Protection of Private Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protection of Private Information - Essay Example A stricter law sometimes paved way for hindrance for multinational companies that operated in European Union countries but in the broader sense all member nations could exchange private information in the private and public segment (Data Protection and Privacy. n.d). The European Union authorities have signed a pact with United States that enables officials in the United States to have a wide access to private information like credit card transactions, travel histories and internet surfing nature of people in Britain. The United States law enforcement organisations and security agencies will have the liberty to access private information of European Union citizens. The pact will undermine the privacy of individuals and American will have the freedom to check on anyone it finds fit for scrutiny. The propaganda has evoked mixed results among authorities within the European Union and some comment that local official are not to be trusted while handling sensitive private information and the revelation of this data to another nation may result in virtual abuse. The pact is of advantage to the United States because it can intrude into the details of any person in the European Union and Britain through credit card companies, banks and other establishme nts that collect person details. Earlier, the European Union imposed sanction if any firm gave information against the information protection law. The pact will now give better protection for firm on transfer of private information. The pact is set to allow European governments and firms to exchange private details of internet and credit card users and make it legally binding on both the United States and European Union. However, required law has not been drafted whereby European Union citizens can hold the American government liable for misuse of information. The pact calls for exchange of information about airlines and international bank transfers. Though this is not a total transfer of information between European Union nations and the United States, the pact provides extensive access of private information which is considered to be protected according to the European Union law (Leppard, 2008). The decision has come up after difference of opinion evolved between Europe and United States in terms of sharing private information post the 9/11 attacks. The United States demanded information about air passenger and bank transfer details which most of the European Union nations denied stating privacy laws. The common agreement is finalized to evade future problems in terms of information sharing. But from the corporate point of view, more companies will be in a dilemma to find a balance between European and American law (U.S., EU near deal on private data: NYTimes. 2008). New Zealand has amended the Privacy Act 1993 in December 2000 to secure a revelation by the European Commission that New Zealand's privacy protection policy is adequate according to Article 25 of Data Protection Directive of the European Union. The amendment was passed when New Zealand's Privacy Act is applauded as the most detailed national privacy policy maintained outside the European continent. The Act specifies twelve data privacy principles with respect to collection, disclosure, use and storage of private information. The law is applicable to personal data in all kinds and it is applicable to all agencies in the private and public segment. The law has a separate rule for unique identifiers and the government's

Martin Luther King Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens Essay Situated on the corner of 4th St. and Mission St., in downtown San Francisco is Yerba Buena Gardens. Sounds from the hustle and bustle of cars driving and people walking permeate Yerba Buena Gardens, except in one particular location. In one corner of the gardens stands a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. The memorial is breathtakingly beautiful with a fifty foot high and twenty foot wide waterfall that falls over Sierra granite. In the Memorial’s hallway, visitors read quotes from Dr. King himself that are engraved on glass panels and set in granite. The physical beauty of the memorial is undeniable, however many people are not aware of the symbolism lying beneath the memorial’s surface. The memorial’s waterfall symbolizes the realization of Dr. King’s dreams the realization of Dr. Kings dream, the tears shed by millions and of the voices of African Americas The memorial also reminds us of the oppressed African Americans whose voices were drowned out ignored; yet, it is apparent that society was pushed backwards in the race to equality with the mandatory evacuation of thousands of people due to the development of the Yerba Buena Gardens. King Jr. dreamt that all human beings, regardless of skin color, will one day be able to live in a completely free, just, and non-discriminatory society. It was his dream of an equal society that pushed Martin Luther King Jr. to become an advocate for universal suffrage. Even though the United States already had universal suffrage, unfair literacy tests and poll taxes plagued the voting process and disqualified nearly all impoverished African Americans from voting 1. King wanted a colorblind society; a society where all human beings are treated equally and respectfully and given the same personal liberties and political freedom. Martin Luther King argued, in his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, that â€Å"we are not satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream† 2. This quote from Dr. King’s speech is inscribed on the right end wall of the memorial. After reading the final inscribed quote, it is apparent that the purpose of the waterfall is to signify the realization of Martin Luther King’s dream of a just society. Justice , The United States Martin Luther King’s dream of justice in today’s society; a monumental victory of justice over prejudice. It is so easy to forget about what it took for America to become a truly free and nondiscriminatory nation. The mists are a necessary reminder for people in today’s society that personal liberty and political freedom should never be taken for granted. Though Yerba Buena Gardens is situated in downtown San Francisco, a busy city filled with loud noises, the memorial itself is peculiarly quiet and calm. The memorial’s serenity is due to the overpowering, yet surprisingly tranquil sound of the rushing water from the waterfall. The power of the waterfall to drown out all exterior noise is phenomenal. It is impossible to even hear what someone is saying when they are right next to you. Visitors try to overcome the sound of the rushing water by screaming or whistling, but are unsuccessful. Independent from life’s distractions, visitors are given the opportunity to absorb all that the memorial and Dr. King’s words have to offer. Visitors can take this time to self-reflect and to appreciate the efforts of earlier generations fighting for equality during our nation’s infancy. The undeniable strength of the waterfall’s sound to obscure all external noise makes Being incapable of expressing feelings or thou ghts leaves an unfamiliar and dreadful sensation. People living in today’s society are usually ignorant to this unfamiliar, almost claustrophobic feeling of screaming at the top of your lungs without a single person acknowledging your frustrations. During our nation’s history, however, nearly all African Americans struggled with this same frustration. Helpless against the white minority, blacks throughout history struggled to get their concerns addressed and their votes counted. The visitor’s inability to communicate vocally is short-lived and fortunately, only lasts as long as it takes for the person to walk through the memorial. African Americans, however, were plagued with powerlessness for hundreds of years. Martin Luther King Jr. felt obliged to provide a voice for all African Americans stripped of the right to do so on their own. Due to the hard work of Martin Luther King, civil rights leaders and activists, and President Johnson, on August 6, 1965 the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, which banned the use of literacy tests and also required stricter monitoring of the use of poll taxes in state and local elections† 3. Finally, the time had come when African Americans could voice their opinions and have them be heard, and vote for the political constituent whom carried similar beliefs and morals. The development of the Yerba Buena Gardens, as part of the â€Å"Urban Renewal Project† was not always considered to be something positive and beneficial. During the 1950’s, city planners forced thousands of people living in the South of Market area out of their homes, arguing that the area was â€Å"dangerous ‘Skid Row’ ripe for redevelopment, populated by â€Å"bums† and â€Å"transients† whose fate mattered little† 4. City planners left out the important fact that many people who lived in this area were elderly and poor and had â€Å"little defense against the federal bulldozer† 5. The city did try and relocate as many people as possible, but only had 276 units of new housing to replace thousands of demolished units. Thousands were left homeless and kicked out of possibly the only home they have ever known and will ever know, due to lack of job skills needed to find employment. The irony of placing a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, a man who advocated for equality and justice until his assassination, on land where thousands of impoverished people were evicted just a couple years earli er, is almost too horrific to comprehend. The hypocrisy in the decision to place this memorial at the Yerba Buena Gardens is undeniable and unforgiveable. The memorial’s waterfall is a reminder of the relentless adversity that plagued millions of blacks for thousands of years and the tears they shed. The waterfall also symbolizes the realization of Dr. King’s dream. The eviction methods used during the Urban Renewal period to obtain the land where the memorial sits were ethically questionable, however it is still important to visit this monument from time to time. The memorial stands there in the middle of Yerba Buena Gardens, in the middle of downtown San Francisco, as a silent, yet constant reminder to never take anything for granted and to always remember the blood, sweat, and tears shed by millions in order for people today to enjoy and exercise the complete personal liberty and political freedom that we are so fortunately blessed with.

My Semester in Greece Essay -- How Education Has Changed My Life

I had so many experiences that I feel as though I lived an entire chapter of my life in Greece. My adventure began in Athens. I took a three week class entitled "Discovering Ancient Athens on Site." The professor was excellent, and I was able to visit some of the most important historical sites in the western world. Imagine seeing a machine used to allot fair and impartial juries over two thousand years ago. Or standing in the room in which Socrates drank hemlock to end his life. The foundations of western society, both governmental and cultural, were laid in ancient Greece. I am very curious in the governmental and economic structures in the world today, and I found studying ancient Greece to be helpful in understanding the world as it is today. In addition to studying ancient Greece, living in Athens for three weeks is also an immersion into modern Greek culture. One of the first things that struck me about Athens (and in fact, in all of the traveling that I have done) is the pollution. I have heard that Athens is considered the most polluted city in the world. I would be surprised if there is a more polluted city on earth. I was slightly depressed when I could not seethe sun on a cloudless "sunny" day. Aside from the pollution, I loved Athens. I will discuss Greek culture later, but it is worth a mention even in Athens (as are the clubs). The daily life in Athens is ... ...ance to the junta, and today's life in Greece. She had seen friends executed by German soldiers, and she is living today simply because a friend did not speak even under terrible tortures. Along with Maya Angelou, she is perhaps the most dignified woman I have ever met. After my time on Paros, I spent three weeks with a family on the island Kephalonia. My family has lived on this island for over a thousand years. I am incredibly proud to be Greek, and I feel that my experience this summer has made me a richer person able to contribute more to the world. I feel that I have connected with my past and my history, which in turn makes me better able to see the future consequences of my actions.

Marriage Is Private Affair Essay

Nnaemeka sees the marriage as an affair as her wife does not belong to his husband’s race and some of her actions contradicts with their race religion and his father will surely disapprove the marriage. Nene believed the marriage was not an affair as she believe marriage is a happy thing and parents will be happy about their child’s marriage. 2. Religion is everything during the time the story happens. It’s not only a belief, it represents good and evil of a person’s character : if a person follow the religion, he’s a good man. People become superstitious in religion and their free wills were robbed from them. 3. The tribesmen allowed only marriage within their tribesmen because they thought their tribes were strong and allowing other tribes to marry their tribesmen will make their bloodline impure and thus imperfect. One trumps the other means believing one better than all the others. In here, the tribes believed their bloodline was the strongest and therefore forbid other tribes to mix into their bloodline. Marriage is private affair 1. Nnaemeka sees the marriage as an affair as her wife does not belong to his husband’s race and some of her actions contradicts with their race religion and his father will surely disapprove the marriage. Nene believed the marriage was not an affair as she believe marriage is a happy thing and parents will be happy about their child’s marriage. 2. Religion is everything during the time the story happens. It’s not only a belief, it represents good and evil of a person’s character : if a person follow the religion, he’s a good man. People become superstitious in religion and their free wills were robbed from them. 3. The tribesmen allowed only marriage within their tribesmen because they thought their tribes were strong and allowing other tribes to marry their tribesmen will make their bloodline impure and thus imperfect. One trumps the other means believing one better than all the others. In here, the tribes believed their bloodline was the strongest and therefore forbid other tribes to mix into their bloodline.

Press Statement Essay

An approach to aspects of a child abuse investigation in a modern society using police and community cooperation (A reference to the media)   Ã‚   As traditional communities erode and our societies become more diverse, feelings of insecurity grow, fear of crime increases and questions of identity and citizenship come in question A threat on the safety of our children has culminated to an investigation into the cause and the socio-political aspects of the problem. Our law officers and the stakeholders of the social welfare are investigating and researching on various socio perspectives and trends that are described as possible factors leading to the problem. It’s not commonplace in this society to have incidents of child abuse and as such we are working towards stemming down any possible link and also address the problem collectively through arresting those perpetrating such crimes.   Ã‚   Out of every ten children in our community one of them has reported abuse or aggressive behaviour. 17% of the children report that their attackers were burly or sickly looking. 25% of the children are now afraid of venturing into the neighbourhood. The rate of these abuses has rose up with up to 11% which is a considerable rate.    We have checked on any psychopathic connections to the few cases that have been reported. We are also evaluating theories and investigating curtails that have suspect characters that are substance abusers and their possible involvement. We are comprehensively analyzing socio-economic factors as well as ideological issues which could be eliciting the problem. We believe some people might have ideologies which force them to think and argue that children rights and safety are not important. These ideologies result to hate against children. We also view childless individuals who have developed frustration and stress levels might be involved due to obsession with the idea of harassing other people’s children due to this frustration.      We are establishing stereotyping, class and other social factors which have negative impacts on children social groups. Apart from these theories we understand victimisation based on family and social feuds might victimise children. We are working on looking into any possibilities of parents, select social classes, estate neighbourhoods and school based feuds as being the cause of the problem. Some disgruntled parents or neighbours might be trying to settle scores, seek payment of a debt, drug money and illicit business dealings and other bad dealings gone sour might be causes. We are establishing all these theories so that we can close in on the perpetrators so that not a single aspect of the problem will result to unjust prosecutions or any victimisations.   Ã‚   As members of the society we understand that there are various socio-political aspects of crime pattern and jurisdiction that we have to flow and collectively approach when dealing with suspects. We assure the members of the society that we will not victimise or arrest any suspect without credible evidence on his involvement or connection. We understand and respect all human rights and abide by principles of justice. No suspect will be charged until investigations establish credible evidence of involvement. This will be done according to the law and we will emphasise on justice being administered in accordance to all penal codes as stipulated and comprehensively understood in the judicial system. We attribute rise in crime and related social anomalies to changes in economic structure are altering the pattern of regional inequalities (UNICEF 2006).    On the other hand we blame radical political changes on the faà §ade of some expression values, especially in the fourth estate. Too much exposure of various aspects of the judicial system acts to people with criminal intent has increased affableness to crime due to the knowledge and criticism on aspects of legislation and police action on the issues as well as the legal loopholes. We are encouraging more concise and distinctive media education and publishing in judicial and social values content so that we can have a responsible and safe society. We are sure that political dividing lines of class and religion are eroding and cannot sustain values and ethics of safe and respectable humanity.   Ã‚   The perception of increasing violent crime, often drug related, has gone along with a rise in anti-social behaviour: petty criminality such as vandalism on housing estates, or extreme rudeness, disrespect and lack of consideration for others. (Liddle & Lerais 2006). We expect that all acts against children will come to book in accordance to the United Nations act that protects children against anti-socio behaviour on children (UN 2007). We are optimistic we will arrest and put behind bars those involved and successfully contain the problem. Sources (Liddle & Lerais 2006) Europe’s social reality: pp 5 UNICEF United Nations (www.undp.com )

Lincoln as the Great Emancipat essays

Lincoln as the Great Emancipat essays Abraham Lincoln is widely known as the Great Emancipator for his actions during and following the Civil War. This title, however, has been the subject of much controversy, and many people believe he does not rightly deserve it. But there does not seem to be enough support for this argument, and there are many reasons why he should maintain the nickname. To be able to assess whether or not Lincoln deserves to be called the Great Emancipator, the definition of "great" must be examined. There are certain requirements an individual must fulfill in order to be labeled "great". Among the many seem to personally believe in the cause you are fighting for, incorporating public opinion into decisions, and intentionally accomplishing something admirable. These points are especially noteworthy for a "great" democratic leader. Lincoln seemed to shine in all three of these aspects. Though Lincoln may not have been completely supportive of emancipation in the beginning does not mean he was personally against it, which can be important in deciding if he is worthy of his title. If he was never morally or principally behind ending slavery, then his motives for endorsing emancipation would not so honorable. But this is not the case for Abraham Lincoln. His personal beliefs had always been opposed to slavery. He believed the Founding Fathers had put slavery on the road to extinction, and he wanted to continue it down that path. His hesitance towards emancipation was more for political reasons than anything else. He was afraid of losing much of this support, namely the Border States and the Northern Democrats. He was also extremely focused on saving the Union, which had always been his main priority. He first wanted to try a more compromising form of emancipation, including compensation and colonization. But putting unionism before emancipation does not mean he should not be thought of as great. Lincoln was very much persuaded by t ...

Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Example

Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Example Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Essay Topic: Maus Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah was the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 and became the countrys first Prime Minister after its Independence in 1957. Born in a royal family in Kedah, Abdul Rahman was the son of 24th Sultan of Kedah and went to become the founding father of the independent Malaysia. Before attaining independence of the country, Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britains Malayan Union. Also known as Bapa Kemerdekaan, he became the first Prime Minister of the country after Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore merged to form Malaysia in 1963. He played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. Childhood Early Life Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903 in Istana Pelamin, Alor Star in Kedah to the 24th Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah and his sixth wife Cik Menjalara. He was the fourteenth son and twentieth child of his father. As a child Abdul Rahman was raised in Isatan, the Palace, which was built by a Chinese contractor and had a royal childhood with a number of servants around him. Prince Abdul was sent to a Malay Primary School Jalan Baharu in 1909 and was later moved to the Government English School in Alor Star, which eventually became known as the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. In 1911, little prince Abdul was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok to study with his three brothers. He returned to Malaya in 1915 and resumed his studies at Penang Free School. After three years in 1918, he enrolled at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge University with the Kedah State Scholarship and graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925. At that time, he drew national attention and was praised as the first student to receive a scholarship from Kedah State for studying in the United Kingdom. Early Career After finishing his graduation, Abdul Rahman served in the Kedah public service and was made the District Officer of Kulim and Sungai Petani. At that time, the colonial Malaya was totally dominated by the British officers, with the only exception of Abdul Rahman who was a Malaya and had concern for his fellow people of Malaya. The two could never come to terms and he often had to pay for it by loosing promotion to higher positions. However, the British Administration did not dare do anything against him, as he was a son of the Sultan and a price of Malaya. Few years later, Abdul went to England and stayed there briefly before finally returning to Malaya following the eruption of the World War II. He continued his law studies at Inner Temple in 1947 and after admitted to bar in 1949, he returned to Malaya where he was appointed at the Legal Officer’s office in Alor Star in the same year. Further, he was made a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kaula Lampur and president of the session’s court. Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britain’s Malayan Union. In 1951, a conflict surfaced within the UMNO forcing its president Datuk onn Jaafar to resign and the person replacing him was Abdul Rahman, who eventually seized the position for the next twenty years. Independence of Malaya Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954. His initial efforts failed to achieve anything as the British Administration was averse to grant independence unless it was assured of the racial harmony and equality in a new independent Malaya. As President of the UMNO, Abdul Rahman consolidated a political alliance with the Malaya Chinese Association to form the Alliance Party and later the Indian community Malayan Indian Association joined them in 1955. The coalition gained huge popularity among people though the UMNO members were initially reluctant to open the party to Chinese and Indian community. Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya with the Alliance Party winning the first federal general election held in the same year. In 1955, he traveled to Japan, where he negotiated the Malaya Independence and 31 August 1957 was finally decided for its independence. Premiership of Malaysia Malaya became Malaysia with the emergence of Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei in 1963. In 1961, Abdul Rahman called upon these states to form an amalgamation and was subsequently elected the first Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. However Singapore’s addition in the federal proved disastrous which increased the Chinese influx in the country. Abdul Rahman fearing, that Lee Kuan Yew’s Party could influence the voters in Malaya, started demanding Singapore’s exclusion from Malaysia. After endless clashes between Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan, Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August 1965. Abdul Rahman’s regime came to downfall in 1969, when the Alliance Party lost most of its support in the general election that year. Abdul Rahman lost its support from the people within UMNO who were highly critical of his headship and eventually, an emergency committee captured the country from Abdul Rahman and declared a state of emergency leaving him with no power. On 22 November 1970 Abdul Rahman resigned from the position of Prime Minister and subsequently from UMNO in 1971. Other Activities In 1960, when he was still the Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia and established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM) as a guiding body for Muslim converts. He became the president of PERKIM and served until a year before his death. As President of PERKIM, he organized the first International Quran Recital Competition in 1961. Abdul Rahman played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. He was a co founder of the Islamic Development Bank and President of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), serving from 1982 till 1988. However he declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia, he stuck to his idea of running Malaysia as a secular country where people of different beliefs and religion lived and worked together. An enthusiastic sportsman himself, Abdul Rahman promoted many sports events in Malaysia, viewing is a medium to bring people of different race and religion together. He started an international football tournament in 1957 and was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation in the next year in 1958. He had a passion for horse racing and was a member of the Selangor Turf Club. Later Life Death In 1977, Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star, a newspaper which was banned in 1987 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad because of its provoking columns that were harshly critical of the Malaysia’s government. Following a rift with in UMNO, he unsuccessfully tried to establish a new party UMNO Malaysia. In the general election of 1900, Abdul Rahman actively participated and widely campaigned against Mahathir Mohamad despite his worsening health. He died on 6 December 1990, aged eighty seven and his body was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Star. Family Children Abdul Rahman is believed to have at least four marriages in which only three are officially confirmed. His first wife was Meriam Ching, a Chinese woman who gave birth to two children Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad Nerang. After her death, Abdul married Violet Coulson, his former landlady in England. He divorced her and married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah and the couple adopted four children Sulaiman, Mariam, Sharifah Hanizah and Faridah. His fourth marriage to a Chinese woman Bibi Chong remained secret with whom; he had two daughters Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura.

Text Features in Non-Fiction Informational Texts

Text Features in Non-Fiction Informational Texts Important tools to help students to understand and access information in informational texts are the text features. Text features are both ways in which the authors and editors make the information easier to understand and access, as well as explicit means of supporting the content of the text through illustrations, photographs, charts, and graphs. Using text features is an important element of developmental reading, which teaches students to use these parts to understand and comprehend the content of the text Text features are also part of most states high-stakes  tests. Students in fourth grade and above are usually expected to be able to identify the text features common to most non-fiction and informational texts. At the same time, they help struggling readers find and identify the information they are expected to know in content area classes, such as social studies, history, civics, and science. Text Features as Part of the Text Titles, subtitles, headings, and sub-headings are all part of the actual text, used to make the organization of the information in a text explicit. Most textbook publishers, as well as informational text publishers, use these features to make the content easier to understand. Titles The chapter titles in informational texts usually prepare the student to understand the text. Subtitles Subtitles usually immediately follow the title and organize the information into sections. Titles and subtitles often provide the structure for an outline. Headings Headings usually begin a subsection after a subtitle. There are multiple headings for each section. They usually lay out the major points made by the author in each section. Subheading Subheadings also help us understand the organization of the thoughts contained in the section and the relationships of the parts. Title, subtitle, heading, and subheadings could be used to create guided notes, as they are pivotal parts of the authors organization of the text. Text Features That Support Understanding and Navigating the Text Table of Contents Works of fiction seldom have tables of content, whereas works of nonfiction almost always do. At the beginning of the book, they include the titles of chapters as well as subtitles and page numbers. Glossary Found at the back of the book, the glossary provides definitions of special words within the text. Publishers often place words to be found in the back in boldface. Sometimes the definitions are found adjacent to the text, but always in the glossary. Index Also in the back of the book, the index identifies where topics can be found, in alphabetical order. Features That Support the Content of the Text The internet has given us a rich and easily accessible source of images, but they are still incredibly important in understanding the content of information non-fiction texts. While not actually text it would be foolish to assume that our students understand the relationship between the content and the picture on the same page. Illustrations Illustrations are the product of an illustrator or artist and create an image that helps us better understand the content of the text. Photographs A hundred years ago, photographs were difficult to produce in print. Now, digital media make it easy to create and recreate photographs in print. Now they are common in informational texts. Captions Captions are printed below the illustrations and photographs and explain what we are seeing. Charts and Diagrams Unlike illustrations, Charts and Diagrams are created to represent amount, distance, or other information shared in the text. Often they are in the form of graphs, including bar, line, and plot and whisker graphs, as well as pie charts and maps.

Business Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Business Information System - Essay Example Particularly they are required to help each resident attain or uphold the highest possible mental, psychosocial and physical well being. Care and treatment provided must improve o r maintain health subject to resident’s right to select and decline services. The standards of care in nursing homes are government prospect however quality is not assured. Geriatrics has various needs that aids in its day to day operations. First of all accommodation need. A resident has the right to obtain services and reside with reasonable accommodation of personal desires and needs. The institutions should acclimatize things like room arrangements, schedules, call systems and staff assignments to contain residents’ exclusive needs, desires and preferences. If there is existence of communication barrier between the staff and residents, the nursing g home is required to ensure adequate communication through use of interpreters or other measures that will facilitate communication. Secondly adequate nursing and other employees are required in the nursing homes to meet the needs of each resident in the geriatric at all times. The nursing homes are also required to establish an all-inclusive and individualized care plan for each resident that states care needs and how they will be met. This ensures proper and up to standards services are adhered to by the staff employed, considering the number and personal attention each resident requires or is entitled to. One of the most widespread reasons why people seek nursing home care is due to urinary incontinence and uncontrollable bladder. Incontinence and lack of toileting aid results too many serious problems for example isolation, pressure sores and psychological harm. Each resident bowel control complications must be thoroughly assessed and given care and treatments that can improve the condition. Many geriatric occupants are not incontinent but require

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT - Essay Example 19). Subject to its wide market network, high quality of its products, and the diversity of its products, Starbucks enjoys a magnificent customer base in the coffee other blend- drinks industry. In the report, the paper identifies the stakeholders groups of the company, its key competitors, and an analysis of its current strategy. The paper will also derive some recommendations on the company’s current strategy. Findings Starbucks Stakeholder Groups Starbucks stakeholders groups refer to persons, groups, or organization that has interest or concern in the company. The company’s stakeholders fall into three categories, which include primary stakeholders, secondary stakeholders, and public stakeholders (Bruhn-Hansen, 2012, p. 19). They specifically entail the shareholders who invented in the company’s shares, customers who purchase the company’s products and employees who work for the company across the world. The stakeholders also include the suppliers who provide raw materials to the company and farmers who produce coffee and benefit from the comprehensive programs that the company initiates to help farmers. Recently, families residing within the Silver Spring, Maryland community with children aged five and under became stakeholders. Governments and government agencies in countries where the Starbucks Company operates are also stakeholders in the company (Bruhn-Hansen, 2012, p. 19). Moreover, non-governmental organizations, which partner with Starbucks Company like Conservation International and Ecologic Enterprise Ventures are also stakeholders of the company. Additionally, all the communities that benefit from the company’s corporate social responsibility are stakeholders of Starbucks Company. Ultimately, franchisees that purchase the right to use the company’s trademarks, related brands, and proprietary knowledge for purposes of opening branches across the world also form part of Starbucks stakeholders. Starbucks Key Competitors Starbucks has close competitors in specialty coffee shops, doughnut shops, and quick service restaurants. Indeed, the completion comes from different sectors across the world thus demeaning the company’s market share. Caribou Coffee, which is specialty coffeehouse with 415 stores in the US, is one of the closest competitors of Starbucks Company. Second Cup which is a Canadian franchiser dealing in coffee is also a significant competitor alongside Java Centrale. Another major competitor is the privately owned Dunkin Donuts, which has about 5,000 stores in the U.S dealing with both doughnuts and coffee. Nestle S.A, which is a Swiss multinational food and Beverage Company and the largest food company in the world in terms of revenues offers great competition to Starbucks market share. Additionally we also have Darden Restaurants, Inc., which are a multi-brand restaurant operator  and Yum! Brands, Inc., Another worthy competitor is the McDonald, which is actually t he world’s largest fast-food chain restaurant (Mourdoukoutas, 2013, p. 1). McDonalds sells its products at a relatively lower price than Starbucks Company thus offering price competition. Indeed, since its upgrade in 2006, McDonalds is becoming an emerging competitor. More so, Panera’s Bread, which offers ambiance of casual dining, is also a competitor of Starbucks Company. Starbucks Company Current Strategy Starbucks adopts various

Cry, the Beloved Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cry, the Beloved Country - Essay Example The novel’s setting is in South Africa. This article will review a clear plot of the novel by including some short text quotes. The essay will also discuss some of the themes portrayed by the main character in the novel. The novel was published before the apartheid system was implemented in South Africa. Basing on the book, one can tell that the village dwellers led a desolate life. The setting of the story is in South Africa where the main themes of the book are presented. Paton portrays the book as a social gripe against the societal structures that later led to the rise of apartheid (Paton 1). In his view, he tries to establish a purposeful analysis of what is entailed in the black society. According to his judgment, the black society endured from moral concerns and social volatility while, on the other hand, the whites were affected by native crime. These factors were influenced by the breakdown of the tribal organization, crime and migration of individuals to urban center s (Paton 1). The book’s chronicles reveal Paton’s message through themes like reconciliation, inequality, injustice and Christianity. Paton clearly reveals how reconciliation between members of a family is of vitality in reuniting the family members. On the one hand, inequity and injustice are based on the same category whereby, these issues are prevalent in the setting of the book. Paton presents the village life as desolate since the local government was not funding community projects in the area. In essence, the whites had brought tragedy to their homeland. Paton states â€Å"The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again. The white man has broken the tribe† (Paton 23). This was a revelation of how tragic the whites had turned out to be even in countries inhabited by the Africans. In addition, Paton also features on the detrimental effects of the characters fear in relation with the South African society. He presents the fear in his characters in chapter 12 where he says, â€Å"For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much†. Even though fear is prevalent in this society, some characters were able to overcome it through their abilities. The portrayal of Stephen Kumalo in the novel depicts his courageous nature while facing worldly challenges. This can be established from his search of Gertrude; his immoral sister, and his son who was involved in murder and other shameful acts in the city of Johannesburg. The book presents this as a journey for Stephen when Paton writes â€Å"The journey had begun. And now the fear back again, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the great city where boys were killed crossing the street, the fear of Gertrude’s sickness† (Paton 13). The narrator shows the Christian religion in the novel as a significant theme that was incorporated in the strangles of injustice. This reveals quite a vital lesson to readers in general. The presentation of Chr istianity in the setting of this publication was unjust and also resulted from the invasion of the whites in the country. Even though the religion factor helped characters like Stephen to face tremendous hardships, the religious world was incorporated in unjust ways. Paton is quick to reveal the unjust acts involved in Christianity. He notes that the black priests were paid less wages as compared to whites. This reveals that even though the white priests were living luxurious lives, they were rooted in injustice. These acts had placed the needy community in the wrong leadership hands. In

Critically review the role of Operations Manager and assess the impact Essay

Critically review the role of Operations Manager and assess the impact on our business plan - Essay Example The operations manager envisions the lounge to hold a large size of customers at any given moment serving them adequately. The business is also structured to be an event-catering package that handles huge orders creating convenience to the customers. Compared to goods, the constraints of service superiority are more intricate and diverge. Therefore, a full- fledged comprehension of customers’ wishes and prospects is a dire subject on the today’s package construing plan. Being a bakery, the business will receive a general target market since most people of all ages enjoy delightful cakes, pastries and pies not overlooking the fact that the merchandises are low-priced items that are nearly reasonable to anyone even with their varying levels of revenue hence keeping the target market large (Hald, & Mouritsen, 2013). In relation to the several product preferences, convenient services, and an extensive target market, this bakery will be able to meet the requirements of a wid e range of consumers. The operations manager was able to foresee the possibility of a company’s website that will be opened on both Facebook and Twitter to create a platform for potential buyers. This paper reviews a business plan for the opening of a bakery known as Annex House in Cardiff, Welsh. A business strategy is the pivotal point of the corporate practices and competitive strategies in the operational management (DAVIS, 2011)) The operations manager in the bakery has used this to strike out a market position, conduct operations, appeal towards customers, enter and achieve organizational objective in the market as a whole. Thus, whether a company wins or loses in the marketplace, it is directly attributable to the calibres of a company’s strategy and the proficiency with which the strategy is implemented and executed. Annex House is a vision of a small entrepreneurial start-up bakery situated in Roath Cardiff in Wales. The business is pictured to make sure there

The Management of Global Trade Distribution Assignment

The Management of Global Trade Distribution - Assignment Example DHL has a considerable market share of around 40% of the Asian market (The Economist, 2012). FedEx accounts for the market share of around of 49%Â  in USA as compared to around 50% by the competitor UPS. FedEx has developed the fleet and service base that has built a strong reputation of the company. For example, GPS tracking, Online Solution (FedEx, 2012a), SenseAware (Business Wire, 2014) are some of the leading services from FedEx. The industry in which FedEx operates is highly competitive and it has low switching cost for buyers and suppliers. Also, the industry is affected by high oil prices. FedEx, with its service to the global market, has focused on building competitive edge with technological innovation and is ranked at the 91st position on the Forbes Most Valuable brands (Forbes, 2013). Competitive information technology orientation has taken the place of absolute advantage for FedEx. Change in the global trade agreements and patterns have a direct impact on the FedEx. FedEx supports FTA for the removal of barriers from Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Furthermore, FedEx has capitalised the growth in global demand for the Korean products where Korea in all has generated $3.8 billion in the year 2011 (FedEx, 2012b). FedEx has planned to establish logistic hub in Pudong considering the global trade patterns between China to Europe where Shanghai Pudong International Airport is to take the position of hub (FedEx, 2012b). Hence, FedEx is keenly developing the comparative advantage from the changing global trade patterns. Furthermore, the company is also directly impacted by the varying regulations from country to country. For example, FedEx launched SenseAware in different market upon receiving security clearance from the respective countries’ and related organisations (Leung, 2011). Most recently it has expanded to 14 European countries and Canada. Such str ong connectivity with the movement of sensitive products has developed

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Project - Essay Example I tried to engage three people in general conversations such as politics, sports and movies. Of the three two didn’t amount to much but one, a colleague at work, seemed to amount to something. I actually summoned the courage to ask for her phone number without feeling as if I was crossing the line. At the close of the day, I did not remember the two failed conversations, but I was happy I could make a friend. I said ‘NO’ to a colleague, who was asking for my time, since I had other commitments at that particular time, and I did not feel guilty about it. And as much as I thought he would be disappointed in me, he wasn’t. I was broke, but I summoned the courage to borrow some money from a colleague without feeling embarrassed about it. I actually accepted that I am not more respectable just because I appear self-sufficient. I attended a staff party that involved taking alcoholic drinks and dancing. I did not take any alcohol despite the pressure, and I realized that they did not mind it; in fact, they thought it was respectable to stand by my

The Management of Global Trade Distribution Assignment

The Management of Global Trade Distribution - Assignment Example DHL has a considerable market share of around 40% of the Asian market (The Economist, 2012). FedEx accounts for the market share of around of 49%Â  in USA as compared to around 50% by the competitor UPS. FedEx has developed the fleet and service base that has built a strong reputation of the company. For example, GPS tracking, Online Solution (FedEx, 2012a), SenseAware (Business Wire, 2014) are some of the leading services from FedEx. The industry in which FedEx operates is highly competitive and it has low switching cost for buyers and suppliers. Also, the industry is affected by high oil prices. FedEx, with its service to the global market, has focused on building competitive edge with technological innovation and is ranked at the 91st position on the Forbes Most Valuable brands (Forbes, 2013). Competitive information technology orientation has taken the place of absolute advantage for FedEx. Change in the global trade agreements and patterns have a direct impact on the FedEx. FedEx supports FTA for the removal of barriers from Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Furthermore, FedEx has capitalised the growth in global demand for the Korean products where Korea in all has generated $3.8 billion in the year 2011 (FedEx, 2012b). FedEx has planned to establish logistic hub in Pudong considering the global trade patterns between China to Europe where Shanghai Pudong International Airport is to take the position of hub (FedEx, 2012b). Hence, FedEx is keenly developing the comparative advantage from the changing global trade patterns. Furthermore, the company is also directly impacted by the varying regulations from country to country. For example, FedEx launched SenseAware in different market upon receiving security clearance from the respective countries’ and related organisations (Leung, 2011). Most recently it has expanded to 14 European countries and Canada. Such str ong connectivity with the movement of sensitive products has developed

Financial and Managerial Accounting Personal Statement

Financial and Managerial Accounting - Personal Statement Example I have been working with an audit firm for the last three years and through this experience I did gain good amount of knowledge in the fields of financial accounting, auditing and taxation. But lately I have realized the importance of management and decision making in comparison to analyzing the outcomes of decision already made. Moreover, my educational qualification and work experience has given me a strong foundation in public accounting, but now I find the necessity to broaden my horizon so that when required, I would be able to view a situation from various angles rather than having just an auditor's view. Also, in order to improve my career, I would have to be in a position wherein I would have the responsibility as well as the capability to make crucial decisions. As I went through the IMA website, I realized that the curriculum in the CMA program could prepare me well for this challenge. I have always been a person who likes to work on one's own terms. Though I am part of a finance team of a medium scale company right now, I intend to establish my own business in the near future. As of now, I am working on improving my skill and knowledge and looking for ways to increase the resources available in order to achieve my goals.

Inhibition of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Essay Example for Free

Inhibition of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Essay Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is the enzyme that is responsible for converting ethanol to acetaldehyde (the reaction is shown in Figure 13. 1). It is the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of ethanol in the alcoholic beverages we consume. Five different isozymes of ADH have been identified, and it has been shown that the enzyme has a rather broad substrate specificity and can oxidize aldehydes as well as primary and secondary alcohols. For example, ADH can also oxidize methanol (wood alcohol) and ethylene alcohol (antifreeze). The poisonous nature of these compounds results from the ADH-catalyzed conversion of these compounds to toxic products. For example, ADH converts methanol to formaldehyde, which is toxic to the optic nerve and can produce blindness. In high doses, formaldehyde may be fatal. In this study, the authors investigated the ability of formamide compounds to inhibit alcohol dehydrogenase. Only a portion of their data is presented here. The authors were able to propose a mechanism for the inhibition from the extensive data they collected using a wide variety of formamide compounds. The mechanism is shown in Figure 13. 2. Figure 13. 1: ADH-catalyzed oxidation of ethanol. 2 Questions 1. Certain individuals are more sensitive to alcohol than others. For example, women are more sensitive to alcohol than men–even when body weight and % body fat are taken into account, women become more intoxicated than men consuming an identical amount of alcohol. Using what we have learned in the enzyme chapters, give biochemical reasons that would explain why women become more intoxicated than men when consuming an equal amount of alcohol. 2. A treatment for methanol poisoning is to have the victim drink large amounts of ethanol. Why might this be an effective treatment? 3. The authors of this study studied the ability of N-1,5-dimethylhexylformamide to inhibit mouse ADH1. The activity of the enzyme was measured in the absence of inhibitor, and in the presence of 1. 0 :M inhibitor. The data are presented in Table 13. 1. Table 13. 1: Inhibition of mouse ADH1 by N,1-5-dimethy lhex ylformam ide Ethanol Concentration, mM ADH1 velocity, ) NADH absorbance/min (without i nhibit or) ADH1 velocity, ) NADH absorbance/min (with i nhibit or) 0. 20 0. 036 0. 022 0. 25 0. 042 0. 024 0. 36 0. 048 0. 027 0. 60 0. 065 0. 029 2. 00 0. 075 0. 033 Figure 13. 2: Mechanism of ADH1. The inhibitor binds as an aldehyde analog. 3 M max a. What are the K and V values for ADH in the absence of inhibitor? in the presence of the inhibitor? b. What type of inhibitor is N-1,5-dimethylhexylformamide? Explain. c. Calculate the values of and/or ’, if they are significantly different from 1. What kind of inhibitor is N-1,5-dimethylhexylformamide? Explain. ii d. Calculate the K and/or K’ (whichever is appropriate) for N-1,5-dimethylhexylformamide (Hint: You can obtain these values from and ’). 4. The authors describe the mechanism of ADH as an â€Å"ordered bi-bi† mechanism. Give a written description of the mechanism, as shown in Figure 13. 2. How does N-1,5- dimethylhexylformamide inhibit the activity of the ADH enzyme? How does N-1,5- dimethylhexylformamide differ from the â€Å"classic† inhibitors of this type that are described in our textbook? 5. The authors found that a class of compounds called pyrazoles were also inhibitors of ADH. These inhibitors bind to the E-NAD complex. What kind of inhibitor are pyrazoles? Are + these inhibitors the same or different as the formamides? 6. a. Would N-1,5-dimethylhexylformamide be an effective alternative for the treatment of methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning, assuming that it is non-toxic itself (and as an alternative to getting the patient drunk, as described in Question 2)? Would N-1,5- dimethylhexylformamide be effective even if the concentrations of methanol or ethylene II glycol were very high? (Hint: Compare the values of K or K ’, whichever is appropriate, M and K ). b. The compound 4-methyl pyrazole is currently being used as a treatment for methanol poisoning. How would the effectiveness of 4-methyl pyrazole compare with the effectiveness of a formamide treatment? Reference Venkataramaiah, T. H. , and Plapp, B. V. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, pp. 36699-36706.

Effect of Tissue Culture Plastic Surfaces

Effect of Tissue Culture Plastic Surfaces Summary: The design of this experiment was conducted in order to analyse the effect of tissue culture plastic surface and establish the optimal tissue culture plastic surface for growing the Human Fibrosarcoma HT 1080 cell line, which is still lacking even this human cell line is commonly used in vitro studies and it is strongly recommended as a gold standard for the Lentivirus titration. In this context it appears especially interesting to which extent the HT1080 cell line proliferation depends on which type of tissue culture plastic plates were used in any experiment. In this study we optimized the growth and the proliferation of the HT1080 cell line by growing them in three different 96 wells tissue culture plates including Falcon, Corning and Greiner, and study the cells proliferation using XTT assay Roche based. Thus we considered the HT 1080 cell line proliferation curve obtained on 2 weeks time and we investigated the proliferation influence of this cell line seeded in 3 diffe rent plastic plates. We found that falcon tissue culture plastic were could be more widely considered as a potential plastic ware tool for growing HT 1080 cell line from proliferation curves obtained under 3 different experimental plastic plates, Falcon 96 well tissue culture plate was more likely suitable plastic plate to be used in seeding the HT 1080 cell line. Introduction Cell culture known to be a complex process by removal of tissue or cells from plants, animals, microbes (such as bacteria and viruses), and fungi process them by growing them in specific conditions and atmospheres. In the 19th century scientist discovered the way of maintaining live cell lines taken from the animals tissue [1]. Principle of tissue culture was established by Wilhelm Roux In 1885, he removed a part of the medulla oblongataHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medullary_plate dish of an embryonic chicken and preserved it in a warm saline for some days2[2]. The methodology of tissue culture was established by Ross Granville Harrison, while he was published results of his research work from 1907-19103[3]. In 1950s Cell culture techniques were progressed significantly in virology research, which helped in manufacture of vaccines. Development of antibiotics helped tissue culturing to be success, as it made it easy to avoid tissue culture contaminations[4]. Types of tissue culture There are two types of tissue culture used for growing cells, adherent and suspension cultures. Adherent cells are known to be anchorage-dependent and attachment to a solid surface is a requirement for proliferation. Generally, the cells grow as an adherent monolayer and discontinue dividing when they reach a density that they touch each other. The majority of cells are adherent as they derived from solid tissues[5]. Cells cultured from bone marrow, spleen or blood adhere poorly if at all to the culture dishes. These cells in the body naturally live in suspension or they are loosely adherent. Adherent cells need a solid phase like tissue culture plastic, which might be layered with extracellular matrix components to raise adhesion properties and supply other signal required for differentiation and growth. Suspension cultures are easier to spread, since subculture requires only dilution with medium. Moreover, cultures with cells growing attached to each other or to a solid phase have to be treated by a protease to break the bond between the cells and solid surface. Trypsin is the most commonly enzyme used. Obviously, freely suspended cultures do not require trypsinization. Thus, they are easier to harvest. Maintain cells in culture Different cell types need different environments to survive in the culture. Environment means is to allow the cells to increase in number by mitosis (cell division). To achieve that, suitable temperature ( 37oC) is required as cells need it to grow happily and that can be achieved by proper calibration, frequent checking, and good maintained incubators. Second, good quality substrate (Glass and Plastic) for better attachment by using attachment factors (collagen, lamnin, and fibronectin) and excellent cell growth. Finally, proper culture media and maintained incubator for accurate pH and osmolality[10]. Cell culture medium The culture medium should got the proper nutrition of the cells requirement, growth factors, control the osmolality and pH, and present vital O2 and CO2 gases [11]. The culture medium provides necessary nutrients that are included into dividing cells, such as fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, vitamins and carbohydrates and all of these help to provide the necessary energy to build a new proteins and metabolism. The pH of the medium can be control by buffer which is usually a CO2 based or an organic buffer (e.g HEPES) to maintain the pH level in suitable range 7.0 7.4. Sodium Bicarbonate usually used in most cultures media as a standard buffer. Furthermore, Phenol Red is usually added as pH indicator in media, which change when if pH 7.4 decreased. The osmotic pressure adjust the regulation of the substances flow inside and outside of the cell, which is managed by adding salt to the medium. Supplement such as fetal serum enhance the cells growth when it is added to media as it consis t of high growth factor concentration and low antibiotics concentration. In addition, serum protein when added to media it acts as nutrition and it undertakes transporter function via cell membrane and combines toxic metabolic products. Antibiotics and antimycotics must be added to the culture media as it suppress the bacterial and fungus growth. Contamination and cell culture contamination consider to be a serious problem as it can end an experiment to misidentified or lead to wrong outcome. Recent, studies propose 15-20% of the time researchers been a victim of contamination[9]. There are two types of cell culture contamination, biological and chemicals. Biological contamination caused by fast growing yeast, bacteria and fungi. This type of contamination changes the turbidity of the medium and have observable effects on the cell culture. On the other hand, there are other types of biological contamination which are very difficult to detect such as; mycoplasmas and viruses. Chemical contamination caused by many different agents involve metal irons, plasticizers and Endotoxins[1]. Different plastic wares used in cell culture The use of disposable plastic materials for tissue culture has become popular, and in many laboratories plastic cell culture vessels have completely replaced glassware. For example, multiwell plastic plates are used for comparing different growth conditions, plastic wares, media, growth factor, sera and cytotoxines. Untreated plastic surfaces (usually made of polystyrene) are generally unsuitable for the culture of vertebrate cells, because they do not permit ready attachment and spreading of cells(19). Thus the polystyrene must be subjected to a surface treatment to make the plastic surface suitable for cell attachment(21).Chemical methods, such as sulfuric acid-sodium carbonate rinses (4) and alcohol rinses (5), have been proposed to modify plastic surfaces so that cell attachment occurs. Cell viability and proliferation The quantification of cellular growth, including viability and proliferation and, is essential to optimize the cell culture conditions. Measurements of cell viability assess the number of healthy living cells and dead cells, whereas measurement of cells proliferation is used to assess the response of cells to a specific stimulus or toxin quantitantion of culture growth. Cells proliferation is significant in steering maintenance as it is an essential element for controlling the stability of the culture and identifying the superlative time for the optimum dilution, sub culturing, and the estimated platting competence at various cell densities. Proliferation rate is a key quantitative parameter to be estimated when studying the dynamic behaviour of a cell population, measure of cells growth and obtain the cells growth curve. Fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080) HT-1080 cell line is mainly human fibrosarcoma adherent cell line (15). It was instigated from a biopsy of a fibrosarcoma obtained from the acetablum of a 35 year old male in July 1972 the patient had never received radiation or chemotherapy therapy. A fine piece of the tumor tissue was cultured into plastic flasks and dishes were sheltered with Eagles minimum essential medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics . Quick trypsinization and picking procedures were used to reduce fibroblasts from the cultures(16). The human fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080 is strongly recommend as the gold standard for reproducibly titrating Lentivirus. Lentiviruses belong to Retooviridae Family, which are the most multitalented of retroviruses since they are capable to infect, transduce and maintain expression in approximately any mammalian cell. Lentiviral vectors obtained from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) have become main apparatus in mammalian cells for gene delivery. The beneficial characteristic of Lentiviral vectors is the capability to mediate competent transduction, mixing and long-term expression into non-dividing and dividing cells both in vivo and in vitro. The most commonly used cell lines for titrating are adherent cells which show a replication time in the range of 18-25 hours. The human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line is able to give more accurate viral titres because these cells are easily transduced and very efficiently by recombinant Lentiviruses . To produce reliable transduction res ults using a known multiplicity of infection (MOI), it is essential to titrate Lentivirus stocks, and that can be determined by infecting HT1080 cells with serially diluted supernatants produced using control vector containing an easily detectable receptor gene (e.g. Lac Z and fluorescent protein). Furthermore, titration values will depend heavily on the cell type and method used for titration, so there may be significant differences between titres determined in cells typically used for titration and the number of target cells that are ultimately transduced. However titrations are important for determining the relative virus content of stocks prepared from different vectors , Confirming the viability of virus stocks, Determining the optimal transduction conditions, Adjusting the MOI to control the viral copy number of transduced cells, Determining the maximum number of cells that can be infected by a virus stock. Additionally, the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT-1080 has been used widely to study the consequence of anti-inflammatory agents such as glycocortiodis on the gene expression of inflammatory mediator(17) and in the study of the extracellular matrix proteins involved in attachment, invasion and metastasis. It is also has been involved in assessment the function of the Ras-oncogenes in the altered phenotype and the function of the expression of the rentiblastoma gene product in the cellular response to therapy(18). In most studies that used the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line in their studies there is inconsistencies regarding the growth of this cell line with different media, different serum and different tissue culture plastic surface. Thus, it remains mainly descriptive and not quantify the relative influence of the underlying type of media, serum or plastic surface on cell growth and proliferation. Aim of this study In order to find the optimal plastic tissue culture plates for this cell line, I aimed to optimize the growth and the proliferation of the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line by growing them in different tissue culture plastic plates including Falcon, Greiner and Corning plates and study their proliferation using colorimetric assay(XTT based, Roche). Materials and methods Tissue culture (pre-experiment to obtain growth curve of HT1080 cell) Tissue culture of HT1080 cell line Experiment was performed using Human fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080 (ATCCCCL121) epithelial cells. This cell line was obtained from ECACC European collection of animal cell cultures. Cells were grown in HPA culture collections facilities (catalogue number :85111505). Routinely, cells were grown in complete medium composed of Dulbeccos Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM supplemented with high glucose liquid without phenol red, without L-Glutamine + 1% Non Essential Amino Acids (NEAA) + 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) (all were purchased from PAA). The bench surface were cleaned before starting tissue culture, to avoid any contamination The cells were Cultured and grown in 75 cm2 falcon flask which was kept in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 at 37oC for 24 hours to obtain the optimum growth condition. The cells were subculture every 3 days which helped to achieve 0.45-1.0X 106 cells/ml. all the culturing and sub-culturing procedure were done in class II safety cabinet. Cell count The cells were twice a week checked for any contamination before cell count done, the media should be in a good condition, and healthy clear yellow color should be observed. HT1080 cells were counted by using counting chamber (haemocytometer) as it shown below. (A, B, D, and C) as shown above contain 16 small squares of volume 0.1mm3 or 10-4 cm3 which means (length x width x height). 10ul of HT1080 cells were placed between the counting chamber and cover slips. After cells settle the haemocytometer were fixed under light microscope with X40 magnification. The cells were counted and equation was used to find out the total cells number and then it was divided by 4 to obtain an average X104 cells/ml. Cells can be sub-cultured in fresh supplemented media. Actual concentration = Dilution factor required Desired concentration Sub- Culture of HT1080 All cells were detached by using tryptirization by trypsine/EDTA (0.1% /0.02%) solution, average of 60X104 cells/ml of HT 1080 cells were reseed into new labeled flask (75 cm2). Then 20 ml of media was added to the same flask. Finally it were kept in the incubator for 24 hour at 37oC in 5% CO2 atmosphere. obtain growth curve of HT1080 cell Briefly, 1ml from the cell suspension were mixed with 480ul of MEM media (PAA). Then 100ul of the tissue culture medium equally distributed to all wells of 96 tissue culture plastic multiwells plate except the first row as 200ul of the cell suspension mixture was added to whole first row. Then Serial dilution was performed by taking 100ul from the first row of 96 wells and transferred to the second row wells (shown in the figure below). The last 100ul were discarded after doing serial dilution in the sixth well (each dilution included four wells) Finally the 96 wells tissue culture micro plate were kept for incubation (at 37Co, 5% CO2) for 24 hours. Proliferation assay The cells proliferation was studied by using XTT proliferation assay (Cat. No. 11465015001) by Roche. First, the XXT solution was prepared by thawing the XTT labeling reagent and the electron-coupling reagent, respectively in a water bath at 37oC. Mix each vial thoroughly to obtain a clear solution. Then XTT labeling mixture was prepared by mixing 4ml of XTT labeling reagent with 80ul of electron-coupling reagent, to prepare the XTT labeling mixture. Finally, 50ul of the XTT prepared mixture was added to all wells of 96 wells tissue culture plates wells after the incubation period of 24 hours and the plate was incubated in the incubator in humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 at 37oC for 6 hours . Reading the tissue culture multiwell plate After 6 hours of the incubation period, the plate was kept in the ELISA spectrophotometer reader (Tecan sunrise colorimeter) to measure the absorbance of HT1080 cells at 450nm and obtain the cells growth curve. Tissue culture of HT1080 cell line (Actual experiment) Growing the HT1080 cell line in 3 different tissue culture plastic 96 wells plate including Greiner, Falcon and Corning.this experiment conducted within two weeks. From the previous obtained graph of growth curve of HT1080 cell line the seeding density of all our future subculture fixed to 60X104 cells/ml. First of all, the tissue cultured flask checked under the microscope to check the cell growth confluence. Then cell counting was performed to seed all the 3 different 96 wells tissue culture plastic plates at cell density of 60X104 cells/ml and that was possible after finding out the dilution factor by applying an equation (see below). Usually we used dilution factor 1:19. Actual concentration = Dilution factor required Desired concentration After preparing the correct dilution of HT1080 cell line, plates were seeded with 60X104 cells/ml ,100ul/well. Each plates was divided to four parts for four days to run the experiment, for example the first part was labeled as day 1, second part day 2, third part day 3 and the last part day 4 with 6 wells for each day along with 2 blank, total of 8 wells daily. Then the tissue culture plates were incubated in humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 at 37Â °C for 24 hours. ( see figure 2). Day4 Day3b Day2 Day 1 Figure 2: Cells suspension +proliferation reagent Blank: media only Cells proliferation assay After the incubation period of 24 hours, the XTT solutions were prepared as explained previously and added to the first part of each different tissue culture plates each part was included 6 wells. Then the tissue culture plates were incubated again in the incubator at 37Â °C in 5% CO2 for 24 hours. After 6 hours of the incubation period, the platse were kept in the ELISA spectrophotometer reader (Tecan sunrise colorimeter) to measure the absorbance of HT1080 cells at 450nm. Then the plates were returned to the same incubator and used for the rest of days. The same procedure of preparing proliferation reagent and reading the plates was performed to obtain the results and check the cells proliferation for the rest of days . Results This investigation was done to rule out the growth density of the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line to be seeded in three different 96 wells plastic tissue culture plates to study the growth and the proliferation of this cell line. HT1080 cells were seeded as described in 96 wells plastic plates and incubated for 24 hours in media. For cell proliferation, XTT mixture reagent was added after the incubation period . Briefly, 96 well plates of from each different plastics plates used were seeded with HT1080 cells(6X103 cells/ml, 100 ul/well) and incubated for 24 hours in media. After 6 hours of incubation, the HT1080 cell line proliferation rate were measured by using Tecan sunrise colorimeter at 450nm and the following growth curve was being obtained. Figure 1: shows a growth curve of the human fibrosarcoma HT 1080 cell line by using XTT assay. Measurement of the HT 1080 cell line proliferation incubated in the 96 well plate on culture medium alone for 24 hours and allowed to adhere. After adding XTT reagent cells were incubated for 6 hours. Then the cells proliferation was analyzed by Tecan sunrise colorimeter at 450 nm, the log phase were determined as 6X103. From the obtaining HT 1080 cell line growth curve (figure 1) the initial Lag phase where the cells were growing very slow started from 1562 cells /ml to approximately 6000 cells/ml. then the HT1080 cell growth starts to accelerate into the exponential phase which represents the period when the cells are growing most rapidly. This phase continued till the number of cells reached 25000 cells/ml which may due one or more nutrients became limited, oxygen became depleted and or metabolic by products accumulate to toxic level. After that the cells were Decelerated (Declined). This was followed by a Stationary phase, during which there was no discernible change in cell concretion. Finally if the cells were kept more time we may observe of cell death and lysis which results in a decrease of cells number. The cell growth density was determined by observing the ht1080 cell line growth proliferation curve and it was decided to be 6000 cells/ml as our standard density for this experiment. This investigation was designed to study the proliferation of Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line in 3 different 96 well plastic tissue culture plates including Falcon, Corning and Greiner. Briefly, 96 well plates from each different plastics plates used were seeded with HT1080 cells(6X103 cells/ml, 100 ul/well) and incubated for 24 hours in media. For each investigation sample were set up in 6 wells. After incubation, the HT1080 cell line proliferation rate were measured by using Tecan sunrise colorimeter at 450nm and the following result were being obtained. n = 2 Figure 2: Determine comparison of the HT1080 cells proliferation by growing them in three different 96 wells plastic microplates (Falcon, Greiner and Corning) by using XTT assay for 5 days in MEM media . Each experiment includes 6 duplicate reading . The graph represent the average of three independent experiments data mean, while the errors bars represent the standard deviation of the data. The results that obtained from this experiment revealed that, the Human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line showed different growth proliferation rate depends on the plastic wares including Falcon, Greiner and Corning that have been used in this study (figure 2). The same cells seeding density that was obtained previously from the HT1080 cells growing curve(6X103) were applied to all the 96 wells plastic tissue culture plates. Falcon, Greiner and corning plastic plates showed varies proliferation in the mean (ÂÂ ±SD) number of HT1080 cells. From our graph the cells that were grown in Greiner plate proliferate at slower rate in comparison to the other two types of plastic plates were used. On the other hand, the cells showed good proliferation in Corning plate with double increased in the mean (ÂÂ ±SD) number of HT1080 cells compared to the proliferation which was obtained in Greiner plate. In contrast the cells, which were seeded in Falcon plate showed the best proliferation of H T1080 cells from the first day of the experiment till the last day and reached a peak at day 4. Moreover, from the obtained data it was clear that we can see HT 1080 cell that were seeded in Falcon plate were proliferating two times more than the mean (ÂÂ ±SD) number of HT1080 cells in Corning plate and three times more than the mean (ÂÂ ±SD) number of HT1080 cells in Greiner this continued with same significant proliferation rate till the last day of our experiment . Discussion Our results confirm that the plastic wares have a major influence on the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line adherence, growth and proliferation. It was very clear from our obtained data that Falcon tissue culture plastic plates shown to be the best plastic ware to optimize the growth and the proliferation of the Human Fibrosarcoma HT 1080 cell line between the other two plastic Corning and Greiner that were used in this experiment. Although the three types of plastic surface treatment almost the same but these cells were growing with different proliferation rate on these plastic wares surface. The human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line are extensively accepted as the standard target cell for titrating Lentivirus because these cells are transduced very efficiently by recombinant Lentiviruses. The health of HT1080 cells at the time of transfection has a significant effect on the success of Lentivirus production. Use of unhealthy cells will negatively affect the transfection efficiency, resulting in production of a low titre Lentiviral stock. For optimal Lentivirus production (i.e. producing Lentiviral stocks with the expected titers) the cells should be healthy and greater than 90% viable. Furthermore, the growth characteristics of this cell line HT1080 changes depending on media formulations, plastic ware used and sources of serum used. Generally, cell attachment, growth, and cell-to-cell contacts on a surface or extracellular matrix substrate are extremely complex proceedings involving cell adhesion molecules. An additional factor leading the growth of cells is the composition of the culture medium, especially serum which supplies the essential nutrients for cells and influences the cell attachment. As it contains numerous extracellular matrix proteins . However, there are known limitations to serum in culture medium. Apart from being expensive, it can interfere with specific assays and introduce variability due to inconsistencies and the presence of indeterminate components. When growing any cells, one of the first thing is to optimize all culture conditions. Generally people know about Media, FCS/FBS, CO2 concentration, split ratios etc, but very few ever think about TC Plastic.corning, costar, nunc, greiner, falcon, tpp etc will all support cell growth, but optimizing your conditions can save time and money in the long run. Culture environmental conditions influence the proliferative characteristics of cells, while this environment is not fully controlled. Plastic is one of the most important things to know about and understand. It can have a major influence on cell adherence and growth and can therefore ultimately influence the experimental results. Most of studies devoted to the analysis of HT1080 cell line growth relies on using different types of tissue culture plastic surface leading to inconsistencies regarding the growth of HT1080 in different plastic . Thus, optimal plastic surface for HT1080 cell line long term growth is usually unknown. For example, a study has been conducted by shalinsky et al for the modulation of dipyridamole (DPM) to act synerglstically with vinblastine (VBL) in the HT 1080 cell line, they have used corning plastic micro-plates to seed the cells and ran their experiment. The Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line used in the studies of the extracellular matrix proteins involved in attachment, invasion and metastasis as the HT1080 cells must attach to and spread underlying matrix in order to carry out normal metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. One of these studies is done by Miyake and colleges same corning 96 well micro-plates were used but it was coated with ECM and they found that HT1080 h ad better proliferation while cultured with coated microplate rather than uncoated and that can be explained due to capability of extracellular matrix (ECM) to hold the HT1080 cells and provide a highly organized lattice within cells can migrate and interact with each other. In addition, they found that HT 1080 cell line secret a large amount of extracellular matrix on the microplate surface, then HT1080 cell attach rapidly and they leave the underlying ECM intact and firmly attached to the plastic. Additionally, Ohizumai et al, have another choice of the plastic ware in their experiment as they have used falcon 96 well microplate to grow HT1080 cells and processed their study. In other study was done by Markus and Richard they have seeded the HT 1080 cell line in standard treated uncoated Falcon 24 well microplate and they have found that the HT1080 cell migration increased compared to other cell line such as HT29 and MCF7 cell lines, which confirms that different cell needs different types of plastic microplates to get the optimum growth and proliferation. Another study where HT1080 cells have been grown on different plastic ware type done by Simpson et al, in their study (combination of afusogenic Glycoprotein, producing Activation and oncolytic Herpes Simplex virus for Enhanced local tumor control). They have used coated Greiner plastic ware with lamim and they are of thousands of researchers who prefer to use coated plastic ware as its more effective and more significant while using plastic ware that are coated with ECM. In this context, the study of HT1080 cell line proliferation by growing the cells in different tissue culture plastics plates appears necessary for cell proliferation performance within different tissue culture plastic surfaces as well as cell response to such environmental changes In this study we have optimized the growth and the proliferation of the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells by growing them in different plastic ware including Falcon, Greiner and Corning plastic wares and study their proliferation using colorimetric assay(XTT based, Roche). The XTT assay method is based on the reduction of the tetrazolium salt XTT by viable cells in the presence of an electron coupling reagent. The reaction produces a soluble formazan salt. The XTT assay is sensitive, quantitative, reliable and automated methods led to the development of standard assays. Cell proliferation and viability assays are of particular importance for routine applications. Tetrazolium salts MTT and XTT are especially useful for assaying the quantification of viable cells. In this case variability of proliferation rates would more likely reflect plastic surface variability than real variations of inherent cell proliferation capabilities. Moreover, Measurement of HT1080 cell proliferation rates is used to determine the response of the cells growth as it is a significant element for monitoring the consistency of the culture and knowing the best time to subculture the optimum dilution, and the estimated platting efficiency at different HT1080 cell densities. Testing medium, serum, new culture vessels or substrate, and so forth, all require quantitative assessment. One of the difficulties in growing cells in vitro using conservative tissue culture techniques is that the cells rest on plastic rather than on their natural biological support and can only be nourished with media from their apical side. To explain my results it is important to know the plastic surface treatment of each type of plastic used in this study. Normal TC plastic has a net negative charge. TC treatment cross links carboxyl and amine groups and gives the plastic its net negative charge. TC surface modification is usually done by ionizing radiation or other physio-chemical methods ( F. Grinnell 1978 Int. Rev.Cytol 43. p.65 ). Falcon plastic ware showed better growth and proliferation of this cell line more than greiner and corning. The HT1080 cells were proliferating with Falcon plastic tissue culture plate two times more than with Greiner plastic plate and double its proliferation with Corning plastic plate. Falcon surface treatment is more advanced than Greiner plastic ware as Falcon Standard Tissue Culture (TC) surfaces exposed to vacuum-gas plasma or corona discharge treatment that create a number of negatively charged functional groups on the polystyrene surface and make it hydrophilic. Falcon company is believed to facilitate direct cell attachment and indirectly support attachment, spreading, and growth by binding serum proteins to the plastic surface. Each lot of Falcon plastic products is gamma irradiated to produce a sterile product and from the obtained results it was proved that Falcon is the best plastic substrate for the Human Fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line growth and proliferation as the cel ls were proliferating increasingly till the last day. In contrast the HT1080 cells with Corning were growing and proliferating with gradual increase from the first day till the last day of experiment but their proliferation lower than the cells proliferation with Falcon. Although the Standard Corning polystyrene cell culture plastic wares have the same treatment of Falcon surface treatment. In addition from the results that we have obtained it seems to be that HT1080 cells were growing and proliferating more than when comparing their growth and proliferation with Greiner microplate. On the other hand, Greiner plastic ware are using different method to treat their tissue culture plastic wares, they are using a physical modification to make their TC-treated plates rather than chem

Leadership and Change :: Management

Leadership and Change Management Introduction The gap between designing a new organization on paper and bringing it into reality is the domain of organization change and development. Kurt Lewin, a famous social psychologist, once wrote that a social organism becomes understandable only after one attempt to change it. It often happens that management's awareness for a new organization design emerges only after the start of an intensive change process. And even if it were possible for an omniscient manager to develop a master blueprint before introducing organization change, it is doubtful that other employees would readily accept the new design or have the required skills for making the design work. For these reasons, managers need to be as skillful at handling the question of how to introduce change as they are in diagnosing what needs to be changed (Adams and Spencer, 1986). This essay focuses on large-scale organization change, not on individual or small groups. The latter are obviously essential building blocks to organization change, but do not assure that a larger organizational unit will itself be transformed. Attention to additional variables beyond the individual and group is required in any organizational change, including such dimensions as multiple levels of authority, relationships between departments, environmental forces impinging on the organization, the climate of the organization, and the nature of the work flow that moves across departmental boundaries. In this paper I will discuss the concept of leadership as I have understood from my experience of what I have seen in a professional service firm. I will also discuss the change management process and my role in it. Objectives Of Organization Change If one were to "step back" after observing a number of organization changes, a variety of goals would seem to be present. These goals may be explicit and written down, or they may be implied by the actions of management. On the surface, the most common goals can be categorized under such labels as higher performance, acceptance of new techniques, greater motivation, more innovation, increased cooperation, reduced turnover, and so forth. Organizational changes are frequently directed at one or more of these general goals. Underlying these more obvious goals are usually two overarching objectives: Changes in an organization's level of adaptation to its environment, and Changes in the internal behavioral patterns of employees. Organizations are continually struggling to adapt themselves better to their external environment. Because the management Leadership and Change :: Management Leadership and Change Management Introduction The gap between designing a new organization on paper and bringing it into reality is the domain of organization change and development. Kurt Lewin, a famous social psychologist, once wrote that a social organism becomes understandable only after one attempt to change it. It often happens that management's awareness for a new organization design emerges only after the start of an intensive change process. And even if it were possible for an omniscient manager to develop a master blueprint before introducing organization change, it is doubtful that other employees would readily accept the new design or have the required skills for making the design work. For these reasons, managers need to be as skillful at handling the question of how to introduce change as they are in diagnosing what needs to be changed (Adams and Spencer, 1986). This essay focuses on large-scale organization change, not on individual or small groups. The latter are obviously essential building blocks to organization change, but do not assure that a larger organizational unit will itself be transformed. Attention to additional variables beyond the individual and group is required in any organizational change, including such dimensions as multiple levels of authority, relationships between departments, environmental forces impinging on the organization, the climate of the organization, and the nature of the work flow that moves across departmental boundaries. In this paper I will discuss the concept of leadership as I have understood from my experience of what I have seen in a professional service firm. I will also discuss the change management process and my role in it. Objectives Of Organization Change If one were to "step back" after observing a number of organization changes, a variety of goals would seem to be present. These goals may be explicit and written down, or they may be implied by the actions of management. On the surface, the most common goals can be categorized under such labels as higher performance, acceptance of new techniques, greater motivation, more innovation, increased cooperation, reduced turnover, and so forth. Organizational changes are frequently directed at one or more of these general goals. Underlying these more obvious goals are usually two overarching objectives: Changes in an organization's level of adaptation to its environment, and Changes in the internal behavioral patterns of employees. Organizations are continually struggling to adapt themselves better to their external environment. Because the management

Time Series Models

TIME SERIES MODELS Time series analysis provides tools for selecting a model that can be used to forecast of future events. Time series models are based on the assumption that all information needed to generate a forecast is contained in the time series of data. The forecaster looks for patterns in the data and tries to obtain a forecast by projecting that pattern into the future. A forecasting method is a (numerical) procedure for generating a forecast. When such methods are not based upon an underlying statistical model, they are termed heuristic.A statistical (forecasting) model is a statistical description of the data generating process from which a forecasting method may be derived. Forecasts are made by using a forecast function that is derived from the model. WHAT IS A TIME SERIES? A time series is a sequence of observations over time. A  time series  is a sequence of  data points, measured typically at successive time instants spaced at uniform time intervals. A time se ries is a sequence of observations of a random variable. Hence, it is a stochastic process.Examples include the monthly demand for a product, the annual freshman enrollment in a department of a university, and the daily volume of flows in a river. Forecasting time series data is important component of operations research because these data often provide the foundation for decision models. An inventory model requires estimates of future demands, a course scheduling and staffing model for a university requires estimates of future student inflow, and a model for providing warnings to the population in a river basin requires estimates of river flows for the immediate future. * TWO MAIN GOALS:There are two main goals of time series analysis: (a) identifying the nature of the phenomenon represented by the sequence of observations, and (b) forecasting (predicting future values of the time series variable). Both of these goals require that the pattern of observed time series data is identif ied and more or less formally described. Once the pattern is established, we can interpret and integrate it with other data (e. g. , seasonal commodity prices). Regardless of the depth of our understanding and the validity of our interpretation (theory) of the phenomenon, we can extrapolate the identified pattern to predict future events.Several methods are described in this chapter, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Although most are simple in concept, the computations required to estimate parameters and perform the analysis are tedious enough that computer implementation is essential. The easiest way to identify patterns is to plot the data and examine the resulting graphs. If we did that, what could we observe? There are four basic patters, which are shown in Figure 1. Any of these patterns, or a combination of them, can be present in a time series of data: 1. Level or horizontalThis pattern exists when data values fluctuate around a constant mean. This is the simplest p attern and easiest to predict. A  horizontal  pattern is observed when the values of the time series fluctuate around a constant mean. Such time series is also called  stationery. In Retail data, stationery time series can be found easily since there are products which sales roughly the same amount of items every period. In the stock market however, it's difficult (if not impossible) to find horizontal patterns. Most of the time series there are non-stationery.Time series with horizontal patterns are very easy to forecast. 2. Trend When data exhibit an increasing or decreasing pattern over time, we say that they exhibit a trend. The trend can be upward or upward. The  trend  pattern is straightforward. It consists of a long-term increase or decrease of the values of the time series. Trend patterns are easy to forecast and are very profitable when found by stock traders. 3. Seasonality Any pattern that regularly repeats itself and is of a constant length is a seasonal patte rn is.Such seasonality exists when the variable ewe are trying to forecast is influenced by seasonal factors such as the quarter or month of the year or day of the week. A time series with  seasonal  patterns are more difficult to forecast but not too difficult. The values of these time series are influenced by seasonal factors, such as the turkey in Christmas period. Also, ice cream sales are affected by seasonality. People buy more ice creams during the summer. Forecasting algorithms which can deal with the seasonality can be used for forecasting such time series. Holt-Winters' method is one such algorithm. 4.Cycles Cyclical  patterns are usually confused with the seasonal patterns. While seasonal patterns are influenced by seasonal factors, cyclical patterns do not necessarily have a fixed period. A seasonal pattern can be cyclical, but a cyclical is not necessarily seasonal. Cyclical patterns are the most difficult to forecast. Most forecasting tools can deal with seasonal ity, trend and horizontal time series but very few can offer acceptable forecasts to cyclical patterns unless there is some sort of indication as to how the cycle evolves. Random Variation is unexplained variation that cannot be predicted.The more random variation a data set has, the harder it is to forecast accurately. In practice, forecasts derived by these methods are likely to be modified by the analyst upon considering information not available from the historical data. We should understand that to obtain a good forecast the forecasting model should be matched to the patterns in the available data. TIME SERIES METHODS The Naive Method Among the time-series models, the simplest is the naive forecast. A naive forecast simply uses the actual demand for the past period as the forecasted demand for the next period.This, of course, makes the assumption that the past will repeat. An example of naive forecasting is presented in Table 1. Table 1 Naive Forecasting Period| Actual Demand ( 000's)| Forecast (000's)| January| 45| | February| 60| 45| March| 72| 60| April| 58| 72| May| 40| 58| June| | 40| This model is only good for a level data pattern. One of the advantages of this model is that only two historical pieces of information need to be carried: the mean itself and the number of observations on which the mean was based. Averaging Method Another simple technique is the use of averaging.To make a forecast using averaging, one simply takes the average of some number of periods of past data by summing each period and dividing the result by the number of periods. This technique has been found to be very effective for short-range forecasting. Variations of averaging include the moving average, the weighted average, and the weighted moving average. A moving average takes a predetermined number of periods, sums their actual demand, and divides by the number of periods to reach a forecast. For each subsequent period, the oldest period of data drops off and the latest period is added.Assuming a three-month moving average and using the data from Table 1, one would simply add 45 (January), 60 (February), and 72 (March) and divide by three to arrive at a forecast for April: 45 + 60 + 72 = 177 ? 3 = 59 To arrive at a forecast for May, one would drop January's demand from the equation and add the demand from April. Table 2 presents an example of a three-month moving average forecast. Table 2 Three Month Moving Average Forecast Period| Actual Demand (000's)| Forecast (000's)| January| 45| | February| 60| | March| 72| | April| 58| 59| May| 40| 63|June| | 57| A weighted average applies a predetermined weight to each month of past data, sums the past data from each period, and divides by the total of the weights. If the forecaster adjusts the weights so that their sum is equal to 1, then the weights are multiplied by the actual demand of each applicable period. The results are then summed to achieve a weighted forecast. Generally, the more recent the data the higher the weight, and the older the data the smaller the weight. Using the demand example, a weighted average using weights of . 4, . 3, . , and . 1 would yield the forecast for June as:   60(. 1) + 72(. 2) + 58(. 3) + 40(. 4) = 53. 8 Forecasters may also use a combination of the weighted average and moving average forecasts. A weighted moving average forecast assigns weights to a predetermined number of periods of actual data and computes the forecast the same way as described above. As with all moving forecasts, as each new period is added, the data from the oldest period is discarded. Table 3 shows a three-month weighted moving average forecast utilizing the weights . 5, . 3, and . 2. Table 3Three–Month Weighted Moving Average Forecast Period| Actual Demand (000's)| Forecast (000's)| January| 45| | February| 60| | March| 72| | April| 58| 55| May| 40| 63| June| | 61| | | | Exponential Smoothing Exponential smoothing takes the previous period's forecast and adjusts i t by a predetermined smoothing constant, ? (called alpha; the value for alpha is less than one) multiplied by the difference in the previous forecast and the demand that actually occurred during the previously forecasted period (called forecast error). To make a forecast for the next time period, you eed three pieces of information: 1. The current period’s forecast 2. The current period’s actual value 3. The value of a smoothing coefficient, alpha, which varies between 0 and 1. Exponential smoothing is expressed formulaically as such: New forecast = previous forecast + alpha (actual demand ? previous forecast) A forecast for February is computed as such: New forecast (February) = 50 + . 7(45 ? 50) = 41. 5 Next, the forecast for March: New forecast (March) = 41. 5 + . 7(60 ? 41. 5) = 54. 45 This process continues until the forecaster reaches the desired period.In Table 4 this would be for the month of June, since the actual demand for June is not known. Table 4 Period| Actual Demand (000's)| Forecast (000's)| January| 45| 50| February| 60| 41. 5| March| 72| 54. 45| April| 58| 66. 74| May| 40| 60. 62| June| | 46. 19| Forecasting Trend There are many ways to forecast trend patterns in data. Most of the models used for forecasting trend are the same models used to forecast the level patterns, with an additional feature added to compensate for the lagging that would otherwise occur. Trend-Adjusted Exponential SmoothingWhen a trend exists, the forecasting technique must consider the trend as well as the series average ignoring the trend will cause the forecast to always be below (with an increasing trend) or above (with a decreasing trend) actual demand Double exponential smoothing smooths (averages) both the series average and the trend forecast for period t+1: Ft+1  = At  + Tt average: At  =  aDt  + (1 –  a) (At-1  + Tt-1) =  aDt  + (1 –  a) Ft average trend: Tt  =  B  CTt  + (1 –  B) Tt-1 current tr end: CTt  = At  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ At-1 forecast for p periods into the future: Ft+p  = At  + p Tt here: At  = exponentially smoothed average of the series in period t Tt  = exponentially smoothed average of the trend in period t CTt  = current estimate of the trend in period t a  = smoothing parameter between 0 and 1 for smoothing the averages B  = smoothing parameter between 0 and 1 for smoothing the trend Linear Trend Line Linear trend line is a time series technique that computes a forecast with trend by drawing a straight line through a set of data. The forecasting equation for the linear trend model is: Y= a + bX where t is the time index.The parameters alpha and beta (the â€Å"intercept† and â€Å"slope† of the trend line) are usually estimated via a simple regression in which Y is the dependent variable and the time index t is the independent variable. Forecasting Seasonality Recall that any regularly repeating pattern is a seasonal pattern. We are all familiar with quarterly and monthly seasonal patterns. For example, seasonality includes sales of Christmas tree before Christmas, sales of jackets, hotel registrations and sales of greeting cards. The procedure for computing seasonality consists of the following steps: 1. Calculate the average demand per season . Calculate a seasonal index for each season of each year: 3. Average the indexes by season 4. Forecast demand for the next year & divide by the number of seasons 5. Multiply next year’s average seasonal demand by each average seasonal index. Selecting a Forecasting Method The selection of a forecasting method is a difficult task that must be base in part on knowledge concerning the quantity being forecast. With forecasting procedures, we are generally trying to recognize a change in the underlying process of a time series while remaining insensitive to variations caused by purely random effects.The goal of planning is to respond to fundamental changes, not to spurio us effect. Bibliography: Box, G. E. P and G. M. Jenkins and G. D. Reinsel, Time Series Analysis, Forecasting, and Control, Third Edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1993. Brockwell, Peter J. and Davis, Richard A. (2002). Introduction to Time Series and Forecasting, 2nd. ed. , Springer-Verlang. Chatfield, C. , The Analysis of Time Series: An Introduction, Fifth Edition, Chapman &Hall, Boca Raton, FL, 1996. Fuller, W. A. , Introduction to Statistical Time Series, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996. (Electronic Version): StatSoft, Inc. 2012). Electronic Statistics Textbook. Tulsa, OK: StatSoft. WEB: http://www. statsoft. com/textbook/. (Printed Version): Hill, T. & Lewicki, P. (2007). STATISTICS: Methods and Applications. StatSoft, Tulsa, OK. (Electronic Version): A First Course on Time Series Analysis  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ an open source book on time series analysis with  SAS WEB: http://www. statistik-mathematik. uni-wuerzburg. de/wissenschaftforschung/time_series/ ( Electronic Version): Forecasting – levels, examples, manager, definition, model, type, company   WEB:http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Ex-Gov/Forecasting. html#b#ixzz28ty2DePJ