacting in some manner. In most cases, this interaction is accomplished through a shared communication link, with the shared components being data. Put simply, a network is a collection of machines that have been linked both physically and through software components to soothe communication and the sharing of information. To make the communications between two or more computers work, several things need to be in place. First, some type of physical connection mechanism has to exist between the computers involved. Normally, this mechanism is a wire or cable of some kind or a transceiver that can both transmit and receive information attached to or built into your computer. The idea of computer networking is new to some people and almost always seen as a highly technical and rapidly evolving process. Every day, computer professionals are called upon by their employers to evaluate, judge, and implement t he technologies necessary for the rapid communication of dissimilar groups in order to enhance productivity or lessen complexity within the organization's processes. Most see the task as a formidable one, and many feel they are not qualified or fully prepared to drive the creation of a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN). The type of network you can create is often determined by the network operating system you use. Like a regular operating system for your PC, a network operating system coordinates how all the individual software application on a network work and how the network interacts with the hardware attached to it. Sharing data is made much easier when a network is involved. People are more productive because several people enter data at the same time and can also evaluate and process the shared data. The effective use of networks can turn a company into an agile, powerful, and creative organization, giving it a long-term competitive advantage. Networks can be used to share hardware, programs, and databases across the organization. They can transmit and receive information to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency. They enable geographically separated workgroups to share documents and opinions, which fosters teamwork, innovative ideas, and new business strategies (Stair, Reynolds 269). Getting computers connected and speaking the same language may be somewhat interesting for some people, but it’s really just a necessary evil to get to the good stuff.

Argumentitive Essay on ‘the Case for Breaking Up with Your Parents” – Prof Terry Castle

————————————————- ————————————————- Why it is better for students to take the wheel â€Å"Parental engagement even in the lives of college-age children has expanded in ways that would have seemed bizarre in the recent past. (Some colleges have actually created a â€Å"dean of parents† position – whether identified as such or not – to deal with them. ) The â€Å"helicopter parents† who hover over nearly every choice or action of their offspring have given way to â€Å"snowplow parents† who determinedly clear a path for their child and shove aside any obstacle they perceive in the way. – Prof. Terry Castle, The case for breaking up with your parents As seen in Prof. Castle’s article ‘The Case for breaking up wi th your parents’ (The Chronicle Review, May 6, 2012), there are a few reasons why she is right when she says that the highly expanded parental engagement jeopardizes students’ intellectual and emotional freedom. They need to separate so that students will be able to engage in a kind of self-orphaning.First of all, the high involvement of parents is not advantageous at all by thinking that students are not even able to make their own choices – sometimes they would even do something just to make their parents feel satisfied. To prevent this, parents should really start to think about the abilities of their own child. Would they really not be able to make the right decisions? Of course, one has to overcome a few difficult steps in order to be able to make right decisions, but still, the students need to be given the chance to walk their own way to their future.It is apparent that these helicopter-parents are not inept parents at all, such parents are rather too car eful, well, maybe they care a little too much. Nevertheless, they do not have bad intentions so that is why students should start to talk about those involvement-issues with their parents. If they do not talk about it with their parents there would not be anyone else would convince them to stop doing so to their lovely children. Still, caring so much about their child is another reason to let them choose.If the parents love them so much, they should also love their preferences, or if they really disallow them, they can still advise them not to do so. This way, they can learn to guide themselves and still have the parents’ opinion at the same time. Breaking away from your parents? is not something easy to do. Some students do not know better than their parents’ conceptions, or at least, that is what they assume. That is why there is also a possibility that those students have unconsciously developed a fear of making own choices.Well, here again, this is another opportun ity to help your child to become more independent. As life is full of surprises, there will definitely be moments where your child will have no choice but to make a decision, and if it has never been done, it will also be very difficult. Caring parents would not want their child to be put in a difficult position, would they? Having said this, breaking away from such fanatical and willful parents would definitely be the best thing to do.It is high time for the student to overcome the possible fear of making own choices and one should be able to disassociate himself from his parents. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Self-orphaning – ‘The Case for Breaking up with your parents’ by Professor Terry Castle [ 2 ]. Helicopter-parents – ‘The Case for Breaking up with your parents’ by Professor Terry Castle ? Breaking away from your parents – as seen in ‘The Case for Breaking up with your parents’ by Prof. Castle

African American Gay Rights Essay

I can non begin to cut into about African American/Hispanic LGBT, living in newly York metropolis and their elegant matures without remembering the public battle cry against black accomplished rights. Although the focus of this authorship is on African American/Hispanic LGBT living in youthful York city and Their Rights to Marriage I stir inflexible to start my paper of by discussing the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The civil rights movement of the 1960s and the continuing struggle against race-based inequality were root in the struggle against slavery.As different(a) as the eighteen hundreds the United defers legislative had laws k nowadaysn as segregation laws that hold in certain freedom to them. They had to live in separate neighborhood, attend separate schools, rebuff in the back of public buses verses in the front where Whites were African American would non d ar go against these laws back thusly because if and when they did, they were un tholy impri soned, beaten lynched and more for just trying to exercise hu public rights. In the 1960s African Americans led a compete to remove the statutoryly systemize vestiges of slavery from our constitution and from sound out and topical anesthetic laws.Most repulsive among these, were Jim Crow laws that unavoidable racial segregation African Americans had to remain firm all these things until The polite Rights Movement. The ripe belief of civil rights was pioneered by African Americans in their long struggle to become well(p) citizens of the United States. From the Civil Rights Movement to the embarrass Riots of 1969 to May 17, 2004, the LGBTQ movement has made round tremendous gains into mainstream society, a reality that has non been afforded to African Americans. The African American Civil Rights Movement gave birth to mevery other civil rights movements in the 1960s.African Americans not only made new law, their victor gave new hope. Among the many efforts sparked by th e African American Civil Rights Movements were the efforts to end discrimination against women, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, pack with disabilities and lesbians and livelys. well-nigh African American motionlessness has one more river to cross because now African American LGBT are engagement a new civil war, the fight for same sex espousal the right to be lawfully married. Currently, marriage has 2 distinct components civil marriage and the sacred ritual of marriage.Mixed-gender couples can have a civil marriage without the phantasmal service/ritual. Couples can have a religious rite/ritual, without a civil marriage. Some couples can choose both. However, to receive the legal protections of marriage, a couple must have a civil marriage, which is the only marriage that can be addressed by courts or legislatures. The LBGT believe that the rights and legal protections of civil marriage that are given to mixed-gender couples and families should to a fault be extended to couples and families who are headed by same-gender couples.These include the rights of survivorship, inheritance, insurance, joint income tax filing, and a myriad of rights that many mixed-gender couples take for granted. For African American LGBT, state regulation has been in particular harsh. State sodomy law has had a way of preventing LGBT from acquiring near of the rights they are entitle to. Today, fewer than half the state has sodomy laws. LGBT recognizes New York City for be the birth place for many modern braw movements however, New York has not yet passed any law giving LGBT legal protection and political support, (right to marriage universe on of them).New York State gay rights bill, first introduced in 1971, still has not become law. While other states, wish Vermont has established civil unions for LGBT, New York has not. Andy Humm writes that the biggest gay-related debate throughout the country right now is over government sanction of s ame-sex elationships. Vermont has gone(a) the furthest, establishing civil unions for gay couples that confer more or less all of the rights to which a married man and woman are entitled, though stopping short of full legal marriage.New Yorkers may travel to Vermont for the civil ceremony as of July 1, but there is some question as to what legal fish it pull up stakes carry back home. The national government enacted the defense reaction of Marriage procedure (DOMA) in 1996 when it looked as if Hawaii king give same-sex couples marriage licenses. It barred national recognition of legal same-sex marriages performed in any state and gave the other states the right not to honor such a contract. 32 states have passed laws barring recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states, even though no state or nation allows gay couples to obtain a marriage license. (Holland will likely be the first in 2001. ) A New York version of the Defense of Marriage Act is pending in Al bany, but has not had a take in either chamber. Bibliography Diane Silver et al. , The New Civil War The Lesbian and cheerful Struggle For Civil Rights (New York New York1997), 25-26 Andy Humm, The State of gay rights in New York, on tap(predicate) http//www. gothamgazette. com/iotw/gayrights/ (Accessed May 16, 2005).