The Ideal Victorian Model Of Bram Stoker s Dracula

Bram Stoker s novel, Dracula was written during the late nineteenth century and is commonly classified as a horror novel. Further analysis, however, has brought to light the buried symbols and themes of sexuality that the novel holds within it. Due to its female sexual symbolism, the novel draws the attention of most men, as exploring these female forbidden themes were more of a fantasy for them than reality. As Dracula was set in the Victorian culture, it is shown to encompass all the beliefs and prejudices of the society, especially in regards to the social gender roles of men and women. Women were known to be suppressed and put down socially while men were lifted up and known for the authority and freedom they possessed. Through the†¦show more content†¦So true, so sweet, so noble, so little an egoistà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Stoker 306). Mina is an intelligent, educated woman who uses her attained skills solely to better her husband, Jonathan Harker. Stoker uses Mina s speech in the novel to emphasize her dedication to her husband: I have been working very hard lately because I want to keep up with Jonathan s studies, and I have been practicing shorthand very assiduously (Stoker 86). Although she works full-time, she tirelessly takes on other commitments such as perfecting her shorthand so that she would be useful to Jonathan (Stoker 86). She is also seen thinking very highly of men in general and their independence from women: a brave man s hand can speak for itself; it does not even need a woman s love to hear its music (Stoker 386). Let s Hear It for the Ladies Bram Stoker s Dracula, there are two women who find themselves Count Dracula s midnight snack. Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra are best friends, but they are very different women. By comparing these two characters we can see the tension between the Victorian ideal woman and the threatening New Woman. Remember that when Dracula was written in the late 19th Century, women were expected to be submissive wives and doting mothers who stayed at home. This was the Victorian ideal. However, women were becoming more independent and taking advantage of new opportunities in education and employment. These New Women were a source of concern as they were seen as tooShow MoreRelatedEssay on Female Characters in Bram Stokers Dracula1249 Words   |  5 PagesFemale Characters in Bram Stokers Dracula Having studied Bram Stokers Dracula as part of my GCSE English Course, I am going to consider the representation of women in the novel. The three main characters I will study are Mina, Lucy, and the three female vampires (belonging to Dracula). I am going to consider the similarities and differences of each character, and how well they compare to traditional Victorian women. I will support my answers with quotes and evidence. During the earlyRead MoreComparison : Dracul Lucy And Mina Similarities And Differences1361 Words   |  6 PagesEssay Dracula: Lucy and Mina Similarities and Differences Bram Stoker s novel, Dracula, written during the late nineteenth century and commonly classified as a horror novel. Further analysis of it, however, has brought to light the buried many symbols and themes of sexuality that the novel holds within it. Due to its female sexual symbolism, the novel often draws the attention of most men, as exploring these female forbidden themes are more of a fantasy for them than reality. Also, Dracula was setRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Bram Stoker s Dracula1362 Words   |  6 PagesEssay Dracula: Lucy Mina - Similarities and Differences Bram Stoker s novel, Dracula, written during the late nineteenth century and commonly classified as a horror novel. Further analysis of it, however, has brought to light the buried many symbols and themes of sexuality that the novel holds within it. Due to its female sexual symbolism, the novel often draws the attention of most men, as exploring these female forbidden themes are more of a fantasy for them than reality. Also, Dracula was setRead MoreComparing Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the 1972 Film Blacula Essay1917 Words   |  8 PagesBram Stoker’s Dracula is not only a classic story of men and monsters, but a dramatic reactionary work to the perceived threats to Victorian society in nineteenth century England. In modern times there have been many film adaptations of the novel, each developing a unique analysis or criticism of the literary text within the framework of the society and time period in which it was created. The 1972 film Blacula is one of the most cultu rally specific variations on the story of Dracula, and highlightsRead MoreDracula And Dracula Essay1760 Words   |  8 PagesCPT Formal Essay Dracula: Lucy, Mina, and the Similarities Differences Between Them Dracula, a novel which had originally been written by Bram Stoker in 1897, is commonly classified as a ‘horror novel’ by the majority of its readers. However, when putting the novel through further analysis, the various symbols and themes of sexuality which the novel contains are brought to the notice of its readers, despite them being easily overlooked by their readers the first time the novel might be readRead MoreAnne Brontes Literary Success as a Visionary Writer1908 Words   |  8 Pagestwo centuries ago are still relevant and her experiences are the experiences of the anguished people of the present era. She dares to challenge the Victorian education system. When a teacher is given the responsibility but not the total authority in controlling the activities of children, s/he lands in a dilemma. This is the predicament of the Victorian educational sector. Time bestows benign grace on certain writers to write with futuristic approach, but hides the wisdom in their writings in itsRead MoreThe Vampire: What Boundaries Does the Vampire Threaten? Discuss with R9200 Words   |  37 Pagesof the Dracula story._______________________________________________ The Vampire in Dracula threatens the very existence of Victorian England. Stoker constructs the vampire as an embodiment of threat by surpassing his Gothic novelist predecessors to bring the threat of the Gothic home to Victorian England (Arata 119). This in turn crosses the boundary between what is foreign and what is national; and dually East and West. Dracula is openRead MoreThe Genre of Stokers Dracula Essay6296 Words   |  26 Pages In Dracula, Bram Stoker emphasizes how as the daylight ends, the horror begins, for from the depths of the swirling mist, he (Dracula) appears, his pointed teeth gleaming as he edges towards his victims. This is Count Dracula the King of the Un- dead - the dreaded vampire. Centuries old, he walks the earth to quench his insatiable thirst for the blood that gives him life. STYLE The style of the author is simple, in a narrative manner the story of Dracula unfolds

Deculturalization of America - 923 Words

Individuals coming in the U.S. have experienced a graduate deculturalization process as the countrys majority assimilated them. Even with the fact that many communities struggle in order to preserve their cultural values, it is extremely difficult for them to do so in environments where they are being bombarded with cultural values belonging to other groups. While the U.S. has recently appeared to have adopted a more positive attitude with regard to other cultures, the matter is still problematic. The fact that many cultures have been gradually assimilated by the majority practically means that many traditions have been abandoned in order for people to develop interest in other concepts. It is presently very difficult for a person to discover his or her cultural identity as he or she is provided with a wide range of cultural ideas originating in other cultures. Deculturalization is closely related to segregation, taking into account that both have been used as tools as the American government struggled to assimilate particular communities. While speaking about deculturalization in a context involving the U.S. and methods it used in order to control Native Americans and African Americans, the problem is greater than this when considering the American continent as a whole. Besides Native Americans in the United States and the First Nations in Canada, many indigenous peoples throughout Central and. South America experienced some form of deculturalization (Spring 1).Show MoreRelatedDeculturalization Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Deculturalization refers to the quot;stripping away of a peoples culture and replacing it with a new culturequot; (Spring 1). Deculturalization is one of the most inhumane acts one can partake in. A persons culture is his/her main defining feature. Culture is the medium through which people communicate their beliefs, values, and morals. Inserting ones own culture in place of someones pre-existing culture is the basis of ethnocentrism. PeopleRead MoreMass Media, Legislation And Education Play Critical Roles Essay715 Words   |  3 PagesShahar Platt Group B Professor Rajan 3/3/15 Paper #3 Mass media, legislation and education play critical roles in times of conflict, deculturalization, and state-sponsored mass violence against civilians. During the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, members of Hutu power founded the radio station, RTLM, which encouraged violence against the rival Tutsi minority and had a significant impact on participation in killings by both militia groups and ordinary civilians. By spreading propaganda via broadcasts,Read MoreIn Joel Spring’S Book, Deculturalization And The Struggle1291 Words   |  6 PagesIn Joel Spring’s book, Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality (2016) he explains the many discrimination actions towards different cultures. The first chapter in the book talks about the superiority of the Anglo-American. These Europeans that came to America saw the world in four different ways, between Protestants and Catholics and then the civilized and uncivilized. During this time, Protestants were considered superior to Cathol ics, â€Å"political freedom was only intended for protestantsRead MoreNative Americans in the United States and African Americans3048 Words   |  13 PagesEssay on Joel Spring’s Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality Introduction Joel Spring’s Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality examines the educational policies in the United States that have resulted in intentional patterns of oppression by Protestant, European Americans against racial and ethnic groups. The historical context of the European American oppressor is helpful in understanding how the dominant group has manipulated the minority groups. These minority groups includeRead MoreNative American Oppression5978 Words   |  24 Pageswealth that is accumulated from those resources. How would you feel? Unfortunately, certain populations do not have to visualize the disparity that is pictured above. This is because inequity is one of the most demoralizing social issues that plague America today. The worst thing about inequity is the fact that it continues to disproportionately burden individuals who are categorize as being minority in today’s society. This is especially true for the American Indian/Alaska Native population. ThisRead MoreAsian Americans: Exclusion and Segregation576 Words   |  2 PagesThe United States of America is the place of opportunity and fortune. â€Å"Many immigrants hoped to achieve this in the United States and similar to other immigrants many people from the Asian Pacific region hoped to make their fortune. They had it in their minds to either return to their homelands or build a home in their new country (Spring, 2013).† For this reason, life became very complicated for these people. They faced many challenges in this new country, such as: classifying them in terms of raceRead MoreThe National Assessment Of Educational Progress Essay2194 Words   |  9 PagesIn 2013 the National Assessment of Educational Progress, reported their average reading scores across the United States of America. The average score of white students was 47% at or above the proficient passing level. In comparison, Hispanics scored an average of 23%, and blacks scored an average of 16% in rea ding at or above a proficient level. In mathematics, white students scored an average of 33%, following them would be the Hispanic students with a score of 12% and blacks with a 7% average.Read MoreThe Expert Novice And Problem Solving Essay2262 Words   |  10 Pages the dialect, the music, the arts, the social habits, the cuisine, as well as the folklore. United States of America is also known to be ethnically as well as racially diverse country because of the large-scale migration from several countries all the way through its history. United States of America main early European influences did come from the English settlers of the colonial America during which the British rule. Because of the colonial ties with the Britain, that lead to spread of EnglishRead MoreFicticious First Contact2169 Words   |  9 PagesNative Americans were faced with three challenges: assimilation, relocation, and genocide. Assimilate The first â€Å"choice† was for a tribe to assimilate into the dominant American culture, become civilized, give up tribal ways and be absorbed into America society. Education was the tool for assimilation via the boarding school experience. The government’s push to assimilate native tribes continued through the 1950s Urban Relocation Program. Relocate Even if a tribe, like the Cherokee, tried to joinRead MoreEssay about Racism in America3030 Words   |  13 Pages Racism has taken on many forms in America over the past several hundred years. The most substantial or well known is the plight of the African American slaves and the injustices they suffered. Today, a new form of racism is developing; one that has always been around but has now entered the forefront of most Americans minds. This new racism is against members of the Middle Eastern culture and religion. The actions of September 11th did not create a new problem, they just shed light on a problem

Analyzing Race and Its Influence in your Community Free Essays

Racial influences rely on a number of factors depending on a place’s history and location. It may include racism according to color, racism according to social status, and racism based on religion and ethnicity. But regardless of its foundation, racism indeed has interesting effects on people and the society at large. We will write a custom essay sample on Analyzing Race and Its Influence in your Community or any similar topic only for you Order Now Racial differences in our community are not in terms of color, but of religion and ethnicity. Actually, it is between Muslims and Christians. Anywhere in the world today, the root cause of conflicts can be attributed to religious and ethnic diversities. The unsolved barrier amongst Muslims and Christians has always resulted to misunderstandings, discrimination and worse, wars which end up to loss of lives and more prejudice and hatred. Personally, I believe racism only puts the clashing parties at losing ends. Culture and traditions between Muslims and Christians are different. It can be said that Muslims are more conservative and secluded compared to Christians who are more or less Westernized. From clothing to behavior and practices, both beliefs have little similarities. In the community where I lived in, Christians often criticized the Muslim way of life. Basic is their manner of clothing. Muslim women are sanctioned to wear veils and not a single strand of hair should be exposed in public. The head should be totally covered. No skin should be seen so women always wear long-sleeves and long pants and skirts to cover their arms and legs respectively. Talking or hanging out with men is prohibited as well. Islamic laws require that women should remain traditional and well-kept in order to be respected and clean in the eyes of Allah, the Muslim term for God. Some Christians often make rude and impolite remarks in front of Muslim women and stared at them head to foot which is a sign of disrespect and indifference. Apathetically, some Christians cannot really hide their emotions in that they want their strong message to be really imparted in a cruel manner. They utter comments such as â€Å"Muslims are born traitors† which is for me, a nasty thing to say. It is making the gap farther and harder to patch up. Drinking alcohol is a taboo for Islamic submitters. They should abide by the five pillars of Islam including pronouncement of faith in Allah (shahadah), praying five times a day (salat), fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadhan (saum), giving alms to the poor (zakat), and pilgrimage to Mecca if possible (hajj). Some Christians also laughed at the manner Muslims pray. During Ramadhan, some non-Muslims express negative interpretations by questioning the significance of not eating and not drinking anything the whole day. On the contrary, Christians are more carefree and liberated though there are some conservative families as well. But more often than not, they can do anything under the sun. Discipline and control are still instilled upon them but their behavior is often unlimited. Muslims also criticized Christians for being too modern especially in the way they dress. Some women wear very suggestive clothing, showing a lot of skin. These women are often disrespected and insulted by Muslim men and even Christian men for being too showy and vulgar. But Christians do not mind these comments thinking that they are up-to-date relative to the popular trends as seen on television and in the Internet. Most young Christian women nowadays are free to hang out anywhere; some even drink and smoke in public. If public display of affection to a boyfriend or girlfriend is illegal for Muslims, Christians often welcome it. Muslims usually practice arranged marriage and exclusiveness in marriage between Muslims alone while most Christians can choose whoever they want to be their lifetime partner regardless of religion and culture. As long as the couple loves each other, they can marry without obstacles from the woman’s family. This is very prevalent in the community where I live in. Muslim women who occasionally end up with Christian men are often disowned and as a result, the family of the Muslim woman takes revenge not only to the Christian guy but to his entire clan as well. Some cases unfortunately end up in killings or total disowning of the Muslim woman by her kin and family including relatives and other blood relations. How to cite Analyzing Race and Its Influence in your Community, Papers

Exploration Paper Essay Example For Students

Exploration Paper Essay Happy Endings, Margaret Atwood was my first choice. The reason It was my first choice is because of the way she writes; How blunt and short she is about everything, but yet she put so much information in just a few paragraphs. Margaret captures the attention of all the readers in this story by her odd way of writing. I’m not sure if you can even call this a story, by most readers standards, this piece of writing sounds more like a free write just putting statements down on paper. B just seems to show how John cares nothing about her. He comes over twice a week and Mary will cook them a home cooked meal, after dinner they have sex then she does the dishes. Then she tries to impress him by cleaning up and getting all pretty but he still won’t notice her hard work. Now in C situation it’s pretty much the other way around John wants Mary. Why now? John has his mistress he left Mary and now he wants to change his mind why didn’t he just live the A situation life. Atwood creates a few different â€Å"Happy Endings†. A is a stereotype that everyone wants to live there life, but why? Why would someone want to live that way, it’s almost like that A is a fake. Also the characters Mary and John are very dull names almost as if Atwood made it a joke because their lives are so boring and not real. She doesn’t exactly explain the personalities of John or Mary, but you can pick up hints like when Mary says â€Å"She sleeps with him even though she’s not in love with him†. If they were living like A how does that fit into the guidelines of that lifestyle? No matter what happens in life everyone one dies, but the way Atwood bluntly explains death just isn’t the same way most of the readers see it. Atwood likes to write about the beginnings but throws off the readers with â€Å"Happy Endings†. It’s more fun and easier to write about the beginning and middle then the ending, with this type of story about life. This story really makes every reader think what was the author talking or thinking about while she wrote this. Was Atwood really trying to make A, B, and C to prove a point to figure out D? It’s all about the why’s and how’s in this story that you have to figure out. Exploration Paper The poem â€Å"Let America be America Again† by Langston Hughes. Hughes poem explains how he thinks America doesn’t live up to the standards. The tone of the poem is angry and resentful. Many people come with high hopes and they are let down when they get here. He feels that America isn’t being all its supposed to be or as he states it â€Å"the dream it used to be†. There is a positive tone here when he says America can be a â€Å"great strong land of love†. Then you get back to the negative side where there are leader depriving others at reaching there opportunities they came here to find. Liberty is a word that means freedom, which is one of the things our land was founded on. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom. It’s a site that brought people to this country. Hughes wants an America that is real with patriotic truth with no dishonest promises. This poem isn’t about just one group of people, it’s about the people that aren’t included in America’s life. For, example poor whites, African Americans, Indians, really all immigrants that come here for the American life. .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .postImageUrl , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:hover , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:visited , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:active { border:0!important; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:active , .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7ff5c8244510b6800aa1911fd102aeac:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Economics Supply And Demand EssayMoney is the center of what America is ran by. Hughes feels that money gain and property owning is the main focus. Money is everything for example in line 32 he says â€Å"Of owning everything for one’s own greed!† That’s what Hughes feels America is about. He really stresses that the people that aren’t part of the American dream he uses the words â€Å"I am†, stating that he was one of those people that didn’t get to live the American dream. No matter what kind of job you have whether you’re a farmer or a worker Hughes states that â€Å"I am† that person. Pretty much saying that peopl e are working hard but the dreams just aren’t there for them. This poem is about individuals that came to America with high hopes and big dreams. Hughes uses â€Å"The free† which I feel means no matter what, we should be free in every way. Free to get jobs, free socially, and free to live the American life equally. In America, your freedom is everything, but Hughes makes it a joke by sarcastically saying it. So many people in America come here for the dream. They are waiting for their dream to come true, but they almost given up on it. He says it like their dream is â€Å"almost dead†, but that does show that there is still hope for the dream to come true.

The History of Long

The development of technology is, by all means, a positive trend, but it is constantly bringing new apples of discord. It was not long ago when people tried to get accustomed to tiny discs for DVD instead of VHS format. The new millennium has brought new choice: HD-DVD VS. Blu-Ray. The two formats do not differ greatly, though each of them has a feature desired by users.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Long-Lasting Rivalry Between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Blu-Ray has more capacity whereas HD-DVD is more attractive because of the lower price. Interestingly, the battle was not confined to pure technology. Film studios played a very important role in the rivalry which resulted in the victory of Blu-Ray format. The history of the famous battle started in 2004 when two versions of â€Å"next generation high-definition DVD players and discs† were introduced (Hil l and Jones 2009, p.240). The Blu-Ray format was created by â€Å"a consortium† of 9 companies, electronic producers. The major companies of this camp were Samsung, Sony, Pioneer (Null and Lobur 2006, p.358). This format’s rival, HD-DVD, was developed by two famous companies, Toshiba and NEC. From technological perspective the two formats do not differ drastically. Both formats provide significant improvements as for sound and picture quality, if compared to conventional format. Thus, Blu-Ray has 25 GB data capacity, whereas HD-DVD has 15GB data capacity (Vogel 2010, p.163). However, Blu-Ray format offers significantly better resolution than HD-DVD does and this can be regarded as a very huge plus. Admittedly, many customers long for better quality of picture and sound. Nevertheless, the major advantage of HD-DVD is that it is significantly cheaper. Thus, HD-DVD discs and players are cheaper than their Blu-Ray counterparts. Basically, the forces of the two camps were q uite equal: there were advantages and downsides in both rivals. Thus, both parties found the way to outweigh the rival’s forces. Both companies’ worked out â€Å"a key strategy† which presupposed the interference of film studios, both companies tried to get studios â€Å"to commit to issuing discs based on their format† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). Many people understood that the format â€Å"with the biggest range of movies on offer† will inevitably win â€Å"leaving the losing format to slowly die out as it becomes uneconomic† (Grimming 2007).Advertising Looking for research paper on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This decision could leave HD-DVD behind since Sony owned two companies (MGM and Columbia Pictures) and it also made an arrangement with such companies as Fox Studios and Disney. As far as Toshiba is concerned they also obtained the support of Paramount, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers. However, in 2005 Paramount and Warner Brothers announced about their support of Blu-Ray format citing â€Å"Blu-Ray’s momentum among other studios and its strong copyright protection mechanisms† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). Blu-Ray did not hold such strong positions for a long time and in 2007 DreamWorks Animation and Paramount announced that they would release their products in HD-DVD format â€Å"exclusively† for eighteen months (Grimming 2007). In fact, Paramount’s comeback evoked different talks which were favorable for Sony. Paramount supported HD-DVD because Toshiba paid $150 million for that. Sony could not waste such an opportunity to boast with its product stating that HD-DVD was losing and Toshiba was absolutely â€Å"desperate† since paid that huge amount of money to the studio for its support (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). However, even these measures did not strengthen HD-DVD’s position muc h. Thus, Blu-Ray Disc Association reports that â€Å"67 per cent of high-definition titles available at the start of July [2007] in Britain, France and Spain were being sold by the studios in Blu-Ray (BD) Format† (Grimming 2007). Admittedly, these â€Å"star wars† could last for years, but Sony found one more way to strengthen Blu-Ray’s position on market. Sony decided to incorporate Blu-Ray format in â€Å"next generation PS3 gaming console and its Vaio line of PCs† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). Admittedly, this could be a very effective move since numerous gamers worldwide would like to play in high-resolution format offered by Blu-Ray. Nevertheless, Sony’s plans were not realized that soon since they face some technological problems which postponed the introduction of new products to the market. At the same time Microsoft announced that it would support HD-DVD players that â€Å"would work with its own gaming console, Xbox 360† (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). Again, the two camps had approximately equal forces.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Long-Lasting Rivalry Between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It goes without saying that the two camps produced players for their formats. This production was another strategy to gain dominance on the market. Thus, in 2006 both companies presented their players. It is necessary to mention that the first items sold by Sony contained some faults and this spoiled Sony’s image (Hill and Jones 2009, p.240). Nevertheless, soon all the defects were removed and Sony regained his leading position. Moreover, by this time Sony managed to introduce its game consoles which become very popular. Sony’s PS3 could not only be used for playing games, but they could play movies as well, though it is reported that not many PS3 users actually used this function (Grimming 2 007). At this point it is necessary to mention that some electronic manufacturers (e.g. Samsung) produced players which supported both formats (Grimming 2007). However, they were very expensive (twice more than players supporting one format) so they were not very successful. Basically, people should have made their choice. The year of 2008 was really successful for Sony since it put an end to the prolonged battle for dominance. Thus, in 2008 Warner Brothers started supporting Blu-Ray exclusively. Besides, Wal-Mart and Best Buy also decided â€Å"to go exclusively† with this format (Vogel 2010, p.163). Basically, this was a complete victory of Blu-Ray. HD-DVD began losing its supporters. The battle of the formats came to an end. In conclusion, it is possible to state that the two formats did not differ greatly in terms of technology. The battle was more concerned with strategy rather than technology. It turned out that Sony’s strategy was more effective.Advertising Looking for research paper on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Though, both companies, Sony and Toshiba, resorted to such means as producing players, or adjusting the format to video games, the major role in the battle belongs to film studios. Film industry is now one of the most powerful industries since it has millions of customers. Admittedly, millions of people worldwide buy discs to watch their favorite movies. Clearly, studios had the final word in the battle of formats. Major film producers were choosing the most appropriate ally in the world of formats. The whales of cinematography decided that Blu-Ray would suit best their needs. Thus, Sony obtained more support from studios which resulted in Blu-Ray format’s victory. This can be regarded as one more manifestation of the great power of cinematography which rules minds and formats. Reference List Grimming, R 2007, ‘Blu-Ray Vs. HD-DVD: Disc War Divides Top Electronics Fair’, Digital Journal 25 August. Available from http://www.digitaljournal.com/. [31 March 2011]. Hil l, C Jones G 2009, Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. Null, L Lobur, J 2006, The Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture, Jones Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA. Vogel, HL 2010, Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. This research paper on The History of Long-Lasting Rivalry Between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray was written and submitted by user Mariyah Matthews to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How To Write Good Essay Introduction Paragraph - Paperell.com

How To Write Good Essay Introduction Paragraph How To Write Good Essay Introduction Paragraph? What Is An Introduction Paragraph Of Essay And Why Is It Important?Each of us numerously came across this type of academic activity at school, college, and even in the adulthood, which is why every person has a bit of idea of how to write such text and what it should be like. However, despite this fact, only a few were able to master it. In fact, the majority of people still do not know what they should start with when writing an introduction for such paper. We will give you an advice! But first, you need to understand the meaning of this section. This is the beginning of your essay that describes your thesis statement, the significance of your paper, and what are the main ideas of your paper. This small fragment of text should contain a lot of information about the whole paper so other readers and listeners can understand if this academic paper is useful for them.It is a significant part of your text. Despite the essay introduction isn’t a very big part of the whole document, it has a big meaning for its understanding. If students and scientists read it, they should understand what your text is about, what ideas you can prove, and what is your opinion when you write your essay. Many students write the introduction when most of the other sections are finished and they have the understanding of the whole paper. It is a good practice to read introduction paragraph examples. You will see how students outline their ideas and structure of their essays in small paragraphs. You can also use essay writing help of professional writers if you still not understand how to begin an essay correctly or if you have never worked on it earlier. What should it be like? The good introduction paragraph for an essay describes your topic, why did you pick it, and why it can be so interesting for you and other scientists. It also shows the structure of your paper and describes methodologies and instruments that you use for research. Why is it important? The thesis statement des cribed in the beginning of your paper shows what you are going to prove by your essay, your point of view. Please note that the introductory paragraph can have different requirements because there are different types of essays. That is why you need to get more specific requirements from your instructor before writing this section.What To Look For When Writing An Introductory Paragraph?First of all, it needs to grab the attention of readers or listeners because if you want other people to read further, you should convince them that your essay is interesting and can help them in their research and study. Start the introduction paragraph of essay with the hook sentence like a rhetorical question, interesting dialogue, or arguable thesis statement that can lead to discussion. Your starting sentence should be not only attentive but also informative. You can provide much information on your essay in the small sentence. The good essay intro describes the structure of an essay clearly, even if there are many sections and each of them is complicated. The introduction paragraph also shows your point of view in your essay. It is very crucial for other students who are looking for arguments for the specific thesis statement or against it. If your readers know your point of view, it will be easier for them to understand why you use specific methodologies, what you are going to prove, and what can that get by reading other sections of your paper. Using the arguable thesis statement lets you grab the attention of people who agree and disagree with your position. People who agree with you will use your paper to prove their ideas and suggestions. People who disagree with you will look for details to prove that you’re wrong. Read other essays and pay attention to their first sentences and structure, it lets you understand how to make readers move further, combine many ideas in a small sentence, and write informative introductions. When writing it, make sure that all othe r sections of your paper will be connected with the introduction paragraph and prove ideas that are described in your thesis statement.Few Great Examples Of Introduction ParagraphNow you understand what should an introduction include. Here you can find several essay introduction examples. If you start with a good first sentence, it will be easier to write the structure, the thesis statement, and other elements of introduction paragraph.â€Å"The â€Å"Star Trek† series changed my perception of the world. When I was a kid, I didn’t realize its influence on me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Star Trek† is a popular element of the mass culture, so it catches many readers’ attention from the first sentence. Thus, it performs the intro’s main function. It also describes the idea that a TV show we watch in the childhood can change our way of thinking when we are adults, and it is also a very interesting idea for those why study psychology and the way of thinking. It also touches those who study TV industry and work on producing mass media products.â€Å"When I was 10, my dad presented me a small box on my birthday. However, when I was going to open it, he told me to wait for several days before opening.†It’s the classic way of grabbing readers’ attention and making them wonder â€Å"What’s in the box?† It also raises such questions as â€Å"Why father didn’t want his son to open the box at his birthday?† and â€Å"What will change in several days when the son will open the box?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"When I was a teenager, I didn’t like reading books. It was boring for me to read even spy novels and other thrilling books. However, on one day, I found a book that changed my habits and made me read more and more books every week.†It raises questions â€Å"What was this book?† and â€Å"How could it changed his habits?† It would be interesting both to people who read much and who donâ⠂¬â„¢t spend very much time on books.

Team Creation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Creation Paper - Essay Example A project manager is typically responsible for managing the member of a project team. If he directly selects a team or if he simply works with different human resources within a business he must be able to recognize the players within the company with specific characteristics and skills that can help him accomplish the project goals. People that are open minded and work well with others who are respected among their peers, supervisors and stakeholders of the company are excellent candidates to work in a team project (Prosci, 2001). It is also essential for the project manager to build a balance team in which its members are diverse individuals with a variety of skills. The composition of the team should include the following people: Once a team is build there are practices that enhance the functionality of the team. Some of these practices are establishing objectives together, performing organized meetings, a clear understanding of the team rules, promoting team responsibility and establishing specific time commitments (Msh, 1998). Conflict is a common occurrence in virtually all projects. The most important responsibility of the project manager when dealing with conflict is not to let it escalate to a level in which a single conflict compromises the completion of the entire project. There are a variety of sources which cause conflict within the project. A common conflict is the different goals and perspectives a project manager has in comparison with the functional managers of a company. These two parties differ over aspects of the project such as cost, reward and relative importance of timing (Conflict and Negotiation). Within the project team at times there is uncertainty of who has the authority in different aspects of the project, the PM or the functional manager. Conflict can also arise between the client and the project manager or between the

Casualties of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Casualties of War - Essay Example It is the hope of this author that not only the film, but the Vietnam War as well as pervasive American interpretations of the value of native and indigenous people will help to be affected. Ultimately, the movie can be summarized, as with many Vietnam War movies, as concentric upon an analysis of a small squad of American soldiers. This is one of the most popular approaches that filmmakers take due to the fact that it allows the viewer the, acquainted with and personally knowledgeable regarding each of the characters; rather than integrating with an entire company, the viewer is able to simplify human emotions, personalities, and likely reactions based upon the means by which these characters are expected to behave. As with many other Vietnam War movies, â€Å"Casualties of War† represents a mixture of different individuals within the squad from various geographic regions as well as various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Firstly, the viewer is integrated with an understandi ng of the sheer misery, abstraction, and violence that the Vietnam conflict engendered. As a function of understanding this level of inhumanity, exhibited on both sides of the conflict, it unfortunately comes as little surprise that the soldiers themselves begin behaving as little more than animals. The line of no return is of course cross when one of the soldiers takes a young Vietnam means girl and suggests that the squad user as a sex toy. Even though this is initially resisted, the threat of violence subdues these objections long enough for the girl to be raped. Once she is raped, it becomes infinitely easier for the other members of the squad, with the exception of Erikkson, to engage in a similar behavior. At each and every juncture, Erikkson opposes the actions that the squad leader perpetrates upon the young girl. Ultimately, Erikkson risks his own life in an attempt to save the girl from being murdered by the squad members. Once she is murdered, Erikkson set out on a person al crusade to expose the crime to the superiors within the military. As one might expect, speaking truth to power was neither popular nor safe. After many months and years of trying, Erikkson was able to bring the issue to the military’s attention and seek a nominal degree of punishment for the individuals involved. With regards to understanding the underlying tensions that existed between Meserve and Erikkson, the viewer can and should integrate with the basic understanding of unrestrained selfishness and complete lack of respect for human life that Meserve exhibited as compared to Erikkson’s more traditional view. Rather than exhibiting all Vietnam veterans as baby killers and murderers, this film helps to differentiate the difference between those sociopaths in society that were drafted into the military and sought to further their own selfish ends as compared to individuals that retain a level of humanity and restraint regardless of the pressures and difficulties t hat combat placed upon them. A further dynamic is equally evidenced within the film is the level and extent to which the

Earnings Method Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Earnings Method Management - Assignment Example If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because the start of work is not an acceptable milestone. If Invalid, Reason: If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because there is no milestone in period 3 and work was left to be completed. If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because there is no milestone in the second measurement period. If Invalid, Reason: If Invalid, Reason: If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because no more than 80% of the value of the next period’s milestone can be planned in the current period. If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because it extends to more than two consecutive measurement periods and more than two earning points have been established. If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because it spans more than two measurement periods and t has more than two earning points. If Invalid, Reason: It is invalid because the total work package should be 100% and there s no indication that the work will continue into the next period. If Invalid, Reason: If Invalid, Reason: If Invalid , Reason: It is invalid because the totals of the percentage ratios do not add up to 100% of the total work package and there is no indication that the work is ongoing to the next period. ... The first completed earning point was in period 2 and the project was completed in period 2. Comments: The 50% is earned when the project actually starts in period 1. However, the project was not completed until period 3 even though it was scheduled to be completed in period 2. Therefore, the planned earning point (period 2) is earlier than the completed earning point (perod 3). Comments: The work package was scheduled to start in period 2 and end in period 3; however, it was started earlier in period 1 and completed in period 2. Therefore, the earnings came much earlier than anticipated. Comments: The planned milestones are earlier than the completed milestones and so the planned values are earned in subsequent periods. The work continues into the next period when milestone 3 will be completed and the final budgeted amount of ?20,000 will be earned. Comments: The planned milestones were for periods 1, 2 and 3. However, the completed milestones occurred in periods 2 and 3. Therefore, half of the budgeted amount was earned n period 2 and the other half in period 3. Comments: The planned milestones were for periods 1 and 2. However, the milestones were completed in periods 1 and 2. The first milestone was completed before the scheduled start of the work package. Comments: The plan was for the work to start early in period 1 and to be completed in period 2. However, the work started late in period 2 and was still ongoing at the end of period 3. The milestones were planned for period 1 and 2 but the first milestone was not accomplished until period 3 due to the late start. Only 60 workdays were completed at the end of period 3. Comments: The work started a little late and so the milestones

Capacity Planning And Decisions

Capacity Planning And Decisions Capacity planning is one of the key aspects of operations management as it determines the amount of goods or services which can be produced within a given time duration. Too less capacity indicates that customers wont be satisfied and too much capacity would result in the operation being under-utilized with resultant high fixed costs and also affecting breakeven and profitability. A company, when it has to increase its capacity it has various options to consider, from working overtime to building a new facility or a plant. Forecasting demand is critical to capacity planning and companies can adopt different strategies of capacity planning, to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain the operations well within their budget and other constraints. Short term capacity planning is very important for any company be it a product based or a service based company especially when there are seasonal demands, as those demands are totally unpredictable and there cant a permanent plan in place fo r short term capacity planning for seasonal demands. Momentary plans like employee overtime, subcontracting have to be considered and the best among them and that incur least cost have to be selected and implemented and this has been discussed in detail in this project. Chapter-1 Capacity Planning Decisions 1.1 Capacity Planning Firstly, Capacity of any facility is said to be the rate of productive capability of it. Capacity otherwise can be assumed as the rate at which a facility produces or in simple words, it is the ability of a facility to produce a certain level of output within a specific time period. When a firm decides to produce more of a product or plans to produce altogether a new product, it always starts with deciding how much capacity is needed considering the factors that affect capacity such as number of workers and machines, skill set of workers, defects, suppliers, government regulationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. This is termed as Capacity Planning. 1.2 Need for Capacity Planning A firm can determine its facility location and choose the process technologies only after it has found out a need for new or expanded facilities by evaluating the capacity or capacity planning. Lack of capacity planning can result in under or over capacity and would incur unnecessary costs in exploring ways to reduce or increase capacity. Lack of capacity planning can also trigger a series of undesirable events such as poor delivery services, an increase in work-in-process and bring about dissatisfaction in the minds of the sales personnel and the team involved in manufacturing. Decision making such as producing new products, expanding productionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc can be difficult without proper capacity planning. 1.3 Determinants of Capacity The determinants of capacity are: Facilities Product and Service Factors Process Factors Manpower Factors Operational Factors Supply Chain Factors External Factors 1.4 How important are capacity decisions? Capacity decisions have its impacts on many different verticals of a firm. Firstly it affects the ability to meet future demands, as without capacity planning if not done keeping in mind the future demands leads to a shortage of products. If capacity is underestimated or overestimated it directly affects the operating costs as if capacity is overestimated the operating costs involved would get wasted and if underestimated the measures taken to fix it may cost a lot and so is the way it affects the initial costs too. And all these factors affect many other factors such as the competitiveness, managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. 1.5 How are Capacity Decisions made? Assessment of Existing Capacity Forecasting Future Capacity Needs Identification of Ways to Modify Capacity Evaluation of Financial, Economical, and Technological Capacity Alternatives Selection of a Capacity Alternative most suited to achieving strategic mission 1.6 Measuring Capacity Measuring capacity is simple for certain organizations. Reynolds, can use number of ballpoint pens produced per year, Hyundai Motors can use number of automobiles per year. But for organizations whose product lines are more diverse it is difficult to find out a common unit of output. As an alternative, capacity can be expressed in terms of input. A consultancy can express its capacity in terms of the number of consultants employed per year. A lathe shop may express capacity in terms of available labor hours or machine hours per week, month, or year. Following table shows some examples of capacity measures. Measures of Operating Capacity Output Organization Measure Automobile Manufacturer Number of Autos Brewery Barrels of Beer Cannery Tons of Food Steel Producer Tons of Steel Power Company Megawatts of electricity Input Organization Measure Airline Number of Seats Hospital Number of Beds Job Shop Labor and/or machine hours Merchandising Square Feet of Display or Sales Area Movie Theatre Number of Seats Restaurant Number of seats or table Tax Office Number of Accountants University Number of Students and/or faculty Warehouse Square or cubic feet of storage space Source: Productions and Operations Management, Text Book Day to day variations such as employees being absent or late, breakdowns of machines, downtime required for facility maintenance and repair make it often difficult to measure capacity realistically. A facility can in some cases operate at more than 100% capacity. Chapter-2 Estimating Future Capacity Needs 2.1 Capacity requirements can be evaluated from two different perspectives viz. short term and long term. 2.1.1 Short-Term Requirements Managers often use forecasting of product demand for estimating the short term work load the facility should be handling. By looking forward up to 12 months, managers expect output requirements for different products or services following which they compare requirements with currently existing capacity and find out when capacity adjustments are to be made. 2.1.2 Long-Term Requirements Long term capacity requirements are tougher to determine as future demand and technologies are uncertain. Forecasting five or ten years into the future is a risky and a tough job. A product existing today may not even exist in the future. It is easily visible that long range capacity requirements depend on marketing plans, product development, and the life cycles of the products. Changes in process technology should also be expected. Even if products remain unchanged, the methods for generating them may change drastically. Capacity planning should be involving forecasting of technology as well as product demand. 2.2 Strategies for Modifying Capacity After currently existing and the future capacity requirements are determined, alternatives ways of modifying capacity must be found out. 2.2.1 Short Term Responses For short-term periods of up to one year, basic capacity is fixed. Majority of the facilities are rarely opened or closed on a regular monthly or yearly basis. Many short-term adjustments for increasing or decreasing capacity are possible anyway. The adjustments to be made depend on if the conversion process is mostly labor or capital intensive and if the product is one that can be stored in the inventory. Capital-intensive processes depend a lot on physical facilities, plant, and equipment. Short term capacity can be modified by operating these facilities more or less intensively than normal. The costs of setting up, changing over, and maintaining facilities, procuring raw materials and manpower, managing inventory, and scheduling can all be modified by making such capacity changes. 2.2.2 Long Term Responses From World War 2 through the 1960s, the US economy was booming and scaling great heights. Since the 1970s, the United States has faced problems of scarcity of resources and a more competitive economy. Organizations today cannot be constrained into thinking only about expanding the resource base; they must also consider appropriate approaches to contracting it. Example: A warehousing operation foresees the need for an additional 100,000 square feet of space by the end of the next five years. One option is to add an additional 50,000 square feet now and another 50,000 square feet after two years. Another option is to add the entire 100,000 square feet now. Estimating costs for building the entire addition now are $50/square foot. If expanded incrementally, the initial 50,000 square feet will cost $60/square foot. The 50,000 square feet will cost $60/square foot. The 50,000 square feet to be added later are estimated at $80/square foot. Which alternative is better? At a minimum, the lower construction costs plus excess capacity costs of total construction now must be compared with higher costs of deferred construction. The operations manager must consider the costs, benefits, and risks of each option. Source: Productions and Operations Management by Everett E. Adam, Jr. Ronald J. Ebert 2.3 Classification of Capacity Planning based on Time Long Term Capacity Planning Short Term Capacity Planning 2.3.1 Long Term Capacity Planning Long Term capacity planning solves strategic issues involving the firms major production facilities. Also, long-term capacity issues are interrelated to location planning. Technology and the ability to transfer the processes to other products are also interrelated to long-term capacity planning. Long-term capacity planning may come in to the picture when short-term amendments in capacity are scarce. For instance, if a firm adds a third shift to its present two-shift plan and if the output is still insufficient, and also if subcontracting options are unavailable, one practical alternative is adding capital equipment and modifying the layout of the plant. An additional space or constructing an additional facility can also be alternatives. 2.3.2 Short Term Capacity Planning In the short term, capacity planning concerns issues related to scheduling, labor shifts, and balancing resource capacities. The goal of short-term capacity planning is to manage unexpected shifts in demand in an efficiently economic way. The time frame for short-term planning is often only a few days but may go on as long as six months. Alternatives for making short-term changes in capacity are numerous and can even take decisions to not meet demand at all. A very easy and most commonly-used method to increase capacity in the short term is working overtime. This is a very flexible and least expensive alternative. While the firm has to pay one and one half times the normal labor rate, it is saved from the expenses of hiring, training, and paying additional benefits. When not used abusively, most workers welcome the opportunity to earn extra wages. If overtime does not provide enough short-term capacity, other alternatives are also available. These include adding shifts, employing cas ual or part time workers, the use of floating workers, leasing workers, and facilities subcontracting. Firms may also increase the capacity by improving the use of their resources. The most common alternatives in this category are employee/labor cross training and overlapping or staggering shifts. Most manufacturing firms inventory some output ahead of demand so that any need for a capacity change in future is absorbed by the inventory buffer. From a technical angle, firms may initiate a process design aimed at increasing productivity at work stations. Manufacturers can also shift demand to avoid fluctuations in capacity requirement by backlogging, queuing demand, or lengthening the firms lead times. Service firms achieve the same results through scheduling appointments and reservations. A more creative approach is to modify the output. Standardizing the output or offering complimentary services are examples of the same. In services, customers might be allowed to do some of the process work themselves (e.g., self-service fuel pumps and fast-food restaurants). Another alternative reduc ing quality is an undesirable yet possible trick. Finally, the firm may take steps to modify demand. Changing the price and promoting the product are common. Another alternative is to split demand by initiating a yield or revenue management system. Utilities also report success in shifting demand by the use of off-peak pricing. 2.4 When capacity doesnt meet demand? When capacity doesnt equal demand, then in short term capacity planning, it can be managed by temporary measures such as increasing or decreasing the labor force or creating and carrying inventory in the lean period to be used in the peak demand period. If there happens to be a mismatch between demand and capacity in long term capacity planning, it can be handled by changing or modifying the capacity. If the capacity is short then a new facility can be built or expand the existing facility. In case of an excess capacity then a temporary shutdown/sale/consolidation of facilities would help. 2.5 Best Operating Level Source: Operations Management by William J Stevenson The term capacity means an attainable rate of output but mentions nothing about till what point of time that rate can be sustained. Thus, if we say that a given plant has a capacity of x units, we do not know if it is a one-day peak or a six-month average. To avoid this issue, the concept of best operating level is brought into being. This is the level of capacity for which the process was designed and thus is the volume of output at which average unit cost is at a minimum. When the output of the facility falls below this level (underutilization), average unit cost will increase as overhead must be allocated to fewer units. Above this level (overutilization), average unit cost also increases-here due to overtime, increased equipment wear, and heightened defect rates. 2.6 Capacity Planning Models Present Value Analysis: It is used to evaluate the time of capital investment and fund flows. Aggregate Planning Models: It helps in examining the way of using the existing capacity for short term planning. Break Even Analysis: It determines the minimum break down volumes of production. Linear Programming: It helps in determining the optimum product mix for maximizing contribution, considering the constraints imposed by capacity. Computer Simulation: It is helpful in determining the effects of various scheduling policies. 2.7 Economies of Scale This well known principle of Economics illustrates the relationship between cost and capacity in an operating system. When output increases in an operating system, the system is likely to experience cost benefits on various factors. Due to the following reasons the average unit cost begins to fall with the rise in output level: Spreading the fixed costs of capacity over a larger output. Improved utilization of several resources in the system. Cost benefit in procurement on account of increased volume. Efficient use of supervisory and management staff. The economies of scale cease to occur beyond a level of production or output. This is called Diseconomies of Scale. There can be several reasons for this: Inefficient management due to large size of operation and the resulting lack of coordination. Overuse of machines and break down of material handling equipments. Over hiring of employees, or overtime exceeding justifiable limits. Service slows down due to increasing complexities. Increase in quality degradations because of mismanagement and lack of focus. An Example for Economies of Scale: Economies/Diseconomies of Scale Source: Microeconomics by Robert S. Pindyck, Daniel L. Rubinfeld, Prem L. Mehta Chapter-3 Capacity Planning Techniques 3.1 Capacity Planning Techniques There are four procedures for capacity planning; capacity planning using overall factors (CPOF), capacity bills, resource profiles, and capacity requirements planning (CRP). The first three are roughly cut approaches that involve analysis to identify potential bottlenecks that can be used with or without manufacturing resource planning (MRP) systems. CRP is used along with MRP systems. Capacity using overall factors is a simple and a manual approach to capacity planning that is based on the master production schedule (MPS) and production standards that convert required units of finished goods into historical loads on each work station. Bills of capacity are a procedure based on the MPS. Instead of using historical ratios, it uses the bills of material and routing sheet that shows the sequence or work stations required to produce the part, as well as the setup and run time. Capacity requirements can then be determined by multiplying the number of units required by the MPS by the time required to manufacture each. Resource profiles are the same as bills of capacity, except lead times being included so that workloads fall into the correct periods. Capacity requirements planning (CRP) is applicable only in companies using MRP or MRP II. CRP uses the information from one of the previous rough-cut methods, plus MRP outputs on existing inventories and lot sizing. The result will be a tabular load report for each work station or a graphical load profile for helping plan-production requirements. This will tell where capacity is not adequate or idle, allowing for imbalances to be corrected by shifts in personnel or equipment or the use of overtime or added shifts. Finite capacity scheduling is an extension of CRP that simulates job order stopping and starting to produce a detailed schedule that provides a set of start and finish dates for each operation at each work station. A failure to understand the very nature of managing capacity can lead to disorder and serious cus tomer service issues. If there is a mismatch between available and required capacity, adjustments should be made. However, it should be taken care that firms cannot Have perfectly-balanced material and capacity plans that easily accommodate emergency orders. If flexibility is the companys competitive priority, excess capacity would be appropriate. 3.2 Utilization and Efficiency Utilization is the percentage of design capacity achieved. Utilization = Actual Output/Design Capacity Efficiency is the percentage of effective capacity achieved. Efficiency = Actual Output/Effective Capacity Bakery Example: Actual production last week = 148,000 rolls Effective capacity = 175,000 rolls Design capacity = 1,200 rolls per hour Bakery operates 7 days/week, 3 8 hour shifts Design capacity = (7 x 3 x 8) x (1,200) = 201,600 rolls Utilization = 148,000/201,600 = 73.4% Efficiency = 148,000/175,000 = 84.6% Efficiency = 84.6% Efficiency of new line = 75% Expected Output = (Effective Capacity)(Efficiency) = (175,000)(.75) = 131,250 rolls 3.3 Managing Demand There are three cases in which demand has to be managed and they are: Demand Exceeding Capacity Control demand by raising prices, scheduling longer lead time Long term solution is to increase the capacity Capacity exceeds demand Stimulate market Product changes Adjusting to SEASONAL DEMANDS Produce products with complimentary demand patterns Capacity planning in short time or short term capacity planning to meet seasonal demands is explained in detail in the following sections. Chapter-4 Seasonal Demands 4.1 Seasonal Demands Seasonal Demands are those demands those cause unusually large ups or downs in demand. Seasonal demand occurs in a number of different scenarios; most frequent of them is listed in the following: Natural seasonal variations (e.g. greater demand for ice cream in summer and for cold remedies in winter). Specific calendar linked Events like Diwali (Crackers, sweets), Mothers Day (e.g. greetings cards and flowers), and Christmas. Regular every day Promotions that can happen frequently and semi-randomly throughout a year. 4.2 Impacts and Challenges of Seasonal Demand Managing seasonal demand getting a good forecast done, planning production and procurement and managing the fulfillment process introduces considerable additional challenges into the process that is already complex. For most manufacturers, the two key and important planning processes are Forecasting Demand Planning, and Production Planning Scheduling. The challenge in Forecasting and Demand Planning is mainly handling the high demand volatility and variability, and unexpected demands. Specifically, promotions events tend to cause most of the issues, and result in much larger and more frequent demand spikes and dips than natural seasonal variations. If these are not planned well in a timely fashion and introduced into downstream production and distribution plans, the result can be significant reduction in manufacturing and distribution efficiencies, increase in costs, lower customer service levels and satisfaction and all these ultimately can result in a lost business. In Planning and Scheduling, the greatest of problems is dealing with frequent changes in forecasts and orders. The ability to react swiftly while making the best decision on the way of satisfying demand is often the desired strategy of Make to Order manufacturers. For manufacturers who are unable to meet peak demand because of capacity constraints, and for those that Make to Stock or use a combined MTO/MTS strategy, tactical planning requires careful tweaking of demand and production in order to plan for a suitable pre-building of inventory and to ensure that the long lead time items are purchased in synchronization with the modified production plans. Manufacturers, of course, may, to solve some or all of their capacity issues, resort to sub-contracting. The recent upward trend in contract manufacturing, and the increase in virtual manufacturing, that is, purchasing and distributing products from foreign countries significantly add to the overall supply chain complexity. In this, with very long supply lead times, accuracy of forecast is again paramount, and, the ability to give your suppliers precise projections of your requirements in a timely manner is one of the most critical factors. Despite the push of lean strategies and principles of customer driven supply chain, one of the most common ways of dealing with any type of demand uncertainty in many of the companies of today still appears to be to insure against the uncertainty by holding an extra inventory across the supply chain which is an expensive and unacceptable solution. 4.3 Focus on Customers and Demand Getting the demand right approach benefits every subsequent supply chain planning and execution processes from production planning, through sourcing and procurement to fulfillment and this result in reduced costs as well as improvements in the top line sales and market share. On the other hand, getting the demand wrong adds cost to almost all downstream processes, severely affecting competitiveness and again ultimately results in losing the business. In forecasting and demand planning, one very much visible guideline is to focus more on the abnormal than the normal. This does not mean not paying attention to natural seasonal variations, but paying more attention on promotions and events as these are the things that almost cause the highest volatility in demand always and are the most tough to handle. Putting in extra efforts to ensure you understand your customers and the authentic sources of demand can also pay very good dividends. Many manufacturers still use their customers demand from on their warehouses but frequently, their customers ordering process is not that good and is a poor source of history of demands or demand trends. Wherever possible, its a lot better to have eyes on the actual source of demand, namely the consumer. Using their customers POS data as part of the demand planning process often gives much better idea of the actual demand. The ability to maximize and continuously improve forecast accuracy is very important. Increasing sales and market share with the help of improved perfect order performance and influencing and creating demand is equally important. Focusing well on demand and getting nearer to your customers is an essential requirement to achieve these goals. Chapter-5 Conclusion Conclusion Short term capacity planning to meet seasonal demands, thus is critical for any company and proper forecasting of seasonal demands and a proper plan to meet all those seasonal demands should be in place. Any flaw in this, can lead to high inventory costs, employee dissatisfaction, deteriorating customer service levels and high customer dissatisfaction that leads to losing the customers and ultimately losing the business. A firm should be at vigil all the time to see the changes happening in demands and should keep changing its strategies of short term capacity planning and achieve and sustain an outstanding business value. Appendix

Happiness in Brave New World :: Brave New World Essays

Happiness in Brave New World Huxley implies that by abolishing nastiness and mental pain, the brave new worlders have got rid of the most profound and sublime experiences that life can offer as well. Most notably, they have sacrificed a mysterious deeper happiness which is implied, but not stated, to be pharmacologically inaccessible to the utopians. The metaphysical basis of this presumption is obscure. There are hints, too, that some of the utopians may feel an ill-defined sense of dissatisfaction, an intermittent sense that their lives are meaningless. It is implied, further, that if we are to find true fulfilment and meaning in our own lives, then we must be able to contrast the good parts of life with the bad parts, to feel both joy and despair. As rationalisations go, it's a good one. But it's still wrong-headed. If pressed, we must concede that the victims of chronic depression or pain today don't need interludes of happiness or anaesthesia to know they are suffering horribly. Moreover, if the mere relativity of pain and pleasure were true, then one might imagine that pseudo-memories in the form of neurochemical artefacts imbued with the texture of "pastness" would do the job of contrast just as well as raw nastiness. The neurochemical signatures of deja vu and jamais vu provide us with clues on how the re-engineering could be done. But this sort of stratagem isn't on Huxley's agenda. The clear implication of Brave New World is that any kind of drug-delivered happiness is "false" or inauthentic. In similar fashion, all forms of human genetic engineering and overt behavioural conditioning are to be tarred with the same brush. Conversely, the natural happiness of the handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed Savage on the Reservation is portrayed as more real a nd authentic, albeit transient and sometimes interspersed with sorrow. The contrast between true and false happiness, however, is itself problematic. Even if the notion is both intelligible and potentially referential, it's not clear that "natural", selfish-DNA-sculpted minds offer a more authentic consciousness than precision-engineered euphoria. Highly selective and site-specific designer drugs [and, ultimately, genetic engineering] won't make things seem weird or alien. On the contrary, they can deliver a greater sense of realism, verisimilitude and emotional depth to raw states of biochemical bliss than today's parochial conception of Real Life.

Masters program application essay

My first foray into the cutthroat world of office work was at the office of Verizon Wireless. Here I served as an account manager and was assigned various tasks relating to accounts management. The work involved required me to seek out and win over new clients for the business as well as maintaining the company relationship with the already existing client base. It was at Verizon Wireless where I learned the various ways of dealing with clients. I learned how to satisfy the clients needs even if it seemed to be an almost impossible task. The experience I gained at Verizon Wireless can be considered to be highly valuable people skills that led me to believe that it would be possible for me to venture out on my own. The work path I was traversing at the time led me to take a chance on starting up a company based on sole proprietorship. Out of the many business ideas I had in mind, I settled on starting a small business that I could hopefully develop into a moneymaking machine. Thus, Setra Logistics was born. At Setra, I became involved in developing a management company that centered within the importation, exportation, and transportation business. The company's first business venture was doing local transport for auto auctions as well as shipping small cargo overseas. I ended up taking a loss at that time but I was not bothered because I felt that I was growing as a person and enhancing my management skills. Over time, I began employing more people and I learned to manage their individual work ethics and beliefs in life in order to bring out their full potential for the benefit of the company.   Through sheer hard work, patience, and perseverance, I managed to guide the company into a time of growth and at present the company is now a full fledged transport company boasting of an international clientele based throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. All these companies use our services for importing goods from the USA. Within the USA, we also have our own transport fleet that deals in transporting goods within the US. My biggest accomplishment to date though is that I managed to find partner companies overseas who can help hasten our logistics process in the aforementioned regions. At Setra Logistics, I manage a group of 7 employees of various genders, race, and nationality. It is because of the confidence I developed over the years here that I found the inner strength to try and establish another business venture. It is true that running a business alone is time consuming and 100% stressful but I have found that in the particular line of business Setra is in, it is best managed alone. Later one, I realized that I was starting to outgrow Setra Logistics and needed something new to tweak my interest. After a get together with some other business minded people, we agreed to pool our resources together and established ACS ATm, Incorporated.   Along with my partner, I am now heavily involved in the ATM machine and ISO clearinghouse business. ACS ATm is a company that specializes in ATM machine installation as well as credit card services. My company is quite active in the New York Metro area. My partners and I share the same vision of the future for ACS. We all look forward to managing the business so well, that, in the near future, it will become a leading processor for automated Teller machine software and hardware worldwide. Along with 3 other managers, our goal is to learn the ins and outs of the ATM transaction processing business and then, develop out own innovative ideas and products that will change the ATM transaction processing procedures worldwide. Our plans for the future are not limited to simply operating ATM machines and merchant services. Eventually, my managerial partners and I would like to become the brains behind tapping the remaining 70% of untapped electronic cash markets using cutting-edge and highly innovative ideas and products worthy of being tagged as 21st century banking and e-commerce trendsetters In the retrospect, I have to say that I am well versed in the languages of team and individual management. I am a skilled manager who can either run my own company, or develop a totally new company along with others who share my business visions. At Setra, I run a well oiled machine all by myself while at ACS, I learn to meet other managers halfway in order to achieve a greater success in the business venture.      

An Example Synopsis for Book-Length Fiction

An Example Synopsis for Book-Length Fiction Authors going through the manuscript querying process or entering writing contests must provide a synopsis of their work, along with a portion of the manuscript. After writing a 65,000+ page work, it can be hard to narrow that down to a 1-page synopsis, especially if youve invested a lot of time and emotion into the plot. You might be asking yourself: Whats important to note? What should be left out? And most of all, how can I compress a complicated plotline into 1 page of writing?To help authors through this process, weve provided example synopsis of a popular thriller, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. In this example, youll see what needs to be included, as well as how to match the style and feel of the manuscript with the synopsis of it.Dos and dontsDO write in active voice and show the entire narrative arc.DO write clearly but show your voice.DO show how major conflicts are resolved in the last paragraph.DO begin with a strong paragraph identifying your protagonist, conflict, and set ting.DONT include too much detail about plot turns and twists.DONT write a back-cover blurb instead of a synopsis.DONT mention too many characters or events.DONT go over 1 page, single-spaced.The synopsis formatBegin with a strong paragraph identifying your protagonist, problem or conflict, and setting.The next paragraph should convey any major plot turns or conflicts necessary and any characters that should be mentioned in order for your book summary to make sense to whoever is reading it.Indicate how major conflicts are resolved in the last paragraph. This ensures a clear presentation of your book or novel and doesnt leave the reader confused.Example synopsisInvestigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist, from Stockholm, Sweden, wants to clear his name from a libel conviction over a story he wrote about a powerful man named Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. Following his trial, Blomkvist is focused on clearing his name when he receives a mysterious phone call from a lawyer representing Henrik Vange r, the retired CEO of Vanger Corporation, requesting Blomkvists presence. In that meeting, Vanger reveals details of the mysterious disappearance of his 16-year-old grand-niece, Harriet Vanger. Vanger then requests that Blomkvist solve the puzzle, with generous financial compensation along with the necessary documentation Blomkvist needs to prove that Wennerstrom is indeed a criminal.Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old hacker, is tasked with investigating Blomkvist as a private investigator for Milton Securities- a job she was able to secure through the help of her guardian, Holger Palmgren. It is revealed that she came from a troubled childhood and her lack of cooperation caused her to be declared mentally incompetent as a young girl. Her life is further threatened when her guardian has a stroke and she is placed under the guardianship of Nils Bjurman, a sadistic man who rapes her repeatedly. Salandar blackmails her guardian to get control over her own finances and is offere d a chance to join Blomkvist in his investigation of Harriets disappearance.Salandar and Blomkvist discover that Harriet was not killed, but she had connected murders of women across Sweden in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s to Bible verses from Leviticus. They eventually learn that Harriet suspected her father, Gottfried Vanger, and her brother, Martin Vanger (the CEO of Vanger Corporation) were the murderers and fled to escape her brother who (like his father) violently raped her. Salandar and Blomkvist confront Martin, resulting in his suicide, and then find Harriet in Australia to tell her he is dead and reunite her with her uncle (Henrik).Blomkvist is then given the information on Wennerstrom but is disappointed to learn that it is too old to be used in court. Salandar then informs Blomkvist that she has copied Wennerstroms computer onto her servers and he can access it all to write the article. Blomkvist then writes the article, as well as an extensive report on Wennerstroms corruptio n, as Salander siphons millions of dollars from Wennerstroms accounts into accounts of her own.Realizing her attraction and love for Blomkvist, Salandar decides to tell him but backs out as she sees him enter his apartment with another woman.

Dakota Office Products Essay Example

Dakota Office Products Essay Example Dakota Office Products Essay Dakota Office Products Essay Dakota Office Products Q1) Why was Dakota’s existing pricing system inadequate for its current operating environment? The existing policies being followed by Dakota regarding Accounts receivables are a major issue, which is affecting its payment of working capital line of credit (@10%). Customer A pays its bill within 30 days, whereas B takes up 90 days or more. Dakota can achieve sufficient liquidity, if it tightens its credit policy. | | | | | 2) Develop an activity based cost system for Dakota office products based on year 2000 data. Calculate the activity cost driver rate for each DOP activity in 2000. Activities amp; Costs| Activities| Drivers| Costs| Ship Cartons| No. of cartons| Freight( commercialamp; Own)| Process Cartons| No. of cartons| Warehouse Costs(Rent, Personnel amp; Distribution)| Desktop Delivery| No. of deliveries| Delivery Truck amp; Warehouse Personnel| Processing Manual Orders|   | Order Entry(Processing systemamp; Operators)| Entering Items(Ordered manually)| No. of lines Entered| Order Entry| EDI Processing| Per EDI Order| Quick check of order entry| Construction of Activity  Based Cost System: In the table that follows Overhead Cost Items- description of the activity performed. Source of Annual Cost- reference is provided for each cost item (either the numerical basis for the  calculation or the reference exhibit in the case study as applicable). Annual Cost contains the total cost in dollars. Estimated Annual Value- is  the volume Cost per Driver Unit-is the  calculated allocation rate. Other Costs Interest was assigned at a rate of  10% of each customer’s average accounts receivable balance. General and Selling Expenses were allocated as the fraction of  total sales 3) Using the answer to Question 2, calculate the profitability of customer A and customer B. Profitability Comparison of  Customers The results of the profitability analysis shown in Table 2 are described below. * The gross margins (Sales – Cost of Goods Sold) in the current method For customer A (from exhibit 2): $103000 $85000 = $18000 For customer B (from exhibit 2): $104000-$85000 = $19000 They differ only by $1000 and hence behaviour is similar However, compilations of relative activity-based costs indicate the difference in behaviour. Customer A utilized more commercial freight shipments (Customer A: 200 vs. Customer B: 150) due to which a higher activity cost margin is observed (Customer A: $1200 vs. Customer B: $900). * Customer A did not use any desktop delivery service as opposed to Customer B who requested 25 desktop deliveries at a relative differential cost of $5500. * Number of line items: Customer A’s 60 items, and Customer B’s 180 resulted in an allocation of $240 and $720, respectively. Customer A placed only 6 manual orders, while B placed 100 manual orders. This results in costs of $60 and $1000 for A and B respectively. * Customer A executed 6 EDI  orders at a  cost of $30. Customer B did  not use the EDI facility. * Each customer warehoused 200 cartons, for an assigned cost of $10,400. * Based on all activity-based costs, contribution margin from Customer A is calculated to be $6,070 and that for Customer B is $480. Thus, here, a huge disparity in profitability of the Customers is observed.

How do accounts of rural and suburban racism challenge understandings Essay

How do accounts of rural and suburban racism challenge understandings of race and place - Essay Example As a result, there is urgent need to come up with strategies to eliminate or at the very least, reduce cases of racist violence in rural areas. This essay aims at analyzing the various forms of racism in rural and urban areas of the UK, through the eyes of both the whites and the ethnic minorities. The essay also examines the various ways in which such forms of racism can be addressed. 2.0 Rural racism in the English countryside The idea of the English country side for most people is almost fantasy-like, where life is easy-flowing and communities are like â€Å"small nations†. According to Garland & Chakraborti (2006, pp. 161) the rural life of most communities in England is characterized by a quite, cozy life, greenery, close-knit relations among people, and deep feelings of belonging. As a result, the country side is perceived as the place where the â€Å"real† England is represented. Accordingly, there is a common perception that the countryside is a very peaceful pl ace, with no cases of racial segregation and violence. On the contrary, other people coming from other towns and cities, especially ethnic minorities always find it hard to fit into the community life. These minorities are then perceived as unwilling to adopt the English culture, and are subject to racial discrimination. 3.0 Strategies for refiguring rural racism 3.1 Various forms of exclusion In the UK, exclusion can range from differences in skin colour, cultural identity, and economic status. Nonetheless, it seems that racial segregation is the most dominant form of exclusion practiced by most people in the UK today. The main racial categories include White, Black, and Asian. The White category according to Woodward (2004, pp.139) includes the British and the Irish, while the Black category is made up of people from African and Caribbean countries. The Asians are then categorized as being Chinese, Pakistani, or Indian. However, even within the â€Å"White† group, the Engli sh still seem to alienate the Irish and the Welsh. The English seem to have a sense of cultural hegemony, which they believe represents true British nationalism. Therefore, any other ethnic group, especially the Irish is seen as a contaminant of British national identity. The issue of authentic Englishness then comes to the fore of societal structures, and forms a basis for racial segregation. 3.2 Definitions of rurality for indigenous and ethnic minorities, differences Indigenous people and ethnic minorities have very different perception of the term â€Å"rurality†. For most whites, rurality bears the last hope for the preservation of whiteness (Garner 2007, pp.78). The countryside, should, therefore, be protected from the evils of city life, the latter which is characterized by multiculturalism and disorder, represented by ethnic minorities. Accordingly, to a majority of ethnic minorities, life in the countryside is not as smooth, since they constantly have to worry about racial abuse and violence (McKinney 2005, pp. 20). However, cases of violent assault are relatively fewer compared to reported incidents of verbal abuse. It is also alarming to note that the criminal system does not take the victimization of the ethnic minorities seriously, as the former chooses to believe in the â€Å"good† of English people (ibid). As Bonnet (2000b, pp.113 ) noted, English rural dwellers always suspect and treat â€Å"

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Management - Essay Example The company should use the generic strategies to achieve competitive advantage. These generic strategies include; differentiation, focus and cost leadership. Cost leadership strategy strongly emphasizes on working towards a goal of producing low priced products. Many people would be attracted to companies that offer lower prices for their services and products. For example, South West airlines have used this strategy, and the profits have grown immensely through application of cost leadership strategy. Differentiation strategy emphasizes on production of unique products and services that are better than their competitors and are valued more by customers. For a company that wants to make great changes, differentiations of their products is very important. Focus strategy means developing a certain market target. A focused strategy targets market segments which are less vulnerable to any substitutes or in situations where competition is weakest. This will enable a company to attain comp etitive advantage. For a business that is undergoing large change, marketing strategy implementation is also very important. A company may be undergoing a change like change of product, change of process; change of location change of product composition etc. customers may not be aware of these changes and may become reluctant to buy their products (Paley, 2006 pp.21). These changes may have a negative impact on the company if they do not follow well defined strategies. The initial purposes for change which in most cases are done with an aim of increasing profit may not be met if they are not well advertised. For example; a company may decide to change their products. When these products get to the market customers who are not aware of them may be reluctant to buy. Buyers have to be made aware of the products through good marketing strategy. They need to be made aware of the benefits of using the products. Advertisement is a good marketing strategy in the business set up undergoing m assive change. Appealing means of capturing people to buy your product cannot be under weighed (Foxall, 2005).The advertisements should be made in such a way that it targets many people. For example; advertising in popular television and radio programs can capture millions of people. Similarly, advertisements can be done by use of large and attractive billboards in busy streets. For example; using a popular celebrity in your advertisement billboards can attract more attention. Good marketing strategy should be based on well developed ideas and well budgeted. It would require a good sum of money especially if large commercial advertisements have to be done. It should also ensure that the targeted population is reached. For example; a product that targets youth should have marketing strategies that adequately draw their attention more. Strategic management theory Strategic management is the approach and the process of pointing out the objectives of an organization and implementing pol icies that will ensure achievement of these objectives. In broad term, it can be seen as a combination of the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the strategy. Management theory provides a framework for knowledge organization. It also provides blueprint for actions that can guide organizations in achieving their objectives (Parnell, 2004 pp.34). Many managers rely on these contributions that were made by past industrialists.

The Margin Call Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Margin Call Movie - Essay Example This move is one of the ethically questionable issues evident in the movie. The decision by Tuld to sell off their assets (the toxic ones) before the opening of the market and before the traders and customers’ suspect of the downfall and worthlessness of company and their assets is one of the biggest and most pronounced unethical and questionable decisions by the company. The moral philosophy in this case is egoism where the egoistic person only selects choices and solutions which are favoring his or her self-interest or that satisfy their egos. The decisions being suggested by some of the senior executives and also being supported by the others is that of sacrificing their own traders who are their loyal customers and deceiving them in order to save the company from losses that it is facing and will eventually face once word gets out about the reduction of mortgage-backed securities by over 25%. The reasoning behind their egoistic philosophical decision is that the market fac es ups and downs but it still remains and therefore this is a normal situation for an investment bank and once the crisis passes, then they will be on their way to making profits and no one will find out about what happened unless someone leaks word out. If this happens, then they are prepared to offer Robertson as a sacrificial lamb through her resigning. Select two alternative moral philosophies that might have led the parties to a different result and, for each one, include a definition of that alternative philosophy

Give an account of how the monoamines Essay Example for Free

Give an account of how the monoamines Essay Before any detailed explanations of how monoamines act as transmitters and their prime functions in the brain, I feel it is appropriate to describe what transmitters are and outline their functions in the nervous system as well as the criteria needed for a transmitter. The definition of a neurotransmitter is chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between neurons. (wikipedia, 2006) Moreover, for these substances to be classified as a neurotransmitter, certain criteria must be met as follows. Firstly, it is synthesized when required endogenously at the pre-synaptic side of the cell and stored in vesicles. Secondly, an adequate amount can be released to cause a response on the post-synaptic neuron. Finally, an inactivation mechanism is required to terminate its effect upon cell. Neurotransmitters are agonists and may produce fast or slow sequence of events which could be either excitatory or inhibitory. The effect is largely determined by the receptors that the neurotransmitters bind onto. Neurotransmitters are usually small molecules and are packaged into small vesicles. When a neuron receives an action potential that travels along the axon reaching the synapse, the pre-synaptic membrane of the neuron becomes depolarized. This leads to the opening of calcium channels and an influx of calcium ions, which causes the vesicles to be released by exocytosis to the synaptic cleft and the neurotransmitter molecules are then free to bind to receptors that sits on the post-synaptic membrane of the neuron. Neurotransmitter receptors are commonly divided into two types: the ionotropic receptors and the metabotropic receptors. The first group of receptors is ligand-gated ion channels and its opening or closure of channel depends on the binding of neurotransmitters. The rate of transmission for ionotropic receptors is fast. The latter group passes on signals through second messengers such as G-proteins and they have slower neuromodulation. There are three major categories of neurotransmitters: the amino acids, peptides, monoamines and the last group we will be concentrated on. Monoamines include chemicals such as dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NA) and serotonin (5-HT). Dopamine is responsible for emotional arousal; NA causes wakefulness and arousal whereas 5-HT has a role in memory, patterns in sleeping and emotions. Each of the neurotransmitters will now be introduced in more details. Dopamine is naturally synthesized inside the body by rewarding experiences; it is a neurotransmitter that acts on the brain as well as a neurohormone that is released by the hypothalamus. Generally, functions of DA in the brain include movement, cognition, prolactin secretion regulation plus motivation and pleasure. DA have other functions in the brain, however, it centrally plays a role in the pleasure reward system. The presence of an unanticipated reward induces activations to DA neurons and we tend to repeat certain behaviors to gain rewards again due to the feelings of reinforcement and motivations. Thus DA is believed to set up new motor sequences for repeated behaviors and reward system. Often this system has an association with the use of drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines which can increase the concentration of DA in the brain leading to addiction of drugs. On the other hand DA is also released with the occurrence of unpleasant experiences and we learn to keep away or remove the unlikable stimuli. The most common and recognizable symptom of Parkinsons disease is the shaky hands, where patients are less able to control their motor movement. The cause of the disease is principally understood as shortage of DA and death of DA neurons in nigrostriatal pathway. Evidentially DA has an affect on the basal ganglia motor loop which impinges on the brain to control our motor movements. The frontal lobes of the brain are the region responsible for most of the neurocognitive functions, where DA controls the information flow from other sections of the brain. Any disorder in this area can bring about reduced functions in memory and attention. As mentioned before, DA plays a role in regulation of prolactin secretion in which DA act as a neuroendocrine regulator to inhibit prolactin release from anterior lobe of pituitary gland. Receptors for DA include D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 and D2 receptors are associated with sociability. Anxiety patients are found to have low D2 receptor binding. Other behavior disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and psychosis are related to DA system disruption. Treatment for these disorders often uses the blockade mechanism of the D2 receptors or blocking the reuptake of DA transmitters. Norepinephrine (NA) belongs to the catecholamine family, which are chemicals that are made from the amino acids tyrosine. In the nervous system, NA acts as neurotransmitters and the noradrenergic neurons are responsible for the release of NA. The function of NA in the brain is as a stress hormone, where one is subjected to stressful environment, NA is released. It acts on the adrenoreceptors which are divided into the alpha and beta type and each of these have their own subdivisions. Norepinephrine also implies a role in depression and the chemical serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are used to treat depression. SNRIs are antidepressant and they function by increasing the concentration of NA at the postsynaptic cells as well as the amount of dopamine due to the availability of NA transporters to some dopamine. SNRIs has an inhibitory effect on the NA transporter reuptake mechanism by preventing transporters to recycle NA transmitters, which stop the NA transporter to recycle dopamine as well and prolongs the effect of dopamine transmission. The correlation between the two transmitters is effective on the antidepressant aspect. Serotonin (5-HT) is derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan and it is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. 5-HT is made in serotonergic neurons of the Raphe nuclei in the brain. The neurotransmission for 5-HT is relatively different compared to DA and NA. Instead of releasing the neurotransmitter from a synaptic bulb, 5-HT is released from serotonergic swellings along the axon. Classically transmitters after the release stage will usually bind to receptors that sit on the post-synaptic membrane. However, in the case of 5-HT, the receptors specifically for it not only present post-synaptically but also at areas such as cell bodies and dendrites. The termination pathway of 5-HT is via the actions of the 5-HT reuptake transporter present at pre-synaptic membrane of the neuron. There is a broad classification of 5-HT receptors, from 5-HT1 to 5-HT7, and there are subdivision of the 5-HT1, 5-HT2 and 5-HT5receptors. Most of the 5-HT receptors uses the G-protein coupled mechanism traduce signals, except the 5-HT3 receptor which is a ligand-gated ion channel. For 5-HT1 receptors, the subdivision includes 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D. Generally with selected agonists binding to the receptors their functions in the central nervous system are inhibition of neuronal effects and behavioral effects for example, sleeping, and anxiety. But for 5-HT1D it has a role in cerebral vasoconstriction. At the 5-HT2A receptors it involves neuronal excitation which is the opposite of the 1A, B subtypes as well as learning. 5-HT2C receptors are responsible for secreting cerebral spinal fluid to the spinal cord for lubrication and other functions. The 5-HT3 receptors with a selection of specific drugs binding, it brings about anxiety plus neuronal excitation. For some of the other receptors of 5-HT, their roles in the nervous system are unclear and some are responsible for the gastrointestinal tract contraction and motility; vascular constriction or dilation. Clinically, 5-HT is used in the treatment of epilepsy and depression. Although histamine is the chemical that has many involvements physiologically in the human body, it also acts as a neurotransmitter. Four histamine receptors have been discovered ranging from H1-H4. However, only the H3 receptors are mainly engaged with the central nervous system. The cell bodies in the posterior hypothalamus release histamine and it plays a part in sleeping pattern modulation. Histamine releasing disorders are associated with inability of attention maintenance. Schizophrenia also has an association with low concentration of histamine in blood level. References: Book resources:Essential psychopharmacology 2nd edition, Stephen M. Stahl Online resources: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Monoamine_neurotransmitter http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dopamine http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Norepinephrine http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Serotonin http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Histamine.