Ritu Kumar

ABOUT  RITU KUMAR Birth: November 11, 1944 Place of Birth: Amritsar, Punjab Label: Ritu, LABEL Introduction Ritu Kumar is the largest & most respected designer brand in India today. Since 1969 she has developed a unique style of her own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. Her understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism. The company is renowned for its distinctive use of colors, quality of fabrics, intricate embroideries and a gloriously rich Indian aesthetic.An icon of the Indian Fashion industry and a frontrunner in establishing a position for India in the global forum,Ritu Kumar's contribution has been impeccable to the fashion fraternity, both nationally and internationally. With almost five decades of work for display, the designer excels in both traditional and western outfits, thoughethnic attires being her specialty. She was the first women to bring the boutiqu e culture to India, under the name†Ritu†. The gradual change in the fashion scenario has also lead to a change of designs for her brand.She haskept in sync with the varying times and has effectively brought creativity and innovativeness with eachcollection. Ritu holds the status of being a revivalist in the fashion scenario, which has successfully bridged thegap between conservative and conventional style. Company History Mrs. Kumar became the first woman to introduce the ‘boutique’ culture in India under the brand name ‘Ritu’. Her work is constantly evolving within an aesthetic which is sophisticated both in the eastern and western sense, with ach of her collections making a contemporary statement in a fast changing modern India. The Brand Ritu Kumar has been retailing in Europe and India since 1970’s. The products include couture, formal pret accessories and a fashion forward sub brand called LABEL, Ritu Kumar. Currently Ritika Pvt. Lim ited operates two main production centers Gurgaon and Calcutta. Factories are equipped with in? house printing, tailoring, finishing and quality control facilities. It self runs and franchises retail outlets under the label RITU KUMAR.Ritu pioneering work in reviving master craftsmanship has earned her several accolades including the French Honor â€Å"chevalier des arts et des lettres† , a knighthood was awarded to her by French government in recognition of her contribution to Indian textile crafts and her interaction with French fashion world. She has also been graced with ‘Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini award’ for her achievements and contribution in the field of fashion. Mother Teresa, Birju Maharaj, Pt. Hari Prasad were previous recipients of this prestigious award. COSTUMES AND TEXTILE OF ROYAL INDIAIn October 1999 Christies of London published Ritu Kumar’s book â€Å"Costumes and Textiles of Royal India† a definitive chronicle of the history of India’s royal patronage to textile arts down the centuries starting with the historical context of Mohenjo Daro to the present era of vintage royalty. The book is an academic fashion history text which has become a key reference for its field in India. PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Ritu Kumar was born on 11th November 1944 in Amritsar, Punjab. A native of Delhi, Ritu graduated fromLady Irwin College in 1964 and did her higher education from Briarcliff College, NY, USA in 1966.Theace designer had a humble beginning in a small village, near Kolkata, in 1960, with hand block printers andtwo tablets to flaunt about. With the passage of years, fashion grew and so did her network. From being adesigner to an author, Ritu Kumar has been the master of the game. Her son Ashvin Kumar is director, whose has made films like Road to Ladakh (2002) and short filmLittle  Terrorist(2004), which was nominated for the2004Academy Award for Live Action Short Film,and in which she did the costume design. Ritu Kumar is the largest & most respected designer brand in India today.Since 1969 she has developed aunique style of her own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. Her understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism. The company is renowned for its distinctive use of colors, quality of fabrics, intricate embroidies and a gloriously rich Indian aesthetic. ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS: 1966 – Ritu’s first Boutique opened in Delhi at D3 Defence Colony Link Road, New Delhi. This was thefirst ever boutique in Delhi. 1968 As a celebration of 21 years of Ritu, THE TREE OF LIFE, as audio visual fashion tableau wasmounted, by invitation the Crafts Museum in New Delhi. 1970 – A fashion show; called â€Å"the Fashion Mood of the Seventies†. It was the very early attempt to bringsome professionalism into the ramp. 1972 – Fashion Parade by RITU’S BOUT IQUE at the Tollygunge Club, Calcutta. 1974 – RITU’S BOUTIQUE opens at Bombay. 1975 – She started a company called Kalamkari Designs Pvt. Ltd. jointly with her husband. Franchiseswere also started with Harrods London, Liberty, andLondon for brief periods. 1985 – The ZARDOZI COLLECTION of traditional wear was exhibited at the festival of India in the USA. Ritu’s boutique was by this time was renamed simply as- RITU. 1990 – Established RITU a shop within a shop at Paris, as an ongoing promotion of India 1994 – Ritu was approached by Femina Miss India to professionalize the wardrobes for the finalists of thecontestants. 1998 – â€Å"Lifetime Achievement Award† by the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Ritu wasappointed on the Board of Governors at NIFT. Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award† by the PHD-Chamber of Commerce. 2000 – â€Å"Lifetime achievement award† set by Kingfisher Group. 2002 †“ Launch of first sub brand – Ritu Kumar ‘Label’. 2004 – Selected as the President of FDCI board. Designer of the year 2004 by F Awards. 2006 – Bridal collection at the Lycra MTV Awards. ‘Glam Womenswear(India) Award by Tuscan VerveZoom Glan Awards. 2007 – Opened Ritu Kumar’s outlet in New York. 2008 – Awarded knighthood for contribution to Arts & Letters by the French government (Life Time Achievement Award).EARLY   BEGINNING †¢Concept development In the late 1960s India was going through profound changes; plastics had replaced mud, brass and silver;factory produced papers and woods took the place of sophisticated handicrafts and nylons displaced anancient heritage of cotton and silk. It was not only a battle between tradition and modernity; it was also aconfrontation of lifestyles and values. During this time, a small group who had benefited from unique opportunities of study and travel began tosee the depth of the craft and design heritage of their own country.They discovered that India was areservoir of delicate skills. In an attempt to merge their international experiences together with the skills of  their people, they became aware that contemporary designers must revitalize their own roots and identity. This was essential to take Indian creativity out into the world in such a way that benefited both craftsmenand the modern consumer. †¢Starting of the venture Ritu began with hand block printers and two tablets in a small village near Kolkata. Mrs. Kumar became the first woman to introduce the ‘boutique’ culture in India under the brand name ‘Ritu’.Her work is constantly evolving within an aesthetic which is sophisticated both in the eastern and western sense, with each of her collections making a contemporary statement in a fast changing modern India. †¢ Capital contribution less than Rs. 10,000 (estimated figure) T  URNING   POINT †¢Snaps hots of struggle phase She initially faced many problems for her business as she was a woman entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon. Confronted with the challenges associated with trying to build a designer business in a country facing infrastructural woes.Uninterrupted power, superior quality, and advanced skills were not easily available in India during the time. †¢Promotional strategies 1. No commodity production in beginning due to lack of infrastructure. 2. Diversification rather than expansion. 3. Pioneered the term ‘fashion' in the Indian context. 4. Customer satisfaction. 5. Created an image of a reliable company. 6. Importance of hand-made products. 7. The mix and match of the Indian and western wear. JOURNEY  TO SUCCESS †¢Entrepreneurial traits 1. Determination: She was determined to build up Ritu Kumar’s Boutique. . Confidence: Started business in relatively new innovative field. Her confidence was commendable when comparing with the challenges that she has faced. 3. Motivation: Employee feedbacks. Performance checks. Work place principles. 4. Risk Taker  : Mrs. Kumar became the first woman to introduce the ‘boutique’ culture in India under  the brand name ‘Ritu’. 5. Innovative: She was the one who put forth the importance of hand-made products as it can be as cost-effective as machine-made clothes and even more gorgeous than those. †¢Principles and policy of enterprisePut forth the importance of hand-made products as it can be as cost-effective as machine-made clothes andeven more gorgeous than those. Ritu Kumar with her team of committed designers has come a long way. She has worked mainly on cotton, silk and leather and produced some of the country's most magnificentgarments. Ritu Kumar's specialty is traditional Indian clothes, which highlights on the textile andembroidery heritage of India. But the mix and match of the Indian and western wear also holds a primeposition in her work.C   ONTRIBUTION †¢Ethics and corporate social responsibility By putting forth the idea of hand made products she has employed many people, especially the women andthe lower segments, mostly in villages. She had also tried to keep the Indian values and ethics high, whichcan be seen throughout her work. â€Å"Ritu has pioneered the term ‘fashion' in the Indian context, and more importantly  has demonstrated that hand made products can be as profitable and even moreglamorous than those made by the machine.

Cadbury Company Essay

Introduction Dairy Milk is a brand of milk chocolate currently manufactured by Cadbury. It was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1905 and now consists of a number of different products. Every product in the Dairy Milk line is made exclusively with milk chocolate. Cadbury’s Daily Milk has a range of different flavours, all equally famous around the world. This case study relates to the topic of advertising which we studied in class. Cadbury is not only famous for the quality of their product, but also for their advertising. Since 2007, the date of birth of ‘a glass and a half full production’, which is Cadbury’s own internal production company, we talk a lot about the chocolate brand because of their advertising campaign. The aim of this new approach to advertising from Cadbury’s is not to focus on the chocolate but on the joy and enjoyment, you associate with eating a chocolate bar. The three most famous campaigns to date are ‘Gorilla’s’ in 2007, ‘Airport trucks’ in 2008, and ‘Eyebrows’ in 2009. All of these advertising campaigns are set in a fun environment with enjoyable music to try to capture people’s attention, excite them and make them feel happy. In this report, we will at first, evaluate the objectives and advertising platform of these three ads. We will then explain the advantages and disadvantages of TV advertising. We will explore the role of viral advertising in these sort of advertising campaigns, before concluding by highlighting just what made these Cadbury’s ad’s so memorable. Q1. View all three Cadbury Dairy Milk advertisements on YouTube. Describe and evaluate the advertising platform and the advertising objectives of these three ads. How are all three related? In 2007, Cadburys launched its first advertising campaign from the newly established ‘A Glass and a Half Full Productions’. The 90 second advertisement entitled â€Å"Gorilla† was premiered during the season finale of Big Brother 2007, with the Phil Collins song â€Å"In the Air Tonight† playing in the background with a Gorilla playing the drums to the beat of the song. Big Brother would have generated a massive audience and Cadbury planned it perfectly to first launch the ‘Gorilla’ ad doing the breaks in the Big Brother finale. The campaign itself  has made appearances on bi llboards, print newspapers and magazines, television and cinema spots, event sponsorships and an internet presence which just shows how successful it was. Keen to build on the success of the â€Å"Gorilla† advertisement, ‘A Glass and a Half Full Productions’ released their second production on 29th March 2008. This advertisement tells the story of the first ever airport truck race in history, seeing vehicles of all shapes and sizes take to an empty runway for the race of their lives. Each one of the trucks was ‘pimped’ to show its unique character. With everything from go faster stripes to customised wheel trims, the trucks lined up on the starting line under a purple sky at dusk and raced to the music of Queen’s â€Å"Don’t Stop Me Now†. This ad wasn’t as successful as the ‘Gorilla’ or ‘Eyebrows’ ad. In January 2009, Cadbury introduced a new ‘A Glass and a Half Full Productions’ TV advertisement, entitled â€Å"Eyebrows†, which became the 3rd video produced by the production company. The 60 second advertisement brought to life the story of a brother’s and sister’s moment of madness when backs are turned and they are left to their own devices. The advert opens with two siblings sitting in a traditional photographer’s studio, waiting to have their portrait taken. When the photographer was called away by a ringing phone the children launched into a choreographed eyebrow dance. The children produced a range of eyebrow dance moves to the sound of â€Å"Don’t Stop the Rock† by electro-funk superstar, Freestyle. Cadburys main objectives with these three ads were to deliver greater brand love and involvement while keeping the core consumers engaged and to also attract the younger audience to help build the brands profile. They achieved these objectives by creating enjoyable and memorable ads which for example lead to people trying to copy the ‘Eyebrows’ ad and posting their videos on YouTube. Since 2007 Cadbury have adopted a new advertising approach which many view as critical to both the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand and the company. Cadbury decided not to focus on the chocolate in their advertisements, but instead to focus on entertaining the public. This led to the creation of the three memorable advertisements outlined above, â€Å"Gorilla†, â€Å"Airport Trucks† and â€Å"Eyebrows†. All these advertisements incorporated the Cadbury trademark colour purple into the ads and displayed the Cadbury Dairy Milk logo and slogan ‘A Glass and a Half Full of Joyà ¢â‚¬â„¢. All the ads embraced the popularity of viral advertising and used this very much to their advantage and were a  huge hit on YouTube and on social networking sites. They became a firm favourite among the online community. They told the public nothing about Dairy Milk. Rather than using the chocolate as the main focal point, Cadbury decided to use emotional appeals to attract the public’s attention. Many in the industry viewed this as a huge risk, but it is one that seems to have worked for Cadbury. These three ads are very similar as they don’t focus on the Cadbury bar they focus on entertaining the viewer by their use of a gorilla, airport trucks and the two children moving their eyebrows. It’s not until the end of the ad that the Dairy Milk bar appears in each ad. They are all very catchy ads by the use of music in them which have become popular songs again since the ads were first screened. The use of the colour purple is common in each of the three ads which is Cadburys main colour and is used on the bar wrapper. Q2. Cadbury has relied very heavily on TV advertising for its ‘A Glass and a half full Productions’ advertisements. Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of TV advertising. Without doubt Cadbury has relied heavily on TV advertising for its advertisements, and it is easy to see why. Television is by far the most popular entertainment medium around the world, with the latest report from the Television Audience Measurement Ireland (TAM) showing that Irish TV viewers alone watch on average of 3 and a half hours of TV per day. The huge advantage of TV advertising is the wide audience it reaches. Television viewers come from all walks of life, from children watching cartoons, to elderly retiree’s, everyone tunes into television at some part of the day. It is clear that TV advertising reaches a lot more people than other media outlet’s such as radio station’s or newspapers. Another big advantage of TV advertising is how it offers the greatest possibility for creative advertising. It can convey your message with print, video, audio, still photos, motion, light and graphics, to capture the attention of potential customers. TV ads can also sh ow and tell people about your product or service and actually show the benefits of ownership. One final advantage of TV advertising is its ability to advertise to targeted audiences. For example children can be reached during cartoon programming, housewives  during the afternoon soap operas, and people working in the Primary sector such as farmers and fishermen, around the time of the weather forecast! However, everything, TV advertising also has it’s disadvantages, with high costs being the primary one. TV ads are very expensive. To make show your ad is memorable, you need a decent amount of air time, but the longer the air time, the more expensive it is. Also, for a customer to remember the ad, the ad must be aired repeatedly. The down-side to this as a company is, every time the ad is aired, you must pay. On top of the expensive air rates, to make a good ad, you will need to hire a team of experts to create the advertisement. To highlight the cost of TV advertising, a May 2011 report by Allbusiness.com found that, to produce a quality 30-second national spot in America can cost up to $300,000. A further disadvantage to TV advertising is the difficulty to change your advertisement efficiently and quickly. For example if a company wanted to advertise a new special offer or promotion, a new time slot must be bought. Basically you are paying for a new ad, unlike other media o utlets such as newspapers or radio’s where the ad can be edited quickly without fuss. Finally, like we studied in the chapter on advertising, TV ads are becoming increasingly ignored. During ad breaks during their favourite TV shows, people will now often change channels, go out of the room, or simply play on their smartphone, laptop or any other items of technology. Q3. What role did viral advertising play in these advertising campaigns? Viral advertising is marketing through pre-existing social networking services or other online technologies with the aim of increasing brand awareness and product sales with the use of viral processes such as video campaigns. Viral advertising played a vital role in each of the three campaigns created by â€Å"a Glass and a Half Full Productions†. This can be easily seen in their first advertising campaign back in 2007 the famous â€Å"Gorilla† which created a platform for Cadbury Dairy Milk. On the launch night of this campaign the advert of the Gorilla was also uploaded to the social networking site YouTube. In just one night the video was viewed 500,000 times and overall was viewed 10 million times, thus the advertising campaign went viral and so creating a huge success story for Cadbury Dairy Milk. Through viral advertising this advert was able to gain a larger  viewing audience and so increasing the market awareness of Dairy Milk. Through viral advertising Cadbur y Dairy Milk’s chocolate sales in 2007 increased to 7% this is an increase of 30% compared to other competitors. The following adverts â€Å"Airport Trucks† and â€Å"Eyebrows† followed in the methods of the â€Å"Gorilla† in becoming viral sensations. They became instant favourites on YouTube. Cadbury Dairy Milk grasped the advantages of viral advertising with both hands and through this brought their business to the next level. They hosted online events which the public could get involved and fall in love with their product through viral entertainment. I believe viral advertising was the key aspect to the success of the advertising campaigns created by â€Å"a Glass and a Half Full Productions† as they were able massively increase their customer base and get the people involved in their product. Q4. All three Cadbury advertisements have nothing to do with chocolate, yet people remember what the advertisements are for. Why is there no actual reference to chocolate in the advertisements? What makes the advertisements so memorable as Cadbury Dairy Milk advertisements? Cadburys is a name that’s been around for the last one hundred and ninety years, dating back to John Cadbury who first opened his shop on Bull Street in Birmingham. We all know the Cadbury brand so well it’s been around a lot longer than all of us. It is because of this we are so familiar with their trademarks. The ‘A glass and a half’ symbol was introduced in 1928. The company used this familiar symbol to create their new slogan ‘A Glass and a Half Full Productions’ which they decided to use for their marketing campaign. Chocolate has always been associated with joy, chemically speaking chocolate releases serotonin and another feel-good hormone called dopamine. Cadburys know this and therefore decided to tap into this and bring their customers joy in another form, entertainment. Prior to the introduction of ‘A Glass and a Half’ Cadburys decided upon using purple in 1920. This purple is a recognisable aspect of all three advertisem ents. The vibrant purple is noticeably the background to their first creative ad, ‘The Gorilla’. Cadburys have put great emphasis on the purple here by using plain colours such as the black of the gorilla, two white planes also featured on the wall  and the silver of the drums. Similarly in the ‘Eyebrows’ advert, only plain colours are used as not to distract the viewer from the girls dress. However, in the Airport advertisement great colours are used on all of the trucks in the race. This is an effort to show fun in the ad, the enhanced airport vehicles are an example of Cadburys creativity using unlikely vehicles for the first ever airport race. That’s fun. The purple in the ‘airport’ advertisement is subtle but still clearly visible in the sky, this is no accident. As we as consumers are so familiar with the product it is not a necessity to display the functions of the product and what joy it will bring but by using abstract methods of grabbing our attention Cadburys has found entertaining their customers by using familiar songs like Queens – Don’t stop me now and Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight, to such great success with customers that not only did their advertisements go viral on YouTube but they even put Phil Collins song back into the charts. We as consumers could recognise and appreciate their efforts to bring joy to al l viewers.

Future Career Essay

When i think about a future career for myself, i see myself doing it for a very long time. In my imagination i picture myself as a millitary special forces officer. I have always wanted to go into the military since i was a little boy. The first time i ever heard about the green berets or the navy seals i knew that was what i wanted to do. I was told that being in the special forces was a very hard, but honorable career. You have to be very tough physically and mentally. My favorite thing about the special forces teams were that they are allowed to access the worlds latest technology and would go on top secret missions and save tons of people and no one would even know that the event had happened. The military today is a lot different than it was when I was a little kid. Karl von Clausewitz defined war as â€Å"†¦an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will In order to attain this object fully, the enemy must be disarmed, and disarmament becomes theref ore the immediate object of hostility.† In the future, we will have the prospective to make war without the use of violence and fulfill the second half of von Clausewitz’s definition with software alone. â€Å"Cyber† describes systems that use mechanical or electronic systems to swap human control. Cyber warfare can be executed without violence and therefore the reliance on software intensive systems-cyber systems can make nations exposed to warfare without violence. With the escalating use of computers in military and government, there has been a growing awareness of both a new susceptibility in national infrastructure and a new method of attacking one’s enemies. Cyber Warfare could mean winning wars without firing shots, the shutting down of entire national infrastructures at the push of a button, and the complete exploitation or destruction of an enemy’s communication networks. It could mean threats from across the world by states with no ability to launch a conventional attack just by using cheap laptops. In conclusion nations and their critical infrastructures are becoming increasingly dependent on computer networks for their operation. Also as armies around the world are transforming from a platform centric to a network centric force there is increasing reliance on networking technology. With all the advantages of such connectivity come unprecedented challenges to network security. Today we have unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as drones, is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the  remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. It allows us to keep soldiers lives safe it were to go down. Putting drones together with the futures technology create a new idea of a drone. In the future computers will become more intelligent and will be able to decide answers in situations. Putting a computer like that into a drone will create a weapon of mass destruction. The drone will be able to make lethal decisions without the command of a human. Within the next ten years our drones will become a lot more technologically advanced. Soon the drones will be able to choose and make lethal decisions by itself without the command or control of a human. The military has access to the Military Imaging and Surveillance Technology. The Military Imaging and Surveillance Technology (MIST) program can develop a fundamentally new optical capability that can provide high-resolution 3-D images to locate and identify a target at much longer ranges than is possible with existing surveillance systems. Within the next decade our surveillance will be so technologically advanced that the military will be able to look up anyone in the world and pinpoint their exact location and view what kind of activities they are participating in. Joining the military will be tough trying to keep up with today’s expectations in intelligence and technology. But getting to be able to live my dream and do what I have always wanted to do with allow me to strive to accomplish whatever means necessary.

The purpose of taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The purpose of taxation - Essay Example He purchased this business from another owner in July of that same year. The business's total market value metes between $275,000 and $330,000. A potential buyer, Margaret, was willing to purchase the business and relieve the fiscal duties from Mr. Smith's hands. Peter Smith grew anxious because he will be charged by the capital gains tax and he tries to make every effort to avoid selling the property earlier than June 30. Margaret negotiated with Smith to purchase the business with a deposit of $33,000 and finish the payment with a settlement and installments. Under the negotiations, Peter is required to provide vendor's finance to Margaret. When the final installment was paid, Peter Smith had a net gain of about $10,000 (based on its property's highest market value). Because Mr. Smith provided Margaret with vendor finance, he is liable to increase the sales price, earn interest, and may acquire an interest in Margaret. (http://www.investorwords.com/5844/vendor_financing.html) Under CGT (Capital Gains Tax) reforms of 2006, all income arising from Australian sources are subject to income tax. The sources that are taxable range from real property, company, trusts, and land. In addition, gains acquired from a sale of a company on the premises of Australian real property are also considered a source. The Federal Government of Australia passed the reforms to mitigate the Australian CGT base as it applies to non-residents who possess a concrete interest in Australian entities. The CGT reforms will expand the Australian CGT base because it concerns non-residents who dispose of interests in resident or non-resident entities who se worth is irrefutably linked to Australian real property. An unregistered resident was previously only subject to Australian CGT on gains made in respect of assets that had the necessary connection with Australia. Such assets included land and buildings located in Australia, shares in Australian companies or trusts and assets used at any time in carrying on a business through a permanent establishment in Australia. Since Mr. Smith business resides in the country, it is subject to those rules. He will have to pay a property tax on the foreclosure of the business. Under Australia's double tax agreement, Australia has the right to tax the profit on the purchase of Australian real property regardless if the person is not a resident of the country. If Peter Smith is a non-resident, he will be taxed under the precepts of Taxable Australian Property in a few categories. The federal government will tax the estate based on principles of Taxable Australian real property. It must be a CGT asset that has an indirect Australian real property interest and is not covered by a CGT asset that addresses the disregard for profit or deficit after the relinquishment of his or her citizenship of being an Australian. Another aspect is should that real estate has been used for fiscal affairs and transactions and not covered by Taxable Australian real property and indirect Australian real property interest assured on t he Income Tax Assessment Act of 1997, it will be taxed. Furthermore, the purchase of Mr. Smith's property may be considered as an "indirect real property interest." That is, a membership interest at least ten percent in a resident or -as in Mr. Smith's case- non-resident quiddity where

Family Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Family Business - Essay Example The paper tells that the family business is an enterprise governed and managed for the purpose of pursuing and developing the vision of the business â€Å"held by a dominant coalition controlled by members of the same family or a small number of families† for its potential sustainability across generations of the family, sometimes in business association with some of its extended families. Most definitions of family business centre around the kinship of family members owning and managing a venture, state Rogoff and Heck. According to Habbershon, Williams and MacMillan, it is the intersection between family members, the family, and the business that epitomises the distinctive set of characteristics that explain performance differences between family and nonfamily businesses. The intersection may also be a source of conflict within the family and the business. In the domain of family business leadership transition, Hartel, Bozer and Levin consider an adaptation of executive coac hing to be helpful in the process. Family systems are important in family enterprises. Further, family businesses form the foundation stones of evolving economies state Gomez-Mejia, Takacs, Nunez-Nickel et al as well as Hunter and Wilson. Two-thirds of organisations are family-owned and managed. The fact that this segment of the economy is facing an impending crisis is disquieting, particularly in view of the fact that there is little governmental assistance for family business owners to resolve the emerging threat successfully. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the theory of family business, examine the crucial role of the family system in family business, and determine whether the adaptation of executive coaching can successfully support leadership transition in family enterprises. The Theory of Family Business The lenses through which academic research and literature on family businesses are viewed and interpreted is the theory explaining different asp ects of family business management. Research helps to reinforce theory. For example, Sharma, Chrisman and Chua (2003) use the theory of planned behaviour to help explain the extent to which family businesses engage in succession planning. At the same time, a broad theory of family business is more important because it will help in setting the parameters for research in the domain of family businesses. A broad theory will also function as a tool for retaining, expanding, and propagating knowledge on the field. The theory of the family firm explains the concept of the family business, the reason for the existence of the same, and the determinants of their scale and scope. It is a comparatively new area of study in relation to rigorous theoretical investigations. However, there are identifiable trends in defining family business, and in differentiating between family firms and non-family firms, thereby addressing the existence of family firms, the factors that support their survival, g rowth, and the creation of long-lasting economic and non-economic value. Habbershon (2006) as well as Chrisman, Chua and Litz (2003) reiterate that the family business exists because of the reciprocal economic and non-economic value created through the integration of family and business systems. The joining of the two systems leads to capabilities of â€Å"familiness† that cannot be duplicated, and which contribute to the survival and growth of family businesses. A resource-based view of the family business explains how it identifies and develops capabilities of familiness, how they transfer those capabilities to new leaders and new family business structures, and their methods of renewing their capabilities during the transformation in circumstances and conditions. On the other hand,

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Law - Essay Example He introduced Equity which formed the basis of a new source for English Law. The purpose of equity was to look for natural justice where traditional legal sense failed to deliver justice. Following Royal courts were formed for this purpose: For centuries the highest legal authority in the United Kingdom was the Parliament or more precisely the House of Lords. This situation has changed in the recent times though. Under the Constitutional Reforms Act 2005, the Supreme Court of United Kingdom is created which is now the highest legal authority in the country. It is also the highest level of appeal in the United Kingdom. .1 (F. A. Inderwick) United Kingdom joined European community – now knows as European Union- in 1973 and since then European Law has a profound impact on English Law. First, the Communities Act 1972 made it binding for the English courts to follow its decision on matter of community law. Then, the Human Rights Act 1998 asked English courts to have regard of decisions made by European court of Human Rights. This process of development is still in process. â€Å"Natural Law† is based upon a set of principles which are set by nature and therefore have universal legitimacy and wide acceptance. â€Å"Equity† or â€Å"Justice† is believed to alleviate the strictness of â€Å"English Common Law† by allowing courts to use their good judgment and apply justice in accordance with â€Å"Natural Law†. According to Hobbes, there are nineteen laws of nature. 2 (Thomas Hobbes) Equity looked to follow these natural laws in order to seek justice. The Court of Chancery originated in Norman or Kings Council. It is also called the â€Å"Court of Equity† in England and Wales. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, property law and the administration of the assets etc. Party coming to Equity court must be with clean hands. Clean hands does not mean that a person with wrong deeds cannot obtain the aid of equity but it

Scholarly database search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarly database search - Essay Example Furthermore, JSTOR (short for â€Å"journal storage†) in a non- profit service especially dedicated to offer a trusted digital archive with scholarly content to researchers, students, and professionals. The inclusion of articles in its database collections are developed through the participation of many publishers and other organizations. There is also a free access to most of the articles, which makes it advantageous to student users. The incidence rate of device- associated infection (VAP and CAUTI) is recorded lower in nine Colombian hospitals than other hospital ICUs in Latin American countries, based on the records of the National Nosocomial Surveillance System (NNIS). However, this rate is still comparably higher than that in the US ICUs. Thus, this finding necessitates policy improvements on infection control in Colombia (Moreno et al., 2006). In one recent active DAI surveillance study in two ICUs in Cuba (Rosenthal et al., 2010), rates of VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI, were carefully analyzed against CDC- National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) rates. Related information on microorganism profile, bacterial resistance, extended length of stay, and extra mortality were also considered. Results showed that VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI rates are lower than INICC rates. Compared to NHSN rates, VAP rate scored higher, while CLAB rates lower, and CAUTI rates similar. Lastly, there was a significant direct correlation between VAP increase and the LOS and mortality rate. Moreno,  C. à ., Rosenthal, V.  D.,   Olarte,  N.,   Gomez,  W. V.  , Sussmann,  O., Agudelo, J.  G., †¦ Henrà ­quez,  D. (2006). Device†associated infection rate and mortality in Intensive Care Units of 9 Colombian hospitals: Findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 27 (4), 349-356. doi:

Archplot in the film Die Hard Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Archplot in the film Die Hard - Movie Review Example These struggles must represent the protagonist's particular desire to achieve his objectives against the antagonistic force. There is a linear time frame which characterises the temporal features of the story. This linear time frame is produced as a result of discrete and causally related events. The final feature of the Archplot is the nature of the story's ending. The ending leaves no room for doubt as to the fate of the characters. The ending, in short, is characterised by a finality which cannot be altered. This essay will argue that, in nearly all respects, the Die Hard screenplay conforms closely to the main features of the Archplot. This screenplay pursues the fundamental features noted by McKee, and a textual analysis of the screenplay will be employed to analyse each of these features of the Archplot, respectively. There is a preliminary question as to whether the main protagonist is active or passive. The protagonist in Die Hard is John McClane, a New York City police officer. The script introduces him as "mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip" (Die Hard: 3). He has a Beretta pistol visible through his open jacket and, in an early attempt to establish the protagonist as an active character, the script contrasts him with a fellow airline passenger when "McClane turns, looks at the Babbit clone next to him. Caught, he tenses, holds his armrests in exaggerated fear" (Die Hard: 3). The Babbit reference is to a famous American literary work which bemoans the passivity and the helplessness of the working man. The physical description of the protagonist, the gun, and the explicit literary reference seek to immediately establish McClane as the anti-Babbit, or the opposite of passive and helpless. McKee establishes various guidelines, or commandments if you will, for creating an active protagonist within the Archplot framework. First, the action must always be within the control of the protagonist. This does not require that the protagonist drive the action forward, indeed the protagonist may be placed in a reactionary role, but that the protagonist is always connected in some way to the plot as it unfolds. Second, the plot must pose challenges and obstacles for the protagonist; in this way, an active protagonist is one whom is presented with barriers to the achievement of certain goals and objectives. Finally, the active protagonist is characterised by an event or a situation which throws his life out of balance or in some other way renders him vulnerable to an antagonistic force. The John McClane character conforms extraordinarily close to McKee's notion of an active protagonist. Die Hard begins and ends with the protagonist. John McClane comes to Los Angeles, becomes embroiled in an adversarial conflict, reigns supreme in the conflict, disposes of the adversary, and then continues to enjoy the original purpose of his visit. As an initial matter, McClane is perfectly tailored for the conflict which he encounters, describing himself as "a New York cop who used to be a New York kid, and I got six months backlog of New York scumbags I'm still trying to put behind bars. I don't just get up

Views on Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Views on Marriage - Essay Example Both of these pieces present marriage in a similar fashion. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† the main character is, at first, experiencing sorrow over the death of her husband. After a brief time; however, the character starts to feel joyful about the situation. At one point Mrs. Mallard reveals why it is she is experiencing this joy: â€Å"She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!"†(Chopin). She realizes at this moment that the death of her husband has released her from the bonds of marriage. â€Å"There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chopin). Due to the fact that she was experiencing so much happiness at the thought of being free and getting to do what she wanted to do with the remainder of her life, it is a terrible shock when she soon finds her very much alive husband downstairs. Earlier in the story, it is made known that Mrs. Mallard is in poor health and when she sees her husband, she dies. The doctors claim that she died of joy, but the audience is left to consider the fact that she more likely died of disappointment or heartbreak at the sudden loss of her newfound freedom. In this particular story, marriage is portrayed as oppressive and all consuming. Similarly, in the play â€Å"Trifles,† Mrs.

Analize a social problem in the community in which I live Essay

Analize a social problem in the community in which I live - Essay Example The mental health professionals hold important positions in implementation and strategizing such an intervention, and one such project has been presented here that can be implemented. Following implementation, this proposal incorporates an idea to evaluate to see how far it has been able to achieve success in reducing bullying or implementing the social change in the community. "But it did not end there. As soon as Amanda got home, the instant messages started popping up on her computer screen. She was a tattletale and a liar, they said. Shaken, she typed back, "You stole my stuff!" She was a "stuck-up bitch," came the instant response in the box on the screen, followed by a series of increasingly ugly epithets." This is the story of Amanda, writes Harmon (2004) in her New York Times article, "Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound From Afar" published on August 26, 2004. This is a consequence of a fight that started at school, when Amanda Marcuson dared to report the makeup in her pencil case stolen in the school by some eighth-grade classmates (Harmon, 2004). Amanda, however, said the girls never said a word to her in person, and she thought, "It seems like people can say a lot worse things to someone online than when theyre actually talking to them," (Harmon, 2004) but, these messages went to the full capacity of her cell phone mailbox. This is the picture of the county where this author lives, Westchester County in NY State, USA. It seems bullying is no longer an evidence of cruelty that is confined to schools; the quarrels can be pursued and amplified even from a distance into homes in a more devious manner. Most likely bullying is inbred in schools for perhaps as long as schools have existed. Recently, systematic investigation has confirmed to be a pervasive phenomenon. However, in her discussion, Arehart-Treichel (2004) comments that parents and teachers have become more determined to have actions taken

Health Care Communications Methods Essay Example for Free

Health Care Communications Methods Essay You are the communications coordinator for a national drug manufacturer. Recently, there have been reports of significant negative effects caused by one of your medications that are used by a significant population. News reports have alleged that one of the individuals affected is a well-known public figure. You are tasked with addressing the news reports and the general public regarding this situation. As one of the head members of communications at DrugsRus for the past 15 years, it has been shown firsthand the belongings of narcotic medications on our local population. These have been analyzed and investigated on a national level. It is only recently that the overwhelming craving to the drugs has become widespread within our area; spreading like weeds throughout the country. The increase of drug dependent patients and drug related episodes has resulted in a raised amount of attention and concern from the public. Taking all of this into consideration, overdosing occurrences from incompatible interactions with other medications; narcotic, controlled, or non-narcotic properties alike, have resulted in an exceptional need for change within our business concerning patient rules, regulations, guidelines and restrictions. Changes to otherwise generally agree upon medications as well as required authorization approvals upon external medication intake must be reconsidered. Some have been asked by our board members to develop a communication strategy to address these needs as well as the impact HIPPA and other regulations will have on this type of communication. The following will include the communication strategy decided upon to take as well as the encountered use of regulatory systems such as HIPPA, followed by the advantages and disadvantages of using traditional, electronic and social media for our healthcare communication. Furthermore, the reasons of each of the components of the communication strategies chosen. Communication Channels Although telecommunications is moving forward quickly at a distressing rate, historically established methods of communication in healthcare are still very successful. These traditional communication channels include face-to-face discussions, telephone calls, post mail, fax, memorandums, board meetings, and reports to name a few. Technology has raised the use of electronic communication methods which has in turn has paved the way for new kinds of social media communication methods. Electronic channels of communication include emails, text messaging, EMRs, two-way radios, instant messaging, overhead audio announcements and video conferencing among many other portable devices. Social media channels include newspapers, television broadcasting, online networking, advertisements, webcasts, and social media websites. Unlike using postal mail, utilizing social media and electronic forms of communication would allow the user to emit and obtain information simultaneously as well as gain feedback and reply virtually within minutes. There is always a need for previously documented communication, so advantages of traditional channels include the ability to record and obtain the message that was communicated at a later date for conformation and review. However, the disadvantage is that formal means are usually delayed, meaning the message may not be received until a later date depending upon the medium used, such as with postal mail. The advantages of electronic channels are that messages can be communicated online with ease as well as with the ability to save, download and store the information on a storage media for printing and accessing at a later time. This has virtually eliminated the delay of other traditional means by allowing for the same documentation but at an instant; as well as allows multiple, simultaneous access. Disadvantages of the electronic means can include invasion of privacy and possible security breach as well as it may not reach the part of the public unable to afford such devices or internet access. Advantages of using the social media aspect can attract the attention needed to promote a product or service intended or drive traffic to the intended website of services. This type of channel has the ability to bring people together from all over the world as well as allows each person to express their own opinions and ideas, providing well-needed feedback. Disadvantages of this method when not used properly or failed to promote the communication effectively can cause a permanent damage to the company’s reputation; as this mistake is seen in front of hundreds or thousands of people who also have direct and easy access of spreading their messages online. This way of communicating can also be more time consuming as someone has to be constantly checking in to make comments, answer questions, and reply to feedback. Regulatory Effects While healthcare organizations are responsible to adhere to regulations on a federal level such as with (HHS) Department of Health and Human Services and (HIPPA) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; they are bound by state, local, and some private accrediting organization regulations as well. Any method of communication taken in regards to internal employee and patient awareness as well as external partners, patient families, and the general public must obtain and maintain compliance with regulations set forth by all of the agencies involved. It is important to understand that under the HIPPA privacy law, any identifying information of any patient must have that patient’s written consent before their medical information can be shared. This includes the verbal, written, and electronic use in addition to, appointing a privacy officer responsible for compliance to these standards as well as the ability to identify all ways they intend on communicating the patient information (Osborne, M. Ed. ,OTR/L, 2002). One example, according to the Joint Commission and HIPPA, (SMS) short message service or text messaging is non-secure and noncompliant with safety and privacy regulations and therefore not permitted (Brooks, MD, 2012). In order to use social media channels the information must be DE-identified to maintain compliance with all federal, state and local regulations. Communication Strategy The guidelines, regulations, and restrictions reform will educate employees and target patients, to prohibit the use of adverse medications while receiving treatment at DrugsRus by informing them of the deadly effects and loss of life as a result, using counselors, nurses and physicians through in house meetings, group therapy, one-on-one sessions, automated voicemail messages, flyers, and overhead announcements as well as updated patient rules and regulations pamphlets distributed at the medication window, for the purposes of saving lives and promoting sobriety throughout the recovery process. Rationale for Components Educating our employees will be the first line of defense as our staff can educate the patients as well as enforce the new rules effectively. Counselors can discuss adverse effects of combining medications while in one-on-one sessions with patients. Flyers posted on the walls and offered at the check-in window as well as overhead announcements will catch the attention of patient entering and sitting in the front lobby. Group meetings will be held for patients to discuss changes and express their feelings about the new rules as well as receive feedback as to why these measures have been taken and were needed. Updated pamphlets will be given to each patient as they enter to receive their medication, ensuring every patient is made aware of these official changes. Voicemail messages will follow to ensure the patients at home will be notified of a change and will be opted to prepare for the transition. The object is to reach all of the sixteen hundred patients receiving treatment in enough time to save lives. Each passing day is another chance for an adverse reaction to take another life. In order to implement changes effectively and quickly, all measures of communication must be utilized. Summary In conclusion, as the opiate trend rises among our local and national population, the rise of deaths due to adverse effects of these medications has risen to an all-time high. It is because of the fatalities that a reform of the present patient rules, regulations and guidelines must be implemented and adhered to immediately. As communications officers, we have been asked to develop a strategy to address those needs. We have included some of the present communication methods as well as channels and measures with which to use them effectively. We have included some of the regulations surrounding the legal use of those communication methods. We have given a complete communication strategy which addresses who and what the communication strategy will involve. We have showed how we are going to implement the communication, where and the results of the communication strategy. We have followed up with the reasons this communication effort is so important to our patients and facility as well as vital to our community as a whole.

Police Officer Essay Example for Free

Police Officer Essay * Police officers work in partnership with the communities they serve to maintain law and order, protect members of the public and their property, prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life for all citizens. They use a wide range of technology to protect individuals, identify the perpetrators of crime and ensure successful prosecutions against those who break the law. Police officers work closely with members of the criminal justice system, social workers, schools, local businesses, health trusts, housing authorities, town planners and community groups to provide advice, education and assistance to those who wish to reduce crime or have been affected by crime. I chose to research this job because I like to help people and the best way I can imagine doing this is becoming a cop. * Many police departments require that applicants be high school graduates; an increasing number expect some college education. Applicants usually must be at least twenty-one years of age and U.S. citizens. In many communities, applicants must meet minimum requirements for height, weight, eyesight, and hearing. Because most police departments fall under civil service regulations, applicants must pass written tests that measure their analytical skills. Rigorous physical examinations and background checks are also required. New recruits often participate in formal classroom training in police academies. After graduating they continue to train on the job with experienced officers for three to twelve months. In small communities there may be no formal training program. Officers are usually encouraged to continue their education by taking college courses in criminal justice. Police Officers usually wear a uniform while on duty. Police work can be dangerous and stressful. Officers often deal with violent criminals and may be injured or killed. They must make quick decisions while on duty, yet be tactful and patient with people who are in trouble or have been victims of terrible crimes and abuse. Police protection is provided twenty-four hours a day, so officers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Work shifts are usually rotated; however, officers are on call at all times for emergencies. Overtime may be required. Earnings vary, depending on location. In 2004 the median salary for police officers was $45,210 per year. As officers advanced through the ranks, wages increased. The average minimum salary for police sergeants was $49,895 per year, while the average minimum for lieutenants was $56,115 per year. The following are some of the benefits provided to police officers: Family/Domestic partner health and dental plans for active employees and their eligible dependents. Sick leave disability benefits Sworn employees receive twelve days of 100 percent paid sick leave, five days at 75 percent, and five days at 50 percent, upon hiring. Employees may accumulate up to 100 days at 100 percent, 75 percent, and 50 percent paid sick leave. Employees are eligible for a service-connected disability retirement from the date of graduation from basic training.

Fire Safety Management Procedures Of Storage Warehouse Construction Essay

Fire Safety Management Procedures Of Storage Warehouse Construction Essay The individual report is a team members study into one specialist area of the project which is assigned by the team. It should be essential materials to support the final conclusions and recommendation for this project in the team report. The clients requirements details as follows. Building size: 250 sq meters (office) Building size: 3,500 sq meters (warehouse) Building height: 14 meters Twenty glass windows for the offices on the front One door on the front Ten windows for each side Five gates and three windows on the rear Brick front Sainsbury (client) plans to build up a warehouse along with offices of two storeyes. The building will be constructed of pre-engineered steel structure. For example, Fig 1 shows a typical structure of the pre-engineered steel building. Fig 2 displays the inside of the building under construction Figure Figure Background Since the 1960s there has been a rapid increase in the construction of large single storey storage warehouse facilities in the United Kingdom (UK). One of the most notable of these was the 40,000 m2 unsprinklered military storage facility constructed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at Donnington. In 1983 this storage facility was completely destroyed by fire despite the presence of an on-site fire service. The fire at Donnington and other unsprinklered warehouses circa 1980 raised concerns in the UK and United States (US). The major concern in unsprinklered warehouses is rapid conflagration, especially if the following features are present: †¢ 12-30m internal building heights †¢ High racked storage †¢ Highly combustible and flammable stored commodities †¢ Combustible wall and ceiling linings, †¢ Poor fire safety management Regardless of the above concerns, recent research undertaken by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) into sprinkler installation trends and fire statistics for warehouse buildings has shown that occupants generally make their escape from fires in unsprinklered warehouses un-hurt. The likely reasons for this are: 1. The large internal volume can act as a reservoir for combustible products and hence will increase the available safe escape time (ASET) 2. An occupants awake and familiarity state within the building reduces the required safe escape time (RSET) on this basis, BREs research stated that it could be difficult to justify the provision of sprinklers solely on safety grounds, indicating that the provision of sprinklers would have a negligible impact for life safety purposes. Since the 1980s there have been several full scale sprinklered fire tests on warehouse commodities (stored to various heights). These tests have been performed by BRE, Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Factory Mutual (FMGlobal) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Such research has assisted in the development of BS5306-2, BS EN12845:2004 and bespoke fire safety engineering guidance such as The Design of Smoke Ventilation for Single Storey Industrial Buildings, including those with mezzanine floors, and high racked storage warehouses by the Smoke Ventilation Association (SVA). Where property protection sprinkler systems are installed with additional enhanced features, significant improvements upon the typical 80% reliability can be achieved. Enhancements such as locking valves in the open position to prevent manual shut-off, fast response sprinkler heads and secondary pumps can all ensure that an enhanced property protection sprinkler system offers an operationa l reliability of in excess of 90%, which is the equivalent reliability for a system designed to a life safety standard. Description The purpose of this Outline Fire Strategy Report is to facilitate preliminary discussions with the Approving Authorities and to outline the approach that will be taken to demonstrate compliance with Part B (Fire Safety) of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations (2000-2006). This report will provide a brief summary on the all aspects of fire safety which correlate with the corresponding Building Regulations. However it will focus primarily issues pertaining to the Fire Detection and Alarm system and linking factors, such as evacuation times and fire growth. The overarching areas within the project incorporate: Determine metal building frames and column profiles; Choose the materials for the walls and roof; Lay the floors plan out; Fire sprinkler system and fire-fighting water pipe; Fire detection and alarm system; Smoke control system; Architectural design for egress means; Structural fire resistance calculations; Although the provisions for the fire safety aspects noted above are covered under separate regulations, they are interlinked. Therefore, these fire safety aspects will be reviewed holistically in this strategy in order to ensure the requirements of the Building Regulations are achieved in the proposed works. The facility will incorporate approximately 3,500 sq m of warehousing space and a two storey office block. The facility will be typical portal fame construction clad in composite panels with the portal haunch being at approximately 16m above adjacent ground level and the apex of portals being at approximately 18m above adjacent ground level. The two storey office block is compartmented from the remainder of the building in fire resisting construction effectively creating two separated parts. The warehouse compartment is single storey. Automated Garment Racking System The automated garment racking system will be spread over five levels (i.e. ground and four upper access gantries/walkway levels). A common feature of automated hanging garment storage systems is that there are no discernible floors. Access to the automated garment racking system will be via elevated walkways and open stairs. A typical arrangement is shown in figure 3 Figure The existing facility is fitted out with high racking bays incorporating in-rack sprinklers. It is intended to alter the existing high racking bay arrangement to incorporate a more efficient system to meet with specific operational requirements. The existing sprinkler system will be amended/extended to ensure that all high rack storage bays are adequately protected with in-rack sprinklers. Building Regulations Regarding fire safety, the proposed automated hanging garment racking system and associated works must comply with The Building Regulations 2000 (England and Wales) but in existing areas only to the extent where no new or greater contravention of any regulation is created. As a general principle the recommendations of Approved Document B (ADB) Volume 2 Buildings Other Than Dwelling Houses can to be applied to most buildings. Although, in respect of certain buildings and structures, in particular those purpose-designed for automated storage plant, the recommendations set out in ADB might be either inappropriate or unreasonably restrictive. A common feature of automated hanging garment storage systems is that there are no discernible floors and no fire separation provided between deck levels. Automated hanging garment delivery, picking or transportation systems are generally accessed via elevated walkways, stairs and ramps. The Building Regulations are written in a functional manner and rather than follow the prescriptive guidance of a particular code of practice, a fire engineered approach can be taken to demonstrate compliance with Statutory requirements where deemed appropriate. In this regard ADB states the following: Fire safety engineering can provide an alternative approach to fire safety. It may be the only practical way to achieve a satisfactory standard of fire safety in some large and complex buildings and in buildings containing different uses ADB: Fire Safety Engineering (0.3) Therefore, where the proposed development does not fully comply with the recommendations of ADB m it is intended to incorporate the latest guidance available as part of an alternative fire safety engineering approach. This approach will be based on the recommendations of BS7974 with the overarching aim of achieving the optimum design solution and Building Regulations approvals. THE REGULATORY REFORM (FIRE SAFETY) ORDER 2005 When the premises become a workplace, the responsible person, i.e. employer, must ensure that any duty imposed by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, England Wales, specifically articles 8 to 22 or by regulations made under article 24 is complied with. Generally, compliance can be achieved with robust maintenance, staff training and housekeeping regimes and by undertaking regular fire risk assessments (FRA). The local Fire and Rescue Service will be responsible for enforcing these Regulations. Purpose Groups Purpose groups can apply to the whole building or to a compartment in the building. ADB recommends that different uses within a building should be assessed as separate purpose groups except when certain criteria are met (i.e. classified as ancillary if less than1/5 of the compartment floor area). The design of the existing building incorporates a significant amount of single storey open spatial planning, with the warehousing areas being completely separated from the main office block by fire rated construction. Therefore, when account is taken of proposed material alterations and the definitions noted in Appendix D of ADB the proposed warehouse compartment is classified as Purpose Group 7(a) Storage and Other Non-Residential. The existing multi-storey office compartment is classified as Purpose Group 3, Office. Supporting documentation In tandem with the application of recommendations in ADB, a fire safety engineered approach has been used where considered appropriate for aspects of the buildings design. This approach has used recommendations from the following guidance documents to achieve a robust fire strategy: †¢ BS7974 Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings (BSI 2003) †¢ BS9999 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings (BSI 2008) †¢ BS5588 Fire Precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings; Part 5 Access and facilities for fire-fighting (BSI 2004) †¢ BS5588 Fire Precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings; Part 8 Code of practice for means of escape for disabled people (BSI 1991) BS7974 framework BS7974 is specifically noted in standard fire safety guidance material as providing further guidance on fire safety engineering principles. Figure 4 presents the basic fire engineering design process suggested in BS7974. Figure Deviations BS7974 states the following regarding the use of fire safety engineering in buildings that are otherwise compliant with standard practice: In many projects it is likely that the provisions of existing codes of practice and other guidance will be largely followed and that fire engineering techniques will not be necessary (or may be used only to justify limited departures from the codes). At its simplest the QDR team may therefore, define the acceptance criteria in terms of compliance with existing code recommendations. The acceptability of a particular design may be evaluated by means of a comparison. The level of safety provided by alternative fire safety strategies can be compared with that achieved by the well-established codes. This approach involves deterministic and/or probabilistic techniques and requires less extensive analysis than a full study. The objective of a comparative study is to demonstrate that the building, as designed, presents no greater risk to the occupants than a similar type of building designed in accordance with a well-established code. Most existing codes and guides allow elements of trade-of f and/or alternative measures. Examples can be found for fire resistance, compartment sizes and building separation In a comparative study these examples may be applicable without the need for detailed analysis. The evacuation strategy for the proposed buildings will involve simultaneously evacuating all areas on activation of the fire alarm system. As part of the Management and Health and Safety procedures the management team shall have prepared and implement procedures for the safe evacuation of occupants from the building. Required Safe Egress Time and Available Safe Egress Time In performance based fire safety engineering approaches it is fundamental that the evaluation of the complex interactions between fire, occupants and buildings for means of escape considers the following: †¢ Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) time to detection warning time (alarm) response time (occupant pre-movement) travel time queuing †¢ Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) Time to untenable conditions governed by fire growth, smoke production and size of room. A simple diagrammatic representation of the relationship between ASET and RSET is shown in figure 5 Research on Evacuation Times Standard fire safety recommendations for means of escape relate to travel time, i.e. the time taken to travel to and through exits to a place of relative safety. However, it is widely acknowledged that the time taken for occupants to start to evacuate can be considerably longer than the time taken to actually move out of the building. Significant research has been carried out in recent decades on occupant behaviour during building evacuations. Fires and human behaviour by Canter in 1990 and Safety and the built environment by Sime in 1988 were significant contributions. Through such research it is now widely acknowledged that occupants behaviour varies appreciably depending on a wide range of factors such as social affiliation, role and responsibility, commitment to a present task, the presence of a focal point, etc. BS7974-6 Human Factors: Life safety strategies occupant evacuation, behaviour and condition is the latest guidance available in relation to human behaviour in evacuatio ns. Recognition and Response Times How occupants respond to a fire will depend initially on the cue they receive. The components of occupants evacuation time are recognition time, response time and travel time. Both recognition and response times are known as pre-movement time. The former represents the time taken to appreciate that the alarm is a fire alarm relating to the occupant (as opposed to a security alarm, car alarm, etc). During this time occupants will continue with activities as they were prior to the activation of the alarm, e.g. staff members undertaking duties, etc. The latter represents the duration taken by occupants to begin to move towards an escape route, e.g. investigative behaviour, shutting down machinery, etc. In warehouse buildings occupants are generally familiar with their surroundings and are trained in fire emergency evacuation protocols. In the proposed storage facility and associated offices, occupants should be familiar with the sounding of the fire alarm and as such would commence evacuation reasonably promptly. Where a reasonable standard of fire safety management is provided and a high standard of automatic fire detection is provided, BS7974-6 recommends that familiar occupants of a building can be expected to take between 1mins and 2mins before they start to evacuate. By comparison, occupants of an unfamiliar building with a complex internal layout and a more basic standard of fire alarm system could take up to 15mins before commencing an evacuation. Recent research would indicate that even in unfamiliar buildings, occupants prompted by familiar staff can commence their evacuation within the first 30secs. Impact of Evacuation Management To comply with ADB and other fire safety legislation a reasonable standard of management will need to be provided in the building. This will include regular fire drills and the appointment of fire wardens for various areas to encourage an efficient evacuation of the building in the event of a fire. Such protocol should assist in limiting the recognition and response times of occupants. However, the proposed strategic approach to fire safety adopted in this fire strategy will not place any greater onus on management of this building than would be considered reasonable for any other storage facility of this size. An extract of Table C.1 from BS7974-6 is partially replicated in Figure 6. This demonstrates the potential variation in pre-movement times of evacuees which is dependent upon on the level of management and fire alarm provision. The management of this building will adopt a proactive fire safety management approach to comply with standard fire safety regulations for the workplac e. Figure A1-A2: Automatic fire detection and alarm throughout the building A3: Automatic fire detection and alarm only in certain areas, or manual call points only throughout Components of Available Safe Egress Time The Available Safe Egress Time is the time from ignition until conditions on occupants escape routes become untenable. The time taken for hazardous conditions to occur on the escape route will depend on three governing factors: †¢ the growth rate of the fire (and rate of smoke production) †¢ time to sprinkler activation and containment of fire size †¢ the compartment size/smoke reservoir Determination of Design Occupancy in the Warehouse Compartment To assess the likely required capacity of escape routes in speculative buildings, floor space factors are commonly used. When a designated bespoke occupancy is not known there are varying recommended floor space factors in current guidance documents that can be used. The proposed works are not for a speculative end user and Sainsburys have a good understanding of necessary staffing levels to carry out their logistics operations based on current arrangements and their other warehousing operations across the UK. Fire Growth Rate During the evacuation period the main hazard to occupants is smoke. The amount of smoke produced is directly linked to fire size and fire growth rate. The most common method of determining fire growth rates for unsprinklered fires is through the use of t-squared fires. Figure 7 illustrates the heat release rates over time of the four common fire growth rates published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). BS7974 acknowledges that storage warehouse commodities growing unchecked will generally follow an ultra-fast fire growth rate. This attracts a coefficient of g = 0.187kW/s2. Charters et al undertook a recent study to review the probabilistic aspect of fire growth in storage warehouses serving retail facilities. One of the main findings of the research was that fires in high-racked storage cash and carry warehouses were ultra-fast growing. This correlates with BS7974-1. An ultra-fast growth rate will be used for the comparative assessment of both the proposed and code c ompliant layouts. Figure Fire Size Sprinklers are installed in buildings to suppress fire size by the distribution of water so as to decrease the heat release rate and pre-wet adjacent combustibles while controlling gas temperatures to avoid structural damage. The proposed warehouse compartment will be fitted with a comprehensive in-rack sprinkler system to ensure fire size is kept to an absolute minimum. Figure 8 below from BS7974-1 demonstrates sprinkler control and extinguishment. Figure Given the enhancements to the property protection sprinkler, the proposed model will be based on a sprinkler controlled fire scenario. Although, there is significant potential that the provision of in-rack sprinklers will fully extinguish a fire, for the purposes of this comparative assessment, it will be considered that the fire size on sprinkler activation in the proposed building will be controlled as per (b) in Figure 7 rather than (d) i.e. the fire being extinguished. This provides an additional factor of safety for the analysis. There has been a number of real fire tests carried out on high rack storage arrangements by insurance companies. Tests carried out by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. concluded that fire size is unlikely to exceed 5MW where in-rack sprinklers have been provided. Smaller tests on single racks of clothing would indicate a typical peak heat release rate of 2.5MW for isolated arrangements. BRE 368 would also suggest a peak heat release rate of 2.5MW for sprinklered retail fires using fast response sprinkler heads. Travel Distances at Ground Floor Level The final exits from Ground Floor Level, independent of the Office Block, will be maintained as part of the proposed works. The existing exits are well distributed around the external faà §ade thus ensuring that occupants can turn their back on a fire and move towards an alternative exit. Existing travel distances to final exits will remain are unlikely to exceed 80m. Code Recommendations When minimum fire protection measures are provided (i.e. manual fire alarm, 2m floor to ceiling height, etc), ADB suggests maximum travel distances in warehouse accommodation of 25m in a single direction of travel and 45m where two means of escape are provided. The proposed building contains a number of inherent fire safety features such as high ceilings, automatic fire detection, sprinklers and an open plan environment. Such features assist in prolonging the onset of hazardous conditions and increase the chance of a person becoming aware of a fire in the early stages of its development independent of the alarm being raised by others. Therefore, the basic recommendations set out in ADB are considered to be unduly restrictive for the proposed building. A detailed assessment of allowable travel distances will be based on the recommendations of BS7974 and the results of this analysis will be presented in the detailed Fire Strategy Report (FSR). A detailed bespoke fire engineering analysis of allowable travel distances based on the recommendations of BS7974 and incorporating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling will be carried out when layouts have been finalised. The results of this analysis will be presented in the detailed FSR in due course. For the purposes of this OFSR and preliminary design we have carried out a preliminary two zone model analysis to gain an understanding of the likely results to be obtained from the detailed CFD modelling. AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM Time to Detection and Alarm for the Proposed Arrangement It is proposed to provide a high standard of automatic fire detection and alarm system throughout the Warehousing compartment. The standard of detection and alarm in the building will affect the general time to warning for occupants and provide an enhanced level of fire safety through early warning and shorter evacuation times. Activation of the sprinkler system will also lead to the fire alarm sounding throughout the building. To ensure a conservative estimation of fire alarm activation our analysis has been based on an anticipated sprinkler activation time of 123sec Time to Detection and Alarm for a Typical Code Compliant Arrangement Many code compliant warehouse facilities with code compliant travel distances only require manual fire detection to meet with code recommendations. Therefore the time to detection would depend on the time taken for occupants in the room of fire origin to raise the alarm. However, should the room of fire origin be unoccupied then the time to alarm for people who may be in rooms remote from the fire would depend on them or other occupants becoming aware of cues of the fire scenario, e.g. sounds of burning material, smell of smoke or seeing smoke through a vision panel. Although BS7974-6 recommends a time to detection of at least 15mins for such scenarios, a reasonable worst case for a typical code compliant open plan warehouse could be 3 5mins. Pre-Movement Times The elevated walkways will be accessed by a relatively small number of transient staff who should be familiar with their surroundings and location of their escape routes. In compliance with health and safety legislation, fire drills will be carried out on a regular basis. Therefore, staff should be familiar with the fire alarm signal and the evacuation procedure. Current fire research would suggest that occupant pre-movement times in a managed facility such as this Sainsburys Distribution Centre is between 30secs and 60secs after alarm. However, BS7974-6 Table C1 (see Figure 5) conservatively presents a 120secs occupant premovement time for this type of occupancy. In line with BS7974-6 recommendations the code compliant layout could be 900secs. However, the comparative analysis will consider a pre-movement time of 120secs for both layouts. This is an onerous consideration and as such adds a significant degree of conservatism to the analysis. Travel Times Extensive studies have been carried out on the travel speeds of people of various abilities. CIBSE Guide E Fire Engineering and BR459 Fire Safety Engineering A Reference Guide both state that a travel speed of 1.2m/s is considered reasonable for able bodied people in low occupant density areas. This is based primarily on work by Pauls and Fruin. Personnel who will be accessing the proposed elevated walkways will be doing so to maintain/ensure the smooth operation of the automated system and will need to be reasonably mobile/physically fit to carry out such operations. Therefore, a travel speed of 1.2m/s is considered reasonable for this assessment. As previously noted travel distances on elevated walkways of the Automated Hanging Garment Racking System could be up to 100m when racking layouts are finalised. Based on a 1.2m/s travel speed it could take these occupants 84secs to reach a storey exit. For a typical compliant layout with a 45m travel distance it would take 37.5secs to rea ch a storey exit. For the above RSET components, Table 2 below presents the corresponding trset Δ . The above analysis would indicate that occupants located on one of the elevated walkways could Conservatively take up to 327secs to evacuate from the upper walkway levels of the automated hanging garment racking system. The analysis also demonstrates the benefits of providing a good standard of automatic detection and an in-rack sprinkler system that is linked to the fire alarm system as such systems should ensure that the required safe egress time from the proposed building is kept to a minimum. As can be seen from Table 2 above such systems should also ensure evacuation times from the proposed building would be comparable with many typical code compliant arrangements, if not better. To meet with code recommendations a Type M manual fire alarm system would be necessary in a standard warehouse building. However, the provision of an automatic fire detection and alarm system is an integral part of the overall fire safety package from a fire engineering perspective. The current fire alarm system will be extended to ensure the earliest possible detection of fire in the vicinity of the Automated Hanging Garment System areas. The system will provide high standard smoke detection coverage above and to the underside of elevated levels of the Automated Hanging Garment System level. The sprinkler system will also be linked to the fire alarm system so that in the event of a sprinkler head activating the alarm will sound throughout the building thus ensuring the earliest possible alert of the need to commence evacuation. The additional provision of smoke detection and linking the sprinkler system to the fire alarm is considered a significant additional life safety benefit whi ch should substantially reduce the time to alarm and pre-movement time of occupants in the building. The Type L5 fire alarm system will be designed in compliance with BS5839-1. Office Block Compartment No changes are proposed for the Office Block Compartment. Means of escape from the Warehouse Compartment is independent of the Office Block. Therefore, no further analysis of this area is necessary as part of the proposed works. EVACUATION PROCEDURES Comprehensive fire safety management procedures should be developed in consultation with the Enforcing Authorities. A detailed Fire Safety Management Plan should be developed for the management of the proposed scheme to ensure the safety of all occupants is not comprised. This section only serves as a brief introduction to the evacuation procedures which will need to be written into the Fire Safety Management Plan. Further guidance can be found in BS5588-12 Managing fire safety.

Music File-Sharing- Right or Wrong? Essay -- Internet File Sharing Ess

Music File-Sharing- Right or Wrong? To file share or not to file share? That is the question. Should free music off the internet be legal? Who is in the right- Napster or the music industry? There are some of the topics I hoped to discuss when I invited four journalists to my house to debate the controversial issue of online music. Ding-dong! â€Å"Uh-oh†, I think, wiping my hands on a paper towel. â€Å"They must be here early.† It’s six-thirty, my guests aren’t due to arrive until seven, and I am already a half-hour behind. The lobsters are still boiling on the stove, the chunky potatoes are rock-hard and my spinach salad lies in pieces all over the kitchen floor. Things aren’t off to such a good start. I am supposed to be hosting a small, informal discussion tonight with a few journalists. The topic of the forum concerns the recent legal uproar about online music organizations such as Napster, Morpheus and Kazaa. I have invited a variety of people; some of whom have clashing opinions. I am looking forward to a heated and intellectual discussion; which will be good because I am planning on writing a book on the subject of online music. I haven’t decided yet whose side I am on; the music industry or the internet music providers. Hopefully, tonight’s discussion will provide me with some insight as to which side to stand on. Or maybe, I won’t have to choose a side†¦who knows? As I walk to the front door, I can’t help but feel just a little bit anxious, but excited at the same time. â€Å"I wonder who it is†¦who had the nerve to be fifteen minutes early?† I think to myself. I open the great oak door to find Tobey Grumet, a journalist from Popular Mechanics magazine. â€Å"How’s it going?† he asks casually as he ... ... on the issue of online file-sharing. Each of them had to take an opinion on the subject because it is part of their job. And, for the most part, I don’t believe there was any kind of prior incentive to their taking one side or the other. Each of them has an extensive technological background and I think they looked at the issue pretty objectively. I learned a lot about online music from this project. I never realized what an important part of the technology community it plays. It is fun to download free music, rate it, and perhaps even discuss it with fellow music lovers. And it is convenient and thrifty to be able to check out albums before you decide to buy them. My final decision is that online music is a positive aspect of the internet that I hope, somehow, will continue to remain free and entertain music lovers through the means of the internet.

Against Legalizing Homosexual Marriages Essay -- Gay Lesbian Marriage

Against Legalizing Homosexual Marriages The legalized marriage of individuals with the same gender is drawing more attention these days. When asked, most people want to avoid the subject of homosexuality altogether or they have a very strong opinion on it. The debate over whether the United States should allow homosexual couples to marry legally is giving rise to a new social dilemma in our country. This question has courtrooms nervous, churches wavering and equal rights activists angry. Courtrooms should be nervous though. "Our courts, which have mishandled abortion, may be on the verge of mishandling homosexual marriages" (Wilson 34). The judges of the Supreme Court of Hawaii might possibly legalize gay marriages in the near future. Once legalized in Hawaii, "gay marriage -- like quickie Nevada divorces -- will have to be recognized 'under the full faith and credit clause of the constitution' throughout the rest of the U.S." (Krauthammer). Make no mistake about it, however, we must not grant the protection and p rivileges of legalized marriage to people involved in homosexual relationships. Period! For clarification purposes, "gay" shall refer to all homosexual people, whether male or female. The definition of "Marriage" is two individuals, bound to each other through a legal union that stresses the rights and obligations of the state of marriage. If the government legalizes homosexual marriages in Hawaii, homosexual couples will be able to fly to Hawaii, get married, and then return to their home state as a lawfully wedded couple. According to the "full faith and credit clause" in the United States Constitution, states such as Kansas would have to honor these unions. Homosexuality in itself does not seem to be ... ...der to stop this degradation to our society. Our children are counting on us to make intelligent decisions about their futures. Bibliography: Works Cited Anonymous Author. "Homosexuality Acceptance Increases According To Poll." Jet Magazine. 15 April 1996: 8. Ettelbrick, Paula L. "Marriage Is Not a Path to Liberation." Homosexuality: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. Chicago: Greenhaven, 1993. 177-183 Frame, Randy. "Seeking a Right to the Rite." Christianity Today. 4 March 1996: 64-66, 72-73. Knight, Robert. "Homosexuals Should Have Greater Parental Rights." Homosexuality: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. Chicago: Greenhaven, 1993. 192-197 Krauthhammer, Charles. "When John and Jim say, I do." Time Magazine. 22 July 1996: 102. Wilson, James Q. "Against Homosexual Marriage." Commentary. March 1996: 34-39.

The Wife of Bath’s Tale and The Clerk’s Tale Essay -- The Canterbury Ta

â€Å"The life so short, the craft so long to learn† (Famous Quotes). The Canterbury Tales is enriched with humanistic merit that allows the reader to sharpen his or her own craft of life. Specifically, â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† and â€Å"The Clerk’s Tale† are embodied with multiple struggles of life that pertain to life in the present. Despite seven centuries of society constantly evolving, the two stories’ plots can still be further analyzed through similar themes about relationships that pertain to modern society and how rhetorical strategy allows the audience to relate to the narrative characters. The two tales, told by the Wife of Bath and the Clerk in The Canterbury Tales, have parallel plots. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† begins with a lusty knight standing before his king’s court because of unjust acts he committed with a young maiden. Before the king can execute the knight, the queen objects and offers that the knight’s life is spared if he can find the answer to what women really want. The knight embarks on his journey to discover the answer (â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† 167-68). Similarly, â€Å"The Clerk’s Tale† takes place in the kingdom of Saluzzo, Italy under the control of Walter, the marquis. The people of Saluzzo eagerly advised Walter to find a wife to ensure an heir to the throne. Walter finally finds the standard, beautiful woman in poverty named Griselda. She values hard work and humility, and Walter chooses to marry her. However, she must take a vow to Walter never to complain and to be loyal despite whatever the future may bring. Both plots revolve around the noble class and the differences among the social structure of the time because of the variety of characters portrayed in each tale. The two tales’ plots are d... ...est of trust; however, the two tales’ themes and rhetorical strategies allow the reader to create their own opinions on the many issues depicted in the stories. The same humanistic merit of the 14th Century still affects us today and may even question some of our own morals or outlook on life. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Trans. Peter Ackroyd. New York: Viking, 2009. Print. â€Å"The Clerk’s Tale.† The Canterbury Tales. New York: Viking, 2009. . Web. Jan & Feb. 2012. "The Life so Short, the Crafts... at BrainyQuote." Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. . "The Wife of Bath's Tale." The Canterbury Tales. New York: Viking, 2009. . Web. Jan. & Feb. 2012. "The Wife of Bath's Prologue." The Canterbury Tales. New York: Viking, 2009. . Web. Jan. & Feb. 2012.

What is an Educated Filipino?

The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in response to fundamental changes in the details and aims of society. In our country and during this transition stage in our national life, what are the qualities which an educated man should possess? What is an educated Filipino and what qualities should distinguish him today? Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last forty years. The contact with the Americans and their civilization has modified many of our old customs, traditions and practices, some for the worse and many for the better. The means of communication have improved and therefore better understanding exists among the different sections of our country. Religious freedom has developed religious tolerance in our people. The growth of public schools and establishment of democratic institutions have developed our national consciousness both in strength and in solidarity. With this growth in national consciousness and national spirit among our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception in education- the training of an individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not only for his own happiness and efficiency but also for national service and welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of private concern; now it is a public function, and the State not only has the duty but it has the right as well to educate every member of the community- the old as well as the young, women as well as men- not only for the good of the individual but also for the self –preservation and self protection of the State itself. Our modern public school system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and dangers of the democratic government and democratic institutions. In the light of the social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities should distinguish the educated Filipino today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should, first, be distinguished by the power to DO. The Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is a doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs more of his power to translate reflection into action. I believe that we are coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and useful part of the work, life , and progress of our country as well as in the progress of the world. †

Molecular Archaeology

Different methods have been used and are being used in the analysis of archaeological data. Among others, different archaeometric fields such as paleoecology (paleozoology, paleobotany and pllenanalysis), dating methods (radiocarbon-dating and dendrochronology) and analytical chemistry had been used for the evaluation of the quantity and quality of different archaeological substances (Kiesslich, n.d.). Given the nature of archaeology, evaluated data are analyzed on the point of view of history. The recent discoveries in science particularly in genetics and molecular biology have given rise to another method of scientific analysis of archaeological data. The new developments allow easier investigation of ancient remains not only through paleoecology, dating and chemical methods but on a molecular level. This new branch of archaeological analysis is what is now known as Molecular Archaeology. Christianson (2007) of the Minnesota State University gives a more perspicuous description of the field. According to him, Molecular Archaeology is an â€Å"†¦emergent field in archaeology that has been brought about by the advancements of the recognition and understanding of DNA, focusing on the acquisition of either DNA or mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) and being able to determine species of natural archaeological finds as well as determine blood lines and/or sex of animal or human remains.† It is this use of the DNA in the analysis of archaeological data that differentiates Molecular Archaeology from the other methods of archaeological analysis. It is the biological function of this DNA that makes molecular archaeology an irreplaceable field in analytical archaeology. This DNA contains genetic information which, once known, could provide special information about the individual properties of the probe (Christianson, 2007). These individual properties include one's species, population, and gender. Also, Through the use of DNA residues, accuracy in reconstructing subsistence and related cultural activities is more probably. As a result, we gain more knowledge and understanding of the lives of our ancestors and the environment they lived in as well as of the other creatures that coexisted with them (Christianson, 2007). There was a time when molecular archaeology seemed to be inconceivable. This was when scientists believed that DNA-preservation was impossible in biological remains. Previous studies have shown that it only took days or even hours for degradation to occur after the death of an individual. With degradation, of course, is the loss of significant genetic information (Keisslich, n.d.). It is one study in the early eighties defied this scientists' limiting belief on the relationship between degradation and DNA-preservation and paved the way for molecular archaeology and the use of DNA in the analysis of archaeological data. â€Å"This is the successful detection of intact genetic information in a 4000-year-old Egyptian mummy† (Kiesslich, n.d.) Furthermore, the invention of analytical methods in molecular biology boosted the field of molecular archaeology. â€Å"In 1988, Mullis and Saiki published a study on Primer-directed enzymatic amplification of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase†. Practically, they invented the PCR or the Polymerase Chain Reaction technique which made possible the detection and characterization of even minimal traces of DNA. In theory, the presence of even a single intact molecule of DNA can give a positive result (Kiesslich, n.d.) †The impact of molecular archaeology particularly its use of DNA in evaluating data has been proven to be a great leap in archaeological research†. Because DNA is a huge aspect of molecular archaeology, it is necessary even for the general studies of this subject to include information on the nature of the DNA. DNA is a helically-twisted macromolecule consisting of a sugar-phosphate backbone. â€Å"Each sugar in the DNA's sugar-phosphate backbone is bound to one side-chain which may be different for each unit†. It is this side-chain that represents a single basic unit of DNA or DNA-base. It is the connection between a few to several billions of base-pairs connected by one polymer unit that produces a double helix, particular to the DNA. (Kiesslich, n.d.) The function of the DNA is mainly the maintenance and passing of genetic information from parent to progeny. This genetic information is encoded in 4 different letters (A, C, G, T) which represent the bases or the basic units. Three of the letters together correspond to the next superior information unit (Kiesslich, n.d.) The DNA not only functions for the maintenance and passing of genetic information but also for the control of the biological functions of each cell. For living organisms, it is located in the nucleus of the cells and in small cellular compartments called mitochondria. This mitochondria are considered as the powerhouses of the cell because it provide for the energy needed for cellular processes. Like nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has their own chromosomes. â€Å"In general, a cell contains only two copies of nuclear DNA and as much as a thousand copies of mitochondrial DNA â€Å"(Kiesslich, n.d.). What is crucial to the nature of the DNA is the sequence of its 4 discriminable bases or the base-sequence. It is this base-sequence that represents the genetic information passed on from parent to progeny and controls the cellular chemical reactions. It is this sequence that is the targeted information in the analysis of archaeological facts and this sequence can only be determined through the application of methods in molecular biology (Kiesslich, n.d.). Information given by an individual's DNA is not limited to the individual but also to pathogens which include microorganisms and bacteria, as well as biological materials and the diet of a settlement (Kiesslich, n.d.). DNA of microorganisms and bacteria can be determined through paleopathology and paleoepidemiology. DNA of biological material can be determined through paleoecology, paleobotany and paleozoology. An extracted intact DNA would give the whole genetic information of an individual. This genetic information can be accessed using different sequence-specific DNA probes which also provide information required for archaeological analysis (Kiesslich, n.d.) There is a difference between the extraction of DNA from the nucleus and DNA from the mitochondria. Note that DNA from the nucleus persists only as two copies for every cell while mitochondrial DNA persists at an average of a few thousand copies per cell. â€Å"Nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA require a minimum state of preservation to obtain the specific sequence information†. The greater quantity of mitochondrial DNA allows it to be more readily accessible compared to nuclear DNA. It is also more resistant to degradation processes after death as well as diaganetic influences compared to nuclear DNA (Kiesslich, n.d.). The two types of DNA are different in the types of information that can be obtained. In nuclear DNA, information about an individual's genetic constitution can be obtained. This includes the individual's species, gender, fingerprint and kinship with other individuals. Meanwhile, the mitochondrial DNA provides information that allows the assessment of maternal lineage within a community. This is because mitochondrial DNA is exclusively maternally hereditary. The mitorchondrial DNA's comparatively slow mutational rate also allows greater evaluation of genetic context for individuals. In effect, individuals can be classified through middle and long-range temporal classification (Kiesslich, n.d.). Using information on the X and Y chromosomes, gender can be determined easily using molecular biological methods (Faerman and Filon, 2005). As it is known, gender is one of the most significant features of an individual and is likewise significant in archaeological analysis. Among other parts, gender can be and is usually determined using the teeth and the bones (Kiesslich, n.d.). Sex-specific genes are located in the X and Y chromosomes. Still, the determination of gender is not limited to molecular biological means. The determination of the gender of an individual remains can be done through conventional methods including morphometry. This happens when convenience is not the issue but the quality of the sample itself when it is too damaged or when the remains that are analyzed belonged to an infant. As a rule, a few grams of bone or tooth is enough for DNA-analysis (Kiesslich, n.d.). †Gender determination through DNA-analysis can be exemplified by the study done in South Israel, at a bath house at a burial site of Roman Askalon†. It must be noted that in Ancient Askalon infanticide was a widespread phenomenon (The Advent of Molecular Archaeology, 2005). †Behind the bath house, archaeologists found more than 100 skeletal remains of infants which at first were thought as the remains of unwanted girls†. The epigraph stating â€Å"Enter, Enjoy and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the several lamps with erotic motifs gave rise to a theory which was confirmed using DNA-analysis. Through gender determination by DNA-analysis, it was found out that the skeletal remains that were found did not only belong to unwanted girls but also to unwanted boys. The bath house was confirmed to be a brothel and the skeletal remains were the infants of the women who used to work at the place (Kiesslich, n.d.). Meanwhile, the issue on whether or not tuberculosis was brought to Peru by Columbus and his successors was clarified using DNA analysis. â€Å"One study reported that the DNA of tuberculosis pathogens already existed even among 600-900-year-old Peruvian mummies† (Kiesslich, n.d.). Nuclear DNA-analysis is also used in the identification of remains. In history, the remains of Josef Mengele in Brazil as well as the identification of the remains of the Romanov family in Jekatrinenburg after the Bolshevik Revolution were identified using DNA-fingerprinting (Kiesslich, n.d.). The analysis of organic residues in some jars found in Egyptian Amphorae allowed the discovery of what commodities were transported to Egypt during the Late Bronze Age and the links between the sources of the jars, the commodities and the way of transport of substances in the Mediterranean world (Stern, 2001). Mitochondrial DNA analysis was used in the investigation of the Tyrolean Ice-man (The Advent of Molecular Archaeology, 2005). The findings of the investigation revealed a high DNA-sequence homology to today's population in the Northern alps (Kiesslich, n.d.) and showed a great fit to the Northern European context. In this case, clothes and tools associated with the findings were also investigated aside from the individual body, giving an idea on vegetation during the era (Kiesslich, n.d.). DNA-analysis also covers topics historical and anthropological topics particularly population-genetics. Population-genetics include the tracing of migrations and distributions of populations. For example, kinship analysis was done with some individuals in Forida (Kiesslich, n.d.). DNA-analysis can also be used to trace genealogical origins and also in the determination of possible threats of diseases from ancestors. Source materials for DNA-analysis are not limited to bones and teeth. As a matter of fact, anything that could possibly contain DNA, even if not part of the individual's body can be a source material. â€Å"Source materials can range from biological remains such as skeletons, bodies, bones, hair, teeth, forensic and medical preparations, museum specimens, fossils and objects that an individual has come in contact with† (Kiesslich, n.d.). It must be remembered that DNA-analysis is a procedure which involves the destruction of the specimen. This implies that once a specimen has been used for analysis, it cannot be reused. On the other hand, even small amounts of materials, say, a piece of hair or a gram of bone is enough for any DNA-analysis as long as the specimen is of quality, depending on the source's chemical, physical, geological, ecological and biological history (Kiesslich, n.d.). †A DNA can be expected to be intact and well-preserved if it has been maintained at low-temperatures such as the case of the Tyrolean Ice-man, or if it has been maintained in arid places†. As a rule, DNA-degradation happens under humid conditions so specimens coming from deserts, and in polar regions or any other setting with similar conditions would produce more intact DNA specimens and more successful DNA analysis. Other conserving factors include anaerobic conditions such as that in Florida during the kinship analysis and the quantity of possible DNA specimens such in mummies (Kiesslich, n.d.). The less a specimen is affected by diagenetic processes, the more intact and well-preserved it will be when used for DNA-analysis. This is the reason why teeth and bones are commonly used for DNA-analysis. Their structure, and rigidity as well as the little hollow spaces with single cells, which undergo individual post-mortem mummification (Kiesslich, n.d.). In addition, these specimens are less affected by natural contamination during the life of the individual as well as post-mortem contaminations. Contemporary contaminations in the specimens can also be easily removed before extracting the DNA. As noted earlier, teeth and bones are suitable material sources for the determination of gender and for any other DNA-analysis (Kiesslich, n.d.). In molecular archaeology as well as in any other field that require genetic analysis, collection of samples and pre-treatment require maximum precautions. This is to prevent contemporary errors which are possible sources of errors. Errors are especially crucial in DNA-analysis since specimens are not infinite (Kiesslich, n.d.). One simple precaution is to wear gloves and safety-masks. Also, tools and containers that will be used in the analysis should be sterile and free from other DNA contaminants. It must also be remembered that probing of specimens should be done directly at the excavation site, sealed and only opened until it get to the laboratory. All these should be obligatory to prevent contamination and thus, errors (Kiesslich, n.d.) There are many procedures for the extraction of DNA from material sources. Naturally, speciments are cleaned first to remove physical contaminants such as soil and dirt. Specimens are then homogenized and placed in an extraction buffer. This extraction buffer contains compounds that are necessary for the breaking of the source-matrix. The breaking of the source matrix is done by decalcification or and proteinase-digestion. The end product is the extracted solubilized DNA (Kiesslich, n.d.). Similar to extraction, isolation and purification are also done through different procedures. Before doing the process, the chemical and physical conditions of the source material must first be evaluated. This is another preventive procedure to minimize errors from contaminants. Once the DNA in the source material has been purified and contained in an aqueous solution, substances that are co-extracted with the DNA including humic acids and other chemicals which have similar properties with the DNA must be removed to avoid false negatives in PCR reactions. These co-extrants could also inhibit enzymatic reactions (Kiesslich, n.d.). The most powerful tool for the investigation of DNA is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) because of its sensitivity which allows even a single intact DNA enough for detection. The PCR is an amplification procedure that is sequence specific. â€Å"Here, sequence specific DNA probes are added to reactions considering reaction parameters necessary for the process†. Through this, the target sequence is amplified until detectable amounts are obtained. However, further care must be done in order to avoid contamination, particularly contemporary ones. Contemporary contaminants are better preserved in the PCR. To manage this, blank extracts and zero-controls must be done for every extraction. In sum, controls are necessary to for the verification of the authenticity of the results and in order to trace possible contaminations that are present (Kiesslich, n.d.). Zero-controls are PCR-reactions which do not contain the DNA being analyzed (Kiesslich, n.d.). They are blank extracts which contain everything that is required for the reaction used in the DNA-analysis such as solutions and buffers. In the same way as the source material, these controls undergo the same extraction steps. Much has been transformed by the discovery of DNA. In the past, archaeological investigations may be limited to the physical level. Today, it has reached the era when Archaeology intersects with Molecular Biology. There are still lots of evidences to discover. history is still filled with gaps. With the advent of Molecular Archaeology, strands may just be made and gaps may just be filled. References Christianson, B. (2007). Molecular Archaeology. Minnesota State University. Retrieved 23 October 2007 from http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/archaeology/moleculararchaeology.html. Faerman, M., D. Filon, et al. (1995). Sex identification of archaeological human remains based on amplification of the X and Y amelogenin alleles. Gene, 167, (1-2): 327-32. Kiesslich, J. (n.d.). The Emerging Field of Molecular Archaeology. Retrieved 23 October Saiki, R. K., D. H. Gelfand, et al. (1988). Primer-directed enzymatic amplification of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase. Science,   239, (4839): 487-91. Stern, B. (2001). Organic Residues in Egyptian Amphorae. University of Bradford. Retrieved 23 October 2007 from http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/archsci/depart/resgrp/molarch/egypt.html. The Advent of Molecular Archaeology. (2005). Retrieved 23 October 2007 from http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu/2/184.