Alternative Medicine Essays (2087 words) - Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine Alternative Medicine by Joe Grodjesk Sociology Of Medicine Professor Buban May 5, 2001 Alternative Medicine Throughout recorded history, people of various cultures have relied on what Western medical practitioners today call alternative medicine. The term alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. It generally describes those treatments and health care practices that are outside mainstream Western health care. People use these treatments and therapies in a variety of ways. Alternative therapies used alone are often referred to as alternative; when used in combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition to conventional therapies they are referred to as complementary. Some therapies are far outside the realm of accepted Western medical theory and practice, but some, like chiropractic treatments, are now established in mainstream medicine. Worldwide, only an estimated ten to thirty percent of human health care is delivered by conventional, biomedically-oriented practitioners (Fields of Practice). The remaining seventy to ninety percent ranges from self-care according to folk principles, to care given in an organized health care system based on alternative therapies (Fields of Practice). Many cultures have folk medicine traditions that include the use of plants and plant products. In ancient cultures, people methodically collected information on herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed, well into the twentieth century much of the pharmacology of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal lore of native peoples. Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal origin: one-quarter of the prescription drugs dispensed by community pharmacies in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived from plant material (Fields of Practice). Twenty years ago, few physicians would have advised patients to take folic acid to prevent birth defects, vitamin E to promote a healthy heart, or vitamin C to bolster their immune systems. Yet today, doctor and patient alike know of the lifesaving benefits of these vitamins. Twenty years ago, acupuncture, guided imagery, and therapeutic touch were considered outright quackery. Now, however, in clinics and hospitals around the country, non-traditional therapies are gaining wider acceptance as testimonials and studies report success using them to treat such chronic maladies as back pain and arthritis. The number of people availing themselves of these alternative therapies is staggering. In 1991 about twenty-one million Americans made four hundred and twenty-five million visits to practitioners of these types of alternative medicine; more than the estimated three hundred and eighty-eight million visits made to general practitioners that year (Apostolides). The U.S. Department of Education has accredited more than twenty acupuncture schools and more than thirty medical schools now offer courses in acupuncture (Lombardo; Smith). As the number of Western medical institutions researching alternative therapies increases, the legitimacy of at least some alternative therapies will also increase. Does all this recent medical establishment attention mean that the non-conventional therapies really work? Critics say a definitive scientific answer must await well-designed experiments involving many patients. Up to now, most of the studies have relied on personal observation and anecdotal testimony from satisfied patients. The official position of the American Medical Association (A.M.A.)--alternative medicine's chief critic--is that a patient's improvement or recovery after alternative treatment might just as well be incidental to the action taken. This may be true for scientists and researchers, but the fact is that the people seeking alternative treatments disagree. The solution is obvious: more research needs to be conducted. Some alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, have impressive histories dating back thousands of years. In America, professional and public interest in the field of alternative care has grown to such an extent that, in 1992, the U.S. government established the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its mission is to speed the discovery, development, and validation of potential treatments to complement our current healthcare system. One of the OAM's first tasks was to develop a classification system for the dozens of various therapies and practices. The systems of alternative medical practice the OAM has classified so far share many common therapeutic techniques. Traditional oriental medicine and naturopathic medicine, for example, both use herbal remedies, acupuncture, and mind/body control. However, some alternative systems, such as environmental medicine and homeopathic medicine are distinct and separate. Followi ng are some the more popular alternative therapies Americans use. Acupuncture Acupuncture is an

CSR in Nokia Company Essays

CSR in Nokia Company Essays CSR in Nokia Company Essay CSR in Nokia Company Essay In the last few years, more organizations are spending a fortune on their corporate social responsibility. This is increasing growing as a result of customer relationship and interest shown by the consumers in both products and service. Consumers are not Just having a brand loyalty but are monitoring the company in places where are operating to see If they will be environmental friendly. In other to successfully scrutinize the firm, the managers of this company are evaluating their Impact on the people and the environment. Monika has done reasonably well and still setting target or future year in other to fully implement recommendations and research result. Corporate Social Responsibility is of the best way to monitor the progress and face the challenges confronting them. Every well-to-do organization has a role to play to sustain or add value to the economy where they operate. Every company that intends to grow and succeed must care about the people and the society, e. G Must be socially responsible. This is why a company like Monika, Invested so much in other to see changes reflected In the way they do business in the community where they operates and changes In the mobile industry. The transformation is noticeable as Monika has brought a lot of Innovation to the mobile Industry and in the process of Investing and Influencing this change, there are specific areas where the company will always face Issues and the degree of challenges defers depending on the region where its being operated. Some of the challenges faced by Monika in the process of operating included but not limited to the following:- Energy Conservation Monika has consistently reduced the electricity it generated to operate overtime. Accordingly 40% of the electricity used by Monika comes from renewable energy sourcesl . Waste Management Monika has reduced the landfill waste by more than half since 2008 and the company has achieved 98% reduction as at 2012. Material The company is working towards sustaining the use of recycled materials. As at 2012, It Is using about 66% recycled materials on packaging and working towards increasing to 100%. Nooks, 201 2) Other factors affecting Monika are In the area of health safety, product use, logistic and suppliers. This Is not peculiar to Monika but to every organization where they value the Corporate social Responsibility (CARS). In other to understand the factors and the challenges faced by Monika, it is imperative to SE the external factors such as the Politic al, legal, social and the technology to identify and understand the market conditions where the company is localized, and thus work out modalities that could help or sustains Monika global brand. POLITICAL Even though the core basic aspect of Ionians business Is connecting people via mobile data communication, it is important for Monika to understand each terrain where their company Is domiciled. In view of this, It Is pertinent for Monika to understand the political landscape of the economy as the government must not be partial In the dealings with corporate companies. If there Is a good political structure in an economy, there is a tendency for Monika to grow but where the environment is This is one of the biggest aspects of mobile data Communication Company. The legal system differs from one country to the other and thus Monika needs to understand the concept doing things right. It may be impossible to avoid legal matters in as much as contracts, trade, agreements and taxation issues are involve, but Monika can study each country mode of operations better before appending contract, defaulting on tax issue. As rightly put We go beyond current legal compliance, not merely taking it a saline but as a starting point for further improvement. Our goal is for our devices to contain no substances of concern. We continuously review and update our substance list to comply with any new requirements or restrictions. Moreover, we continuously explore and introduce new environmentally-friendly materials. (Monika, Report 2012). SOCIAL The social factor is a very important determinant aspect to a successful Ionians operation. This will determine the willingness of people to be able to afford to buy Ionians phone. The segmentation of the population will determine which age group guys what? This will be influenced by the purchasing power of the people. E. G. N Africa, majority of the youth prefer to own about three (3) phones, one of which is the Ionians phone due to the durability of the phone battery as most places do not have power to generate electricity on their own, others will prefer the shape of the phones while others are more concern with the content of the phone. But coming to the Middle East, majority of the youth do not have more than one phone but will prefer a classic or stylish pho nes. People per capital income will also show their purchasing ewer, whether more people can afford to buy a new Monika phone or not. All these are part of the social factors affecting Ionians operation and growth expansion. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Monika believes so much in investment into mobile technology and the company has spent significant amount of money on technological advancement. Without a continued innovation and research, a company cannot survive and this is where business environment values innovation. People prefer to have a phone with all-in- one mobile functionality. It is one of such investment in technology that is displayed n the New Monika Lamina with 42 camera MSP. CONCLUSION For Monika to have survive this far means that the company understand the challenges being faced and thus needs to continually study the political terrain of where they are operating, understand the legal aspect and strive to improve the social standard of the people while investing more in mobile technology. As stated in the Monika report, sustainability is about unleashing the potential of mobile technology to help people build better lives and a better planet. And its about minimizing possible negative impacts of our activities. (Monika Report, 2012).

- Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

- Financial Accounting - Essay Example See appendix 2 (Clarke 2010, pp. 71). (b): while preparing the cash budget, the sales increase by  £ 3,000 per month has been factored in. On a similar note, the quarterly payment of electricity cost and the reduction of the electricity by  £ 1,000 every month have been factored in. See appendix 3 (Albrecht 2007, pp. 901). (c): Working capital includes cash, inventory, marketable securities and account receivables. It is always advisable for business entities maintain a sufficient amount of cash, since it is the most liquid asset, to enable an entity’s operations to run effectively. Therefore, cash, account receivables and marketable securities are types of working capital that are constantly required to carry out the operations of a business entity. Kawasaki Ltd has two types of working capital under its management. They are the account receivables, the inventories and cash. Though the inventories are not as liquid as compared to cash, they can be converted to cash when the need arises (Bhattacharyya 2004, pp. 29-50). The company has a policy in place to regulate the account receivables. The policy states that the buyers have 30 days after sales to pay their dues. Therefore, the debtors’ payable period is 30 days. The period is short enough to reduce the amount of cash tied up on debts, thus, increases the cash availability for the company. In addition, the policy improves the revenue generated by the company, thus, improves the net income. Second, the company has formulated a policy that would see the inventory levels reduced during the low-demand season. The policy will see the inventory wastage eliminated; thus, eliminate the cost related to such wastage, thus. Improve the revenue. Third, based on the cash budget for Kawasaki Ltd, the cash balance increases every month. From the cash budgets, the cash availability in the company is sufficient enough to support the company’s operations. The cash levels should be

Financial reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial reporting - Assignment Example Financial statements, prepared on the basis of historical cost accounting method, do not provide a fair and true presentation of equity’s performance or future prospects, if capital is inadequately maintained (Charnes, 1976). Moreover, critical assessment of equity’s performance by studying ratios, such as, return on capital employed, will be useless if capital is undervalued, profit is overstated and values of assets are misinterpreted. These sometimes occur because of historical cost accounting. The limitations have been summarized as follows: Overestimating and valuing profits by undercharging depreciation on the basis of historical cost and recording sales cost at original cost of inventories, may result in the reduction of an entity’s capital because of high taxation charges and distribution (Belfo and Trigo, 2013). This accounting approach toughens the task for analysts and shareholders of evaluating and assessing the ability and performance of management. This is precisely because variations in the situation of the current market are not considered in historical valuation approach. Then, owner of the entity tried to restock his inventory and realized that the cost of replacement was $2,200. They did not have enough cash to restructure to the pre-sale condition. The difficulty escalated due to the fact that the owner was unable to differentiate between the profits generated from holding the inventory for a particular time period before selling it and the revenue that was generated through trading. Had the company matched the cost of replenishment against revenue, they would have realized a profit of $300. If this excess proceed had been withdrawn, it would have left the company with $2,200, which could be used for the purpose of inventory replacement. Thus, this example suggests the fact that historical accounting can be misleading to the user of the information (Bakar and Said, 2007). The application of general price index under this method is

Perspectives on Medicare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perspectives on Medicare - Essay Example The system (Medicare) is structured in four essential parts: Part A is based on Hospital Insurance, Part B caters for Medical Insurance, Part C deals with Medical Advantage and Part D relates to Drug coverage, which relates to Medicare prescription. Each part is important in establishing a Medicare plan for people since there is a correlation between each of the parts that provide Medicare benefits (Ball, 1995). The relationship extends to the fact that if one component is of low quality, the other factors should be of a similar nature. Hospital insurance is designed to cover inpatient care in case of medical emergencies. It caters to home health care, a nursing facility and a hospice, which will address and cater to the requirements of an inpatient. These are essential in ensuring that a patient will have these important services that will enhance quick recovery from any injury, ailment or any other health hazard that may arise. Medical insurance is implemented in order to provide cover for services administered by health care providers (such as doctors), outpatient care, home health care, and mediation or medical equipment (Hellinger, 1998). It also covers preventive measures that ensure the wellbeing of an individual, as well as limit or prevent any illnesses from becoming aggravated or causing fatal damage. Medical Advantage is a component of Medicare that gives the option of using Medicare-approved private companies, which provide various insurance policies. It has a formulated plan that ensures an individual receives any of the benefits that are provided in Part A and B. This aspect of Medicare provides additional advantages, which are provided at an additional cost (Ball, 1995). It (Medicare Advantage Plan) also provides cover that relates to drug prescription (Part D). Â  

Purpose And Definition Of OEE Engineering Essay

Purpose And Definition Of OEE Engineering Essay 2.1 Introduction These days, in this demanding world, the total elimination of waste is for the survival of the organization. The waste caused due to the failure or shutdown of facilities that has been built with enormous investment, and also waste such as defective products ought to be completely eliminated. In a manufacturing sector, companys facilities have to be functioning efficiently in order to gain desirable productivity, inventory cost, delivery as well as quality. In this context, the motive of OEE analysis and measurement is to reduce the equipment losses to zero and has been recognized as a necessity for many organizations. According to Bamber et al. (1999) [5], the role of teamwork, small group activities and the participation of all employees is crucial to accomplish equipment improvement aims. Hence, OEE is use as metrics to determine the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) activities. On the other hand, it can also be said that OEE shows a consistency approach to measure the effectiven ess of TPM as well as other programs by providing an overall structure for measuring production efficiency. As explained by (Dal et al., 2000) [6], the role of OEE goes far beyong not only monitoring and controlling, but also takes into consideration of process improvement initiatives/programs, provides a systematic method for establishing production targets, prevents the sub-optimization of individual machines or product lines, as well as incorporates practical management tools and techniques. This ensures the attainment of a balanced view of process availability, quality and performance. Another statement made by Lesshammar and Patrik (1999) [7], in their case studies, have presented how OEE is being used in industry and as well have reported that this metric forms a useful part of an overall system of measurement. In other words, it provides a useful method to measure the effectiveness of manufacturing operations from a single piece of equipment to the whole manufacturing plant of several manufacturing plants in a group. In doing so, OEE not only provides a complete scenario of where productive manufacturing time and money is being lost, but at the same time uncovers the true , hidden capability of the industry. Thus, it becomes the key manufacturing decision support tool for constant improvement programmes [8]. Apart from that, OEE is an established method of measuring followed by optimizing the efficiency of a machines performance or that of a whole industry plant. The effectiveness of a plants production highly depends on the effectiveness with which it makes use of equipment, materials, man and methods as explained by Suzuki (1999) [9]. Besides, OEE can have a significant impact on the productivity of a manufacturing unit. Therefore, through OEE manufacturers may systematically direct their business towards attainment of continuous improvement operating margins, optimized competitive position and maximized utilization of capital. Some of the more prominent firms have benefited from OEE as a measurement gauge for implementing improvement activities that increases company profits and costs. . 2.2 History of OEE OEE is an essential metric and basic methodology for manufacturers practicing a Lean manufacturing strategy that is zero waste in their value streams. This metric element follows the well-founded principle: If you cant measure it, you cant manage it [10]. Some advocates are fond of the view If youre not taking score, youre only practicing [10]. In 1972, the Japanese Plant Maintenance Institute (JPMI) developed a theory called Total Productive Maintenance [11]. The preliminary aim of TPM was to eradicate the six big losses and subsequently the eight wastes. It was first implemented and developed in Toyotas automotive plants, soon after evolving into world renowned Toyota Production System. An organizational culture was formed by Toyota that focused on the systematic identification and elimination of all waste from their production process where the technical / human contributions to production are maximized. Reengineering and organizational change is used to maximize yield, minimize cost and time-compress the supply chain by fully excluding non-value added activities and not right first time events. The OEE gauge came forward from the Japanese production focused, equipment management framework of TPM [10]. OEE is the key measure of the tangible benefits accessible from TPM by Seiichi Nakajima, the founder of Total Productive Maintenance who initially used OEE to depict a fundamental measure for tracking production performance. He (Seiichi Nakajima) challenged the complacent view of effectiveness by focusing not merely on keeping equipment running smoothly, but on creating a sense of joint responsibility between maintenance workers and operators to optimize the Overall Equipment Performance. OEE symbolized in the first of the original pillars of TPM. Guided all TPM activities and measured the results of these loss focused activities. Therefore, the use of OEE had evolved into the current focused improvement pillar, one of eight TPM pillars. During the mid 1990s, coordinated by SEMATECH the semiconductor wafer fabrication industry has adopted to improve the productivity of the fabrication [11]. Since then, manufacturers in other industries throughout the world have embraced OEE ways to improve their asset utilization. 2.3 The purpose of OEE The OEE metric can be applied at a number of different levels within a manufacturing environment. First, OEE can be used as a benchmark for measuring the initial performance of a manufacturing industry as a whole. Thereby, the initial OEE measure can be compared with future OEE values, hence quantifying the level of enhancement made. Subsequently, an OEE value calculated for one manufacturing line can as well be used to compare line performance across the industry, thus highlighting any poor line performance. If the machines processes work individually, an OEE measure can discover which machine performance is worst, and therefore indicate where to focus TPM resources ( Nakajima 1988) [5]. Dal et al. (2000) [6] declared that by utilizing largely existing performance data, such as preventive maintenance, absenteeism, accidents, material utilization, conformance to schedule, labor recovery, set-up and changeover data, etc., the OEE measure may possibly provide topical information for daily decision making. Due to this, the OEE measurement method within a industry becomes the elementary measure of TPM activities, as well as a basis of improvements for the TPM process. 2.4 Definition of OEE In the era of globalization today, manufacturers are forced to look for creative ways to maximize additional investment due to the continuous pressure of global competition which results in lower margin. In this state, OEE has becoming a hot topic. In its most basic form, OEE offers a straightforward ways to keep track of manufacturing performance as well as to measure the total equipment performance- the degree to which the asset is doing what it is supposed to do. However, the true power of OEE as a dedicated application lies in the ability to use it as a change-enabler, or tool for continuous improvement and lean manufacturing programs [8]. There are various methodologies to gauge manufacturing efficiency. Generally most companies will have a number of measures already in place. Nevertheless, many now disagree that none of these approaches are as comprehensive or far reaching as the OEE achievement, since OEE provides a way to measure the effectiveness of manufacturing operations from single piece of equipment to the manufacturing plant in entirety, or several manufacturing plants in a group. as a result, OEE can be well thought-out as a central KPI (key performance indicator). It drives an organization to examine all aspects of asset performance in order to ensure gaining the maximum benefits from a piece of equipment that is already bought and paid for [12]. Thus, it is obvious that OEE acts as an approach for monitoring and managing the lifecycle of manufacturing assets. On the other hand, OEE can be expressed as a commonly accepted set of metrics that bring clear focus to the key success drivers for manufacturing enterprises [13]. In other words, it measures both efficiency (doing things right) and effectiveness (doing the right things) with the equipments. These measurement comprises of three fundamental elements where each one is expressed as a percentage and accounting for a different kind of waste in the manufacturing process. Thus, it is understood that OEE is a function of the three factors. The three factors mentioned below are briefed as: Availability or uptime (downtime: planned and unplanned, tool change, tool service, job change etc.) A measure of the time the plant was in fact available for production compared to the manufacturing requirements. Any losses in this area would attribute to major breakdowns or extended set up time [14]. Performance efficiency (actual vs. design capacity) The rate that concrete units are produced compared to the designed output. Losses in this area would attribute to slow speed running, minor stoppages or adjustments [14]. Rate of quality output (Defects and rework) A measure of good quality, saleable product, minus any waste. Losses in this element would attribute to damage rejects or products needing rework [14]. Measuring OEE can be done simply by capturing the five basic pieces of information as stated below: Planned Production Time the planned amount of time in which production is planned for a specific line. Down Time specify as the amount of time the process is not running during the planned production time (interrupts to production). Ideal Cycle Time represent as the theoretical minimum of time needed to produce a single piece of product. Total Pieces denote as the total number of pieces produced during the planned production time. Good Pieces signify as the total number of pieces produced that meet quality standards. Figure 2.1 The Overall Equipment Effectiveness flow chart 2.5 Objectives of OEE Overall Equipment Effectiveness records and data informations are used to categorize a single asset (machine or equipment) and/or single stream process related losses in order to improve total asset reliability and performance. Besides, the information is useful and essential as it helps to identify and categorize major losses or reasons for poor performance. OEE offers the basis for setting enhancement priorities as well as for the root of measurement and analysis. In addition, the percentage determined is used to track and trend for improvement, or decline, in equipment effectiveness over a period of time. Hidden or untapped capacity in a manufacturing process can be pointed out through these percentages and lead to balance flow. On top of that, OEE can be used to develop and enhance collaboration between asset operations, maintenance, purchasing, and equipment engineering to jointly identify and reduce (or eliminate) the 2 major causes of poop performance since maintenance alone cannot improve OEE. 2.6 The use of OEE The root why companies uses OEE is to avoid making inappropriate purchases, and help them focus on improving the performance of machinery and also plant equipment they already own. Companies should also start with the area that will provide the greatest return on asset because OEE is able to find the greatest areas of improvement. These OEE formula with the major factors involves will show how improvements in quality, changeovers, machine reliability improvements, working through breaks and more. In business world today, when many manufacturers strive towards world class productivity in their facility, this simple method will perform an excellent benchmarking tool [15]. Besides, the simple derived OEE percentage makes a great motivational system as it is easy to understand and this single number is displayed where all facility personnel can view it. By giving employees such as operators and workers an easy way to see how they are doing in overall equipment utilization, production speed, and quality, in return they will strive for a higher number instead. 2.7 Defining Six Big Losses One of the major goals of TPM and OEE programs is to reduce and/or eliminate what are named as the Six Big Losses, the most common causes of efficiency loss in manufacturing sectors. This was put forwarded by Nakajima in 1989 [16]. There are basically 3 categories of OEE loss which include: Down Time Loss, Speed Loss and Quality Loss. Each of these types has been divided into two sub-losses. They are known or called the Six Big Losses. Basically, OEE is generally measured in terms of these six losses as showed below. They are categorized as stated below: Breakdown Losses Setup and Adjustments Losses Small Stops Losses (Idling and Minor Stop Losses) Reduced Speed Losses Startup Rejects (reduced yield losses) Production Rejects (quality defects and re-work) Categorizing these data makes addressing the Six Big Losses much easier, and a key goal should be fast and efficient data collection, with data put to used throughout the day in the real time. 2.2 Addressing the Six Big Losses Measurement is essential to establish appropriate metrics. It is important necessity of continuous improvement processes. As stated by Nakajima (1988), an efficient way of analyzing the efficiency of a single machine or an integrated manufacturing process is through OEE measurement [17]. It is a function of availability, performance rate, and quality rate. In fact, the three dimensions are measures in terms of equipment losses. Following this, Nakajima (1988) defined these losses into six major categories as follows [17]: 2.7.1.1 Availability Losses Based on the mechanism principle, a machine most likely is available 24/7/365. However, this comes from an ideal perspective, from which one can measure true machine availability. There are few genuine factors that affect on availability, some of which are planned, and some unplanned. For planned downtime, it takes into account of holidays, scheduled maintenance and vacation. While for unplanned downtime, it includes equipment failures and setup and adjustments. It is possible to factor in the planned downtime; however it is the losses due to unplanned downtime that can negatively affects machine availability. Breakdowns Breakdown Losses are classified as by far the biggest of the Six Big Losses. These losses are significant due to the fact of its sudden, dramatic failure in which the equipment stops completely [18]. In the view of the fact that there is no production therefore this unexpected breakdown are undoubtedly elements of losses. The breakdown can cause all equipment functions to be terminated even though the source lies in a single specific function. Nevertheless, deterioration related to problem and losses are also regard as break down losses. It is important to improve OEE by eliminating unplanned downtime. But if the process is down, other OEE factors cannot be dealt with. Therefore, it is not merely important to know how much downtime your process is experiencing (and when) at the same time to be able to attribute the lost time to the specific reason or cause for the loss [19]. Setup and Adjustments Whenever the production of one product stops and the equipment is adjusted to meet the requirements of another product, this is where setup and adjustment take place. The loss of time due to this delay is known as setup and adjustments Basically, setup and adjustments period of time is normally measured as the time between the last good parts produced before setup to the first consistent good parts produced after setup. In order to constantly produce parts that meet the quality standards, it should generally include substantial adjustment and/or warm-up time. Various innovative ways have been used by companies to reduce setup time. These comprises assembling changeover carts with all tools and supplies necessary for the changeover in one place, pinned or marked settings so that coarse adjustments are no longer necessary, and use of prefabricated setup measures [20]. 2.7.1.2 Performance Losses Machine performance referred to as the net production time during which products are produced. The more the machine produces, the greater the OEE metric. However, speed losses and small stops will inhibit the overall performance of machine. If such losses is not recognized and addressed, the machine performance cannot be fully optimized. Reduced Speed Reduced Speed can be classified as one of the most difficult of the Six Big Losses to monitor and record. This is due to the reason that there is a significant difference between the theoretical maximum speed and what people think the maximum speed is. In most cases, in order to prevent other losses such as quality rejects and breakdowns, the production speed needs to be optimized. Losses due to reduce speed are therefore, often ignored or underestimated [21]. It happens when the equipment runs slower than its optimal or maximum speed. Apart from that, reduced speed is the difference between designed speed and the actual operating speed [21]. There are various reasons where equipment may be running at less than its designed speed, for instance non-standard or difficult raw materials, history or past problems, mechanical problems, or fear of overloading the equipment. This loss of speed is actually converted into time during the OEE calculation. Small Stops We can also assume small stops as one of the most difficult of the Six Big Losses to monitor and record. Whenever a machine shows short interruptions and does not have a constant speed, this will not result in a smooth flow of production. Minor stoppages and the subsequent loss of speed can be the cause from products blocking sensors or products getting stuck in the conveyor belts. The machines effectiveness will be diminished drastically if these hitches occur frequently [21]. The occurrence of these losses happens whenever equipment stops for a short time as the result of a temporary problem. As an example, a work-piece is jammed in a chuck or when a sensor activates and shut down the machines, this will definitely result in a minor stoppage. As soon as someone removes the jammed work-piece or resets the sensor instantly, it operates normally again. These losses also include idling losses that occur when equipment continues to run without producing. Thus, since idling and minor stoppages interrupt jobs, therefore they can also be categorized as breakdowns. Despite that, the two are fundamentally different in that a minor stoppage and the duration are usually less than 10 minutes. 2.7.1.3 Quality Losses A scrap is when the final product is not saleable, and the entire process has been wasted on product that will never make it to the customer. Thus, it is very essential to take into account the quality of the product while evaluating OEE. Availability and speed often has been the main focus, and quality is left behind. The key to keep in mind is that without a good product, the rest of the operation is a white elephant. Generally, quality losses are generated during startup while the machine is ramping up, during adjustment, or during normal production, as rejected/unwanted product due to process instabilities. Startup Rejects Products that do not meet the quality standards are called scraps, even if they can be sold as sub-spec. A specific type of quality loss is the startup losses where these losses occur due to when: Starting up of the machine: the production is not stable as soon as the machine starts and the first products do not meet the quality standards. The process of the machine at the end of a production run is no longer stable and the products no longer to be able to meet the specifications require. Quantities of products are no longer counted as part of the production order and consequently are considered as loss. These are usually hidden losses, which are often considered to be unavoidable. The scale of these losses can be surprisingly large [21]. Certain adjustments and warm-up time is required for several equipments to obtain optimum output. Losses that happen in the early stages of production during machine setup to stabilization of product quality are called the startup losses. The losses differ with degree of stability of processing condition, operators technical skill, maintenance level on equipment, and many more. Production rejects A product that does not meet the quality specifications/standards for the first time, but can be reprocessed into good products is known as rework products. Reworking products is not a disadvantage as the product can be sold to fit other demand needs. However, the product was not right first time and is therefore a quality loss just like scrap [21]. Production rejects are classified as quality losses that are not caused by startup. These losses arise only when products produced are not conforming to the specifications. Parts that require rework of any kind should be considered reject and this happens during steady state production. Example of the Downtime loss, Speed loss, and Quality loss is depicted in the following page. The Six Big Losses with three categories are shown in figure below. The following table shows how this Six Big Losses are categorized with examples given. Figure 2.3: Classification of Six Big Losses. The table below lists the Six Big Losses, and show how they are relate to the OEE Loss categories. A typical major loss, the categories of OEE as well as examples of events is shown as follow: OEE Loss Category   Six Big Loss Category   Event Examples   Down Time Loss   Breakdowns   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tooling Failures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Unplanned Maintenance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ General Breakdowns à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Equipment Failure   Setup and Adjustments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Setup/Changeover à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Material Shortages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Operator Shortages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Major Adjustments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Warm-Up Time Speed Loss   Idling and Minor stops   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Obstructed Product Flow à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Component Jams à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Misfeeds à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sensor Blocked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delivery Blocked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cleaning/Checking   Reduced Speed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rough Running à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Under Nameplate Capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Under Design Capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Equipment Wear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Operator Inefficiency Quality Loss   Start-up Losses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scrap à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rework à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In-Process Damage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In-Process Expiration à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Incorrect Assembly   Defect Losses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scrap à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rework à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In-Process Damage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In-Process Expiration à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Incorrect Assembly Table 2.1 : The Six Big Losses in OEE 2.8 OEE factors As explained in previous subsequent chapter, the OEE calculation is based on the three OEE factors. This comprises of Availability, Quality and Performance. They are as well referring as Effectiveness Factors. Here is how each of these factors is calculated. Availability The Availability part of OEE represents the percentage of scheduled time that the equipment is available to function [18]. This Availability element is a measurement of the uptime that is designed to exclude the effects of performance, quality, and scheduled downtime events. Since Availability takes into account of Downtime loss, the formula is calculated as: 20 Availability = Operation time Planned Production time Where, Operation time = Planned production time Unscheduled Downtime Production time = Planned production time Scheduled Downtime Downtime losses zero indicates the availability is 100%, where the gross operating time equals the available time for production. i.e. Operation time equals Planned Production time. Therefore, it can be said that 100% Availability means the process has been running without any recorded stops. Performance Performance can be denoted as the ratio between Net Operating Time and Operating Time. Since Performance takes into account of speed loss, the formula is calculated as: 22 Performance = Net Operating Time Operating Time The Performance portion of OEE corresponds to the speed at which the machine runs as a percentage of its designed speed. This Performance element is a measurement of speed that is designed to exclude the effects of availability and quality [18]. Performance does not penalize for rejects, which imply even if the work is rejected or rework, it will still be included in the planned and actual hours accordingly. Since Performance takes into account Speed Loss, the formula is calculated as: Performance = Ideal Cycle Time Operating Time / Total Pieces 23 Where, Ideal Cycle Time = the minimum cycle time that the process can be expected to achieve in optimal circumstances. It is at times called, Theoretical Cycle Time, Nameplate Capacity or Design Cycle Time. Since Run Rate is the reciprocal of Cycle Time, Performance can also be calculated as: Performance = Total Pieces / Operating Time Ideal Run Rate 24 Performance is limited at 100%, to make sure that if an error is made in specifying the Ideal Cycle Time of Ideal Run Rate, the effect on OEE will be limited. Therefore, it can be said that 100% Performance means the process has been consistently running at its theoretical maximum speed. Quality Rate The Quality portion of the OEE signifies the good units produced as a percentage of the total units produced [18]. The Quality metric is a measurement of process yield that is designed to exclude the effects of availability and performance. Quality is the ratio of Fully Productive Time to Net Operating Time. Quality = Fully Productive Time / Net Operating Time 25 Quality = Good Pieces / Total Pieces Since Quality takes into account of Quality Loss, the formula is calculated as: 26 (Total no of units of processed products- No of units of no good products)/(total no of units of processed products). Thus, it can be said that 100% Quality means there is no rework or reject pieces. Therefore, since OEE takes into account all three OEE factors, the formula is calculated as: 27 OEE = Availability x Performance x Quality Therefore OEE is the product of its effectiveness factors; Availability, Performance and Quality. The study of each of these effectiveness factors will improve the Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Below diagrams shows the three major elements of OEE together with formula calculated . Figure 2.4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Shows the formula on how to calculate OEE Figure 2.5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Shows the OEE Factors Loss OEE Factor Planned Shutdown Not included in OEE calculation Down Time Loss Availability is the ratio of Operating Time to Planned Production Time (Operating Time is Planned Production Time less Down Time Loss). Calculated as the ratio of Operating Time to Planed Production Time. 100% Availability means the process has been running without any recorded stops. Speed Loss Performance is the ratio of Net Operating Time to Operating Time (Net Operating Time is Operating Time less Speed Loss). Calculated as the ratio of Ideal Cycle Time to Actual Cycle Time, or alternately the ratio of Actual Run Rate to Ideal Run Rate. 100% Performance means the process has been consistently running at its theoretical maximum speed. Table 2.1 indicates the 3 main factors of OEE Quality Loss Quality is the ratio of Fully Productive Time to Net Operating Time (Fully Productive Time is Net Operating Time less Quality Loss). Calculated as the ratio of Good Pieces to Total Pieces. 100% Quality means there have been no reject or rework pieces. 2.9 OEE Components of Plant Operating Time 2.9.1 Components of Plant Operating Time In order to establish an accurate measurement, OEE analysis begins with Plant Operating Time. Basically, this Plant Operating Time implies as the amount of time the facility is open and available for equipment process. It can also be refer as the maximum amount of time and is a constant. One day consists of 24 hours of 60 minutes. While, for one week, it consists of 7 days of 24 hours. Whereas, in one year consists of 52 weeks. At times, Plant Operating Time is also referred to as Theoretical Production Time. It consists of different losses like speed and quality loss as well as fully productive time 2.9.1 Plant Production Time Once a category of called Planned Shut Down is subtracted from Plant Operating Time, the remaining available time is called Planned Production Time. The Planned Shut Down shall include any events that should be excluded from efficiency analysis since there was no intension of running production [22]. For example, tea breaks, lunch breaks, scheduled maintenance or periods where there is nothing to produce. Nevertheless, Planned Production Time is also known as Available Production Time. OEE initiates with Planned Production Time and analyze efficiency as well as productivity losses that occur, with the aim of eliminating or reducing these losses. OEE starts with Plant Operating Time and end up with Fully Productive Time, screening the source of productive loss that occur in between. 2.9.1.1 Operating Time From Planned Production Time, the downtime loss is subtracted to gain Operating Time. The downtime losses inclusive of any events that stop planned production for an appreciable length of time (normally several minute-long enough to log as a traceable event) [22]. Examples of these include material shortages, equipment failures, and changeover time. Since it is also includes as type of downtime, the changeover time is included in OEE analysis. Even though it may not be possible to reduce 9 changeover times, however, it can be reduced in most cases. The remaining available time is called Operating Time and also known as Gross Operating Time [22]. 2.9.1.2 Net Operating Time From the Operating Time, the speed loss is deducted to obtain Net Operating Time. The speed losses take account of any factors that cause the process to operate less than the maximum possible speed while running. Examples of these include machine wear, substandard materials, miss-feeds, and operator inefficiency. 2.9.1.3 Fully Productive Time As for Net Operating Time, the Quality Loss is subtracted and the remaining available time is called the Fully Productive Time. These quality losses accounts for produced pieces that do not meet quality standards, together with pieces that require rework. The goal here is to maximize Fully Productive Time w

Eating Disorders :: essays research papers

As field hockey began in late August I thought that she was a lot better, but, as time went on, I found out that she was not any better than when she left school last May. She was really getting worse. Living with someone that has an eating disorder is very hard. My college roommate, also my field hockey teammate suffers from an eating disorder called bulimia. She is now not playing field hockey because she is so bad that her heart can stop at any moment, and she could die. As an athlete there are many pressures to look and to be your best. Female athletes often try to lose weight to improve their game, to keep in shape or even just because of the pressures. Christy Henrich, a world-class gymnast, died in 1994 from anorexia. Her mother told Scott Reid (2005) of the Buffalo News was that, "the first thing [other athletes] told [Christy] was if there's something you want to eat, eat it and throw it up. That's the first thing you learn when you're on the U.S. national team." Pressures come from all over not just from your parents, coaches, teammates and fans. They can show up anywhere. There are many different kinds of eating disorders, from bulimia to anorexia to diet pill abuse to laxative abuse and many more (Otil,103). But the most common that we know of are bulimia and anorexia. Bulimia is a disease when a person eats a lot of food in a short amount of time (called bingeing) and then tries to prevent weight gain by purging. Anorexia is when you starve yourself in fear of gaining weight. As Richard Carey (1997) says in his article, an estimated in 1995 that 20% of college age women and 10% of adult women have suffered from eating disorders. An estimated 1,000,000 teenagers are affected by eating disorders. As many at 90% of all individuals with eating disorders are female this leaves only 10% of males. When it comes to losing weight there is a right way and a wrong way. For some of us we don’t know the right for the wrong. And that’s when an eating disorder steps in. Our body needs the chemical and neurological balance to be healthy. And when you resort in an unhealthy weight loss like not eating (anorexia) or bingeing and purging (bulimia) the chemical and neurological become unbalanced.

Paramore †‘Now’ Video Analysis Essay

1. Are there any generic conventions? (eg stage performance in a metal video, dance rotine for a boyband, cutting to the beat) Are there any conventions from other genres? This video is not very generic of the genre of rock music. In comparison to other Paramore videos there isn’t an element of stage performance in a studio or any instruments involved. In most of their old videos they have been in a concert style set-up studio or location miming along to a ballad with bright lights and colorful writing whilst minor storylines happen around them. Instead this video is set in a battlefield filled with dirty- clothed enemies, dust and rotten vegetation, making them the storyline. This has often been done in pop music videos such as ‘Battlefield by Jordin Sparks’ and ‘Jar Of Hearts by Christina Perri†. In a previous Paramore video for ‘crushcrushcrush’ they were in a similar dusty setting miming along to the song and allowing people to smash up their attire. I feel that as the band have a fresh start and begin to produce more mainstream music their videos will become less stereotypical of rock music and the band’s previous self. I feel that this video has some elements of pop music, using smoke bombs and colour powder One thing that is often seen in a rock video is the use of violence and gore/blood. In this video there is violence on the battle field but instead of using blood they replace it with coloured paint powder. I believe this is for many reasons, one to make it more light hearted but also to show the band’s old stereotype disappearing and new beginnings being released. 2. Describe the style of this music video. What effect does it have? A sense of arrogance has been created from the start of the video; he is looking into the lens of the camera as if he was looking into the viewer’s eyes with a blank facial expression and ignoring all the chaos and drama behind him. This goes with the lyrics â€Å"That’s no good to me, I don’t need nobody† which provokes the idea of him telling us he doesn’t need everything going on or anyone else around him, just his microphone and himself. The camera work mainly focuses on him allowing him to be the main area in the video and be the star. It’s fun and upbeat like the song and the style of the video seems new and something never seen before which refelects his music. The video uses stopmotion animation which is created by using thousands of individual images and playing them together slower than the normal video camera frame rate to add a cool effect. This allows objects in the video to have personalities and be able to move by themselves. It also looks really cool where his t shirt flicks through colours whilst his miming is still in time. I think they did this to show he is what he is no matter what he looks like he can still be a rapper. 3. Do the visuals illustrate, amplify or offer disjuncture with the lyrics? How does this work and what do the visuals add? Cut to beat It’s anarchy, with strange figures attacking each-other with batons. This indicates that the enemy are in fact riot police which the band have strong ties with, their second album was named ‘Riot!’ due to the way the creative energy during the album’s creation seemed to burst out of them uncontrollably. I think this is clever because six years later, where instead of helping to strengthen the band and their relationship with their fans, a riot is threatening to tear it all apart after original band members leaving. Powdered smoke The powdered smoke could represent a number of things: creativity, life, love, or more literally, the blood of the allies that has been spilt during this fierce battle. If you want it’s intended meaning, director Daniel Cloud Campos wrote this message on his instagram below a photo of silhouettes in the smoke: â€Å"Smoke of love. Toxic to those who have hate in their hearts.† Daniel Cloud Campos wanted it to represent love, but really, it could symbolise anything, as long as it’s positive. 4. How are the performers represented? From the very opening shot, we are presented with two opposing forces: Paramore represented by singer Hayley alone and the Captain. This shows that she is powerful and strong. A grenade is thrown causing an explosion knocking her unconscious; she lies there not making an effort to move allowing people to get hurt around her. This shows that she is reckless and feisty going along with the lyrics â€Å"don’t try to take this from me, don’t try to take this from me†. Her band mate runs over to help her up; she grabs his arm but dashes off before she gets to her feet as another band member tackles riot police to the ground. This shows unity, which is key to the song as it was written about to past members leaving and how Paramore will continue on to produce music. The enemy turns his attention on Hayley, who is still in a vulnerable state on the ground. She doesn’t want to fight him. She just looks up at him in despondency. He sees how vulnerable she is, and seems to appreciate the way that she chooses not to fight back, slowly lowering his baton, no longer wanting to threaten her. Her peer tackles the enemy, just in case he changes his mind. He also helps pick her up. She wouldn’t be standing right now if it weren’t for band mates, this also goes with the theme of the song. The idea of the three of them taking on the whole riot squad alone is an analogy of them taking on the music industry as a trio with no drummer, coinciding with the lyrics â€Å"if there’s a future we want it now†. She looks hurt and confused by the chaos happening around her. She spots the Captain from across the battlefield, and begins to walk towards him, not consumed by hatred or vengeance. She is calm and collected. Despite explosions and savage beatings getting really violent and bloody feet away from her, she doesn’t flinch. She knows what she has to do to stop the fighting, and sets about to do it. This represents her feistiness, linking with the lyrics â€Å"I’m bringing my sinking ship back to the shore†. The boys try to fight off people in her way, filling the air with coloured powder and smoke. Hayley gets hit on the back of the head with such force that it brings her to her knees. But it’s not an expression of physical pain that is spread on her face it’s more emotional. It looks like she can’t take anymore, she looks around nervously in an attempt to find her bandmates, who just stare at her helplessly, not knowing how to help or fight back. She looks to the Captain belting â€Å"there’s a time and the place to die, there’s a time and the place to die† as the music builds up. She runs to towards him shouting â€Å"and this aint it†, her band members begin to restrain reaching out to her crying that she comes back. All of this shows independence of her and how she will continue to achieve in her career. She then runs and hugs the captain tightly causing him to release his baton and the battlefield clears of smoke, showing that they have achieved their future â€Å"if there’s a future we want it now†.

Empress Dowager Cixi - Chinese History

Empress Dowager Cixi - Chinese History Few people in history have been as thoroughly vilified as the Empress Dowager Cixi (sometimes spelled Tzu Hsi), one of the last empresses of Chinas Qing Dynasty. Depicted in writings by English contemporaries in the foreign service as cunning, treacherous and sex-crazed, Cixi was painted as a caricature of a woman, and a symbol of Europeans beliefs about the Orient in general. She is not the only female ruler to suffer this indignity. Scurrilous rumors abound about women from Cleopatra to Catherine the Great. Still, Cixi received some of the worst press in history. After a century of defamation, her life and reputation finally are being re-examined. Cixis Early Life The Empress Dowagers early life is shrouded in mystery. We do know that she was born November 29, 1835, to a noble Manchu family in China, but even her birth-name is not recorded. Her fathers name was Kuei Hsiang of the Yehenara clan; her mothers name is not known. A number of other stories - that the girl was a beggar who sang in the streets for money, that her father was addicted to opium and gambling, and that the child was sold to the emperor as a sex-slave - seem to be pure European embroidery. In truth, Qing imperial policy forbade the publication of personal details, so foreign observers simply made up stories to fill in the gaps. Cixi the Concubine In 1849, when the girl was fourteen, she was one of 60 nominees for the position of an imperial concubine. She was probably eager to be chosen, since she once said, I have had a very hard life ever since I was a young girl. I was not a bit happy when with my parents... My sisters had everything they wanted, while I was, to a great extent, ignored altogether. (Seagrave, 25) Fortunately, after a two-year preparation period, the then-Empress Dowager selected her as an imperial concubine from among the large pool of Manchu and Mongol girls. Qing emperors were forbidden from taking Han Chinese wives or concubines. She would serve Emperor Xianfeng as a fourth-rank concubine. Her name was recorded simply as Lady Yehenara after her fathers clan. A Birth and a Death Xianfeng had one empress (Niuhuru), two consorts, and eleven concubines. This was a small assortment, relative to earlier emperors; as the budget was tight. His favorite was a consort, who bore him a daughter, but while she was pregnant, he spent time with Cixi. Cixi also soon became pregnant  and gave birth to a boy on April 27, 1856. Little Zaichun was Xianfengs only son, so his birth greatly improved his mothers standing in court. During the Second Opium War (1856-1860), Western troops looted and burned the lovely Summer Palace. On top of existing health problems, this shock is said to have killed the 30-year-old Xianfeng. Co-Empresses Dowager On his death-bed, Xianfeng made contradictory statements about the succession, which was not guaranteed to Zaichun. He did not formally name an heir before he died on August 22, 1861. Still, Cixi made sure that her 5-year-old son became the Tongzhi Emperor. A regency council of four ministers and four nobles assisted the child emperor, while the Empress Niuhuru and Cixi were named co-Empresses Dowager. The Empresses each controlled a royal seal, meant to be a mere formality, but which could be used as a form of veto. When the ladies opposed a decree they refused to stamp it, converting the protocol into real power. The Xinyou Palace Coup One of the ministers on the regency council, Su Shun, was intent on becoming the sole power behind the throne or perhaps even wresting the crown away from the child emperor. Though Emperor Xianfeng had named both Empresses Dowager as regents, Su Shun tried to cut out Cixi and take her imperial seal. Cixi publicly denounced Su Shun and allied herself with Empress Niuhuru and three imperial princes against him. Su Shun, who controlled the treasury, cut off food and other household items for the Empresses, but they would not give in. When the royal household returned to Beijing for the funeral, Su Shun was arrested and charged with subversion. Despite his high post, he was beheaded in the public vegetable market. Two princely co-conspirators were allowed to die by suicide. Two Young Emperors The new regents faced a difficult period in Chinas history. The country struggled to pay indemnities for the Second Opium War, and the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) was in full swing in the south. Breaking with Manchu tradition, the Empresses Dowager appointed competent Han Chinese generals and officials to high office in order to deal with these problems. In 1872, the 17-year-old Tongzhi Emperor married Lady Alute. The following year he was made emperor regnant, although some historians charge that he was functionally illiterate and often neglecting matters of state. On January 13, 1875, he died of smallpox at just 18. The Tongzhi Emperor did not leave an heir, so the Empresses Dowager had to select an appropriate replacement. By Manchu custom, the new emperor should have been from the next generation after Tongzhi, but no such boy existed. They settled instead on Cixis sisters 4-year-old son, Zaitian, who became the Guangxu Emperor. At this time, Cixi was often bed-ridden with a liver ailment. In April of 1881, Empress Dowager Niuhuru suddenly died at the age of 44, possibly of a stroke. Naturally, rumors quickly spread through the foreign legations that Cixi had poisoned her, although Cixi was herself probably too ill to have had any part in a plot. She would not recover her own health until 1883. Guangxu Emperors Reign In 1887, the timid Emperor Guaungxu came of age at 16, but the court postponed his accession ceremony. Two years later, he married Cixis niece Jingfen (although he reportedly did not find her long face very attractive). At that time, a fire broke out in the Forbidden City, which caused some observers to worry that the Emperor and Cixi had lost the Mandate of Heaven. When he took power in his own name at 19, Guangxu wanted to modernize the army and bureaucracy, but Cixi was wary of his reforms. She moved to the new Summer Palace to be out of his way, nonetheless. In 1898, Guangxus reformers in court were tricked into agreeing to cede sovereignty to Ito Hirobumi, Japans former Prime Minister. Just as the Emperor was about to formalize the move, troops controlled by Cixi stopped the ceremony. Guangxu was disgraced and retired to an island in the Forbidden City. The Boxer Rebellion In 1900, Chinese discontent with foreign demands and aggression erupted into the anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion, also called the Righteous Harmony Society Movement. Initially, the Boxers included the Manchu Qing rulers among the foreigners they opposed, but in June 1900, Cixi threw her support behind them, and they became allies. The Boxers executed Christian missionaries and converts all over the country, tore down churches, and laid siege to the foreign trade legations in Peking for 55 days. Inside the Legation Quarter, men, women and children from the UK, Germany, Italy, Austria, France, Russia and Japan were huddled, along with Chinese Christian refugees. In the fall of 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance (the European powers plus the US and Japan) sent an expeditionary force of 20,000 to raise the siege on the Legations. The force went up-river and captured Beijing. The final death toll from the rebellion is estimated at almost 19,000 civilians, 2,500 foreign troops and about 20,000 Boxers and Qing troops. Flight from Peking With the foreign forces approaching Peking, on August 15, 1900, Cixi dressed in peasant garb and fled from the Forbidden City in an ox cart, along with Emperor Guangxu and their retainers. The Imperial Party made its way far to the west, to the ancient capital of Xian (formerly Changan). The Empress Dowager called their flight a tour of inspection, and in fact, she did become more aware of the conditions for ordinary Chinese people during their travels. After some time, the Allied Powers sent a conciliatory message to Cixi in Xian, offering to make peace. The Allies would allow Cixi to continue her rule, and would not demand any land from the Qing. Cixi agreed to their terms, and she and the Emperor returned to Peking in January of 1902. The End of Cixis Life After her return to the Forbidden City, Cixi set out to learn all she could from the foreigners. She invited Legation wives to tea  and instituted reforms modeled on those in Meiji Japan. She also distributed prize Pekingese dogs (previously kept only in the Forbidden City) to her European and American guests. On November 14, 1908, the Guangxu Emperor died of acute arsenic poisoning. Although she was quite ill herself, Cixi installed the late Emperors nephew, the 2-year-old Puyi, as the new Xuantong Emperor. Cixi died the following day. The Empress Dowager in History For decades, the Empress Dowager Cixi was described as a devious and depraved tyrant, based largely on the writings of people who did not even know her, including J.O.P. Bland and Edmund Backhouse. However, contemporary accounts by Der Ling and Katherine Carl, as well as later scholarship by Hugh Trevor-Roper and Sterling Seagrave, paint a very different picture. Rather than a power-mad harridan with a harem of faux eunuchs, or a woman who poisoned most of her own family, Cixi comes across as an intelligent survivor who learned to navigate Qing politics  and rode the wave of very troubled times for 50 years. Sources: Seagrave, Sterling. Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China, New York: Knopf, 1992. Trevor-Roper, Hugh. Hermit of Peking: The Hidden Life of Sir Edmund Backhouse, New York: Knopf, 1977. Warner, Marina. The Dragon Empress: The Life and Times of Tzu-Hsi, Empress Dowager of China 1835-1908, New York: Macmillan, 1972.

Ser Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, Examples

Ser Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, Examples The verb ser  is one of the  two  Spanish  verbs that mean to be.  The other one is the verb  estar. The verb  ser  is irregular, meaning  it does not follow a common  conjugation  pattern. In fact, ser is one of the most irregularly conjugated verbs in Spanish. Many of the conjugated forms dont even begin with s, and some forms are shared with the highly irregular verb ir (to go). This article includes  the  ser conjugations in the present, past, conditional and future indicative, the present and past subjunctive, the imperative, and other verb forms. Using the Verb Ser Ser  and  estar  are some of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish. Although they both mean to be, they are used in very different contexts. Ser is often used to talk about inherent or permanent characteristics. For example,  Ella es alta e inteligente (She is tall and smart). It is also used to talk about someones profession or occupation, as in Ella es doctora y à ©l es arquitecto (She is a doctor and he is an engineer), or to talk about where someone is from, as in El profesor es de Puerto Rico (The professor is from Puerto Rico). Ser can be used to talk about what something is made of, as in La puerta es de madera (The door is made of wood), or to talk about the location of an event, such as a meeting, party, festival, etc. For example,  La reunià ³n es en la oficina del doctor  (The meeting is in the doctors office). This verb is also used to talk about belonging. For example, La casa es de Alberto (The house is Albertos). Another use of the verb  ser  is in the passive voice, followed by the present participle, as in La tarea es hecha por el estudiante (The homework is done by the student). Yet another use of the verb ser is with impersonal expressions, such as Es necesario trabajar duro (It is necessary to work hard). Notice that in Spanish we do not use the verb ser to talk about someones age like we do in English (She is ten years old), but instead we use the verb tener to talk about how many years someone has (Ella tiene diez aà ±os). Ser Present Indicative The conjugations for ser in the present indicative tense are totally irregular. The first person singular conjugation soy is similar to other verbs like dar (doy), estar (estoy) and ir (voy). Yo soy I am Yo soy estudiante en la universidad. Tà º eres You are Tà º eres muy lista. Usted/à ©l/ella es You/he/she is Ella es doctora. Nosotros somos We are Nosotros somos buenos amigos. Vosotros sois You are Vosotros sois muy delgados. Ustedes/ellos/ellas son You/they are Ellos son personas trabajadoras. Ser Preterite Indicative The preterite tense conjugations of ser are also irregular, since they do not resemble the infinitive ser at all. Note that these conjugations are the exact same conjugations for the preterite indicative tense of the verb ir (to go). From context, you would be able to tell if you are talking about being or going. Yo fui I was Yo fui estudiante en la universidad. Tà º fuiste You were Tà º fuiste muy lista. Usted/à ©l/ella fue You/he/she was Ella fue doctora. Nosotros fuimos We were Nosotros fuimos buenos amigos. Vosotros fuisteis You were Vosotros fuisteis muy delgados. Ustedes/ellos/ellas fueron You/they were Ellos fueron personas trabajadoras. Ser Imperfect Indicative Ser is one of the few verbs that are irregular in the imperfect tense, since it does not use either of the usual imperfect conjugation endings (à ­a or aba). Remember that the imperfect tense can be translated as was being or used to be. Yo era I used to be Yo era estudiante en la universidad. Tà º eras You used to be Tà º eras muy lista. Usted/à ©l/ella era You/he/she used to be Ella era doctora. Nosotros à ©ramos We used to be Nosotros à ©ramos buenos amigos. Vosotros erais You used to be Vosotros eraismuy delgados. Ustedes/ellos/ellas eran You/they used to be Ellos eran personas trabajadoras. Ser Future Indicative The future indicative tense is conjugated regularly, since you can start with the infinitive (ser) and add the future tense endings (à ©, s, , emos, is, n). Yo serà © I will be Yo serà © estudiante en la universidad. Tà º sers You will be Tà º sers muy lista. Usted/à ©l/ella ser You/he/she will be Ella ser doctora. Nosotros seremos We will be Nosotros seremos buenos amigos. Vosotros serà ©is You will be Vosotros serà ©ismuy delgados. Ustedes/ellos/ellas sern You/theywill be Ellos sern personas trabajadoras. Ser Periphrastic  Future Indicative   The periphrastic future is formed with three components: the present indicative conjugation of the verb ir (to go), the preposition a, and the infinitive ser. Yo voy a ser I am going to be Yo voya ser estudiante en la universidad. Tà º vasa ser You are going to be Tà º vasa ser muy lista. Usted/à ©l/ella vaa ser You/he/she are going to be Ella vaa ser doctora. Nosotros vamosa ser We are going tobe Nosotros vamosa ser buenos amigos. Vosotros vaisa ser You are going tobe Vosotros vaisa ser muy delgados. Ustedes/ellos/ellas vana ser You/theyare going tobe Ellos vana ser personas trabajadoras. Ser Present Progressive/Gerund Form The gerund  or present participle is formed with the stem of the verb and the ending -iendo (for -er and -ir verbs). It can be used to form progressive tenses like the present progressive, which is usually accompanied by the auxiliary verb estar. Present Progressive ofSer est siendo She is being Ella est siendo una buena doctora al cuidar de sus pacientes. Ser Past Participle The past participle is used to form perfect tenses like the present perfect, which is formed with the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle sido. Present Perfect ofSer ha sido She has been Ella ha sido doctora durante toda su carrera. Ser Conditional Indicative The conditional tense is normally translated to English as would verb. It is formed regularly like the future tense, by starting with the infinitive form and adding the conditional endings. Yo serà ­a I will be Yo serà ­a estudiante en la universidad si me hubieran admitido. Tà º serà ­as You will be Tà º serà ­as muy lista si estudiaras ms. Usted/à ©l/ella serà ­a You/he/she will be Ella serà ­a doctora si no hubiera estudiado leyes. Nosotros serà ­amos We will be Nosotros serà ­amos buenos amigos si vivià ©ramos ms cerca. Vosotros serà ­ais You will be Vosotros serà ­aismuy delgados si hicierais dieta. Ustedes/ellos/ellas serà ­an You/theywill be Ellos serà ­an personas trabajadoras si quisieran. Ser Present Subjunctive The conjugation of the present subjunctive of ser is completely irregular. Que yo sea That I be Mi madre quiere que yo sea estudiante en la universidad. Que tà º seas That you be A la maestra le encanta que tà º seas muy lista. Que usted/à ©l/ella sea That you/he/she be Pap espera que ella sea doctora. Que nosotros seamos That we be El consejero quiere que nosotros seamos buenos amigos. Que vosotros seis That you be El mà ©dico recomienda que vosotros seismuy delgados. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas sean That you/they be El jefe espera que ellos sean personas trabajadoras. Ser Imperfect Subjunctive You can conjugate the imperfect subjunctive in two different ways, both considered correct. Option 1 Que yo fuera That I were Mam querà ­a que yo fuera estudiante en la universidad. Que tà º fueras That you were A la maestra le encantaba que tà º fueras muy lista. Que usted/à ©l/ella fuera that you/he/she were Pap esperaba que ella fuera doctora. Que nosotros fuà ©ramos That we were El consejero querà ­a que nosotros fuà ©ramos buenos amigos. Que vosotros fuerais That you were El mà ©dico recomendaba que vosotros fuerais muy delgados. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas fueran That you/they were El jefe esperaba que ellos fueran personas trabajadoras. Option 2 Que yo fuese That I were Mam querà ­a que yo fuese estudiante en la universidad. Que tà º fueses That you were A la maestra le encantaba que tà º fueses muy lista. Que usted/à ©l/ella fuese that you/he/she were Pap esperaba que ella fuese doctora. Que nosotros fuà ©semos That we were El consejero querà ­a que nosotros fuà ©semos buenos amigos. Que vosotros fueseis That you were El mà ©dico recomendaba que vosotros fueseis muy delgados. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas fuesen That you/they were El jefe esperaba que ellos fuesen personas trabajadoras. Ser Imperative The imperative mood is used to give commands or orders. The tables below show both positive and negative commands. Positive commands Tà º sà © Be!  ¡Sà © muy lista! Usted sea Be!  ¡Sea doctora! Nosotros seamos Let's be!  ¡Seamos buenos amigos! Vosotros sed Be!  ¡Sed muy delgados! Ustedes sean Be!  ¡Sean personas trabajadoras! Negative commands Tà º no seas Don't be!  ¡No seas muy lista! Usted no sea Don't be!  ¡No sea doctora! Nosotros no seamos Let's not be!  ¡No seamos buenos amigos! Vosotros no seis Don't be!  ¡No seis muy delgados! Ustedes no sean Don't be!  ¡No sean personas trabajadoras!

Did humans migrate to the new world from europe in early prehistoric Essay - 1

Did humans migrate to the new world from europe in early prehistoric times - Essay Example However, Curry cited that the discovery of the prehistoric and hypothetically pre-Clovis, mastodon fossils in Washington spur debate concerning the actual manner of human migration from Europe to America. Specifically, existing debates focus on the theories of Bradley and Stanford and Straus. In studying the fossils found both in Alaska and Siberia, Bradley and Stanford assert the existence of pre-Clovis culture in America (465). Further, with their radiocarbon fossil dating technologies, Bradley and Stanford unearthed evidences that link the fossils in pre-Clovis North America with the fossils of the Solutrean culture residing in Spain and France 17,000-21,000 years in the past (466). The fossils, particularly the hunting technologies, show significant similarities, regardless of the fact that the Clovis technology appears more advanced and a few radiocarbon years older than its Solutrean counterparts. Relatively, the Clovis culture may be considered predecessors of the Solutrean culture, considering the similarities of their hunting tools. With those findings, Bradley and Stanford went on to propose that Solutrean may have traveled from Europe to America through ice bridges near the Arctic, although remaining close to the coast to ensure sustainable, marine food source s. The proposition relies heavily on the existence of steppe tundra vegetations during the Last Glacial Maximum wherein ice formed as land bridges connecting the continents. Although Bradley and Stanford succeeded in nulling the theory supporting the Clovis culture as the first American inhabitants, Straus argues that the theory still lack evidences supporting the existence of Solutrean culture in North America before the Clovis culture. Specifically, in studying the drawings and artistic works in Cosquer Cave, Straus found out that the Solutrean culture was purged approximately 18,000 radiocarbon years ago (223). Further, Strauss asserts that the similarities in the

Etruscan Archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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