BUSINESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

BUSINESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example Secondly, it was supposed to be completed in 2001 and ended up being completed in late 2004 after a prior completion period of 2005 had been rescinded and pushed back to that time in 2004. The building was to play host to a total of 129 members of the Scottish parliament and more than 1000 workers as well as civil servants. Its building and construction had been controversial right from the start. The points of controversy lay with the location choice, the design, the architect and the entire construction; everything was fully criticised. An enquiry into why the project took that long was construed and determined that the project was all flawed right from the start to the end in terms of management, finance, competence of the project management and many other aspects and issues. The location details are to it that the building was supposed to be erected on a 1.6 ha piece of land and located just 1 km east of the city of Edinburg. The Spanish architect sought a design that was representative of the national identity. This issue of design was the beginning of the project problems given that the design was delivered late and not in line with the requirements of the project previous historical requirements. Suffice is to say, what was discovered was a complex non-hierarchical low lying, organic collection of buildings that intended to integrate the environment and Scottish people. The building was later found out to be a complex of several buildings with varying designs of architecture including a section providing accommodation for the members of parliament, their staff and researchers. Many features were attached to the building and this made it very expensive attracting critical acclaim from the people and other leaders including some members of parliament t hat used it. The estimation cost of the building was put to the bar way back in 1997 before the ideal construction started. However, it was noted

The use of emulsifiers in the food industry Essay

The use of emulsifiers in the food industry - Essay Example In this paper, the need, use and importance of emulsifiers in food industry will be clearly depicted. The importance of emulsifiers in different food preparations will also be explained by examples. 2.0 Emulsifiers Emulsifiers are the chain of molecules which possess one water-loving i.e. hydrophilic nature on one end of the chain and oil-loving, i.e. hydrophobic nature at the other end. For example, when oil and water are added together, it does not mix and the oil floats in the water surface. This mixture can only be possible when emulsifier is added in them. After mixture of emulsifier, oil and water get lightly dispersed with each other forming stable, homogenous smooth mixture (Food Info, 2009). Emulsifier is generally a product which facilitates two substances to mix up homogeneously which ordinarily may not be possible to mix well. For example, mayonnaise is an ‘emulsified food product’. To enhance the taste and texture of this food product, emulsifier is added wi th other ingredients. In food products, the emulsified mixture are the combination of at least two components or â€Å"phases† which in general do not mix well all together. Oil and water are the two phases in mayonnaise (Bernstein, n.d.). 3.0 Importance The food industry uses various types of emulsifiers while producing variety of food products. The simplest type of emulsifier used in food industry is a natural emulsifier which is derived from a source of vegetable referred to as ‘lecithin’. This natural emulsifier has been derived from soybeans though other types of emulsifiers are derived from various other sources. For the production of lecithin, the soy oil is expressed from the soil beans, which is ultimately treated with steam. This emulsifier is commonly used in chocolate bars and chocolate candy. The presence of lecithin with other various ingredients in chocolate facilitates to uphold stability and avert separation and spoilage. In the food industry, em ulsifiers are a foremost ingredient group that are used in products. The primary importance of emulsifiers is to increase the improvement of food palatability. The food products which make use of fats or fatty ingredients need the presence of emulsifier in order to maintain their reliability and quality. Several products of chocolate coatings and icings require this as they make fatty things. The disadvantage of the existence of these fats is primarily â€Å"mouthfeel†, which they convey to the final product. The addition of emulsifiers makes the finished product more delicious since it reduces the slippery content from the product after tasting of the fat component. Consequently, texture and stability does not negotiate taste and consumer acceptability (Bernstein, n.d.). 4.0 Applications of Emulsifiers Emulsifier is used in variety of food productions in the food industry. Several examples can highlight the importance of use of emulsifier: It is used in making bread because without the use of emulsifier it becomes dry, low in volume and get decayed easily. Two types of emulsifiers are used in bread, which are dough strengtheners and dough softeners. In dough strengtheners, diacetyl tartaric acid esters and sodium or calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate are included which help to make the dough stronger; and dough softener includes mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids,

The Consumption Function Essay Example for Free

The Consumption Function Essay To make the income-expenditure model more realistic, we will need to introduce other components of demand, including the government and the foreign sector. But first we need to recognize that consumers planned expenditures will depend on their level of income. †¢Consumer Spending and Income The consumption function describes the relationship between desired spending by consumers and the level of income. When consumers have more income, they will want to purchase more goods and services. A simple consumption function can be described by the equation C = Ca + by In which total consumption spending, C, has two parts. The first part, Ca, is called autonomous consumption, and it does not directly depend on the level of income. The second part, by, represents the part of consumption that does depend on income. It is the product of the fraction b, called the marginal propensity to consume (MPC), and level of income in the economy, y. The MPC, which has a value of b in our formula, tells us how much consumption spending will increase for every dollar that income increases. If b equals 0.7, then for every $1 that income increases, consumption would increase by 0.7 ÃŽ § $1, or $0.70. As firms produce output, they pay households income in the form of wages, interest, profits, and rents. We can therefore use y to represent both output and income. †¢Changes in the Consumption Function The consumption function is determined by the level of autonomous consumption and by the MPC. The level of autonomous consumption can change, and so can the MPC. Changes in either shift the consumption function to another position on the graph. A higher level of autonomous consumption but no change in MPC will shift the entire consumption function upward and parallel to its original position. More consumption occurs at every level of income. A number of factors can cause autonomous consumption to change. Here are two: Increases in consumer wealth will cause an increase in autonomous consumption. Wealth consists of the value of stocks, bonds, and consumer durables (consumer goods that last a long time, such as automobiles and refrigerators). Note that a person’s wealth is not the same as income. Income is the amount of money someone earns during a period, such as in a given year, whereas wealth represents the persons total net worth. Increases in consumer confidence will increase autonomous consumption ratio. Forecasters pay attention to consumer confidence, a measure based on household surveys of how positive consumers are feeling about the future, because it helps them to predict consumption spending. The Conference Board, a nonprofit organization devoted to disseminating economic analysis, publishes an index of consumer confidence each month that many forecasters rely on. A change in the marginal propensity to consume will cause a change in the slope of the consumption function.

Stroke Brain Symptoms

Stroke Brain Symptoms Stroke Information on Stroke What is a stroke? A stroke is a medical condition very much like a heart attack, but it occurs in the brain. The blood vessels in the brain can become clogged or occluded from different sources. An ischemic stroke can be due to a clot or embolism of the vessel; or atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries by a fatty deposit known as plaque, can be the culprit. A stroke can also be caused by a hemorrhage from a ruptured vessel which can be due to an aneurysm or high blood pressure. When any of these conditions occur, the brain does not receive enough oxygen; and the brain cells die. Since each area of the brain controls a different body function, the effects of a stroke on the body can vary greatly. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, one can experience permanent residual conditions such as paralysis, aphasia (inability to speak), dysphasia (difficulty with speech), seizures, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and dysarthria (slow or garbled speech). A stroke can cause slurred speech and can have an impact on the swallowing mechanism which can lead to aspiration pneumonia. A diet of thickened liquids can be a helpful prevention tool. How do I know that Im having a stroke? The warning signs of a stroke include: Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination or trouble walking. Sudden severe headache with no known cause. If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and seek treatment at the nearest hospital. A clot-busting medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is available that can break up or dissolve this clot and prevent permanent damage; however, treatment must begin within three hours from the onset of symptoms. Rapid treatment dramatically improves your chance of recovery. While tPA is a safe treatment for a stroke due to a clot, it cannot be given if the stroke is due to hemorrhage. This would increase the bleeding and cause even more damage. You will notice that each of these warning signs for a stroke are of sudden onset. The symptoms of a stroke occur rapidly. Occasionally, these symptoms can occur and last for only a few minutes. It is important to take these symptoms seriously since they are a mechanism for the body to warn us of possible impending doom. These symptoms may be a sign of a TIA or a â€Å"mini-stroke†, which can be a warning sign of an even larger stroke. A TIA does not cause permanent damage like a full-blown stroke does. Once a stroke has occurred, the brain tissue cannot regenerate itself; and the damage cannot be reversed. How is a stroke diagnosed? In order to help determine the cause of a suspected stroke, a physician will most often order an x-ray called a CAT scan. Another test that can give a much more detailed view of the brain is Magnetic Resonance Imaging study or MRI. Patients that have a pacemaker or any type of metallic implant are not candidates for an MRI due to the high-powered magnetic field required for this test. Also, patients that are claustrophobic may not be able to tolerate the confined space of an MRI, Another beneficial procedure offered is a Magnetic Resonance Angiogram of the brain which can detect an area of abnormality minutes after the blood flow to an area has ceased. A conventional MRI may not detect a stroke until up to 6 hours after it has started, and a CAT scan sometimes cannot detect it until it is 12 to 24 hours old. What can I do to prevent a stroke? There are many things that can be done to prevent or lower your risk a stroke. They include a healthy exercise program, a diet high in fruits, vegetables and fiber and low in fat and salt, and avoidance of alcohol and tobacco products. Consistent control of chronic conditions such as atrial fibrillation of the heart which cause the blood to pool and clot in the atria, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, and to undergo regular physical exams and monitoring of blood cholesterol levels all help to reduce your risk for stroke. Medication therapy is another way to reduce your risk of stroke. Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications such as Aspirin, Plavix, and Coumadin and Heparin may be prescribed by a physician for stroke prevention or treatment. These medications thin the blood and help to prevent clot formation which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Now that I have had a stroke, is there an effective treatment? Unfortunately, the permanent damage that can occur from a stroke cannot be reversed; however, the prevention program detailed above can reduce your risk of having a second stroke. A rigorous therapy and rehabilitative program may be extremely beneficial in learning activities of daily living and regaining some control of your life. Often, patients learn how to bathe and dress themselves independently. Family and caregivers can play a huge role in this process and work with their loved one to build muscle strength. A supportive, patient and encouraging environment can work wonders in helping to avoid the depressive symptoms that often occur after a stroke. A new-found or renewed interest in a hobby such as playing a musical instrument can also be a beneficial therapy for a stroke victim. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from the American Stroke Association.org website: http://www.StrokeAssociation.org Retrieved March 11, 2008 from the Safe-Stroke Awareness for Everyone website: http://www.StrokeSafe.org Retrieved March 11, 2008 from the National Stroke Association website: http://www.Stroke.org Retrieved March 11, 2008 from the MedicineNet.com website: http://www.MedicineNet.com

Gothic Elements in A Curtain of Green and Death of a Traveling Salesma

Gothic Elements in A Curtain of Green and Death of a Traveling Salesman In fiction, Gothicism is defined as a style that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate. Eudora Welty makes frequent use of the grotesque in her work, often pairing it with elements of mystery, as in "Keela, The Outcast Indian Maiden." However, she usually deals with desolation as a separate element, as in "Death of A Traveling Salesman," in which the focus is placed on the lonely, fruitless existence of R.J. Bowman. One early reviewer of A Curtain of Green, in which "Keela, The Outcast Indian Maiden" appears, wrote that Welty was "preoccupied with the demented, the deformed, the queer, [and] the highly spiced" (Vande Kieft 67). Though the presence of these elements is pronounced, the reviewer has failed to look past these devices to see Welty's purpose. Welty's focus is never centered around the grotesque itself; rather she focuses on her characters' reactions to it and the contrast it creates. "She does not try mystically to transform or anonymously to interpret," she me...

Online Newspaper Vs. Print Version -- essays research papers

Newspaper designers have a huge canvas to play with. Their designs can be striking and yet intricate and pack much more impact than a web page; especially because the entire double-page spread is in-your-face in a fraction of a second. Wham, here's the news. The page in the figure is a great example of the possibilities in print: a large, high-resolution map sets the stage for a story about Chile and does double duty as an information graphic for several data nuggets. More data is visualized in smaller graphics around the page. And, of course, there is room for a large amount of text that is set in high-resolution type and nicely integrated with the headlines and graphics in a pleasing over-all layout that allows the eye to move from overview to details in a fraction of a second. The above image does not do justice to the awards book which is printed in super-high resolution on heavy-duty glossy paper. In the book, it is possible to actually read the body text on the page. For online, I had to squeeze the JPEG quality down quite a bit in order to achieve the required 10-second download time for modem users. Another benefit of print! Dimensionality Print design is 2-dimensional, with much attention paid to layout. It is obviously possible for the reader to turn the page, but substantial interplay between different spreads is rare. Typically, each view is a design unit created for a fixed size canvas - often a big canvas when designing newspapers or posters. In contrast, Web design is simultaneously 1-dimensional and N-dimensional. A web page is fundamentally a scrolling experience for the user as opposed to a canvas experience. A small amount of 2-dimensional layout is possible, but not to the extent of creating a pre-planned experience with a fixed spatial relationship between elements. Users often begin scrolling before all elements have been rendered, and different users will scroll the page in different ways throughout their reading experience. Precise placement of elements on a web page goes against the nature of HTML and can only be achieved to an approximation for pages that are able to adjust to different window sizes. Thus, 2-dimensional relationships between page elements are less important than 1-dimensional relationships (what's early on the page; what's later on the page). Navigation The N-dimensional aspect of web design follows fr... ...esign approaches to utilize the strengths of each medium and minimize its weaknesses. Print design is based on letting the eyes walk over the information, selectively looking at information objects and using spatial juxtaposition to make page elements enhance and explain each other. Web design functions by letting the hands move the information (by scrolling or clicking); information relationships are expressed temporally as part of an interaction and user movement. With better hardware, differences in terms of appearance and layout may diminish. At the same time, more powerful software and a better understanding of interactive information objects will increase the differences in terms of interaction and user control. Current web designs are insufficiently interactive and have extremely poor use of multimedia. It is rare to see a web animation that has any goal besides annoying the user. Print design is highly refined, as evidenced by glancing through the recent book of award-winning designs. Web design is impoverished because too many sites strive for the wrong standards of excellence that made sense in the print world but do not make sufficient advances in interactivity.

Justice in “King Lear” Essay

Many themes are evident in King Lear, but perhaps one of the most prevalent relates to the theme of justice. Shakespeare has developed a tragedy that allows us to see man’s decent into chaos. Although Lear is perceived as ‘a man more sinned against than sinning’ (p.62), the treatment of the main characters encourages the reader to reflect on the presence or lack of justice in this world. The characters also vary in their inclination to view the world from either a fatalistic or moralistic point of view, depending on their beliefs about the presence or absence of a higher power. The theme of justice in relation to higher powers can be illustrated from the perspective of King Lear, Gloucester, and Edgar. When reading King Lear, it is helpful to understand the Elizabethan ‘Chain of Being’ in which nature is viewed as order. Rosenblatt (1984) states that there was a belief in an established hierarchy within the universe. Everything had its own relative po sition beginning with Heaven, the Divine Being, and the stars and planets which are all above. On earth the king is next, then the nobles, on down to the peasantry. Holding the lowest position were the beggars and lunatics and finally, the animals. Interrupting this order is unnatural. King Lear’s sin was that he disrupted this chain of being by relinquishing his throne. By allowing his daughters and their husbands to rule the kingdom, the natural order of things was disturbed. His notion that he can still be in control after dividing the kingdom is a delusion. According to Elizabethan philosophy, it would seem that this is the beginning of his mistakes and is also the cause of much of the misfortune that occurs later on in the play. Chaos rules the unnatural. As well, King Lear makes another devastating mistake which affects his relationship with his daughters by asking them to tell him how much they love him in order that he may divide his kingdom according to the strength of their love. Cordelia, the youngest daughter, states that she loves her father ‘according to her bond’ (p.4). She is saying that she loves him as much as any child could love a father. On the other hand, Goneril and Reagan easily speak the words that their father wants to hear, rather than the truth. Because Lear is not satisfied with Cordelia’s response, he turns his back on Cordelia and on her love. By doing this he is destroying the natural family unit and lacks the insight to know this. He unjustly punishes Cordelia by banishing her from the kingdom. He casts out his daughter in an unfatherly fashion, yet is gravely upset by the ingratitude of his other two daughters, Goneril and Reagan. Once again, due to Lear’s lack of wisdom, he fails to recognize the sincerity of Cordelia’s words. Thus, he puts his relationship with his daughters in jeopardy which results in a constant source of grief for King Lear. King Lear holds firm to his belief that the world is governed by the gods and in justice. Therefore he does not question the will of the gods in letting him suffer from his daughter’s unkindness, but prays If it be you that stirs these daughters’ hearts Against their father, fool me not with so much To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger (p.50). Greer (1986) reminds us that Shakespeare uses the word ‘nature’ often, but rarely with the same meaning. For instance, Lear personifies nature when he calls Cordelia ‘a wretch whom Nature is ashamed/Almost to acknowledge hers’ (p.9). Here, it seems as though Lear thinks himself to be particularly special and close to nature because he is presumptuous in believing that he can read Nature’s mind. On the same note, Lear also seems to order his goddess, Nature, as though he is in control. He commands Nature to follow his orders, Hear, Nature, hear! dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend To make this creature fruitful (p.29). Therefore, Lear is once again disturbing the order of things by putting himself above the gods. Lear disturbs the Chain of Being, unjustly punishes Cordelia and misinterprets his role in life by assuming himself to be the lord of creation. For these ‘sins’ he is punished when Goneril and Reagan turn on him and Cordelia dies. Thus, it would seem that justice is served. However, Holloway (1961) suggests that Lear suffers more for his ‘sins’ than seems reasonable. Holloway sums up this concept as follows: ‘the world can be to mankind, and has been to Lear, a rack: a scene of suffering reiterated past all probability or reason’ (p.506). Gloucester plays a parallel role to Lear in the play. He is elderly, gullible and taken in by his children. Again, the natural unit of the family is disturbed for Gloucester has a bastard son who is his downfall. However, unlike Lear, he is not weak and infirm and is more good- natured and brave. Like Lear, Glouceste r makes reference to Nature. However, Greer (1986) feels that Gloucester views Nature as neutral and sees it existing only for man’s benefit: These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects (p.15). Rather than blame Nature, Gloucester is aware that his problems are a result of his own foolishness. He does not feel that the gods are necessary to explain Edmund’s treason or Cornwall’s brutality. However, he does make clear his belief that the gods are not interested in the affairs of men: As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport (p.82). Although it may seem as though he is an atheist, Frye believes otherwise: Gloucester is not atheist: he postulates gods, divine personalities, and if he replaces them with a mechanism of fate or destiny he couldn’t ascribe malice to it. What he feels is that there is some mystery in the horror of what’s happened to him that goes beyond the tangible human causes’ (p.111). It is true that Gloucester has been lustful and has fathered an illegitimate son as the consequences. Since this, too, is an unnatural act, it seems justice must be served to restore order. However, to what degree is Gloucester responsible for Edmund’s evil behaviour? And was it just that Gloucester’s eyes were poked out by Goneril and Reagan? This leaves one wondering whether or not justice was served as Gloucester dies at the end of the play. The punishment would seem to exceed the crime. Edgar is Gloucester’s legitimate son who is in danger of losing his right to his inheritance. At first, he is the good and dutiful one. At times he is gullible and naive when responding to his illegitimate brother Edmund, who tries to take his birth-right. Edgar is the moralist in this play. When he reflects on his own undeserved troubles and the suffering of others, there is a religious tone. He has faith in the gods and their justice, and is quick to give the ‘higher powers’ the credit for what happens to men. Thus, he says to Gloucester, who believes he has fallen from the edge of a cliff: Think that the clearest gods, who make them honours Of men’s impossibilities, have preserved thee (p.96). And thus he points out the justice of the gods in punishing Gloucester by the hand of Edmund: The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to plague us (p.119). Edgar believes that there is order in na ture. He thinks that there is a natural ebb and flow in human fortunes, meaning that even the worst situation can become better (Greer, 1986). He believes in the Wheel of Fortune and if he is at the bottom of the wheel, his fortune will improve as he moves upward: To be the worst, The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune, Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear. The lamentable change is from the best; The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then, Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace! (p.81). However, he comes to realize that this belief is not necessarily so. When he finds his father blinded, it becomes obvious that this suffering is renewed: The worst is not So long as we can say ‘This is the worst’ (p.82). Greer (1986) comments that it may seem that nature is indifferent to the fate of any individual. Edgar differs from Gloucester in that he takes a moralistic point of view. Frye suggests that while Gloucester ‘feels that there is some mystery in the horror of what’s happened to him that goes beyond the tangible human causes†¦Edgar†¦looks for human causes and assumes that there are powers above who are reacting to events as they should’ (p.111). In Edgar’s case it seems that he has received his just reward. He does not have an easy time when dealing with his brother, Edmund. Yet, it would seem that justice is served as Edgar regains his proper position in the natural order of things. In King Lear, each of the characters discussed have varying interpretations of the importance of the higher powers affecting their fortunes. As well, justice is handed out in different degrees. In the eyes of the characters, Shakespeare succeeds in illustrating the universal conflict that members of society have always had in understanding their fate in this world.