Battle of Aspern-Essling - Napoleonic Wars Battle of Aspern-Essling

Battle of Aspern-Essling - Napoleonic Wars Battle of Aspern-Essling Conflict Dates: The Battle of Aspern-Essling was fought May 21-22, 1809, and was part of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Armies Commanders: French Napoleon Bonaparte27,000 increasing to 66,000 men Austria Archduke Charles95,800 men Battle of Aspern-Essling Overview: Occupying Vienna on May 10, 1809, Napoleon paused only briefly as he wished to destroy the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles. As the retreating Austrians had destroyed the bridges over the Danube, Napoleon moved downstream and began erecting a pontoon bridge across to the island of Lobau. Shifting his troops to Lobau on May 20, his engineers completed work on a bridge to the far side of the river that night. Immediately pushing units under Marshals Andrà © Massà ©na and Jean Lannes across the river, the French quickly occupied the villages of Aspern and Essling. Watching the Napoleons movements, Archduke Charles did not oppose the crossing. It was his goal to allow a sizable part of the French army to cross, then attack it before the rest could come to its aid. While Massà ©nas troops took positions in Aspern, Lannes moved a division into Essling. The two positions were connected by a line of French troops stretched across a plain known as the Marchfeld. As French strength increased, the bridge became increasingly unsafe due to rising flood waters. In an effort to cut off the French, the Austrians floated timbers which severed the bridge. His army assembled, Charles moved to attack on May 21. Focusing his efforts on the two villages, he sent General Johann von Hiller to attack Aspern while Prince Rosenberg assaulted Essling. Striking hard, Hiller captured Aspern but was soon thrown back by a determined counterattack by Massà ©nas men. Surging forward again, the Austrians were able to secure half of the village before a bitter stalemate ensued. At the other end of the line, Rosenbergs assault was delayed when his flank was attacked by French cuirassiers. Driving off the French horsemen, his troops encountered stiff resistance from Lannes men. In an effort to relieve pressure on his flanks, Napoleon sent forward his center, consisting solely cavalry, against the Austrian artillery. Repulsed in their first charge, they rallied and succeeded in driving off the enemy guns before being checked by Austrian cavalry. Exhausted, they retired to their original position. At nightfall, both armies camped in their lines while French engineers worked feverishly to repair the bridge. Completed after dark, Napoleon immediately began shifting the troops from Lobau. For Charles, the opportunity to win a decisive victory had passed. Shortly after dawn on May 22, Massà ©na launched a large-scale attack and cleared Aspern of the Austrians. While the French were attacking in the west, Rosenberg assaulted Essling in the east. Fighting desperately, Lannes, reinforced by General Louis St. Hilaires division, was able to hold and force Rosenberg out of the village. Seeking to retake Aspern, Charles sent Hiller and Count Heinrich von Bellegarde forward. Attacking Massà ©nas tired men, they were able to capture the village. With possession of the villages changing hands, Napoleon again sought a decision in the center. Attacking across the Marchfeld, he broke through the Austrian line at the junction of Rosenberg and Franz Xavier Prince zu Hohenzollern-Hechingens men. Recognizing that the battle was in the balance, Charles personally led forward the Austrian reserve with a flag in hand. Slamming into Lannes men on the left of the French advance, Charles halted Napoleons attack. With the assault failing, Napoleon learned that Aspern had been lost and that the bridge had again been cut. Realizing the danger of the situation, Napoleon began retreating into a defensive position. Taking heavy casualties, Essling was soon lost. Repairing the bridge, Napoleon withdrew his army back to Lobau ending the battle. Battle of Aspern-Essling - Aftermath: The fighting at Aspern-Essling cost the French around 23,000 casualties (7,000 killed, 16,000 wounded) while the Austrians suffered around 23,300 (6,200 killed/missing, 16,300 wounded, and 800 captured). Consolidating his position on Lobau, Napoleon awaited reinforcements. Having won his nations first major victory over the French in a decade, Charles failed to follow up on his success. Conversely, for Napoleon, Aspern-Essling marked his first major defeat in the field. Having allowed his army to recover, Napoleon again crossed the river in July and scored a decisive victory over Charles at Wagram. Selected Sources Historynet: Battle of Aspern-EsslingNapoleon Guide: Battle of Aspern-EsslingBattle of Aspern-Essling

The Formation of Planet Earth

The Formation of Planet Earth The formation and evolution of planet Earth is a scientific detective story that has taken astronomers and planetary scientists a lot of research to figure out. Understanding our worlds formation process not only gives new insight into its structure and formation, but it also opens new windows of insight into the creation of planets around other stars.   The Story Begins Long Before Earth Existed Earth was not around at the beginning of the universe. In fact, very little of what we see in the cosmos today was around when the universe formed some 13.8 billion years ago. However, to get to Earth, its important to start at the beginning, when the universe was young. It all started out with only two elements: hydrogen and helium, and a small trace of lithium. The first stars formed out of the hydrogen that existed. Once that process started,  generations of stars were born in clouds of gas. As they aged, those stars created heavier elements in their cores, elements such as oxygen, silicon, iron, and others. When the first generations of stars died, they scattered those elements to space, which seeded the next generation of stars. Around some of those stars, the heavier elements formed planets. The Birth of the Solar System Gets a Kick-start Some five billion years ago, in a perfectly ordinary place in the galaxy, something happened. It might have been a supernova explosion pushing a lot of its heavy-element wreckage into a nearby cloud of hydrogen gas and interstellar dust. Or, it could have been the action of a passing star stirring up the cloud into a swirling mixture. Whatever the kick-start was, it pushed the cloud into action which eventually resulted in the birth of the solar system. The mixture grew hot and compressed under its own gravity. At its center, a protostellar object formed. It was young, hot, and glowing, but not yet a full star. Around it swirled a disk of the same material, which grew hotter and hotter as gravity and motion compressed the dust and rocks of the cloud together. The hot young protostar eventually turned on and began to fuse hydrogen to helium in its core. The Sun was born. The swirling hot disk was the cradle where Earth and its sister planets formed. It wasnt the first time such a planetary system was formed. In fact, astronomers can see just this sort of thing happening elsewhere in the universe. While the Sun grew in size and energy, beginning to ignite its nuclear fires, the hot disk slowly cooled. This took millions of years. During that time, the components of the disk began to freeze out into small dust-sized grains. Iron metal and compounds of silicon, magnesium, aluminum, and oxygen came out first in that fiery setting. Bits of these are preserved in chondrite meteorites, which are ancient materials from the solar nebula. Slowly these grains settled together and collected into clumps, then chunks, then boulders, and finally bodies called planetesimals large enough to exert their own gravity.   Earth Is Born in Fiery Collisions As time went by, planetesimals collided with other bodies and grew larger. As they did, the energy of each collision was tremendous. By the time they reached a hundred kilometers or so in size, planetesimal collisions were energetic enough to  melt and vaporize  much of the material involved. The rocks, iron, and other metals in these colliding worlds sorted themselves into layers. The dense iron settled in the center and the lighter rock separated into a mantle around the iron, in a miniature of Earth and the other inner planets today. Planetary scientists call this settling process  differentiation.  It didnt just happen with planets, but also occurred within the larger moons and  the largest asteroids. The iron meteorites that plunge to Earth from time to time come from collisions between these asteroids in the distant past.   At some point during this time, the Sun ignited. Although the Sun was only about two-thirds as bright as it is today, the process of ignition (the so-called T-Tauri phase) was energetic enough to blow away most of the gaseous part of the protoplanetary disk. The chunks, boulders, and planetesimals left behind continued to collect into a handful of large, stable bodies in well-spaced orbits. Earth was the third one of these, counting outward from the Sun. The process of accumulation and collision was violent and spectacular because the smaller pieces left huge craters on the larger ones. Studies of the other planets show  these impacts and the evidence is strong that they contributed to catastrophic conditions on the infant Earth.   At one point early in this process a very large planetesimal struck Earth an off-center blow and sprayed much of the young Earths rocky mantle into space. The planet got most of it back after a period of time, but some of it collected into a second planetesimal circling Earth. Those leftovers are thought to have been part of the Moons formation story. Volcanoes, Mountains, Tectonic Plates, and an Evolving Earth The oldest surviving rocks on Earth were laid down some five hundred million years after the planet first formed. It ​and other planets suffered through whats called the late heavy bombardment of the last stray planetesimals around four billion years ago). The ancient rocks have been dated by the uranium-lead method  and appear to be about 4.03 billion years old. Their mineral content and embedded gases show that there were volcanoes, continents, mountain ranges, oceans, and crustal plates on Earth in those days. Some slightly younger rocks (about 3.8 billion years old) show tantalizing evidence of life on the young planet. While the eons that followed were full of strange stories and far-reaching changes, by the time the first life did appear, Earths structure was well-formed and only its primordial atmosphere was being changed by the onset of life. The stage was set for the formation and spread of tiny microbes across the planet. Their evolution ultimately resulted in the modern life-bearing world still filled with mountains, oceans, and volcanoes that we know today.  Its a world that is constantly changing, with regions where continents are pulling apart and other places where new land is being formed. These actions affect not just the planet, but life on it. The evidence for the story of Earths formation and evolution is the result of patient evidence-collecting from meteorites and studies of the geology of the other planets. It also comes from analyses of very large bodies of geochemical data, astronomical studies of planet-forming regions around other stars, and decades of serious discussion among astronomers, geologists, planetary scientists, chemists, and biologists. The story of Earth is one of the most fascinating and complex scientific stories around, with plenty of evidence and understanding to back it up.   Updated and rewritten by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Should Juvenile offenders be tried as adults Essay

Should Juvenile offenders be tried as adults - Essay Example e recent past, many young people in the early 20s have faced police arrests because they have violated the law in various ways by committing criminal offenses. Many arguments have been raised over the manner in which the state has been handling juvenile offenses (Bradley 135), with some saying that those juvenile courts and justice systems should be abolished and juvenile delinquents tried as adults. Rapists, murderers and other types of law offenders are being let to walk freely from jails after having served lenient and short sentences. These criminal offenders are children, who in most cases have not attained the necessary statutory age to face trial as adult members of the society. Juvenile delinquents often benefit from juvenile rights and court systems that emphasize that these groups of criminals need to be given second opportunities to reform and become useful members of the society. This has been making these minors enjoy freedom, walking freely in the streets and neighborhoods while committing extra crimes. For this reason, many people have been advocating the abolishing of juvenile rights and court systems so that these law offenders are tried and made to serve their sentences as adult members of the society. These people centre their arguments on the fact that giving stiff sentences and penalties to these minors is essential in preventing future offences. One of the arguments given in support of these claim is that the juvenile court systems is established on many false premises due to its purpose to prevent youths from the alleged consequences of their actions. For instance, young people that are released from these juvenile jails often end up engaging in repeat offenses, something that underlies the fact that the juvenile systems do not live to their expectations as reliable correctional facilities. Additionally, juvenile courts have been blamed for their inability to prevent juvenile violence. Abolishment of juvenile legal systems often requires

An online based photo gallery called ePhotoshop.com Essay

An online based photo gallery called ePhotoshop.com - Essay Example The purpose of this report is to build a proposed website project that focuses on creating an online based business. The website will be solely responsible for individuals who are fanatics of taking pictures and sharing them with the world. The concept of it is on a photo gallery but one that is online and easy to share with people who share similar interests. The aim will be to build a unique platform which would attract photographers from around the world to participate. A proposed name for the website is â€Å"ePhotoshop.com†. The aim of â€Å"ePhotoshop.com† is to give these individuals a chance to show their photographs and get recognized among others for their brilliance. The target audience varies from upcoming young artists to other keen amateur photographers who just have the desire to show their talent to the world. In short, people around the world will be able to use this platform with registered usernames. The site will offer three different types of regist rations, amateur accounts, basic professional accounts and elite professional accounts. There will be very strong online competition from websites that have already been present in the market for similar purposes such as â€Å"deviantart.com†. â€Å"deviantart.com† already focuses on providing its art products to the public by purchasing them online.

Salmonella in USA Essay Example for Free

Salmonella in USA Essay I want to educate the public, farmers and individuals that are at risk of contracting this deadly disease called Salmonella. At risk individuals such as the elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more prone to getting a severe illness such as salmonella. Objective and Goal The objective is to educate the general public, farmers, and consumers of grocery stores, owners of grocery stores, consumers of restaurants, owners of the restaurants, cooks, chefs, food handlers, and educational institutions about the health risks of the bacteria disease Salmonella. My goal for this public educational plan is that the public take the information and learn from it and take the precautions to avoid salmonella. Salmonella disease it’s transmitted to humans by contaminated food of animal origin or water. Salmonella disease affects the entire human population but the people at more risk are children because their immune systems are immature and the elder’s because their immune system are declining also people with immunocompromised diseases. People who leave in poor conditions are also in risk of contracting salmonella. After 12 to 72 hours of infection common symptoms of salmonella are fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea; usually the illness lasts 4 to 7 days. However in some cases the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized if the person it’s not hospitalized it can lead to death. (CDC) Historical Outbreaks Spanish- American war (1898) in all, 20,738 recruits contracted the disease  82% of all sick soldiers, 1590 died. A significant number of these deaths actually occurred at training area in the southeastern United States. (History of typhoid fever (salmonella)) South African war (1899-1902) outbreak in British camps- British troops lost 13,000 men to salmonella the outbreak was due to unsanitary towns and farms throughout Africa. (History of typhoid fever (salmonella)). In the early 1900’s in New York Mary Mallon was the first famous carrier of typhoid fever in the U.S. Mary Mallon was a chronic carrier of salmonella; she was hired as a cook at several private homes, she work for 7 different families 22 cases of salmonella where reported and one death. (History of typhoid fever (salmonella)) These early outbreaks can be attributed to unsanitary living conditions and the bacterial tainting of food and water supplies. 1985 Chicago United a Chicago dairy was involved in a salmonellosis outbreak involving 6 states with 16,000 confirmed cases.(CDC) More recently reported outbreaks in the U.S. involve different kinds of salmonella strains, predominantly S. Enteritidis and S. Typimurium. The center for disease control and prevention has a page with reports of selected salmonella outbreaks for this year it has at least 9 reports. Salmonella infections has increase by 10% in U.S. in the last 15 years it’s estimated that 2 to 4 million cases of salmonellosis occur in the U.S. annually reported and unreported. (CDC) On January 2011 a FDA Food safety modernization act was sing in to law; this act establish standards for safe produce, regulates food facilities, oversee imported foods and recalls of contaminated foods. (FDA) Also salmonella can be controlled by proper preparation of poultry and eggs and avoidance of contamination of other food with uncooked poultry products. Investigation and research studies by the government to mitigate the impact of salmonella Research 1- Inactivation of salmonella on tomato stem scars by acidic sanitizing solutions. Investigating stem scar sanitation may represent a worst case scenario model for inactivating salmonella from externally contaminated tomatoes. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of antimicrobial coating for inactivation of salmonella on the surface of tomato stem scars. (Agricultural Researc services) 2- Biofilm formation by salmonella SPP on cantaloupe surfaces The research demonstrates that cells of Salmonella do not exist as single, solitary organisms, but instead  organize together into biofilms. These biofilms form quickly on melon surfaces and are difficult to inactivate or remove. The formation of biofilms by cells of Salmonella is likely responsible for the limited efficacy of sanitizers. (Agricultural Researc services) 3- Microbial quality and safety of X-ray irradiation. The research shows that irradiation destroys at least 99% of common foodborne pathogen within approved dosage. These pathogens such as salmonella are associated with poultry, meat and fresh produce contamination. (Agricultural Researc services) The governments of many countries are playing their roles to mitigate the impact of salmonella. In United States the USDA (US Department of agriculture) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has done coordinated efforts to address salmonella problems. They have given some recommendation for the safety of the consumers from salmonella. 1- Wash surface and hands often; 2- no cross contaminate; 3- cook to safe temperature 4- refrigerate immediately. President Obama signs the FSMA (Food safety modernization act) into law on January 2011. This act gives FDA new and improves authorities and mandates to protect consumers and promote public health. Responsibility for food safety is managed by a complex network of federal, state, local and territo rial agencies (Food safety) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) †¢ Oversees the country Salmonella infections frequency †¢ Supports the state and local health departments in outbreaks investigation and elaborates control measures. (Salmonella) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) †¢ All foods imported are inspected †¢ Monitors inspections of all plants dedicated to milk pasteurization †¢ Recommends new techniques for better preparation of foods in food processing plants and restaurants †¢ Controls turtle’s sales. (Food safety) The US Department of Agriculture †¢ Overseas animal health issues †¢ Inspect all plant dedicated to pasteurization of eggs †¢ Is responsible for the quality of processed and slaughtered meat. (Foodborne Illness and disease) The US Environmental Protection Agency †¢ Monitors and regulates drinking water supplies safety. Data Collection Template Name of the disease: __Salmonella____ Etiological agent: __Salmonella_ Symptoms Mode of transmission Causes Contributing factors Age/gender/behaviors that may put individuals at risk Recent cases of outbreak Factors leading to recent outbreak Treatment Preventive measures *fever *abdominal cramps *diarrhea *chills *nausea *vomiting *muscle ache Water and food (animal food, vegetables, fruits) Uncooked chicken or unwashed fruits or vegetables Poor or unsanitary conditions Own a bird or reptile Entire human population more risk children and elders and people with immunocom promised diseases 10 reports during 2012 See below (2012 salmonella outbreak) Animal feces Growing conditions Antibiotics Good diet a lot of fluids and antimotilitydrugs Good hygiene practice Washing vegetable and fruits Adequate cooking of meats and eggs Salmonella enteric bacteria it’s a bacteria that causes diseases in the intestinal tract; the bacteria attacks the intestinal wall and inflammation occurs. The symptoms include nausea, chills, abdominal pain, vomiting, muscle aches and fever. Salmonella affects the body by three clinical forms of salmonellosis 1) gastroenteritis (S Typimurium) 2) septicemia (S. choleraesius) and enteric fevers. Clinical identification of salmonella it’s done by laboratory test such as biochemical and serological test a stool or blood specimens are planted on an agar media to determine the presence of salmonella also a phenol red test it’s used. Salmonella treatments are Antimotility drugs to stop the diarrhea and in case that it’s suspected that salmonella bacteria it’s in the blood antibiotics are prescribe to kill the bacteria. Also drinking a lot of fluids to prevent dehydration and eating a healthy diet. During this year (2012) the centers for diseases control and prevention has 10 reports of selected salmonella outbreak investigations a total of 1307 individuals are reported infected 264 are hospitalized and 5 deaths. Each of these cases had or still been investigated by CDC to find the origin cause of the salmonella outbreak I only going to mention the last 5 of the reports. Salmonella outbreaks 2012 1- Reported on August 29, 2012 Mangoes- salmonella braenderup In 16 states 105 persons infected 25 hospitalized 0 deaths Investigation: state public health officials are conducting interviews with ill persons; 70% of the ill persons reported eating mango during a week before getting ill. 2- Reported August 17, 2012 Cantaloupe-salmonella Typimurium In 21 states (Georgia state included) 178 persons infected 78 hospitalized 2 deaths (Kentucky) Investigations indicated the chamberlain farms produce, Inc. from Indiana it’s the source of this outbreak 3- Reported July 23, 2012 Ground Beef- salmonella Enteritidis In 8 states, 40 persons infected 11 hospitalized 0 deaths Investigations indicate that ground beef produced by Cargill meat solutions it’s responsible for this outbreak 4- Reported July,23, 2012 Live poultry salmonella hadar In 11 states 37 persons infected 8 hospitalized 0 deaths Investigation: results from laboratory test and trace back findings link a company from Idaho. 5- Reported June 21,2012 Live poultry-salmonella Montevideo In 22 states (Georgia state included) 76 persons infected 17 hospitalized 1 death Investigation: Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri it’s responsible for this outbreak TyphoidalandNontyphoidalSalmonellaStages of SymptomsCauses to lead to outbreaksSymptoms of diseases Cause and EffectSalmonellaFeverChillsPet animals such as reptilesFood contaminated by animal fecesUnsanitaryleaving1-Fever, headache and cough2-High Fever 104 degrees, red spot on the chest diarrhea4-Symptoms start subsiding during this stageNauseaAbdominal painVomitingMuscle pain3-Symptoms become prominent (most dangerous stage) Causes of emergence and reemergence of salmonella 1- Globalization of food supply: (2000- 2002) Cantaloupe from Mexico was associated with a multistate outbreaks of S Ponna infection. 2- New geographic areas: unavoidable introduction of pathogens 3- Travelers, refugees and immigrants expose to unfamiliar foodborne hazards 4- Changes in microorganisms: evolution of new pathogens, development of antibiotic resistance, the capacity to survive in different environmental conditions. 5- Human population changes: population of highly susceptible people is expanding, more likely to succumb to bacterial infections. 6- Lifestyle: great amount of people eat prepared meals. In some countries, the food service establishments don’t follow the food safety and control regulations. (CDC) Recent outbreaks of salmonella infections suggest that the bacteria are not exclusive to poultry and have infiltrated other areas of the food industry. The most commonly reported serotypes, in history and present of salmonella are: S. typhi, S. enteritides an d S. typhimurium. Outbreaks in the past are largely due to unsanitary water and food supplies and unsanitary way of leaving. Since improvements in food handling, piped and filtered water supplies as was as water/sewage treatment have been made, enteric fever has become relatively rare in developed countries such as United States. Historically, chickens and their eggs are been associated with salmonella; in the mid to late 20th century, eggs where the main sources of salmonella enteritidis this is less common now because of the  high hygiene measures in production of eggs and laying hens are been vaccinated to prevent salmonella colonization. (CDC) The similarities between the past and present outbreaks of salmonella are from animal food sources such as meat, poultry and seafood also the unsanitary ways of preparing them. The symptoms are the same showing a step ladder pattern it begins with sudden onset of high grade fever, dry cough and headache and it keeps going to a second, third and fourth stage the most dangerous stage it’s the third stage where the symptoms become more prominent. A big difference now it’s that we have more effective treatments to control salmonella. Today three types of typhoid vaccines are available 1- inactivated whole-cell vaccine 2- ty21a 3- vi polysaccharide vaccine these vaccines have been shown be 70- 90% effective. (Salmonella symptoms) Salmonella are a group of bacteria that normally live in the intestinal tracts of animals and birds. The bacteria are usually transmitted to people when they eat foods contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as poultry, beef, eggs or milk. But all foods, including vegetables and fruits, can become contaminated. In order to reduce salmonellosis a food safety approach it’s necessary staring from the farms to the consumers table. Industry, farmers, retailers, food inspectors, food workers and consumers are critical links in the food safety chain. The center for disease control and prevention reported 11 cases of salmonella outbreak during this year 2012. 3 of those cases are from live poultry. ( Salmonella) Diseases control plan for poultry Farmer food safety plan (prevention, control and hygiene) 1- Salmonella control has to start at the farms. 2- Pest control sanitation, properly chlorinated water and biosecurity are crucial for controlling salmonella. A. Restricting access †¢ Vehicles †¢ People †¢ Animals B. Biosecurity †¢ Dedicated clothing and boots †¢ Disinfectant boot dip 3- Vaccination of hens used in breeding 4- Eggs should be collected and placed in clean or new disinfected trays. 5- Testing A. Dust sampling- collecting dust from dust on equipment in the poultry building B. Faecal sampling from poultry animals C. Sampling of boots that walk around the poultry building D. Frequency of testing before and after laying eggs its extremely important 6- Use good sanitation practice A. Enforce employee hygiene Salmonella continues to be an issue in poultry processing plants and farms. Each plant /farm is unique and must determine the best way to control salmonella in their operation. Salmonella testing should be done on a regular basis to validate control measures are working. (Controlling salmonella in poultry plants ) Preventions for consumers 1- Clean- wash hands and surface before handling any food 2- Avoid cross-contamination- separate raw poultry, meat and seafood from other foods 3- Poultry and eggs should be refrigerator 4- Cook- do not eat raw or undercooked meat, eggs or poultry (Salmonella questions and answers) The plan explains the measurements need to be taken by farms or plants by outlining procedures on how to avoid salmonella also prevention and control are monitored by Good agricultural practices and hazard analysis critical control point. By following the guidelines mention the farm and plants owners will reduce health risk to the consumers and prevent future outbreaks of salmonella. Consumers need to be aware of Salmonella reports and practice the prevention tips to avoid been contaminated with the diseases. Also this plan shows the public/consumer the precautions taken by the farms and plants to keep the poultry salmonella free. Feasibility report Salmonella it’s a diseases that can be prevented just by practicing good hygiene; the educational plan makes emphasis on the following subjects: all the historical outbreaks where due of unsanitary way of preparing food and way of leaving. The emergence and reemergence of salmonella it’s due to several factors including the growing of population and population lifestyle but today improvements of food handling and good sanitation makes harder for  the food to be contaminated with salmonella. (Salmonella) The government has done many different research to diminish the impact of salmonella in the country; food safety it’s managed by different agencies such as The center for disease control and prevention (CDC), The food and drug administration (FDA), the US department of agriculture, and the US environmental protection agency each of this agencies has a specific job to do. (Salmonella) The educational plan highlights the symptoms, how the disease it’s trans mitted, who its more at risk of contracting the disease; also the precautions that consumers need to take and also the treatments used by the health care department again this diseases. Consumer are inform of the different stages of the diseases and which stage it’s the more dangerous; the health care department has specific laboratory test to determine the presence of salmonella treatments are also mention such as antibiotics, a lot of fluids and antimotility drugs and now there are 3 types of vaccines for typhoid salmonella available for the consumer. (Salmonella symptoms) The disease control plan discusses strategies which are not economically expensive and easy to follow by the farm and consumers. The farm will benefit by following each strategy which will help to prevent salmonella and by having salmonella free poultry the farm will not suffer any economic loss; the consumer will gain social growth by reading the educational plan and practicing the preventions listed to avoid salmonella also by reading the many strategies used to prevent and control salmonella in poultry farms. The plan encourage consumers to practice safe preparation and cooking of food specially raw food such as poultry and eggs; by practicing the preventions the salmonella bacteria can be kill and stop from spreading. The farms are encouraged to maintain and practice good sanitation in all areas of the plant staring with their employees. In the farms the early interventions are done by following different testing methods and vaccination of hens. The plan presents prevention and control; if each farm follows and practices all the strategies this will reduce future salmonella outbreaks from poultry. (Controlling salmonella in poultry plants) Overall the plan presents a good detail safety plan for farmers to prevent salmonella by following this plan salmonella outbreaks will be avoid in the future. The consumers need to educated themselves in this type of diseases and practice the preventions to avoid been contaminated with this diseases call salmonella. Annotated  bibliography Davis, C. P. (n.d.). What is salmonella. Retrieved from medicinenet: www.medicinenet.com/salmonella/article.htm This article discuss everything about salmonella: what is salmonella? How is transmitted to humans, what are the symptoms, how its diagnose and what are the treatments and preventions. Multistate outbreak of salmonella braenderup infection associated with mangos. (2012, August 29). Retrieved from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/braenderup-08-12/index.html CDC investigation of multistate outbreak of human salmonella braenderup infection linked to mangos Multistate outbreak of salmonella typhimurium infection linked to cantaloupe. (2012, August 17). Retrieved from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-cantaloupe-08-12/index.html CDC investigation of multistate outbreak of typhimurium salmonella associated with cantaloupe Multistate outbreak of salmonella enteritidis infection linked to ground beef. (2012, July 23). Retrieved from center for disease control and pre vention: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis-07-12/index.html Investigation of multistate outbreak of human salmonella enteritidis associated to ground beef Multistate outbreak of salmonella hadar infection linked to live poultry. (2012, July 23). Retrieved from center for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/hadar-live-poultry-07-12/index.html Investigation of multistate outbreak on hadar infection associated with live poultry. Multistate outbreak of salmonella montevideo infection linked to live poultry. (2012, June 21). Retrieved from center for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/montevideo-06-12/index.html Investigation of multistate outbreak on montevideo infection associated with live poultry. Report of selected salmonella outbreak investigations. (2012, August). Retrieved from center for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html Investigation reports of specific outbreaks of salmonell a during this year. References: Agricultural Researc services. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.USDA.gov. CDC. (n.d.). Salmonella. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov. Controlling salmonella in poultry plants. (n.d.). Retrieved from USDA: www.fsis.usda.gov Davis, C. P. (n.d.). What is salmonella. Retrieved from medicinenet: www.medicinenet.com/salmonella/article.htm Food safety. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.FDA.gov. Foodborne Illness and disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.USDA.gov. FDA. (n.d.). The new FDA food safety modernization act. Retrieved from www.fda.gov. History of typhoid fever (salmonella). (n.d.). Retrieved from www.globalsecurity.org. Salmonella symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.salmonellatreatment.org. Salmonella questions and answers. (n.d.). Retrieved from USDA: www.fsis.usda.gov Salmonella. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.

Charley Skedaddle Essay -- American History

Charley Skedaddle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charley Skeddaddle is a story that takes place during the Civil War (1861-1865) in the North. The main character is Charley Stephen Quinn. He was a young boy growing up in New York City without parents. Charley’s older brother Johnny died at the Battle of Gettysburg. We learned about Johnny through Charley’s memories. He lives with his older sister Noreen, who recently became engaged to be married. Charley was involved in a street gang called the Bowery Boys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charley has had a rough life and has difficulty learning to accept his brother’s death. He wants to get revenge against the Confederate soldiers and this motivates him to join the Union army. He is inspired when he sees a military parade and a friend of his brother, or so he believes. That would be a perfect solution to his problems at home and a way to punish those responsible for his brother’s death. He had admired Johnny greatly and felt the only answer was to sneak into the army. Charley could not enlist because he was only 12 years old. He was determined to be a hero like his brother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since Charley was too young to be a soldier he became a drummer-boy for the army. He trained and worked hard to be a good one. He may have been physically ready for his first battle, but emotionally he was not. I don’t think he really knew what killing a person involved. All of his life he watched the people he cared about be taken away from him. First, it was his parents, ...

Ota Essay

The role of an Occupational Therapy Assistant is to help people participate in the things they want and need to do through a therapeutic use of activities. The function of the OTA is not limited to other duties such as preparing materials and equipment, collaborate with health professionals, evaluate progress and maintain records, and clerical duties. The OTA works closely with the Occupational Therapist to assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, and direct activities. Occupational therapy is useful in many areas of functional life.Helping children in their school environment is one example. A program can be designed to enhance a student’s ability to access and be successful in the learning environment. Curriculum may include tuning fine motor skills, handwriting skills, organizational techniques, and classroom modification in conjunction with the teacher to ensure successful participation. Another area suited for occupational therapy would b e assisting the elderly. The OTA may assist with everyday functions such as dressing and grooming. Focus is to adapt the environment to fit the patient.This can increase the chances of remaining in the home. Adults with limited vision can maintain their independence and complete daily activities with the help of the OT and OTA. Daily tasks can include showering, dressing, cooking, shopping, managing finances, and mobility. As an Occupational Therapy Assistant, I believe I can care for others personally, medically, and emotionally. I will be a productive and effective part of the dynamics between the OT, myself as the OTA, and the patient to achieve the quality of life that is my responsibility to provide.I communicate clearly, have compassion and reasoning, and thrive to become a rehabilitation leader. I can perform independently under instruction, possess organizational skills, and have sense of priority. Being part of the academic system for the past three years has conditioned me to balance life and college responsibilities. My anticipation of entering into a medical health program, such as Occupational Therapy, has allowed me to make adjustments and preparations in my life.I feel that this is an appropriate time in my life to devote myself and become the medical professional I have always wanted to be. I chose to enter this profession because I feel that I can be a productive member of a team and provide physical rehabilitation to others in need. I have the capability to perform all the duties required of the OTA. My goal is to successfully complete the program and become an important part of someone’s life. Further education is a long term goal and am looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life.

Daewoo

1. Introduction The aim of this report is to critically evaluate the Daewoo’s 1995 UK automotive market entrance. After entering the highly competitive British car industry, Daewoo managed to achieve a competitive advantage by focusing on delivering effective customer service. We seek to understand why established car firms did not respond to customer needs prior Daewoo’s entrance and what strategies they could possibly adopt to outperform Daewoo presently. The report also takes a look at the innovations associated with the UK entry of the Korean car manufacturer and how they could sustain these innovations to retain and build on their existing market share. Possible brand extension strategies will be suggested for Daewoo to follow subsequent to the successful launch of the car. We finally assess other sectors where firms could achieve a competitive advantage by applying a customer-centred strategy. 2. Analysis of the Case 2.1 Dilemma facing the car industry The industry is faced with two main choices when responding to Daewoo’s challenge. The first of which is to save resources and not respond based on the belief that Daewoo’s competitive advantage is not sustainable. Daewoo’s direct distribution strategy will incur increased customer service and logistics costs (Doyle and Stern, 2007) and the firm’s current aggressive promotional strategy will also affect their bottom line. Furthermore, the ‘post modern’ criticism of delivering such high service levels is that it is unsustainable due to the fact that the customer will simply increase their expectations in line with improved offerings (Kotler et al, 2007). However, such a strategy would involve a high level of risk. The second option for responding to Daewoo’s challenge is to adopt defence strategies (Lambin, 2007). We feel that it is important to establish that there is no universal strategy and individual players would be advised to review whether the threat of Daewoo is relevant to their target market. For example, high end car manufacturers such as Audi and Mercedes are highly unlikely to suffer any repercussions as they do not target the same price sensitive market. Companies that do target price sensitive customers (such as Ford, Fiat and Renault) would be advised to take a much more direct approach however. The most appropriate mode of doing this would be through a combination of ‘position’, ‘flank’ and ‘pre-emptive’ defences (Lambin, 2007). Firstly, through a ‘position defence’, it would be recommended that manufacturers utilize their existing brand equities and customer base. Daewoo do not benefit from a long standing presence in the UK market and, as a result, protecting existing customer databases is a crucial element in defending market share. A combination of ‘Flank’ and ‘Pre-emptive’ defences would be recommended to address the threat brought about by Daewoo’s distribution strategy. An obvious way of doing this would be to imitate the strategy and meet or even exceed the standards set by Daewoo. However, this would be a costly and difficult process to implement due to the high exit barriers caused by existing distribution agreements. Therefore, to pre-empt the next move in Daewoo’s strategy would be a more viable solution and could give the competition a first mover advantage. The growth of e-commerce and internet usage in 1998-2000 was unprecedented (BBC, 2010) and developing an online platform represents an opportunity to create an interactive and cost effective distribution strategy. Adoption of such a solution would allow manufacturers to lead digital convergence and offer further decreases in stress and intrusion into the customer’s decision making process. 2.3 Customer-focused approach According to the pre-launch research conducted by Daewoo, the overall standard of customer service in the UK car market was low. The majority of consumers suffered from unpleasant buying experiences due to apathy from dealers, inconsistent pricing and poor after-sales service. This provided Daewoo a competitive advantage by operating as a customer-focused brand. The Korean conglomerate focused on optimizing their customer services, including an exceptional showroom atmosphere (Rodgers, 1995). Despite of this example, the industry had failed to innovate in a customer-focused manner. The fundamental reason is that as the UK car industry structure had remained unchanged for one hundred years. Conventional innovation approaches include building high quality cars (Volkswagen and Toyota) or offering low prices as (Lada). However, they did not break the tradition by investing in an innovative, customer-focused strategy. An additional cause could be that UK automobile manufacturers were highly conservative. According to Whittington (2010) customer centric strategies are so complex that requires the company not only analyse the problem from the market researches, but also develop an objective view to consider financial and operational issues. We feel that, that on consideration of the financial and operational investment required, manufacturers denoted the risk of following such a strategy was too high risk. The last possibility is that the market did not believe this kind of customer-focused innovation was feasible and underestimated the importance of after-sales services and the ever-changing customer trends. The opportunity was clearly shown through market research data, however we feel it was ignored and the market change adverse. Ironically, they failed to anticipate a market entrant could identify and achieve a competitive advantage through customer-focused innovation. Daewoo’s successful launch strategy taught the market a bitter lesson. 2.4 Sustainable competitive advantage Daewoo has achieved its aim of gaining circa 1% share of the UK new car market. A challenge the company now faces is to sustain this position and improve it further in the future. As highlighted in 2.1, it can be argued that Daewoo’s competitive advantage is not sustainable. It could, therefore, be easily imitated by competitors, substituted by rivals’ offerings and as a result lose their rarity and be less valued by customers in the longer-term (Barney, 1991; Srivastava et al, 2001; Kotler et al, 2009). In order to avoid such a fate, the company should undertake a number of steps. Firstly, it should improve the quality of cars to be able to compete more effectively with competitors when they inevitably counter act Daewoo’s strategy. High quality cars combined with the brand’s positive image and reputation gained during the launch stage will help to retain customers. Secondly, it should conduct market research regularly to collect information about customers’ needs. This will ensure the company will continue tailoring its products and services to meet these needs better than competitors. Moreover, the company should continue innovating customer services to endure a competitive advantage. It should constantly seek new ways for the whole experience of buying a car, so that it can offer something else when competitors copy its current innovations. For example, Daewoo might launch a website where customers are given an option to co-create a car by adding features or add/exclude services. Finally, the company has been emphasising weaknesses of other car makers in its advertising efforts so far. It should start to focus more on its own strengths communicate them in an effective manner. It will be problematic and expensive to attract customers and raise awareness with the current advertising when competitors improve their services. It is important to bear in mind that it will take some time for competitors to match Daewoo’s critical success factors as they might need to go through cultural, structural and operational changes (Woodruff, 1997). Daewoo has an invaluable opportunity now to build further on its existing capabilities to sustain its market position and become a stronger competitor in the future. 2.5 Other sector options  Customers today are strongly value oriented. Knowing where value resides from the standpoint of the customer has become extremely critical for managers, because greater levels of customer satisfaction lead to greater levels of customer loyalty and retention, positive word-of-mouth, a stronger competitive position and ultimately, higher market share (Kotler et al, 2009). Daewoo attacked an industry as competitive as the car sector through a value and customer service strategy. Successful companies manage to invert the traditional organisation chart by placing customers at the top of the pyramid as opposed to managers who believe that the customer is the company’s only true profit centre (Kotler et al, 2009). Customer-centred companies such as Amazon.com are in a strong position to identify new opportunities and set a course that promises to deliver long term profits due to its customer orientation (Kotler et al, 2009). A firm can achieve competitive advantage in other industries such as travel, banking, insurance, airlines, retail and fast moving consumer goods by employing a customer-focused strategy. The illustration of how Southwest Airlines achieved a distinct advantage in an extremely competitive industry such as the airline industry by focusing on delivering higher customer value bears testimony to this. Customers place high value on Southwest’s frequent departures, on-time service, friendly employees and very low fares (Heskett et al, 1994). However, it is imperative to understand the fact that not all firms are able to achieve a competitive advantage through superior customer service (Lambin, 2007). A company should have the internal capabilities and resources to adapt to ever changing customer needs. The service level provided must also be appropriate to the target market in order to exceed customer expectations. 2.6 Brand extension Marketers must judge each potential brand extension by how effectively it leverages and contributes to brand equity. With the right product ‘fit’, the customer’s perception of the parent brand can reduce perceived risk within numerous consumer or B2B decision making processes (Kotler, 2009, Webster, 1991). The Daewoo brand has become synonymous with exceeding customer expectations. This creates numerous brand extension opportunities. As in 2.5, Daewoo should however ensure that this is related to their core competencies to maximize the likelihood of success. We feel that an ideal opportunity comes in the form of extending the Daewoo brand to the commercial vehicle segment. This would not require the company to re-plan their entire marketing strategy as this would hold true for targeting small to medium business (SMB’s) markets as well as consumer. Furthermore, Daewoo would be able to leverage their partnership with GM to reduce research and development costs by re-branding other Vauxhall/Opel models such as the ‘Corsa’ van. An increasingly diversified, yet viable option would be to extend the Daewoo brand to motorcycles. This would again enable the company to leverage its brand equity and distribution networks; however the product and market is outside their existing knowledge base. In order to overcome this lack of knowledge and competence, we would recommend that Daewoo follow a similar alliance strategy that they previously adopted with GM with a leading motorcycle manufacturer. Although this is likely to ensure that the core product will be of a high quality, Daewoo must be mindful of the fact that their existing staff will require extensive product training maintain service levels. The final and most diversified brand extension would to utilize Daewoo’s brand equity within the Financial Services sector (motor insurance). As with the motorcycle market however, Daewoo do not currently have the knowledge or resources to compete in the market. In this instance, we would recommend Daewoo to operate a franchise partnership with a suitable insurance provider. As stated above, it is however imperative that Daewoo ensure that both the core and augmented product fit with their brand. 3. Conclusions  Concluding on our evaluation of the 1995 launch of the Daewoo automotive brand into the UK market, it is clear that it was a success. The company capitalized on a weakness in the market by leveraging their knowledge base and extensive resources to provide exceptional customer service. Sceptical views of the strategies longevity are however justified. The innovative distribution strategy adopted requires additional expenditure and the company’s aggressive marketing activity will again affect the bottom line. It is clear that in order to remain stable in the market and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, the company must continue to understand and satisfy the needs and wants of the customer. Although brand extensions offer a lucrative growth opportunity, the company must not allow this to detract from their main competency- customer satisfaction. With regards to the market environment, Daewoo’s competitors have no one to blame but themselves. Regardless of this, they must adopt effective defence strategies to match and exceed Daewoo’s market offering in order to protect their market share from further depletion. Furthermore, to pre-empt and lead the next major development in customer satisfaction will be imperative to long term success.

Intro Afro American Studies Bi-Weekly #2 Essays - Free Essays

Intro Afro American Studies Bi-Weekly #2 Essays - Free Essays October 1, 2015 Intro Afro American Studies Bi-Weekly #2 How did Africans preserve and affirm their way of life and use their identities as a means of enslavement? Abstract: The main goal of slavery is usually to deny victims their native cultural identity and sovereign. Africans were derived of their cultural habitats and identity; they were expected to abandon African heritage and to adopt the European lifestyle. Africans could not keep their traditions because it was seen as offensive under whites. Africans blended Catholicism. They took cultures they brought them and blended them with the things around them and allowed them to continue to be human the world (Dr.Carr). However, we are able to differentiate African culture from European culture. To certain people, this has been explained as a form of oppression but in reality it was just Africans refusing to conform. Africans will always hold onto their culture even if we are under relentless attacks and various powers from outside forces. Culture never dies, its passed on; that is why it changes. (Dr.Carr) and by using this quote, it expresses the fact that Africans dont break lines in Afric an culture. Critical Review of Scholarship: e sources I will be looking at are Eloquence of the Scribes and African Women, Resistance Cultures and Cultural Resistance to analyze how literature and cultural movements played a part in the resistance of African people against European people as a whole and womens impact in the 20th century. During class, we talked about how the color line belts the world. This phrase meant color discrimination. During the 20th century, there was human hate and prejudice, which caused endless evil to all men. Throughout history, Africans have lost their value of living in the way of their ancestors due to the fact that Europeans want to keep their history alive by installing their history into African minds. (From deriving African culture, the future of Africa is still in the stage of European colonization. I am going to express how the Puritans and enslaved African-Americans affirmed their culture. Discussion: The Puritans, African Americans and Native Americans affirmed their identity in Colonial America through oral traditions, songs and rituals, which were a cultural movement meaning. The Puritans affirmed their identity through religious beliefs and theocracy. Since the Puritans storyteller stories are based on the bible, most children were inaccessible to reality. Children grew up on the same beliefs as their elders and grandparents. All Puritans were considered sinning because of the teachings of the bible. They believed in predestination, which means those selected by God are saved and go to Heaven yet the other Puritans respected hard work. They used their theocracy to complete their utopian society and have made their first appearance by historians if they achieved their dream. The Puritans did affirm their beliefs through cultural movements by their storytelling by their theocracy and achievement of their utopian society. Enslaved African-Americans affirmed their identity through their development resistance towards slavery, sacred songs and their storytelling also. Although, storytelling has existed in many cultures, but existed for different reasons than that of the Puritans. After a long harsh life, enslaved African Americans began to imagine and dream of freedom. Most slaves had got an education, learned how to speak English and sing. Being a slave herself, Harriet Tubman, helped other slaves escape by singing songs. During the 20th century women sung songs, what are referred to today as negro spirituals as a way to pass the time while in the labor workforce. The songs contained encrypted messages about the African culture in a simple form. (Kuumba M. Bahati. African Women, Resistance Cultures and Cultural Resistance). They also sung songs as a resistance against the Europeans and kept their culture alive. One sacred song called Follow the Drinking Gourd was the North Star to freedom and up north U.S. This song motivated slaves to seek freedom. When a slave became a free slave, their happiness belonged to those that paved the way for them and risked their lives. The enslaved African-Americans of colonial times truly affirmed their culture and identity their courage and determination of freedom will be remembered for many years. All of the races, cultures, and traditions whether they

The Olmec Royal Compound at La Venta

The Olmec Royal Compound at La Venta The Olmec Royal Compound at La Venta: La Venta was a great Olmec city which thrived in the present-day Mexican State of Tabasco from around 1000 to 400 B.C. The city was built on a ridge, and on top of that ridge are several important buildings and complexes. Taken together, these make up the â€Å"Royal Compound† of La Venta, an extremely important ceremonial site. The Olmec Civilization: The Olmec culture is the earliest of the great Mesoamerican civilizations and is considered by many to be the mother culture of later peoples such as the Maya and the Aztecs. The Olmecs are associated with several archaeological sites, but two of their cities are considered more important than the others: San Lorenzo and La Venta. Both of these city names are modern, as the original names of these cities have been lost. The Olmecs had a complex cosmos and religion.a including a pantheon of several gods. They also had long-distance trade routes and were extremely talented artists and sculptors. With the fall of La Venta around 400 B.C. the Olmec culture collapsed, succeeded by the epi-Olmec. La Venta: La Venta was the greatest city of its day. Although there were other cultures in Mesoamerica at the time La Venta was at its apex, no other city could compare in size, influence or grandeur. A powerful ruling class could command thousands of workers for public works tasks, such as bringing huge blocks of stone many miles to be carved at Olmec workshops in the city. Priests managed the communications between this world and the supernatural planes of the gods and many thousands of common people labored in the farms and rivers to feed the growing empire. At its height, La Venta was home to thousands of people and directly controlled an area of around 200 hectares – its influence reached much further. The Great Pyramid – Complex C: La Venta is dominated by Complex C, also called the Great Pyramid. Complex C is a conical construction, made of clay, which was once a more clearly defined pyramid. It stands about 30 meters (100 feet) high and has a diameter of about 120 meters (400 feet) It is man-made of nearly 100,000 cubic meters (3.5 million cubic feet) of earth, which must have taken thousands of man-hours to accomplish, and it is the highest point of La Venta. Unfortunately, part of the top of the mound was destroyed by nearby oil operations in the 1960’s. The Olmec considered mountains sacred, and since there are no mountains nearby, it is thought by some researchers that Complex C was created to stand-in for a sacred mountain in religious ceremonies. Four stelae located at the base of the mound, with â€Å"mountain faces† on them, seem to bear out this theory (Grove). Complex A: Complex A, located at the base of the Great Pyramid to the north, is one of the most important Olmec sites ever discovered. Complex A was a religious and ceremonial complex and served as a royal necropolis as well. Complex A is home to a series of small mounds and walls, but it is what is underground that is most interesting. Five massive offerings have been found in Complex A: these are large pits which were dug out and then filled with stones, colored clay and mosaics. Many smaller offerings have been found as well, including figurines, celts, masks, jewelry and other Olmec treasures given to the gods. Five tombs have been found in the complex, and although the bodies of the occupants decomposed long ago, important objects have been found there. To the north, Complex A was guarded by three colossal heads, and several sculptures and stelae of note have been found in the complex. Complex B: To the south of the Great Pyramid, Complex B is a large plaza (referred to as Plaza B) and a series of four smaller mounds. This airy, open area was most likely a place for the Olmec people to gather to witness ceremonies that took place on or near the pyramid. Several noteworthy sculptures were found in Complex B, including a colossal head and three Olmec-style sculpted thrones. The Stirling Acropolis: The Stirling Acropolis is a massive earthen platform which dominates the eastern side of Complex B. On top are two small, circular mounds and two long, parallel mounds that some believe may be an early ballcourt. Many fragments of broken statues and monuments as well as a drainage system and basalt columns have been found in the acropolis, leading to speculation that it may have once been the royal palace where the ruler of La Venta and his family resided. It is named for American archaeologist Matthew Stirling (1896-1975) who did a great deal of important work at La Venta. Importance of the La Venta Royal Compound: The Royal Compound of La Venta is the most important section of one of the four most important Olmec sites located and excavated to date. The discoveries made there - in particular at Complex A - have changed the way we see the Ancient Olmec culture. The Olmec civilization, in turn, is very important to the study of Mesoamerican cultures. The Olmec civilization is important in that it developed independently: in the region, there are no major cultures that came before them to influence their religion, culture, etc. Societies like the Olmec, which developed on their own, are referred to as pristine civilizations and there are very few of them. There may yet be even more discoveries to make in the royal compound. Magnetometer readings of Complex C indicate there is something in there, but it has not yet been excavated. Other digs in the area may reveal more sculptures or offerings. The royal compound may yet have secrets to divulge. Sources: Coe, Michael D and Rex Koontz. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004. Grove, David C. Cerros Sagradas Olmecas. Trans. Elisa Ramirez. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35. Miller, Mary and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. New York: Thames Hudson, 1993. Gonzalez Tauck, Rebecca B. El Complejo A: La Venta, Tabasco Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). p. 49-54.

Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Supply Chain - Essay Example II. Options of recommendation of a supply chain strategy: Keiretsu network The business will utilize the keiretsu network for the power tool company. Keiretsu is a network of organizations linked together by having a stake in each other's organization. The structure is usually likened to a spider's web and was designed to diffuse the adversarial relationship between buyer and supplier. The supplier also becomes a stakeholder of the organization and this set up induces the parties to work for their mutual benefit. This kind of relationship promotes cooperation and collaboration as each organization becomes a stakeholder in each other's organization whereby all stakeholders will share the fruit of profit or in the case of loss, also a share in the financial setback (Miyashia and Russel, 1994). The parts needed for the power tools (electric drills, saws, and sanders) are highly specialized and costly. It has a high learning curve and cannot be procured with any supplier overnight becaus e its specifications must be met before it can purchase from a certain supplier. Needless to say, a collaborative long-term and non-antagonistic relationship with suppliers is favorable for the company due to the requirements of its parts. The keiretsu procurement network serves this purpose. This kind of procurement strategy is aligned with the company's vision of producing the highest quality for its power tool because the company will be working close with its suppliers. Keiretsu is basically a collaborative supplier-client networking where each player has a stake in each other and this kind of supplier chain relationship serves this purpose. Power tools depend on the quality, timeliness and reasonability of the cost of its parts and it is imperative that the supplier that provides the parts of the power tools is committed to delivering its supplies according to those requirements. Of all the supply chain strategies, keiretsu network is the best option that serves the company's o bjectives. The best way to commit suppliers to provide supplies of quality, timely and cost effective is to build a relationship with them whereby the company can work with the supplier on how to better achieve these business objectives. This will not only produce better power tool products, but also allow better prices making the company more competitive in the market making keiretsu a top choice. The only downside of keiretsu network is that if a non-performing (tardy on delivery) and substandard (not meeting specifications) supplier is wrongly chosen, it would be difficult shake it off because the company has committed itself on a long-term basis, especially if there is a contract between the two parties. These issues can be easily remedied. For the issue of incorrectly choosing non-performing and substandard supplier, the power tool company must first establish a strict criteria before looking for a supplier. These criteria must reflect the objectives, quality standard and timel iness of the company and must be met by the supplier in consideration. This would avoid incorrectly choosing a wrong supplier. For the issue of binding the company to a wrong supplier, it can be remedied by stipulating an opt out and a fine in the event that supplier will renege the contract. This will compensate the company for any