Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Operations Management - Essay Example For example the case study for Mark and Spencer that is involved in providing high quality fashionable products, product design is very essential so as to produce products that are highly competitive in the market (Vilcox & Thomas 2007). The company is known for innovation of its fabrics from its own textile technologies laboratories that is part of the product design. The process of product design however requires the input of several resources so as to come up with a presentable product in the market. The most essential requirement for the design of products in the apparel industry the raw material used to design the product. For the final product to be highly competitive in the market, the used raw materials should be of high quality although relatively low priced (Paulin & Hillery 2009). The raw material should be provided as low prices so as to regulate the product cost in the market. To enhance the constant provision of the raw materials, Mark and Spencer invested in a close re lationship with its materials suppliers. Due to these factors the company is known for the use of easy synthetic fibre to design its clothing. The company also prides in the application of high health and hygiene standards in the processing of their food products. The company has invented the design of new styles by providing new brands over shorter periods (Malcom 2007). Despite operating in a highly competitive market, Mark and Spencer has embraced innovation using the latest technology to suit the changing trends, the fashion and design sector (Jones 2006). The values of quality and service which were used by Mark and Spencer however led to higher prices of the products. Designing of products is essential because in determine different characteristics of the product as well as how well the product functions (Jones 2006). The essential activities involved in product design include research and development, marketing and engineering. Some of the factors of the product that are dete rmined by the design process include the products cost and quality (Beauchamp, Norman & Arnold 2008). The main purpose of design is to develop a product or service that appeals to the consumer at convincing prices and at the same time. For the product to achieve this it has to be designed using high quality but low cost raw materials. The technology applied in the development of the product also determines the p

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and 19 century American Society Research Paper - 2

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and 19 century American Society - Research Paper Example Other Calvinists also explained that the salvation was held in the hands of God. In the nineteenth century evangelicals like Finney and other evangelicals were in the fore front to preach to the sinners. They focused on the sins of the human beings in action. They also preached about the hellfire in order to try and divert the sinners from the exercise. They went ahead and insisted that the sinners were supposed to repent and get away from all the sin. In the nineteenth century, the Protestants through the evangelicalism laid much emphasis on the conversion. This was obliged by ideas about the sinfulness of the human beings after the fall of Adam and also the omnipotence of God. It is said after all this that God has got mercy towards his people and he promises them salvation after all these. The evangelicalism also laid strong emphasis on the how Christ died on the cross for the sake of the sins of the humans. They tried to explain that the best thing to understand is that conversio n was just an experience and it was not hard. Many of the people did not believe the message that these evangelists gave. Believing was a very important thing and so for the evangelists I was not easy to convince the people. But still what they preached was heard by many people and though many would have not responded but they were psychologically transformed. (Claudia 2006). This did not just leave them as the ordinary people they were there before but it came to be like a transformation and most of them had changed and they had those characters of Christians deep inside them2. The evangelicals explained that what happened to them was a spiritual rebirth and death of the old someone to the transformation and the birth of another person who has gone through transformation. Conversion consisted of steps that had to be followed.  

A Study of Tainted Drinking Water

A Study of Tainted Drinking Water A study of tainted drinking water looked at several cases in Pennsylvania and Texas. The study examined watering wells found contaminated by methane and other hydrocarbon gases. Researchers detected methane gas in excess of 130 Pennsylvania and Texas water wells. At first it was believed that the contamination was caused by fracking in near areas. Shale-gas producing companies use the process of fracking to extract natural gas from deep shale rock layers. The process of fracking is simply drilling deep vertical wells that then extend horizontally into different directions. Once the wells are extended, at high pressures water and other chemicals are pumped through creating fissures and releasing the natural gas trapped in the sediments, which is then collected. After further examination, researchers found no evidence that fracking itself was the cause of water contamination. Instead, it was established that water contamination was due to faulty wells. The steel tubing and cement seal used to line the wells was responsible for methane leaks. To further expand on methane water well contamination we must looks at what is methane gas and how it is introduced to water wells. Methane gas is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and highly combustible at levels low as five percent. There are different occurrences of methane entering water wells, through natural conditions and through human activities. Human activities may include gas well drilling, pipeline leaks, and other forms of mining. Independently Methane gas alone is not toxic and does not cause health problems when ingested through food and drinking water, and that is due to methane quickly evaporating. At higher concentrations methane emissions from water can cause an explosion in poorly ventilated or enclosed areas. There have been reports in Pennsylvania where homes and wells have exploded due to methane accumulation. According to research conducted in Pennsylvania of 60 wells, it was discovered that methane concentrations in 85% of drinking water wells (51/60 wells) across the region. It was found that regardless of industrial gas operations, concentrations of methane were significantly higher closer to natural gas wells. Concentrations were found to be seventeen times higher on average in shallow wells from operational drilling and extraction areas than in wells from nonoperational areas. The recommended average methane concentrations for action to be taken is (10-28 mg/L) by the US Office of the interior. In shallow groundwater in operational drilling areas, methane concentrations were found to be extremely high at a level of (64 mg/L). Continual research has determined that methane contamination is due to methane migration. Figure 2 and Figure 3 show different sources of methane migration. Methane migration is movement of methane from bedrocks and areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure. Wells provide that opportunity and through leaks methane passes into the aquifers allowing passage to drinking wells. Common means for migration into shallow drinking water aquifers that can provide a possible explanation for increased methane concentrations. Firstly means of contamination is through physical displacement of gas rich liquids through underground water passages, which can aid in methane migration. Secondly, leaky gas well casing. Methane leaks can occur at very deep levels underground, with methane passing horizontally and vertically through fracture systems, any cracks in the casing can lead to contamination of near by cites, such as aquifers leading to drinking water contamination. Another means of contam ination is due to process of hydraulic fracturing, which can produce new fractures or expand existing fractures above shale formation. The resulting reduced pressure can release methane in liquids, allowing methane gas to possibly migrate upward through the fracture system. Figure 1, shows Methane concentrations as a function of distance to the nearest gas well from active and non-active drilling cites. Methods of methane water well remediation include well vents and aeration. Methane enters below and above water levels. Methane is lighter than air, consequently rising and accumulating at the top of the borehole underneath the well cap. The addition of a vent tube to the well caps can help discharge methane from water wells and decrease the concentration of dissolved methane entering homes. Methane gas entering the wells from below the water level, can remain dissolved in the water, however the concentration of the methane in water is dependent on both temperature and pressure of the water. As groundwater is pumped, temperature increase and pressure is reduced, allowing methane gas to be released through ventilation. Miniscule amounts of methane can possibly remain in the water once the water reaches surface pressure and temperatures increase above 58 degrees. Aeration, also known as air stripping, can remove methane from well water. Some aeration devices can also remove other volatile organic chemicals and gases such as radon and hydrogen sulfide. Aeration devices come in a variety of units, such as simple units with spray aerators enclosed in a tank, to stacked tower aerators, that are designed to collect and release the accumulated gasses. Once the source of methane as been determined steps towards alleviating the problem can be taken. Leaking pipelines can be fixed and improved; gas wells can be properly maintained and properly sealed. Water wells can be ventilated or other methods of engineering can be used to reduce the amount of methane in the water. Since in this case it’s the leaky wells that are causing methane leaks into its surroundings, proper cementing and casing with imperative use of centralizers to center the casing should be the action taken. Figure 4 shows the importance of centralizers. Perhaps thicker and stronger reinforced steel casing surrounded by cement should further action taken to reinsure a reduced risk of methane leaks. Figure 5 and 6 show the result of migration of methane due to cracks in steel and cement casings. 2) The control volume for the contamination presented would be the seven cases in Pennsylvania and one in Texas. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 References Boyer, E., B.R. Swistock, J. Clark, D. Rizzo, M. Madden. 2012. Impact of Marcellus Gas Drilling on Rural Drinking Water Supplies, Final report to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 26 pp. Fountain, H. (2014, September 15). Well Leaks, Not Fracking, Are Linked to Fouled Water. The New York Times, p. A17. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/science/study-points-to-well-leaks-not-fracking-for-water-contamination.html?_r=2 Oram, B. (2011, January 1). Methane and Other Gases in Drinking Water and Groundwater. Osborn SG, Vengosh A, Warner NR, Jackson RB (2011) Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:8172–8176. Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, Water Facts #24, Methane Gas and Its Removal from Wells in Pennsylvania. University Park, PA. Prudhomme, A. (2013). Hydrofracking : What Everyone Needs to Know (p. 208). Oxford University Press. Thomas H. Darrah, Avner Vengosh, Robert B. Jackson, Nathaniel R. Warner, and Robert J. Poreda Noble gases identify the mechanisms of fugitive gas contamination in drinking-water wells overlying the Marcellus and Barnett Shales PNAS 2014 111 (39) 14076-14081; published ahead of print September 15, 2014, doi:10.1073/pnas.1322107111 Article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/science/study-points-to-well-leaks-not-fracking-for-water-contamination.html?_r=1 Similar articles http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/tag/methane-migration/ http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26221-leaky-wells-not-fracking-polluted-us-drinking-water.html#.VC4iyuceWdx http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/drinking-water/water-testing/pollutants/methane-gas-and-its-removal-from-wells-in-pennsylvania http://www.pnas.org/content/108/43/E871.full http://www.pnas.org/content/108/20/8172.full

Creation Vs Evolution :: essays research papers

In the beginning there were no cave men, no dinosaurs, no plants, no oceans, no mountains, no sun, no stars. There was nothing, not even space or time. Only God existed. Then God spoke suddenly creating space, time, matter, and energy. Out of this sudden beginning all the galaxies, stars, and planets formed. Then God’s spirit began to work over the surface of the ocean. Then God said let there be light and there was light. He called the light â€Å"day† and the darkness â€Å"night.† And God said, â€Å"let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water. God called the expanse â€Å"sky† Then God gathered the ocean water to one place so that the land would appear. Now there was not just water on the surface of the earth. Then God produced plants on the land, plants of various kinds. These plants consumed carbon dioxide and water and, with the energy of the sun, converted them into food and oxygen. Then God said let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from night, and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons and days and years. God also made the stars. Then god said, Let the water teem with living creatures and let birds fly above the earth in the sky. So God create the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing. And God said, Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to it’s kind. Then God said, Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God Created man in his own image in the image of God he create him. What do we mean by Evolution; We tend to use the words loosely, forgetting that words have specific meanings, modified only by the context in which they are used. If people would define their terms, and use words carefully, half the arguments would be settled before they begin. This is especially true of evolution debate. What then is meant by the term â€Å"evolution†? Every one associates evolution with Darwin’s theory and assumes that the two are synonymous.

Catcher in the rye Essay

The novels The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Ordinary People by Judith Guest are very comparable in a way; the two novels demonstrate the daily obstacles that teenagers have to overcome. In The Catcher in the Rye it is shown to us that Holden Caulfield is trying to overcome depression and in Ordinary People it is shown to us that Conrad Jarrett gets accepted by his family members and peers again and finds happiness after his depression. The loss of a sibling can have a big impact and similar effects on two different people’s lives, such as Holden Caulfield and Conrad Jarrett. Their thoughts and actions that they make are much influenced by their peers, parents or guardians, and female relationship in their lives. To begin with, in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield does not have good relationship with his peers and instead he mainly criticizes them by thinking everyone around him is â€Å"phony†. For instance, since Holden is a â€Å"protector of innocence† he wanted to protect Jane, who is a girl that he once liked from Stradlater trying to do sexual intercourse, resulting into a fight. â€Å"†¦ [a]ll I know is I got up from the bed, like I was going down to the can or something, and then I tried to sock him, with all my might† (Salinger 43). This proves that through alienation Holden cannot get his feelings out quick enough which causes action to happen. Not only Holden uses violence to express his emotions but also Conrad Jarrett in the novel Ordinary People does the same. This can be shown when Conrad decides to attend a school swim-meet after school. As the meet ends, Conrad’s see his friends and as usual, Kevin Stillman begins to give Conrad a tough time, asking him about Jeannine. Conrad loses control and snaps by attacking Stillman â€Å"†¦ [t]he sound shattering the parking lot, the red brick wall of building behind him, the white doors, gray cement – all dissolving into broken bits of color, heading swiftly toward him as he slam his fist, hard, against that face† (Guest 143). After this conflict, Conrad realizes that he has always thought the loss of his brother only as it affects him. Next, this brings us to the theme of isolation in the context of peer relationships. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden isolates himself from his peers. He relies on his isolation to maintain his detachment from the world and self-protection; he even often sabotages his own attempts to end loneliness. For instance, he calls out Sally Hayes for a date and urges her to run away with him to Massachusetts or Vermont, when Sally rejects him, he displays rude behavior as he states to her â€Å"[y]ou give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth† (Salinger 133). On the other hand, Conrad opposes two types of characteristic in line with depression: a lack of feeling and a tendency towards isolation. Accordingly, Conrad creates an imaginary block between him and his peers. When he is alone, he would pull up onto his bed and â€Å"blocking out the sharp arrows of sun that pierce through the window† (Guest 10). In this way, he hides his unwanted emotions and feelings from his peers by being isolated. With the isolation between the two characters, they also lead into becoming anti-social with their peers. It is evident in The Catcher in the Rye that Holden does not have a good relationship with his peers. Holden has a strong anger against everyone and that results into having a hard time developing a relationship with peers. â€Å"Girls with lousy legs, girls that looked like swell girls, girls that looked like they’d be bitches if you knew them† (Salinger 123). This proves that Holden believes everyone surrounded by him are phonies because he cannot accept the fact that society changes. Likewise, Conrad becomes anti-social by spending more time in the library than with his friends and consequently he starts to lose his best friend Joe Lazenby. At one point in the novel, Joe Lazenby has a talk with Conrad, which ends up in an argument. Conrad then begins to feel hollow in the pit of his stomach, as if he was being punched and he thought to himself, â€Å"never mind him, screw him screw them they were all Buck’s friends anyway† (Guest 83). This suggests that Conrad is becoming more isolated and antisocial due to the loss of his brother Buck. Secondly, in addition to peer influence, Holden and Conrad are deeply affected by their relationships with their parents and guardians. To start off, Holden in the Catcher in the Rye is afraid to be seen by his parents from being kicked out of school. â€Å"I began to relax, sort of. I mean I finally quit worrying about whether they’d catch me home or not. I figured the hell with it. If they did, they did† (Salinger 163). It is apparent that the he does not want to be seen because his parents will just see him as a screw up, since his other brother D.B is more successful. This is similar to Conrad’s relationship with his parents in Ordinary People. Conrad feels that he is a disappointment to his parents, since his older brother has an image of being superior. To illustrate, â€Å"†¦ [b]ut it had been Conrad, shaken and scared who answered him, not Buck. Buck had never worried about anything† (Guest 117). Conrad is being compared to Buck, proving his weakness. Conrad is projecting a self-image of himself through his parents and which he is suggesting that he is â€Å"the problem†. As these two characters become more distant from their parents, they start receive less attention from them. In the case of Holden in the Catcher in the Rye, his parents just move him to another school instead of admitting that there may be something wrong with him. For example, â€Å" †¦ they’ll be pretty irritated about it, they really will. This is about the fourth school I’ve gone to† (Salinger 9). This indicates that Holden does not understand his parents and they do not understand him. In the same way, Conrad mostly has a hard time communicating with his mother and starts to feel isolated from her. For instance, it took Conrad one month to admit to his parents he had quit the swim team, as he was afraid of their disproval. When his parents found out, his mother becomes infuriated with him. Conrad replies and says, â€Å"I’m sure I would have told you. If you gave a damn!† (Guest 109). It is clear that the loss of Buck may have an impact on the poor communication between Conrad and his mother. It appears as though Conrad is still living in the pa st while his mother is trying to move on. Although the two characters have difficult relationships with their parents, they still have their guardians. To exemplify, Holden and his former school teacher Mr. Antolini have been friends for a long time, and the two are obviously close. It is evident Mr. Antolini cares a lot about his Holden, as he encourages him to take education more seriously and focus more on meaningful activities â€Å"I laid awake for just a couple of seconds thinking about all that stuff Mr. Antolini’d told me. About finding out the size of your mind and all. He was really a pretty smart guy† (Salinger 191). This demonstrates Mr. Antolini concerns about Holden. Similarly, Conrad is able to gain support from Dr. Berger, his psychiatrist. Conrad shows his close relationship with Dr. Berger by seeking lots of advice about his problems. For instance, Conrad was able to seek help from Dr. Berger when he was going through an emotional breakdown with his brother’s loss. Dr. Berger was able to provide comfort as he stated, â€Å"[i]t is a very far-out act of self-preservation, do you get that Con? And you were right. Nobody needs you to be Buck. It’s okay to be just you† (Guest 177). Dr. Berger ends up showing Conrad that healing from depression involves feeling anything, even anger. Lastly, Holden and Conrad each have important female figures in their lives. One of the important females to Holden would be his little ten-year-old sister, Phoebe. Phoebe helped Holden discover his problems and is the only one he trusts in his life. â€Å"Then I took my hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her. She likes those kind of crazy hats. She didn’t want to take it, but I made her† (Salinger 180). This demonstrates how much Holden trusts Phoebe because the red hunting hat was important to him during his journey. On the other hand, Conrad meets a girlfriend, Jeannine. Jeannine provides a rebuilding stage into Conrad’s life. While Jeannine is helping to rebuild Conrad’s life, Phoebe is helping Holden to resolve his problems. Although Phoebe is still young, she can tell that he needed her. For instance, Holden could not hold back and started to cry, â€Å"I couldn’t help it. I did it so nobody could hear me, but I did it †¦ she came over and tried to make me stop, but once you get started, you can’t just stop on a goddam dime† (Salinger 179). Jeannine gives Conrad the confidence required to challenge many problems. For example, â€Å"†¦ I said a stupid thing that day. I didn’t know about your brother, then. I’m sorry †¦ [t]here are worse things. People do worst things than that† (Guest 123). She lets him solves his own problems and does not get involved where she is not needed. Moreover, the girls have one similar effect on the boys; Phoebe and Jeannine makes them feel needed. To emphasize, Phoebe refuses Holden to leave for the West just to show how much she needs him. When Phoebe meets Holden, she states, â€Å"I’m going with you. Can I? Okay?† (Salinger 206). Also, when Jeannine was upset and started to cry over her mother’s new relationship with a man, Conrad was there to support her. Conrad mentioned that â€Å"[h]e feels as if he could stand here holding her forever †¦ he has never felt so strong, so needed† (Guest 159). This proves that without these females in both of Holden and Conrad’s lives, regaining and solving their problems would have been challenging. In conclusion, the lost connection in both of their lives was right in front of them the entire time. Both Holden and Conrad solved their problems with the love and forgiveness. Without their brothers that they have lost, parents and guardians, and female friends, the two main characters would not have been able to change into a better people In the end, the lesson that the two novels have taught us is that no matter what situation you are in, you will always be able to find your self and have support from many loved ones.

Political Crisis

The recent political crisis in Mali has something to do with the Tuareg people that live in this region and the general religion of the region. The Tuareg people are nomadic farmers. North Africa is primarily Muslim and is heavily influenced by what happens in the Muslim world. Muslim rebel groups like the Ansar Dine seek a nation that abides by Islamic Law. Others like the Islamic Movement for Azawad seek an independent state in Northern Mali and acknowledgement of that state by the world. Mali, like most of North Africa seeks an Islamic government.The NMLA (the National Movement for Liberation of Azawad) is a Tuareg lead group that is fighting for the rights of the nomadic Tuareg people. Mali’s government has never really had much power. In 1979 when the constitution was established Mali still remained under the heavy military control. Then when Mali was a democratic government citizens question the government’s legitimacy when president Toure won in a landslide elect ion in 2002. In 2012 Captain Amadou Sanogo lead a military that ousted president Toure. Also the government has had trouble dealing with rebel groups in the north.Rebel groups like the Ansar Dine and Mujao have taken control of many cities in North Mali. These rebel groups are growing stronger in the passing months, and the government has not been able to stop it. The citizens have had little say in Mali, there was a brief period from 1991 tot the present where the citizens have had a say in the government, the Malian government for the most part has been an authoritarian government. Civilian protest has had little effect on the government in place. The only groups that have been able to make any change are the extremist rebel groups that have taken control of the north.The Mali army is ill equipped to fight this rebel threat. Under president Amadou Toure, the government put their money and resources into fight the MNLA and had ignored the Islamic groups. This allowed the Islamic re bel groups to grow more powerful. Many of the rebels are veterans from Libyan revolution this past year, bringing expertise and powerful weapons into the fray the Captain Sanogo in 2012 promised to fight the Islamic rebels, but the ill-equipped under funded Mali army was no match for the rebel extremists and lost even more control of the North.There are people that have been victims of rebel attacks, some need medical attention, but the government is doing nothing to aid them. The penetration of government policy and laws to the local levels of government has been quite ineffective. Northern Mali is under heavy Islamic control and some parts have been known to follow Sharia law and other Islamic laws. There is a strict dress code on how women should dress.The National government has virtually no power in northern Mali. Mali is a once democratic nation under military influence. The nation is fighting strong resistance from their Mulism and Tuareg communities. It’s government i s losing control of the situation and has virtually lost it’s northern half to extremists. Mali’s government has problems distributing goods to its citizens. The Mali government will need international assistance to combat the resistance in the North.