Feedback in learning Essay

1.0What is feedback?:â€Å"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great inspires† William Arthur Ward A teacher carries a big responsibility in area of learning. Some people believe a teacher’s job is to teach and a student’s job is to learn. In today’s classroom, the role of teacher is totally different. Teacher as a facilitator of learning, mentor for learner and classroom supporter. The excellent teacher will take various actions in way to help their students to be successful in their life. So that, one of the action is teacher should provide assessment feedback in way to enhance the learning. Feedback is normally something which happens as a result of cycle teaching and learning action. It can give either before, during or after the learning had been occurs. Generally, what is feedback? Is it guidance, evaluation or praise? As mentioned by Ramaprasad (1983), feedback is information about the gap be tween the actual level and the reference level of a system parameter which is used to alter the gap in some way. Furthermore, the definition by Ramaprasad also supported of new research by Shute (2007) that define the feedback as represent information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify the learner’s thinking or behaviour for the purpose of improving learning. Hence, in learning, feedback should usually presented as information to a student in response to some action on the current level of performance and help them to be better. Correspondingly the educationist agree that assessment feedback is an important part of learning cycle but nowadays students frequently express disappointment and frustration in relation to the conduct of the feedback process. Students may complain that feedback on assessment is unhelpful or unclear and not provide any tips to them to improve their current performance. As a result, students will always repeat the mistake until they get to know the correct answers. Studies of the impact on student learning achievement indicate that feedback has the potential to have a significant effect on student learning achievement (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Feedback should give immediately during the learning process. That can really help student to do self-reflection on their quality of learning. They can figure out did he/she in the right track and how to improve their understanding. Types of feedback: Main focus of given assessment feedback is to describes qualities of work in relation to the learning target. Teacher should give attention to the quality of their written feedback. There are two types of feedback, evaluative feedback and descriptive feedback. Evaluative feedback refers to a summary of student current achievement or performed on the particular task. This feedback is often come out with letter of grades, numbers, check marks, symbols and generals comment such as â€Å"good†, â€Å"excellent† and â€Å"need help†. While, descriptive feedback is specific or detail information in the form of written comments or conversations that help the student understand what he/she needs to do in improve their level of understanding. There are several examples of evaluative and descriptive feedback: Evaluative Feedback Descriptive Feedback â€Å"Try harder next time† â€Å"Your topic discussion is clear and have good examples, your next step might be to check back your grammatical errors† â€Å"90%! A+! Excellent Work! Keep it up!† â€Å"You’re made some simple mistakes in your calculation, remember back the formula use. Please check back the first step until the last step in your calculation for question 10.† Table 1: Examples of Evaluative and Descriptive Feedback Based on examples given, evaluative feedback more to provide a judgement on the quality of the learning task that student did while descriptive feedback focus on helps the student understand what he or she needs to do to improve their current achievement. Besides that, evaluative feedback shown to us those teachers only tells learner or students how they compare to others and descriptive feedback will provide specific information in the form of written comments or conversations more help learner. Regardless of the types of feedback given, either evaluative or descriptive, effective feedback needs to be informative, prompt and guiding. Informative feedback highlights strengths and weaknesses, giving specific examples or explanations. Prompt feedback is returned to students within an agreed timescale for the work submitted. Guiding feedback offer suggestions about how students can improve their learning. All of that combining together to help students to do better the next time. This statement also have support  by Hattie and Timperley (2007), they mention that the most improvement in student learning takes place when students got information feedback about the task and how to do more effectively. Below are examples of evaluative and descriptive feedback given by teachersFeedback as teaching style of scaffolding: As we already know, feedback provides information and guide to students by teachers about learning. That is one criteria of scaffolding. Scaffolding is the core of traditional apprenticeship. It is refers to given support that provides by expert or teacher as steps to improve their learning. It helps to reduce the gap between the student current level of understanding or performance and a desired goal. According to Hattle and Timperley (2007), they mention that depending on the nature and delivery of the feedback, it can have powerful positive effects on student learning and engagement. Beside that in the research by Assessment Reform Group (2002) , also mention that feedback as coaching and scaffolding students. The given feedback is an essential practice of assessment for learning. The process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learner and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there by helping of teachers. That the main reason why the teacher’s feedback important, providing the support necessary for student to proceed towards the next stage or level and achieving the learning goal. Student will view the feedback as improving tips in which students receive information and construct meaning to close the gap. The students need to do something based on the guided giving in the feedback. Scaffolding instructional originated from Vygotsky’s ideas on learning. Vygotsky’s comes out with two levels of learning development. The first level is Actual Development that what learner has already reached. It is the level which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. The second level is called Potential Development which the learner not capable of doing the moment but have potential to do so. Between the actual and potential levels, Vygotsky said that there was what was called a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Proximal means next. In context of feedback, it should act as scaffold by providing tips and support necessary for student to proceed the next stage or level. Without the support students may be unable to accomplish the target. As the result, students will extend their understanding and make improvement. Figure 3: ZPD (Zone of Proximal  Development) Diagram When teacher incorporate scaffolding in feedback, they become more to mentor and facilitator of knowledge rather than the dominant content expert. This teaching style that include with scaffolding will make student active role in class to achieving learning goal. Besides that, it also provides a welcoming and caring learning environment. â€Å"I take care of you and I hope you will be success in future†. Expiration in feedback on student assessment will make them realize that even they did wrong is not means he/she is stupid student. They have room to improve. As conclusion, the best assessment feedback, scaffold student to achieve the higher performance in learning target. Feedback as affective domain in learning: Since 1950’s, research have been done in cognitive theory and educationist had use the Bloom’s (1956) taxonomies of learning. Bloom has mentioned that in learning should have three learning domains. The cognitive domain, affective domain and psychomotor domain. Feedback is referring to affective domain. In affective domain includes feeling, emotion, attitudes, values and motivation. As students that receiving the feedback, they need all of the aspect that include in affective domain. Teacher should play with all of these aspects. Teacher must provide clear understanding. Feedback should be brief, concise statements, in student-friendly language that describe what students are to know and be able to do at the end of feedback. Feedback can be one of the ways to encourage positive motivational belief and self-esteem. There are some ideas for motivating students. Teachers can start the feedback with praises like good job, excellent job, great, brilliant idea, â€Å"You are starting to understand this but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"This is quality work because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"Two things you really did well are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and many more on what they do well. Praise the work or process that focus in achieving the learning goal. Second step, teachers proceed with intervention that tells the student what needs improving and give enough information in way to help them to do better. It can sound like â€Å"Your thinking shows†¦.†, â€Å"One thing to improve on†¦..†, â€Å"You need more†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and many more. Next step, teachers share the improvement strategies such as â€Å"Your next steps might be†¦..†, and â€Å"You might try†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The ways that teachers give the  feedback have relationship with the flow of affective domain as described by Krathwohl et.al (1964). They start with receiving, responding, valuing, organizing and ended with acting. Students will receiving the feedback as their new information of mark, wrong answers and the current level that he/she mastering the knowledge. Am I really understood or I just understand little bit? Step 2, responding. Students will respond on feedback given by teacher. They being actively participating bas ed on feedback given to achieve learning goal. Step 3, valuing. They attaching worth to feedback given and try to do correction on the task. After they do the correction, they will organize the new concept and change their existing understanding. The last is characterization. They have the correct understanding and will apply the concept in correct way without misconception. It is the effective way that feedback can help students learn better in positive environment in implement the affective domain. Feedback will demonstrate appropriate ways of enhancing the performance on the task and offer strategies that invite more learner responsibility to improve. â€Å"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire† William Butler Yeats Feedback as reflection on learning process: Reflection needed students to capture back on their performance in the task given. It also needs students to have clear comparison about their previous performance and current performance. There are three types of reflection that suite with the feedback: reflection on your process, comparison of your performance to that of others and comparison of your performance to a set of criteria for evaluating performance (Schon, 1983). How feedback can be as reflection on learning process? Firstly, reflect on the feedback process. By feedback, students are encourages to look back at how they react and given answer on the task. Teachers will describes the qualities of work in relation to the learning targets. That can make them see how they might have done better and what they need to improve. That is the first step as feedback starter, reflect on achievement. Second, compare of student performance with others. These types of reflection are referring to evaluative feedback. In evaluative feedba ck teachers will give grades, numbers, check marks, symbols and generals comment such as â€Å"good†,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"excellent† and â€Å"need help†. Based on the feedback, students analyze by comparing their performance with friends in hope he/she will motivate to achieve better. The final types of reflection are comparison of student performance to a set of criteria for evaluating performances. These are focus on intervention and improvement that include in feedback. Teachers will share idea on what students needs to improve and gives enough information so the students will knows what the next step to apply. That really show the function of feedback as reflection, facilitates the development of self-assessment in learning.Conclusion: Assessment feedback should play as important role in teaching and learning. Firstly, feedback is a way that teacher can use to determine and analyse how far your student gain the knowledge and what should you suggest to them in helping them success in mastery the knowledge. Secondly, assessment feedback will attract low achievement students to be active learner and more motivated to achieve the learning goal. Overall, assessment feedback should take as important aspect in learning process. Teacher need to apply and change the feedback given in way to help student to be success in future.

Evaluation of a Business Code of Ethics

First Energy and the Business Code of Ethics PHL/323 March 7, 2011 First Energy and the Business Code of Ethics First Energy prides itself on the ethical standards it has created. These standards are the basis that builds upon the trust between customers, shareholders, employees, and the surrounding communities. First Energy encompasses more than five states and supplies millions of customers. As a service company, First Energy expects its employees to adhere to a workplace free of harassment, unethical or unlawful business activities, and discrimination.Each employee must conduct him or herself accordingly with high ethical standards while conversing with customers, other employees, and First Energy suppliers. These standards contribute to First Energy’s mission statement. First Energy’s mission statement will strive to provide high-quality products, competitively priced, and exceptional services in four areas. These areas include; Energy sales and services, power supp ly, energy delivery, non-regulated, and regulated supplemental services related to the core business (First Energy Corp, 2007).The following paragraph will delve deeper into the ethical make-up of First Energy. First Energy seems to portray a utilitarianism type of ethical system. Utilitarianism strives to obtain the highest positive effects, which include morals and financial maximization, and minimize any negative outcomes (Reference for Business, 2011). This ethical system portrays itself best from the company’s website. First Energy’s vision is to become the best in their field and recognized as such. Striving for excellence in operations, safety commitment, and top rated customer service is essential.First Energy will focus on long-term growth, commitment to its employees, and maximum financial stability with focus on the highest morals (First Energy Corp, 2010). The key pulled from the previous statement attempts to substantiate the ethical system with maximum st ability portraying the highest morals. Utilitarianism explains that correct actions are actions that provide the highest balance of happiness over sadness. Every person’s happiness is of equal importance (Lasley & Pickett, 1992). The following paragraphs will provide more information into the utilitarianism system between management, employees, and the board of directors.Utilitarianism and First Energy’s employees strive to maximize the happiness of all employees. From firsthand experience the company accomplishes this by providing education assistance programs, discrimination guidelines to ensure all employees comply with and treat his or her coworkers with respect, and various outlets to ensure all employees questions and concerns are addressed. Along with the union First Energy also provides for excellent health coverage, paid holidays, maximum sick days, personal days, generous vacation day allotments, and grievance outlets to ensure employees concerns are brought to light.The next section relates this ethical system to management. Supervisors and management are held much more responsible for his or her actions than the employees. Although management is held to higher standards, he or she obtains substantial benefits from the company to achieve the utilitarianism maximum happiness. Management is also provided comparable benefits to the employees. Management obtains the same excellent health coverage, paid holidays, comparable sick days, and vacation time. Rule utilitarianism seems to portray itself prominently.Rule utilitarianism strays away from assessing acts of individuals and leans strongly toward the utility of a rule for action. What this means to management is this: if management enforces a rule for everyone to follow the opinion of tolerability should be at a maximum (Nuigal Way, 2005). Utilitarianism is not without its problems, and this issue will appear in a later paragraph. The last group explored is the board of directors. The pu rpose of the board of directors is providing the highest profitability for its shareholders while addressing any ethical concerns.It is not possible to predict and address every situation that may rear its head so it becomes a challenge to maximize happiness with ethical concerns. An excellent example of utilitarianism in this case is this: concerning child labor and business overseas, it would not maximize total happiness if every business overseas were to employ children to increase profits for the shareholders (Nuigal Way). Utilitarianism has its flaws and criticisms. This ethical system by itself, whereas formed in good intentions, is not efficient enough to run a business properly.The following paragraph attempts to suggest alternatives to First Energy’s current code of ethics. Opponents of utilitarianism explain that happiness and pain of certain tasks cannot be generalized to determine the maximum pleasure of all individuals. An individual cannot assume that one person will feel the same degree of pain or pleasure from the same act (Griffin, 2000). Management may need to stay away from general rules as they may not capture the desired effect of employee happiness when compared with workload and ethics.Rules are put into place to protect the employee, and to a lesser extent, to protect the company image. An example of this that enacted recently by First Energy was banning personal cell phones. This general rule states that personal phones are not allowed on company property at any time. Although this rule portrays good intentions, it fails to address other personal issues. Family emergencies occur from time to time. If an employee must wait for messages from his or her supervisor or manager, a catastrophic family event may occur that may not present itself to the employee in time.A differing point of view is suggested in the next section. The existing code of ethics is very solid. As Chief Executive Officer few problems rise to the forefront, and may not require change. One situation witnessed recently could warrant a change. During completing an associate program paid for by First Energy and working on a-hands-on task with a fellow student, the instructor became enraged and started screaming at and belittling the other student. The instructor already had two previous cases. The case made its way to human resources and eventually was swept under the rug.Although paid for by First Energy and involved in company tasks, students are not represented as employees. Certainly it seems anyone in this situation should have the same benefits as employees. Consequently it is unethical to ignore a recurring problem with an employee simply because he or she is an instructor for non-employees. The code of ethics is there to protect everyone as can be seen in the next section. The code of ethics presents itself very clearly and all employees and management adhere strictly to the outline.Employees treat each other with respect and adhere to ethical values. Wider acceptance is adopted when concerning human interaction and differing ethical values. This acceptance stems from years of education, governmental programs, and company policies. The constant influx of company provided classes and weekly meetings provide for this acceptance in a greater capacity. In conclusion and like any other system, the underlying purpose of this philosophical ethics code strives to provide for the greatest happiness with the least amount of displeasure.Many procedures and rules must be analyzed to provide for the maximum positive effect not only for the employees but also for the stakeholders. Taking important aspects of the utilitarianism code and striving to remove the negative aspects of this system will provide for a smooth running machine. The bottom line is this: despite its numerous inadequacies, utilitarianism does contain a solid moral foundation. No one can deny the intrinsic benevolence in promoting the greatest good for the gre atest number.Utilitarianism must also be applauded for existing as a self-contained philosophy and the key to making utilitarianism work lies in refining the way that proponents practice this system (Griffin). References First Energy Corp. (2007, July 5). Vision and Mission. Retrieved from http://www. firstenergycorp. com/career_center/why_firstenergy/vision_and_mission First Energy Corp. (2010, January 11). First Energy Code of Conduct Introduction. Retrieved from http://www. firstenergycorp. com/investor/files/Code%20of%20Conduct_Rev%2001_11_10. pdf Griffin, A. 2000, October 31). Utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://anton_eclipse. tripod. com/utilitarianism. htm Lasley, J. , & Pickett, I. (1992). INTRODUCTION TO TYPES OF ETHICAL SYSTEMS. Retrieved from http://www. woodrow. org/teachers/bi/1992/ethical_systems. html Nuigal Way. (2005, September 30). BUSINESS ETHICS :: Utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://www2. it. nuigalway. ie/staff/h_melvin/prof_skill/L2_handout. pdf Reference for Business. (2011). Utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/encyclopedia/Thir-Val/Utilitarianism. html Related article: Disadvantages of Ethics in the Workplace

A preliminary market analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A preliminary market analysis - Essay Example The Middle East is the other promising market. However, success depends on detailed market analysis and entry strategy formulation. Thus, it is desirable that the Strategic Officers Steering Committee of Walden International should kindly permit a thorough study of a business plan for the global market entry of Able Corporation. Abel Corporation has succeeded in proving itself in the domestic market and domestic consumers have a high regard for this organization as a manufacturer of power tools, lawn products and appliances. However, despite a global financial crisis that is apparent from the data released by the International Monitory Fund, opportunities are available for the future in global markets (International Monitory Fund, 2008, â€Å"World Economic Outlook Update†), (Deneen, 2006, Pp. 1) and (Bharat Book Bureau, 2004, Section 1,1). Business researchers predicted that the global electric household appliances market would cross 498 million units by the year 2010 (Electronics.ca, 2008, â€Å"Global Market for Major Electric Household Appliances to Cross 498 Million Units by 2010†). In addition, business research had suggested that the global demand for lawnmowers would show a substantial increase by the year 2011 and the global demand for power tools would increase to a value of US$ 29.2 billion in 2009. Thus, it is possible that a global expansion will provide benefits for Abel Corporation. However, it is important to know which markets are worthy of attempts at entry, what timing of entry is likely to prove to be of the greatest benefit and what entry strategy is likely to work best for specific markets. In addition, it is also important to know if the current financial crisis warrants a revision of the previously mentioned forecasts and what is the likely state of the markets now. Thus, it is important to conduct a comprehensive market analysis leading to a well thought strategy for

Faith and Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Faith and Philosophy - Essay Example Likewise with Hegel, the notion of 'death' or 'is not' is always associated with its opposite, namely, 'being' or what is. To maintain that 'god is not' as Nietzsche argues, supposes too that she also is. Where some individuals are willing to risk their lives – to be 'what is not'', they must have faith in the reasonableness of this assumption. This parallel between Kierkegaard and Hegel will be kept in mind in the following analysis. What will be outlined first, is his notion of the truth of subjectivity in Kierkegaard. This is an important consideration for what will follow, given that it is an argument which best describes what existence ‘does not mean’, so to speak. It will be argued that his notion of subjectivity is born out of a sense of alienation from ‘traditional’ Christianity, and from Platonism, and that ‘faith’ itself is coextensive with ‘subjectivity’. Following this analysis of the truth of subjectivity, and wh at he means by subjectivity and the ‘form’ of isolation associated with the ‘knight of faith’. ... subject’, and it constitutes a theory concerning the meaning of existence – that is, what it means to exist, and moreover, it represents the activity of faith itself. In this respect, faith is not so much a concept as it is an activity or form of praxis. It is 'extra' philosophical or beyond philosophy in contrast with faith, as a form of praxis. The nature or essence of existence, is for Kierkegaard, ‘paradoxical’ [Kierkegaard 32]. It is paradoxical, because it can be described in two contradictory modes, namely, the finite and the infinite. And, implied by the notion of the infinite, are a number of similar or identical concepts. For examples, concepts such as the ‘eternal’, or ‘continuity’, ‘identity’ the ‘absolute’, ‘god’, and so forth. This paper will first give an analysis of a fragment in Kierkegaard’s within the context of his work titled Fear and Trembling, a work which recount s the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac taken from the Torah or the Old Testament (Genesis), and in brief, it concerns a father (Abraham) who is called upon by Yahweh or God to make a sacrifice of his only son Isaac, which is in turn, a parable which on the surface, concerns God’s testing Abraham’s convictions, courage, faith, obedience, and sense of obligation toward himself or herself. What transpires in this story, is that God calls upon Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and so he proceeds to carry out the task, only to have God or Jehweh stop him at the last moment and tell him that he has proven his ‘faith’ to him. In turn, God blesses Abraham for his faith. Before remarking on Kierkegaard, a brief remark will be made about the biblical story, and that is that it is quite short, and in the Revised Standard Edition (and not the Hebrew), there

Write a response to the film Genetics and Public Policy. What was new Movie Review

Write a response to the film Genetics and Public Policy. What was new to you What surprised you Did you agree with the arguments presented - Movie Review Example Watching the film, I found it amazing to what extent genes control human organisms. I have read about genes before, but I had no idea about the latest findings in the industry. They make up chromosomes, which compose DNA. The documentary states that 99% of DNA people have are identical and only 1% makes all people unique. Any deviations in chromosomes result in disabilities or certain diseases like sickle cell disease or Down syndrome. Indeed, if people can observe the development of chromosomes and detect deviations in their number or structure, they can help couples have healthy children. It is interesting that scientists can use genetic testing to â€Å"program children†; for instance they could influence eyes color or even sex of a future child. In this way people can predict and support healthy and sustainable future generation. The biggest surprise for me is that scientists do not share common views on the need of regulation for genetic testing. Some of them say that government already pays too much attention to what they do and it makes the process slower. The other group of scientists believes that the process is already too fast and government should impose more regulations on genetic testing. This group of scientists is afraid of opening a new Pandora box because nobody knows how far people can go in search of a perfect human being. I agree with the arguments which support stronger regulations for genetic testing. It is a great progress in science, but its results will support unwanted consequences such as greater gap between the rich and the poor. All scientists agree that genetic testing is a costly procedure; as a result, only rich people will afford to use it to have better and healthier children. Poor children will be deprived of these advances and their children will be weaker. Moreover, disabled people will be oppressed by the fact that their parents could prevent their disability but they did not do it. Developing technologies

What can the trial of Socrates teach us about the ethics of democratic Essay

What can the trial of Socrates teach us about the ethics of democratic citizenship - Essay Example He defended his ideas against critics who tried to challenge him to prove them. Many people were surprised with amount of audacity and confidence he showed even at a time his was threatened. He never doubted his intellectual wit and his philosophical findings. He surprised many people in his country and across the world when he rather chose to die but not change his philosophical ideas he had invented (Hiley, 66). The life of Socrates and lesson people learned from his trial that led to his death is clearly discussed. The effects of his trial to the current ethics of democratic citizenship is discussed and broadly evaluated. The trial of Socrates is firmly written the books of history because it had a great impact on the modern and ancient history of philosophy. He was one of the best and popular philosophers during his time. The citizen of the Athens arrested Socrates and brought him to judgment after hearing his philosophical findings. A big number of the people did not agree with the way he reasoned about life and they felt that they were being offended with such sayings. They called him to council of about five hundred citizen to face charges that were against him. The person to record the proceedings of the court process was Plato, his former student whom he had taught. Athenian law required the suspect to gather his own defense and present them on the floor, and one was required to gather his/her family to come and give emotional support. Socrates never allowed his family to step to the courtroom arguing that they make him lose concentration. After several court sessions, the acting judges who included Meletus, Lycon and Anytus found and ruled that Socrates was guilty. They ruled that he was influencing and corrupting the minds of the youths. He faced death as punishment to his crime, and his friends watched helplessly as drunk hemlock that was prepared for him. The citizens of Athens were surprised by the way he strongly defended his philosophical ideas and courageously faced death. His death brought a great impact in the world of ancient philosophical history. The Socrates trial and death has many lessons that can be learned from the ethics of a democratic citizen. There are democratic virtues that Socrates had, and they include eternal skepticism, which a citizen is allowed to have a broad and open dialogue on views commented by other citizens. The other democratic virtues are ability to participate and demonstrate without being brought to judgment (Talisse). Historians remain puzzled on the trial, especially with the present freedom evidenced in the societal setting. It is indeed strange how one can be victimized for being a teacher, and such teachings result in demise. Further, it is indeed strange why one would be put to death when a natural death was eminent. This clearly demonstrated that Socrates was not a wanted individual in the society and there was no ethics displayed in the actions. Socrates significantly contributed i n awakening the societal standpoint on political and ethical dealings and the misconceptions that are often involved in the two. Through his actions, he successfully demonstrated that there existed several fallacies in democratic citizenship. "The unexamined life is not worth living" is among the quotes he presented to elucidate this fact. Further, what one considered virtuous may not be necessarily seen in a similar manner in another area or by another person. Therefore, egalitarian citizenship varied depending on the location; hence, the trial may have diverse teachings. Rather than rebutting his teachings and his beliefs on his teachings, Socrates chose to die. He thus evidenced his moral commitment, since he

European transports and communications systems Essay

European transports and communications systems - Essay Example As the key directions the following have been named: 2. The use of various forms of co-operation, in particular between the bodies, engaged in national programs, and EU, and also transnational cooperation which is certainly the best way for achievement of objects in view. The European commission has established the supervisory council for the middle of 2001, as if to ways of cooperation work on revision of policy of cooperation between the EU countries-members now is conducted. The experts consider that the aircraft cannot develop in vacuum; its condition and development are defined by a society. The industry should satisfy constantly growing needs: reduction of cost of transportations, improvement of service, increase of a level of safety and conformity to ecological requirements, and also creation of aviatransport system which would cooperate with other transport systems. If to draw a conclusion, that in case of if this Utopia will be realized by 2020, the set of other radical changes in the Europe will be required(Kassim, 2007). So, new technical decisions and systems which will allow planes to fly in any weather conditions are necessary, and also to change some norms for optimum differentiation of air space between civil and military operators. Also updating systems of management of the airports is necessary. 10 years ago the space researches within the EU were not held. However for today the European commission represents a wide spectrum of the research programs directed on maintenance of competitiveness of the aviation industry. For the achievement of objects the frame agreements were concluded. On the increase in budget it is possible to judge about the level of development of aircraft in Europe during the last 10 years. The second frame agreement (1989-1992) has allocated for carrying out of researches in the

Marketing, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Marketing, - Assignment Example Due to the maintenance of high quality in its food products, the company has grown quite popular in the bakery market in the UK and has consistently being awarded with a lot of prestigious awards both of national as well as international level. The organization has segregated its functions in two fronts. One front comprises of handling the manufacturing of the highly diversified product lines while the other one concentrates on handling the orders for the product lines from the international markets The company is very established and has three sites in the UK region, of which two of them are used for manufacturing of product lines while the third one acts as a centre for international distribution of the company’s highly demanded and much sought after products. The company currently caters to the demands of bakery products arising out of UK and European region and supplies their products to retailers and wholesalers of the region. For the purpose of gaining as well as maintaining dominance in the local bakery market, the company started to provide their product offering to various national level wholesalers and retailers in the UK region like Batley, Makro, Asda, Morrison’s, etc. As of the recent times, the company by the process of working with key partners in the international front has a significant amount of market presence in around 10 countries in the European arena. (Perfection Foods Ltd, 2012). Market Overview The Bakery sector is one of the most flourishing sectors for business and high returns on investment as the bread and bakery items forms a significant part of the diet for the population of UK. Talking on the point of consumption of bakery products, it can be said that 99% of the total number of households of the UK market buys and consumes bakery products on a regular and daily basis. (bakersfederation.org.uk, 2012) In the recent day, the bakery market of the UK region is worth of around 3.4 billion pounds and comprises of the largest market of the UK food industry. Discussing on a more micro level fact, it can be essentially highlighted that the total volume of manufacturing in the bakery market of the UK region is around 4 billion units. The UK market for bread and bakery products essentially comprises of three kinds of manufacturers. Large scale bakeries comprises of around 80% of the total production of bread and bakery products while another 17% of the producti on happens in instore bakeries of large retailers as well as supermarket. The remaining 3% of the production happens from the production contributed by various master bakers contributing to the bakery industry (Bakersfoundation.org.uk, 2012). The market trends of the previous years show that around the year 2011, the household

Technology in the Next 100 Years the Futurologist’s View Essay Example for Free

Technology in the Next 100 Years the Futurologist’s View Essay Futurologist Ian Pearson discussed technologies of the future to more than 200 IT, security and finance delegates on the Aurora cruise ship. He spoke of IT security threats from smart bacteria, gadgets which are installed in the skin, the soaring of tax rates precipitating the emigration of graduates to low-tax economies, oil at 30 dollars a barrel, and the reversal of globalization. Gadgets of the future Electronics in the human body will record holiday and other experiences bungee-jumping for example and replay them into your nervous system, or someone elses. They will be able to feel the same sensations you did on holiday. This would surpass showing holiday snaps to friends and family. Games headsets are already recording some simple thought processes. Pearson also referred to active skin. Tattoos would be applied to the skin to provide interactive, touchsensitive video displays. One drawback: hackers may try to access your nervous system, though this threat will not deter all. Pearson referred to the digital mirror in which you see yourself as you want to, not as you are. And you could use active makeup to change your look during the day. Smart bacteria the biggest IT security threat to mankind? Pearson said that smart bacteria could be the biggest security threat known to mankind by 2025. They may land on keyboards and work out passwords. Even before [your password] signals reach the PC and get decoded by the software, they [smart bacteria] are already taking money out of your bank account. He told anyone in the audience who is working in IT security and is less than say 40-years-old: change your career. He referred to bacteria linked via infrared that form sophisticated self-organising circuits. Robots will replace IT workers the human-machine convergence Pearson referred to an optical brain in a conscious computer a billion times more powerful than the brain with emotions and senses. The conscious computer could be fully sentient benign or malicious. He showed on a slide the stages of man from homo erectus and homo sapiens to what he called homo machinus and bacteria sapiens within 150 years. By 2018 there may be a robot as smart as you are. Robots may have a higher IQ than humans and take over many intellectual and IT jobs today. Today many people work as smart machines. Machines will become much smarter. Research is being funded into making computers thousands and even a million times smarter than humans, he said. Why humans will still be needed the female-dominated economy But humans will add value because of the need for compassion. A robot will never be able to sit beside a patient, give them a cuddle and make them feel better. A robot can clear up a bedpan and give an injection, 2/6/13 Technology in the next 100 years: the futurologist’s view prescribe drugs. Compassion needs humans. A PC will be able to do what a human does today in an intellectual capacity. But a human will add value because of emotion and compassion. He said that workplaces will be designed for meeting people. Pearson spoke of the male-dominated economy coming to an end. Everything I do I could do with a piece of software if I spent enough time writing it. What my wife does, dealing with other people, I cannot do that at all. So she will have a job in 2020 whereas my job will be automated. We are heading very rapidly towards a female-dominated economy. Globalization in reverse Globalization is increasing. But it will soon start reversing. You cannot shake hands with someone or give them a cuddle across a network. Globalization, he said, will start to reverse thanks to the refocus on the care economy over a 100 year period. Oil at 30 dollars a barrel by 2030 Pearson made a case for the wo rlds energy coming from the Sahara and other deserts within 22 years, and oil at less than 30 dollars a barrel. He said that solar power from the Sahara, even at 12% efficiency, could replace carbon-based fuels such as oil, petrol and diesel. The Sahara alone could supply 40 times more energy than we need for the whole planet. One barrel of oil is the equivalent in energy of a solar panel, which measures one square metre, working in the Sahara working for six months. He spoke of solar farms in the Sahara, and super-cables to transmit the energy. By 2030 you cannot sell a barrel of oil for more than 30 dollars. At some point the maximum obtainable price will fall below extraction cost and the rest will be left in the ground. Obsolescence is great for IT and the environment Pearson said that the faster that technology becomes obsolete the faster miniaturisation will happen, which will reduce the drain on the worlds resources. Eventually we get a total sustainable future where everyone has all the IT they can dream of and almost no environmental impact. He added, The faster the obsolescence the faster we get there. If anyone tells you obsolescence is a bad idea, ignore them or argue with them but do not believe them. Do not ever limit your obsolescence cycle. That will slow down progress and increase environmental impact. As an example miniaturisation will bring everyday IT down to lapel-pin size. Agility is more important than being best-in-class Business will change faster. You should not focus on being best-in-class. You need agility. Optimisation is only a good strategy in a stable environment. Security too much will kill your company You cannot have a watertight security policy you have to give enough freedom to employees to do their jobs. In an extreme, your security department can kill your company better than any hacker. He said that boards of directors should beware of setting extreme goals for their heads of IT security. How can you have sensible security while making sure your employees can do their jobs well? Most blue chips do www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Technology-in-the-next-100-years-the-futurologists-view?vgnextfmt=print 2/4 2/6/13 Technology in the next 100 years: the futurologist’s view not do that very well at all. They stop their employees from doing their job. He warned that employees will bypass the corporate systems and do their jobs on home PCs, where there will not be any security at all, and then they will have their ideas stolen. Or they [employees] will be so inefficient you will not have a company. Tax rates will soar sending graduates overseas Pearson said there is nowhere near enough money in the governments pension funds to cope with a population that is living much longer.

TC Boyles Style Essay Example for Free

TC Boyles Style Essay Style is a huge part of why authors sell their work. Their way of writing, the tone they set, and the mood create helps define their style. TC Boyle has a very unique style that draws readers in and places them into his world. Although dark, creepy and slightly morbid is his style, he has a huge fan-base. In an interview he stated that â€Å"It’s my universe, and by god they will suffer† (Grant A life in writing: TC Boyle). This reveals how he has that dark side to him, also his mind set when writing. This increases defining what his style is. He mainly reveals his very original way of writing though the mood and situations he makes his characters go through. To start off, a great example that shows this morbid and sinister style is in his short story about a terrible football team that lost 56 to 0. In this story, he depicts how broken and battered this team is. They are a joke, and yet he gives the illusion they are going to change when he puts his main character into a preacher like situation, where he talks his disheveled teammates into playing another game and encouraging them to win. He has this character say, â€Å"What are you a bunch of pussies? Afraid to get your uniforms dirty? Afraid of a little contact? What do you want – to live with fifty-six-to-nothing for the rest of your life? Huh? I don’t hear you!† He places this character into a positive attitude, just to tear it down by having the team loose the next game, which he just encouraged the entire team to participate in. This positive outlook was taken away when â€Å"†¦and Ray Arthur Larry-Pete Fontenot launched himself at the kicker like the space shuttle coming in for a landing, and suddenly – miracle of miracles! – He felt the hard cold pellet of the ball glancing off the bandaged nubs of his fingers.† And they lost the game and failed their last effort to not look so pathetic. It is beautifully written and encourages such an air of home but yet still has that sad ending and as the quote said, he made them suffer. Yes it is extremely entertaining, but still rather sad. Which brings me to the next example, which is provided in his story called Sinking House. A story about an old widow, whose late husband was abusive and horrid, who decides to drown her house. Boyle in this shows his style so well because then entire air and mood of the story is extremely somber and grey. Just picturing a house with an old lady all alone with water stricken floors and walls is extremely creepy. This story is a great example in explaining his style not only because of the entire situation and mood he sets, but puts  images into the readers mind about this woman and how her life was, it gives the reader something to connect with, and also takes the psycho nature of this woman away. One part she steps out of her house, away from the running water, and the flooding, into reality â€Å"In that pit of that dry silence she could hear him, Monty, treading the buckled floor, pouring himself another vodka, cursing her in a voice like sandpaper.† This opens the reader up to whole level of what she suffered through that in silence, she could still hear her husband verbally abusing her. The only solution was to have water running constantly, flooding her house, a sense of freedom. That imagery in my eyes is absolutely stunning. Making TC Boyle’s style even more brilliant. His little tricks and clever connections add to his originality and unique style. Lastly, going on a bout connections, in the TC Boyles story, Chicxulu. This story is about parents who are told their daughter is a car accident and she is dead, at the same time drawing a parallel to a meteor that will take out the whole world in a second. He wrote this story so honest, as in the reactions and actions of the characters are right on point, exactly how you would picture it. There is a scene when the father and mother first arrive in the ER, and the father begins to mentally criticize everyone in the room who are doing their job, just because he in panic. This is such a normal and almost expected reaction that people under stress go through, as much as they may not want to admit it, it is defiantly human nature. This aspect of his style makes it so easy to connect with and that connection, ads a whole extra level to his works. In the end, when they go in for identification, and see that it is not their daughter, they are so relieved, although someone they know is dead lying before them, they have such relief. Another very human reaction, also the fact that it is not their daughter plays off what he said in the interview. He made these poor people suffer so much thinking that their daughter was dead, yet the reader is so intrigued and drawn in. We might feel a little angry towards Boyle because he did this to these loving people, but that twist makes the story very entertaining. There are so many aspects to his style, levels and things that play off each other that weave so well together making it truly unique. He is an incredible writer whose style is one of a kind. Really delves into how people think about the world and hits most people in areas they don’t normally think about or want to think about. Although most, if not all are  on the dark side, that characteristic adds to his style. His writing makes people think, and it gives new perspectives on situations because they are not the typical out-look or the most common situations one would encounter. Overall he is just brilliant and his distinct style makes writing exciting and oh so entertaining.

Fire Safety Strategies For Sainsburys Warehouse Environmental Sciences Essay

Fire Safety Strategies For Sainsburys Warehouse Environmental Sciences Essay The purpose of this Outline Fire Strategy Report is to facilitate preliminary discussions with the Approving Authorities and to outline the approach that will be taken to show compliance with Part B (Fire Safety) of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations (2000 2006). This report will provide a brief summary on all the aspects of fire safety which correlate with the corresponding Building Regulations. However, it will focus primarily on issues pertaining to the Fire Detection (AFD) and Alarm system and linking factors, such as evacuation times and fire growth. Since the 1960s there has been a rapid increase in the construction of large single storey storage warehouse facilities in the United Kingdom (UK). One of the most notable of these was the 40,000m2 unsprinklered military storage facility constructed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at Donnington. In 1983 this storage facility was completely destroyed by fire despite the presence of an on-site fire service. The fire at Donnington and other unsprinklered warehouses circa 1980 raised concerns in the UK and the United States (US). They present an extremely high risk to firefighters due to size and fire loading, devastating was the incident in November 2007, which was a fire in a vegetable packing plant located in Warwickshire that resulted in the tragic loss of four firefighters. Over the last 2 decades there has been an increase in the use of warehouses as a crucial part within the supply chain, this has been accelerated to deliver a just-in-time delivery system that has demanded more sophisticated processes. Where property protection sprinkler systems are installed with additional enhanced features, significant improvements upon the 80% reliability can be achieved.. 3 Description of the issue to be solved When minimum fire protection measures are provided (i.e. manual fire alarm, 2m floor to ceiling height, etc), ADB suggests maximum travel distances in warehouse accommodation of 25m in a single direction of travel and 45m where two means of escape are provided. The proposed building contains a number of inherent fire safety features such as high ceilings, automatic fire detection, sprinklers and an open plan environment. Such features assist in prolonging the onset of hazardous conditions and increase the chance of a person becoming aware of a fire in the initial stages of its development independent of the alarm being raised by others. Therefore, the basic recommendations set out in ADB are considered to be unduly restrictive fir the proposed building. The 2.5 min notional escape time used in current guides came from the Empire Palace Theatre Fire in 1911, as it was the time taken for the audience to escape, which was measured due to the Orchestra playing God saves the King during t he evacuation. Many other requirements within the prescriptive code developed in the same way with no specific foundation to support them. Figure 4 Methods and schemes To comply with the functional requirements the Secretary of State has approved a series of Approved Documents, which aims to provide practical guidance with respect to the functional requirements of schedule 1 and Regulation 7 of the Building regulations 2000 (SI 2000/2531) for England. The approved document for the above function is Approved Document B (Fire Safety), Volume 2 Buildings other than dwelling houses (ADB); however these functional requirements can be achieved in a number of different ways. This report will focus on B1. 4.1 Approved document B and solution of fire engineering ADB states the following: Fire safety engineering may provide an alternative approach to fire safety. It may be the only realistic way to achieve an acceptable standard of fire safety in some large and intricate buildings and in buildings containing diverse uses. Therefore, where the proposed development does not fully comply with the recommendations of ADB it is intended to incorporate the latest guidance available as part of an alternative fire safety engineering approach. This approach will be base don the recommendations of BS7974 with the overarching aim of achieving the optimum design solution and Building Regulation Approvals. A fire alarm system is designed to detect and raise the alarm in a fire situation for the following purposes: As part of the life safety system (L) For the protection of property (P) For a warehouse the type of system is determined by the current addition of BS5839-1; Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings (Code of practice for system design, installation, commissioning and maintenance). Table A.1 of BS5839 Part 1 identifies the appropriate alarm system for the building. Figure If we consider the building as a warehouse the British Standard states that the premises will require the highest standard of property protection a Category P1 system, where automatic fire detectors are installed in all areas of the building. The system is intended to satisfy the requirements of fire insurers as it considers a life safety system not appropriate for the building type as the occupiers are awake and will detect and raise the alarm. This is against the recommended type of system under BS9999 as it states for a fast growing fire with a risk rating of A3 (reduced from A4 due to sprinklers being fitted) requires a L2 alarm system. A mostly unmanned warehouse cannot rely upon a manual response and an automatic fire detection system and/or sprinkler system will be warranted. Historically, the type and extent of fire detection is often dictated by external influences rather than by a measured assessment of the risk and the determination of the most appropriate and effective fo rm of detection. These influences may include the requirements of legislation as enforced by the Fire Authority and Building Control Body, or the requirements of interested parties, such as the Insurer. The alarm will also be capable of operating extinguishing and smoke control systems. Actuation will close fire dampers, open smoke vents and close heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or switch them over to extraction mode Figure When detecting in large open areas such as atria, warehouses etc, the detection device is likely to be some distance vertically and horizontally from the fire source. Consequently, detection methods should be applicable for such circumstances. There are a number of considerations for protecting such environments, these can include smoke and heat dilution as the fire plume rises towards the fire detectors, the effects of stratification and air currents taking the smoke and gasses away from the detectors. When attempting to assess the probable time to detection, there would need to be a detailed assessment of the environmental conditions affecting fire growth, as the environment is likely to play a major part in the success or failure of the detection system. In this case: tgrowth will be based upon typical fire models for the range of likely combustibles; tmove will be based upon a number of assumptions of how the environment will affect the way the detected products will travel towards the detectors. Parameters to be considered here are the effects of HVAC, the continued entrainment of air as the smoke plume rises (with the possible eddy current created by cooling of the smoke), and the effects of stratification. Warehouses offer particularly unusual challenged to these types of detector since point type smoke detectors are not recommended for use above 10.5m except in unusual circumstances. The reason for this is the well-known phenomenon of smoke stratification, where smoke from any given size fire only produces sufficient thermal buoyancy to raise smoke to a given level (often well away from detectors), rendering conventional smoke detection virtually useless in this application. Beam detectors however negate the problems associated with point detectors. Beam smoke detectors make use of the obscuration property of smoke to detect a fire. They may consist of a combined transmitter and receiver unit with reflective element, or a separate transmitter and receiver unit. They are normally mounted on walls at either side of a monitored area, such that there is a clear line of sight between one unit and the other. Typically, an infrared beam is transmitted along this length. In the event of smoke passing through the beam, the receiver measures the resultant attenuation. The value CL, expressed in dB, is used to identify the reduction in intensity of the light beam, defined by the following equation: I0= received intensity without reduction in intensity I = received intensity after reduction in intensity The main requirements are that: The detectors have sufficient immunity to false alarm conditions such that CL, min is less than 0.5 dB; The variation in response between successive operations should be limited such that the ratio between the maximum value of CL, max recorded and the minimum value CL, min is less than 1.6. Although this data is used in testing detectors, it may also be appropriate in assessing on-site conditions. By contrast, high sensitivity aspirating systems may often have their sampling pipes arranged to sample from multiple heights within the protected area, overcoming this problem. However they are cost prohibitive within this scheme. 5 Analysis and computations 5.1 Assumption To demonstrate the building complies with the functional requirement B1 a fire safety engineering analysis of the performance based design will need to be adopted as recommended in BS7974. Making use of basic physical provisions to ensure life safety, but design evaluation depends upon a time based comparison of the time available for the occupants to escape (Available Safe Escape Time, (ASET)) and the escape time (Required Safe Escape Time, (RSET)). This will allow the design to deviate form the restrictions imposed by the prescribed rules Research on Evacuation Times. Standard fire safety recommendations for means of escape relate to travel time, i.e. the time taken to travel to and through exits to a place of relative safety. However, it is widely acknowledged that the time taken for occupants to start to evacuate can be considerably longer than the time taken to actually move out of the building. An extract of Table C.1 from BS7974-6 is partially replicated in Figure 4. This demonstrates the potential variation in pre-movement times of evacuees which is dependent upon the level of management and fire alarm provision. The management of this building will adopt a proactive fire safety management approach to comply with standard fire safety regulations for the workplace. Figure A1-A2: Automatic fire detection and alarm throughout building A3: Automatic fire detection and alarm only in certain areas, or manual call points only throughout There has been a number of real fire tests carried out on high rack storage arrangements by insurance companies. Tests carried out by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. concluded that fire size is unlikely to exceed 5MW where in-rack sprinklers have been provided. Smaller tests on single racks of clothing would indicate a typical peak heat release rate of 2.5MW for isolated arrangements. BRE 368 would also suggest a peak heat release rate of 2.5MW for sprinklered fires using fast response sprinkler heads. Within this project an assumption of a 5 MW fire is made 5.2 Calculation procedures How occupants respond to a fire will depend initially on the cue they received. The components of occupants evacuation times are recognition time, response time and travel time. Both recognition and response times are known as pre-movement time. The former represents the time taken to appreciate that the alarm is a fire alarm relating to the occupant (as opposed to a security alarm, car alarm etc). During this time occupants will continue with activities as they were prior to the activation of the alarm, e.g. staff members undertaking duties, etc. The latter represents the duration taken by occupants to begin to move towards an escape route, e.g. investigative behaviour shutting down machinery etc. Figure In warehouse buildings occupants are generally familiar with their surroundings and are trained in fire emergency evacuation protocols. In the proposed storage facility and associated offices, occupants should be familiar with the sounding of the fire alarm and as such would commence evacuation reasonably promptly. Where a reasonable standard of fire detection is provided, BS7974-6 recommends that familiar occupants of a building can be expected to take between 1mins and 2mins before they start to evacuate. The characteristics and determination of evacuation behaviour can be simplified in terms of the following broad categories of behaviour; the first is Pre-Movement Behaviour and the second is Travel Behaviour. The recommendations of BS7974-6 have been used to determine the Required Safe Egress time (RSET) for the proposed and code compliant layouts. RSET can be calculated using the following formula: rtrset = rtdet + rtalarm + rtpre + rttravel Where; rtrset = Total time required for escape (secs) rtdet = Time to detection (secs) rtalarm = Time to alarm (secs) rtpre = Pre-movement time (secs) rttravel = Travel time (secs) Travel Time is the time required for the occupants to walk to an exit leading to a place of safety. Walking time may be expressed as a distribution of individual times or as a single time such as an average time required. As stated earlier we will assume the maximum travel distance within the warehouse is 60m with no dead end situations allowing for two directions of escape from all areas due to the number of exits provided from the warehouse. We will take the speed of from Annex D PD7974-6 2004 as 1.4m/s. Distance 60(m) ttrav(walking) = - = = 43(s) Speed of travel 1.4 m S 6 Comparison of results with acceptance criteria 6.1 Summary of the results of this case study To meet with code recommendations a Type M manual fire alarm system would be necessary in a standard warehouse building. However, the provision of an automatic fire detection and alarm system is an integral part of the overall fire safety package from a fire engineering perspective. 6.2 Result The building will be provided with an automatic fire alarm and detection system meeting the recommendations of BS 5839-1 Category L2. The system will consist of beam detectors within the warehouse area. Manual call points will be provided at each storey exit and throughout the premises to give warning to the occupants in case of an event other than fire, a voice alarm system will also be installed in accordance with the recommendations of BS 5839-8. The sound level of the alarm system should generally be at least: 60dB (A) in open plan areas>60m2, e.g. offices (excluding a 500mm perimeter boundary) 60dB (A) in staircases and rooms less than 60m2 5dB (A) above the ambient noise level. Table B.1 Typical occupational noise levels (Lp) Figure 7 Conclusions 7.1 Fire protection requirements It is proposed to provide a high standard of automatic fire detection and alarm system throughout the warehousing compartment. A manual system will cover the office area of the premises. The standard of detection and alarm in the building will affect the general time to warning for occupants and provide an enhanced level of fire safety through early warning and shorter evacuation times. Activation of the sprinkler system will also lead to the fire alarm sounding throughout the building. To ensure a conservative estimation of fire alarm activation our analysis has been based on an anticipated sprinkler system activation time within 2 minutes. Many code compliant warehouse facilities with code compliant travel distances only require manual fire detection to meet with code recommendations. Therefore the time to detection would depend on the time taken for occupants in the room of fire origin to raise the alarm. However, should the room of fire origin be unoccupied then the time to alarm for people who may be in rooms remote from the fire would depend on them or other occupants becoming aware of cues of the fire scenario, e.g. sounds of burning material, smell of smoke or seeing smoke through a vision panel. Although BS7974-6 recommends a time to detection of at least 15 minutes for such scenarios, a reasonable worst case for a typical code compliant open plan warehouse could be 3 5 minutes. The fire alarm and detection system will be an addressable analogue system. Multi-state detectors will be capable of giving normal, fire and alternate signals dependent upon the required sensitivity. The control panel will be sited in a low fire risk area (office). It shall have suitable ambient light and sound levels for both staff and FRS use. The fully addressable system will give floor/zone and the specific address of the signals location. There will be 100 second fault monitoring. It will be provided with staff alarm, as well as test, silence and reset buttons. Plan of warehouse Figure

The Great Depression Essay -- essays research papers

The Depression was a period of time after the economic boom of the 1920's in America, when the economy went downhill. People lost money, jobs, shares, businusses went bankrupt and the farming industry suffered greatly. The Republic Government at the time lead by Hoover was still following policies of Lassez Faire so business was not getting the support it needed to get it back on track. The Republic Governments Protectionist policies were one of the causes of the great depression. There were trade problems associated with their protectionist policies. The Republic Government made high tarrifs on imported goods. This was to make sure that the Americans were buying their own products. Buying American products meant that they would be keeping the money in their economy instead of sending it to other countries. Other countries, now unable to export goods to the Americans retaliated by increasing their tarrifs on american goods. America could no longer export their goods to other countries. Mass production meant that there was more goods being produced than what needed to be but because other countries had high tarrifs on American goods, they could not be exported. Output became greater than demand so goods cheapened in price. American goods were not being sold. This resulted in cut-backs in production which meant that there was less employment available so people lost t heir jobs. Profits being made lessened and so did the value of shares. A lack of regulation in the stock market was also a cause of the great depression. Most shares that were changing hands were done so through borrowed money. Buying shares on the margin this way worked very well when share prices were rising. When prices began to slow down or cheapened in value however, trouble arose in the stock market. Seventy five per cent of share prices could be borrowed. This caused a lot of speculation which helped to increase share valuse further. The Federal Reserve Board gave easy credit to share holders and taxes were cut so that more money was available. This lack of regulation created more speculation which caused more share prices to increase. The farming problems in the United States increased and were one of the causes for the depression. Because of mechanisation there was over production of goods by farmers. There were large surpluses of food. It could not be exported because of high tarrifs... ...d unemployment was on the rise. people became homeless and had to live around the citys in slum areas they liked to call hoovervilles. suicide rose as a result of debts and the pressures being put on people who couldnt handle it. ill health rose as a result of poor hygene and living conditions. Elderly people were robbed of pensions and svaings and so had nothing to live for anymore. Women before the depression had begun getting involved in the stock market. so during the depression they lost money like the men did. They were only a percentage of the people involved in the stock market however, it was mostly still men. Women also stopped buying as many labour saving devices during this time. African Americans during the Depression were mostly still working on farms. They suffered like the rest of the farming population with debts and surplus produce. Hoover did not do all he could to stop the economic depression. he did what he believed in though, and he made attempts to get the economy back on track. He was only human in his actions, you can not do something if you dont feel it is right. and he was not going to help his nation if he thought he was going the wrong way about it.

I Never Attended a Traditional School :: Personal Narrative Writing

I Never Attended a Traditional School My schooling was never anything near normal. I never went to normal school or what everyone would call traditional school with a curriculum for any length of time. It is not uncommon now to meet home-schooled children or hear of how home-schooled children participate with traditionally schooled children, but in my time, people would look at me strangely if I were not in school. "Honey, why aren't you in school?" was the dreaded question. I could almost feel truant officers watching me in the shadows while I answered back. In my mind, truant officers were like policemen who would put bad children in jail and feed them only bread and water. "We just moved... I will be in the local school soon," I would answer. After the interrogation I would hang my head in shame. I felt like a social outcast, too old for preschool, and yet too young to be a school dropout. I would dig my heels into the ground, staring at my shiny red shoes and my white lacy socks. I wanted to disappear from the face of the earth by somehow digging myself into a deep hole in the ground. My younger sister was spared the humiliation since she was still an infant and was of preschool age when we finally stopped our travels and settled into a neighborhood for a while. "Mummy, why can't I just go to school like everyone else?" I would ask her in dismay after those dreaded incidents. My world felt gray and a funny unhappy feeling would sink into my stomach. My mother would turn her beautiful face towards me, the perfect socialite, the model body, with the presence of an actress. She was oblivious to my distress. I knew she would laugh off my fears just as she laughed off her own most of her life. "We move too much...and you are very lucky...it's not common to see the world as you do. It's much better that I take you when you're still little and can catch up with school. Many children would really envy you. You get enough of an education by traveling with me," she would answer. I often wondered why I could not be as cool and collected as the beautiful stranger who was my own mother. Instead, I was shy and lacked much self-esteem. I was plagued by fears and a mouth that would button itself in the most critical moments.

Is College Degree Essential Essay

Is college degree really worth all the money spent and the effort put in it? Right now in our socirty a college education is no longer a option or a privilege. Without a college degree, you might as well becomes a homeless because if you don’t have a college degree you really aren’t anybody in this society.With a college degree, you get a good job, people give you more respect and you broraden up your knowledge. To me a college degree is essential for my future in order to be successful. First reason, college degree is essential is that it will lead me to get a really good job in the future. Being a college student perhaps more respectable role than being a janitor, lunch lady or a cook in a restaurant. When people know you as a college graduate, they give you more respect than just any ordinary person. With a college degree you get nice well-paying careers where you don’t have to break your neck and working your body to death. Even my parents motivate me more to stay in college because I don’t want to grow up and do the job that they doing now. Second reason why college is important is you gain respectful from people. For example my older brother who is a college graduate from Northwestern university gets more respect from all my family members and outsiders too. They look at him as not any ordinary person, but as a person who has accomplished a major goal that not everybody who starts finish. I know I will hain the same respect from people once I get my college degree. A degree is not just any other paper. It’s a special dcosument that will lead me to the right places in the future. It’s not good to be labeled as a college dropout or high school dropout. I would rather be preferred to be labeled as a college graduate not drop out. Another reason why college is essential is not only leading you to a good job, but also it prepares you with academic knowledge about the around you.  Most people are irerlate and don’t even know much about the world they live in due to the fact they didn’t finish high school or go to college. Most people excuse for not going to college is money. Yes that’s true but, there are so many resources out there to help you get into college if you’re willing to go. The way things are going now, the only way to make it through is by getting a college degree. Even with some simple jobs out there, you need some sort of degree in order to be hired. College degree is really essential for my future because I want to make a difference and help out my family in Ghana who didn’t have the same opportunity as me to go to college. Most teens out there take education for granted and don’t care much about it. In conclusion having a college degree is for your own benefit. It will lead you to many grate places in the career industry. Yes is a lot of money and work but it’s really worth it. I know that in four years from now I will be really happy that I went to college and didn’t play around with it. Nobody can ever take your education from you it’s your god given rights.

Breakfast cereal market analysis

The term â€Å"breakfast cereals† covers a wide variety of grain products that are usually cooked or processed to improve their texture, flavor and digestibility. Although these products are often made from flours, they differ from breads and other baked goods in that they are not usually leavened; instead they may be toasted to crispiness like crackers. The modern ready-to eat breakfast cereals are only about 100 years old.They owe their development to the Seventh Day Adventists, an American religious sect for whom Dr. JH Kellogg invented a granola-like ready-to-eat breakfast cereal/ later Dr.  JH Kellogg and his brother WK Kellogg founded the cereal company which still bears their name. Interestingly yet another pioneer of the industry was CW Post who had been a patient and ate Dr. JH Kellogg’s cereal and was inspired by it enough to make his own version of the product.The establishment of the breakfast cereal industry came about the time the United States began a t ransition from a predominantly agricultural society to a more industrialized urban culture. A strong selling point of the ready-to- eat cereal was and still is, is their convenience (Ensminger, Konlande, 1993, p.261-262). There seems to be indication that there will be steady increase in the consumption of commercial cereal products around the world as the developing countries attempt to feed their burgeoning population. The present paper presents an analysis of the Breakfast cereal industry as well as market. Characteristics of the Breakfast cereal industry Brand History Breakfast cereals are not a homogenous product. The ready-to-eat breakfast cereal industry may be characterized by relatively low economies of scale and relatively low levels of technology.In other words, the entry into this industry is easy. Between the 1950s and the 1970s there was no entry of new firms in the industry even though all the incumbent firms such as Kellogg, General Mills, General Foods and Quaker Oa ts, made significant profits. Later however, there was the entry of new low-end companies in the markets and the number of brands sold by these firms also increased substantially from 25 to more than 80, and this number is still on a rise (Cabral, 2000, p. 265-266). Pricing trends For decades the breakfast cereal market was one of the most profitable in the United States.The industry had a consolidated structure dominated by Kellogg, General Mills and Kraft Foods with its Post brand. Strong brand loyalty, coupled with control over the allocation of supermarket shelf space, helped to limit the potential for new entry. Meanwhile the steady demand growth of around 3% per annum kept the industry revenues expanding. Also Kellogg, which accounted for over 40 percent of the market share, acted as the price leader in the industry for years in the industry. Every year Kellogg increased cereal prices, its rivals followed and industry profits too remained high.However, this favorable structure started to change in the early 1990s when the growth in demand slowed and then stagnated as the lifestyle and hence food patterns changed and the market saw the rise of powerful discounters such as Wal-Mart that started promoting their own brand of cereal. As sales of cheaper store-brand cereals began to take-ff, supermarkets no longer were as dependent on brand names to bring in traffic and hence they started to demand lower prices from the branded cereal manufacturers.Initially, the branded cereal manufacturers tried to hold against these adverse trends. However, in 1996 Kraft which was then owned by Philip Morris aggressively cut prices by 20 % for its Post brand in am attempt to gain market share. Kellogg son followed with a 19 percent price cut on two-third of its brands and General Mills quickly did the same. However, this too did not change the consumption pattern the growth rates of which remained flat and revenues then started going down for all the branded cereals (Hill, Jones, 2009, p. 52).The trend continued in 2000s also and the situation worsened with the private-label sales continuing to make inroads, gaining over 10 percent of the market. To top it all off, the sales of breakfast cereals started to contract at 1 percent per annum and the period between 1998-2001 saw the market leader Kellogg sliding down to the 2nd position for the first time in its history since its inception in 1906, by General Mills that continued to launch expensive price and promotion campaigns. To cover the rising cost General Mills raised prices in 2001 and competitors soon followed the trend.However, both Kellogg and General Mills tried to move further away from price competition in the industry by diversifying and focusing on brand extensions such as Special K on the behalf of Kellogg and new varieties of Cheerios. Special K was instrumental and helping Kellogg recapturing its market leadership position from General Mills and this renewed focus on non-price competitio n halted years of damaging price warfare (Hill, Jones, 2009, p. 52). Target markets The breakfast cereal industry targets several diverse markets but focuses upon two large ones namely the baby boomers and their children.Since a high proportion of the baby boomers are highly educated, health appeals are paramount. Thus many brands have placed emphasis on various types of oat-bran cereal. The other sizeable market, targeted to children is also highly developed. Various brands have successfully used sports personality and trade characters such as Tony the Tiger to attract the children towards their products and retain brand loyalty. The breakfast cereal industry has been adept at target market segmentation and promoting favorable brand images.The strategy of the overall industry especially Kellogg, the market leader, has been to provide a comprehensive assortment for the retailers targeting specific market segments (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 109-111) Competition Breakfast cereal indust ry faces competition from hand-held breakfast products such as bagels, muffins, doughnuts etc. These have in fact led to a decrease in the growth of the breakfast cereal industry. The industry also faces competition from frozen waffles, pancakes, and French toast brands which have proved to be a concern both in the past and the present.Many analysts consider that the competition is due to the change in dietary habits, though some also say that this has been due to th increase in cereal prices for the branded segment (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 112-113). Advertisements and Promotional activities From the time of WH Kellogg, the breakfast cereal industry has been dependent on marketing strategies and expensive promotions. In fact in 1909 itself the advertisement budget of Kellogg had reached 1 million per annum. Needless to say this is a major problem in the industry which has become price sensitive in present times.This activity has led to a decrease in profits and considering that the market share has not increased since the 1990s, this has become even more of a problem. There were also many insufficiencies generated by coupons and in-store promotions. For instance, more than 95 percent of the cereal coupons were thrown away and not redeemed and approximately half of the promotional expenditures did not reach the consumers in the form of lower prices. Because of these inefficiencies, as well as congressional investigations and competitive treats, the breakfast cereal industry has moved to lower prices.As the returns earned by the cereal manufacturers exceed most other grocery products, there is fierce competition among manufacturers (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 113-114). Factors contributing to success and failure There are a combination of variables that contribute to the successes and failure of the breakfast cereal industry. These variables and strategies include innovation, target-market segmentation, image, physical environment resources, and human resources. Such factors must be combined in various degrees for success. The breakfast cereal industry has shown innovation in product and packaging strategies.In addition to this, breakfast snack bars are a new innovation. The image of the breakfast cereal industry has been positive enough to withstand the assault of private-label brand sot a large extent. Also cereal manufacturers with their successful track records and huge advertisement budgets do not have much difficulty in convincing retailers to give their new product introduction a chance. In 1970s, Kellogg designed shelf space allocation programs for supermarkets. Sophisticated computers and programs developed by members of the breakfast cereal industry now help to allocate shelf space according to turnover.The breakfast cereal industry has also been successful in designing packaging for shipping and for display purposes. To sell their product brands and retain the company brand value, the breakfast cereal manufacturers have developed the strategy that links the brand name to the company name instead to identifying brand products by their individual brand names. For instance, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Special K, as well as General Mills’ Total Raisin Bran and Total Corn Flakes use this strategy. To fend off private brand competition by offering product line depth and high brand identification (Michman, Mazze, 1999, p. 114-115).

Target Case Ananlysis

Target Corporation| Patrick Caine March 18, 2013| BUS428A Seminar in Financial Management| ————————————————- RECOMMENDATION After careful review and analysis of the five projects I would rank the projects in the following order of attractiveness: 1) The Barn 2) Whalen Court 3) Gopher Place 4) Stadium Remodel 5) Goldie’s Square. I came to this conclusion by taking into account the projects NPV and IRR given the size of the investment, opportunity market/growth, and with the overall goal of adding 100 new stores a year while maintaining.The Barn was my first choice because it had the highest IRR and second highest NPV given a not so large investment. Whalen Court has the highest NPV and offers favorable market share opportunities and demographics. These first two are considered good options to continue Targets growth. Gopher Place has attractive IRR and NPV comparable to the prototype, while giving Target market share. Also the population growth and median income demographics are favorable.The next opportunity is in the mediocre category, Stadium remodel, with the 3rd highest IRR and 4th NPV, but has higher risks as the store is deteriorating and has sales declines, which could hurt brand image. Also the stores have been remodeled twice already. This investment might be a good idea to keep the store afloat or it might have to be closed. Finally Goldie’s Square has the lowest NPV and IRR of the projects, declining market share, and the impact of the project won’t be seen till the third year. ————————————————- BACKGROUNDIt is November 2006, and CFO Doug Scovanner has to review five projects along with other members of the Capital Expenditure Committee, after five projects have already been accepted. Targets management has an overarching goal to create 100 new stores a year while maintaining their strong brand image and reputation. The investment decisions should be ranked according to their value to Target, 1-5. The analysis should include review of P/L, NPV, IRR, demographics, market share, sensitivity and variance to the prototype. ————————————————- ANALYSE Industry Analysis T. M. | Pricing Strategy| Buying Experience| Costs of Shopping| Target| Educated / savvy shopper| Expect more pay less| Just the right shopping| Slightly more| Wal-mart| Bargain hunter| Everyday low price| Barebones| Low-pricing| Costco| Bulk buyer| Discounts on bulk buying| Warehouse| Membership fee + low prices| As the case states, the intense competition in the retail market and has led to prices being driven down to almost cost, resulting in very small margins. This causes the companies to focus on every part of the ir business, including how they want to brand themselves to consumers.This chart above gives a brief look at that picture. Sales growth stem from creation of new stores and organic growth through existing stores. Though new stores are expensive to build, they are needed to access new markets and represent profit potential. Walmart Operates store formats similar to Target, and most Target stores operate in areas where one of more Walmart store is located. Also, the merchandising assortment overlaps on many of the same items, such as food, commodities, electronics, toys and sporting goods.The success of Walmart is attributed to the â€Å"every day low price† pricing strategy, which also drove local independent retailers out of business. Costco Costco attracts a customer base that overlaps with Target’s core customer. However, there is less overlap with respect to trade area and merchandising between Costco and Target than Walmart and Target. Costco also requires a member ship to shop in the store, where Target and Walmart do not. Costco provides discount pricing for its members who all buy in bulk for membership fees in return. In 2005 the fees equaled 2% of total revenue and 72. % of operating income. This shows how important those fees can be in a high competition and low margin market. Target Target emphasizes the customer experience and has the slogan â€Å"Expect more. Pay less. † They have been promoting their brand awareness through large advertising campaigns. The advertising expenses in 2005 were 2% of sales of 26. 6% of operating profits. Brand and store/product quality play a larger role for Target than Walmart. Target also offers a credit card, which accounted for 14. 8% of targets operating earnings and is important in the evaluation of each project. ———————————————— PROJECT ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY The Barn The project has the highest IRR, 16. 4% and the second highest NPV of $20,500. The NPV on this project is not highly sensitive. The location offers the incentive of have no nearby stores, creating a new market for Target. Additionally it requires the smallest investment amount out of the five projects. However, the market doesn’t have the ideal target demographics with only 17% of adults have earned a college degree, slow general population growth and lower income individuals Whalen CourtThe project gives target the opportunity to move into an urban center, where it will not have to compete directly with other Target stores, coinciding with managements goals . The project has the highest NPV at $25,900. The project has the second lowest IRR, of 9. 8% and needs 1. 9% more sales in order to reach the total store prototype. On the other hand this project requires the largest investment of $119M (which would need board approval). This cost would be offset by the brand image to an urban area wit h a lot of people. Finally the building would be leased instead of owned, which might have long tern consequences.Gopher Place The project has the second highest IRR of 12. 3% relative to all of the capital project requests. The NPV of the project is above the prototype and represents an investment of $23M. The demographics in this area are attractive with 27% population growth and a median household income of $56,000. Transfer sales or cannibalization is estimated at 19% of sales from the proposed area, as there are other Target stores in the areas. There are also two new Walmart Super Stores in the area, which could pose as threat to competition and prices.Additionally the effects of the project wouldn’t be felt until the third year, where incremental sales would increase significantly. Stadium Remodel The store has been in place since 1972 and has a very affluent market, where the median income is $65,921. About 42% of the market have taken 4+ years of college, which is th e second highest of the projects. The $17m investment would lift the lagging sales about 17% and potentially increase the brand image. On the other hand, the store has been remodel twice since 1972. The NPV is also very sensitive to sales decline, as can be seen in the sensitivity analysis graph.Goldie’s Square The area is considered a key strategic location for many retailers. Population growth is moderate at 16% with a median income of $56,000 and a quarter of the people holding a college degree. The project also has a low NPV sensitivity. However, a 45. 1% increase in forecasted sales is required to meet the prototype. The project also has the lowest NPV and IRR of all the projects being considered. Additionally, there are 12 existing Target stores operating in the market, which could potentially lead to high cannibalization.Transfer sales or cannibalization is estimated at 19% of sales from the proposed area. As a result of this competition, low sales forecasts are projec ted. ————————————————- SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS Gopher Place with initial investment $23m | IRR| NPV| Total| 12. 3%| $16,755| 10% Sales Decline| 10. 5%| $12,033| 10% Sales Increase| 13. 5%| $21,376| Whalen Court with initial investment $119. 3m | IRR| NPV| Total| 9. 8%| $25,875| 10% Sales Decline| 8. 8%| $9,264| 10% Sales Increase| 10. 8%| $42,522| The Barn with initial investment $13m IRR| NPV| Total| 16. 4%| $20,527| 10% Sales Decline| 14. 5%| $16,461| 10% Sales Increase| 18. 3%| $24,623| Goldie’s Square with initial investment $23. 9m | IRR| NPV| Total| 8. 1%| $317| 10% Sales Decline| 7%| $-3,765| 10% Sales Increase| 9. 2%| $4,325| Stadium Remodel with initial investment $17m | IRR| NPV| Total| 10. 8%| $15,739| 10% Sales Decline| 9%| $7,854| 10% Sales Increase| 12. 3%| $9,523| Given the table above for IRR and NPV sensitivity to changes in sales, Whalen Court seems t o be the most affected with large upside potential.Other than that, the projects seem to have to same negative and positive implications given a change in sales. ————————————————- QUESTIONS 1) If all else equal, and you have to decide between two projects one with a higher IRR and the other with a higher NPV, which would you favor? 2) How have population growth, income, and college degrees impacted your analysis of the projects? 3) How would different discount rates for store and credit card CF affect your recommendations? ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Target Corp. Case 19 [ 2 ]. Target Case

Sociological Perpestives in Health and Social Care

In this assignment I am going to write a report explaining the patterns and trends of health and illness in three social groups: gender, ethnicity and social class. I am also going to explain the pattern and trends of health and illness which looks at measurement of health, morbidity rates, mortality rates, disease incidence, disease prevalence and health surveillance. Measurements of health Health is generally measured in negative terms, such as the level of disease and the number of deaths within a population, rather than by analysis of positive indicators, such as the presence of health.Epidemiology is the study of disease origins or cause and how much information about the number of people within a population. Epidemiological data provides valuable information about the number of people a population that are affected by ill health, who die as a result of particular health problems and which groups of individuals are most at risk of developing and dying from particular types of il lness or disease. This information is used to identify and plan appropriate health and social care services as well as health-promotion activities.The most commonly used indicators are morbidity (presence of illness or disease) and mortality (death). (Eleanor Landridge, 2007) Morbidity rates Morbidity is difficult to measure as the information is gathered from a range of different sources. Data is collected by the government as well as the NHS and local authority social services departments through direct surveys of the population such as specific health surveys, and as a result of administrative processes, for example, when an individual visits a GP or A&E department or has an assessment of needs.Some diseases are required to be reported, for example cancers and infectious diseases and so data is collected via this process. The problem with this information is that to some extent it reflects services that are available rather than the true picture of disease incidence. Individuals have to also express their needs through actively seeking medical or social care services. (Eleanor Landridge, 2007) The general household survey is a continuous government population survey this includes questions about peoples experience of llness both acute and chronic within the two weeks prior to the person completing the survey. The individual GHS 2002 interview includes questions regarding health and the use of health services; this provides information about the individual’s view of their health. The measurement of working days lost due to sickness can also provide a measure of morbidity for those who are in paid employment. As a measure, it is limited as it only relates to paid employment and this excludes many women who are at home caring for children or older people as well as those who are retired and unable to work through disability. Eleanor Landridge, 2007) Mortality rates The Office for national statistics is responsible for collecting and analysing data colle cted from a range of sources including the ten year national population census, the GHS and specific health information gathered through, for example, deaths and disease incidence reporting undertaken by GP’s and strategic health authorities. Mortality rates can be compared internationally because most countries hold similar information. Mortality rate are expressed in several different ways.A basis measurement is to express mortality as a number of deaths per 100 per year. However this does not allow the diversity of age within the population which varies over time and between geographical areas. For example, mortality rates in the south-east of England will appear high as there are a high percentage of older people living there. The standardised mortality ration (SMR) is the method used to compare mortality levels across different years or for different sub-populations within the same year.The SMR is useful because it can be used to identify and for comparisons. Infant mort ality rate (IMR) are also used as a measurement of health as this provides information about the number of deaths that occur in the first year of life per 1000 live births per year. The IMR is strongly associated with adult mortality rates as it is sensitive to changes in preventive medicine and improvements in health services. Gender, age, social class and cause of death are variables that can be assessed through analysis of the mortality rates. Eleanor Landridge, 2007) Disease incidence & prevalence Within epidemiology the term ‘disease incidence’ is the proportion of a group that is free of a condition but who develop it over a given period of time, such as a day, week, month, year or decade. It measures the number of new cases that occur in the population. The incidence of a disease will depends on the cause of the disease, for example, why it occurs.There might be an infectious agent which requires certain conditions for transmission, or it may be that the disease occurs due to some genetic factor, with or without certain predisposing environmental conditions. The prevalence of a disease depends not only on the incidence (how often new cases occur in a particular group of people), but also on the course of the disease, whether it can be treated, how long it would last and if people can die as a result of it.Prevalence studies therefore provide a snapshot of how many people in the given population have the specific disease being measured at a given point in time. Disease incidence and prevalence are related but measure different aspects of disease within the population. (Kelly Davis, 2010) Health surveillance Health surveillance is generally related to occupational health screening methods used to identify occupational health hazards for workers. The description has been widened to include the range of routine health screening strategies and methods which begin before birth and throughout an individuals life.Health surveillance is increasingly available, such as screening for specific cancers (breast, cervical, prostate), diabetes, high blood pressure, raised blood cholesterol levels and bone density. All of these are aimed at early detection of treatable conditions and may be targeted at specific ‘at risk’ groups within the population. In this course of carrying out this surveillance, information about the incidence and prevalence will be gathered as many of these treatable conditions may be without symptoms and so not alert the individual to the presence of a problem. Kelly Davis, 2010) 158,900 males and 156,300 females were newly diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK during 2007–09, equivalent to incidence rates of 427 per 100,000 males and 371 per 100,000 females Around 81,600 males and 74,600 females died from cancer in each of those years in the UK, corresponding to mortality rates of 209 per 100,000 males and 151 per 100,000 females Breast cancer had the highest incidence rate in females (1 24 cases per 100,000 females) and prostate cancer had the highest incidence rate for males (103 cases per 100,000 males) ttp://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/rel/cancer-unit/cancer-incidence-and-mortality/2007-2009/stb-cancer-incidence-and-mortality. html The Black report was a document published in 1980 by the Department of Health and Social Security in the United Kingdom, which was the report of the expert committee into health inequality chaired by Sir Douglas Black. It was demonstrated that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state, there were widespread health inequalities.It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was economic inequality. The result of the black report stated that risk on death increase with lower social classes. People in lower class were more likely to suffer from respiratory disease. Babies that were born to parents in social class V had a higher chance of death in the first month compared with babies of profession al class parents.The report showed that there had continued to be an improvement in health across all the classes, during the first 35 years of the National Health Service but there was still a co-relation between social class, and infant mortality rates, life expectancy and inequalities in the use of medical services The introduction of the NHS intended to present everyone with free healthcare despite of their income and social class status. The general household survey showed that patterns of morbidity were followed to a related class gradient to that of mortality.This showed that people in lower socioeconomic groups reported ill health more compared to those in higher socioeconomic groups. In addition the black report found that working class people did not use health care services often which resulted to them not receiving the care that they required, whereas middle class people used health services frequently and had better care compared to working class people (Jennie Nadioo/J ane Wills/2001) http://sonet. nottingham. ac. uk/rlos/ucel/blackinequalities/Default. html Ethnicity People from minority ethnic groups were found to self-report poor health more frequently and visit their GP more frequently.People from south Asia especially Bangladeshi and Pakistani origins have moderately higher incidence of coronary heart disease and poorer health than other ethnic groups as shown in the graph. There is also a higher prevalence of diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetes among south Asians and people from the Caribbean, with mortality directly associated with diabetes amongst south Asia migrants around three and a half times that of the general population. Ethnicity refers to: culture, religion, language and history which are all shared by groups of people and are passed on generation by generation.Ethnicity can carry along barriers that can affect health, for example language barrier. People may find it hard to communicate and may find it difficult to explain ho w they are feeling if they are suffering from ill health, this may lead to illness and disease spreading and causing long term health problems. Language and cultural barriers can have major effect on someone’s live, as they will not be able to make full use of health care services. For example Asian women are sometime dependent to seek medical advice from male doctors or they may have problems in speaking English.Some people may be unwilling to seek medical advices as they have suffered from racism or the fear of racism is worrying to them. Diet can bring along factors that can cause health problems. For example someone people may eat food that is high in fat and cholesterol this can lead to ill health if safety measures are not taken. Lifestyle can also cause ill health for example leading an unhealthy lifestyle and not exercising can cause obesity which can lead to a number of illnesses such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. (Eleanor Landridge, 2007) – (Kelly D avis 2010) Social classEven though official statistics must be treated with care, there is overpowering evidence that health and ill-health and life expectancy vary according to social group and especially according to social class. People from higher social class are living longer and enjoying better health than the people from lower social class. (Kelly Davis/2010) The black report was mainly based around social class that middle class and upper class people have better standards of living, quality of life and health than working class and lower class people, as shown in the graph, people from lower class suffer from more illnesses than those in higher class.Today life expectancy at birth remains lower for those in the lower social classes than in the professional classes. Nearly every kind of illness is linked to class. Poverty is the major driver of ill health, and poorer people tend to get sick more often, to be ill for longer and to die younger than richer people. Those who di e younger are people who live on benefits or low wages, who work in unhealthy work places, live in poor workplaces, who live in poor quality housing, and who eat unhealthy food.In modern Britain, lung cancer and stomach cancer occur twice as often among men in manual jobs as among men in professional jobs, and death rates from heart disease and lung cancer, the two biggest causes of premature death, about twice as high for those from manual backgrounds. (Eleanor Landridge, 2007) Gender Gender is also a factor that can affect health. Men and women have different patterns of ill health but males have a higher rate of illnesses. This can be because men and women are expected to have roles which they adapt from society and because of this males are less likely to access routine screening.However women are seen as the carer of the family therefore is able to access them and other health care services. Because of this potential illnesses in women can be identified earlier. As shown in the graph women suffer from more illnesses then men do. Women are more likely to report physical and physiological problems to their GP so the studies that show that women get ill more often then men may not be accurate. The main reason women may be hospitalised is due to pregnancies, child birth, contraception, menopause and menstruation.They also constitute the majority of people suffering from neurosis. Psychosis, dementia and depressive disorders. Because women have higher life expectancy than men they are more likely to use health services longer/ more than me. Even if women do have higher morbidity rates then men or not they are more likely to suffer from cancer, arthritis and rheumatism then men, where as men are more likely to suffer from circulatory diseases and strokes. Life expectancy has gone up for both men and women in the last hundred years but has increased more for women.The main cause of death among men is heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis, accidents and other vi olent deaths. For women the main causes of death are breast cancer, cervix cancer and uterus cancer also coronary heart disease. Although smoking prevalence has declined dramatically during the past ofur decades, men are still more likely to smoke then women across all ages. In 1974, 51% of men and 41% of women smoked whereas in 2007 these figures have dropped to 22% and 20% respectively. (office of national statistics 2006a, 2009) (Eleanor Landridge, 2007) – (Kelly Davis 2010)