Operational Decision Making Dubal Company (Dubai Aluminum Ltd)

Company description Dubal is a major manufacturer and supplier of aluminum products. The company’s mission is to be the leading company in global aluminum production. The company also aims to lead in marketing of aluminum products by the year 2020.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Operational Decision Making Dubal Company (Dubai Aluminum Ltd) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company is perceived to be a major supplier of alloy products to the automotive industry. Moreover, the company also supplies billet, foundry alloys to construction, electronics and aerospace industries. The company is also renowned for producing water products through thermal desalination. The company’s major markets are located globally, with China, Europe, North America and Middle East being major market destinations. Description of operations Aluminum smelting This is the initial aluminium production process that inv olves extraction of aluminium from its oxide (Davis 1). This procedure takes place in stages, where bauxite is turned into Alumina and then through an aluminium smelter where it is eventually turned into aluminium. Raw material handling The company procures high quality materials from various parts of the world. The company sources raw materials like alumina, aluminium fluoride and calcined petroleum coke from Australia, India and the United States respectively. Sourced imports pass through Jebel Ali Port. This is because the company has storage facilities for its raw materials at the port. Moreover, the company import raw materials in bulk and later transport the materials to the manufacturing plant by road tankers. Carbon anode manufacturing This is an on-site manufacturing process. The carbon anodes are necessary for the electrolysis process used in aluminum reduction process (Kvande Haupin 29). Apparently, the company has the capacity to produce more than 380,000 carbon anodes annually.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Casting operations This is the final process of making aluminium. It entails casting molten aluminum and alloying the same with magnesium, silicon and manganese. Casting is important in adding metal properties like corrosion resistance and strength (Kaufman Rooy 1). The company’s annual casting capacity is 1.2 million tonnes of aluminium. Supply chains decisions Dubal’s supply chain takes the format of a typical Porter’s value chain. Inbound logistics Procured materials from Australia, India, and the United States pass through Jebel Ali Port, where the company has storage facilities. The presence of storage facilities at the port is critical for constant supplies, storage and transportation of materials. Operations Main operations inside the company’s manufacturing plant include aluminium manufactur ing processes. Operation managers make critical decisions on the quantity and quality of products manufactured. Outbound logistics Operation managers are required to decide the mode of transportation in delivering products and services. Decision on company transport, outsourced transport is critical. Decisions on distribution channels and delivery locations to the company’s outlets across the world are also critical. Marketing and sales Marketing and sales initiatives are globally focused. Operation managers insist on manufacturing products that are environmentally sensitive.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Operational Decision Making Dubal Company (Dubai Aluminum Ltd) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company uses the aspect of quality as a marketing strategy in generating demand for its products. In addition, the inclusion of competitive prices for its products and services in relation to compet itors has been integral in generating sales. Service The company treasures its relationship with the customers. In this respect, constant communication with existing customers has been an organizational culture. Moreover, the company offers value-additional services to the customer who want consultation on aluminium products and services. Procurement This is a supporting activity for the company’s supply chain primary activities. Operation managers make outsourcing decisions based on suppliers and vendors convenience, reliability and prices. Human resource management Human resource personnel are recruited on merits of skills and competence. To ensure that human resource is competent enough, the human resource manager motivates, organizes frequent training and conducts performance appraisal on staff members. Technological development The company uses information communication systems, in harnessing its operations. Operation managers have resorted to using Material Resource Pla nning (MRP) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software in making critical decisions on resource planning and allocations. Another form of information technology used is Computer Aided Designs (CAD) for purposes of manufacturing and mass production. Infrastructure Operation managers need to determine the organizational structure of the company. This means that critical support systems like accounting, procurement, transport, administration, marketing, legislative and general management are required.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organizational support systems are critical in harnessing the flow of information and operations within the organization. Operational decisions Human resources and job design This operation decision requires identification of skills required to produce the company’s products and services. In this respect, decision on the job design and requirement is integral before recruitment of personnel. The recruitment process of human resource is also necessary to consider. This is because a flawed recruitment process may negatively affect the productivity of the organization. A decision on how to make the working environment favorable to the employee is necessary after hiring the employee. This means that the working environment should not pose health risks to the employees. Moreover, a metal manufacturing environment is highly hazardous and requires the use of protective gear while working. This should be provided to all employees. This is critical in ensuring that manufacturing of pr oducts and services achieves quality goals. Wages and salaries allocated to employees should be reasonable in relation to the amount or level of job assigned (Rynes Gerhart 16). An operation decision to decide the expected productivity from employees is crucial. In this respect, employee performance appraisal is necessary to determine whether employees are delivering to their expectations (Bowen Ostroff 217). This is the only way the company can remain highly productive and competitive among other industrial players. Productivity Productivity can be measured by finding the average output of the company’s workers (Bloom Van Reneen 1362). This requires a unit of measurement. In this respect, the company can use units of products produced as a unit of measurement. In general, productivity will be determined by total units produced in relation to input used. Input is always represented as the amount of labor used. In a manufacturing company like Dubal, outputs are considered a s workers-hours required in manufacturing a single unit product. In order to determine the production cost of a single product unit and hours required of the same, total paid hours in a month are divided by the number of units produced in the same month. Productivity can be increased through constant monitoring of operations and employees (Johnson Peter 208). A technological strategy like the use of email monitoring is necessary in evaluating employees’ attendance to responsibilities. In this case, employees are to submit daily or weekly reports on work performance. Eliminating distractions such as unnecessary meetings and watching television is also necessary. Another way to increase productivity is delegation of duties or outsourcing operations (Young Johanna 141). Making a list of activities that require priority is essential. This makes it easier for the operation manager to arrange required tools of work and amount of workforce required in completing a job. Works Cited Bloom, Nicholas and Van Reenen, John. Measuring and explaining management practices across firms and countries. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 122.4 (2007): 1351-1408. Print. Bowen, E., David and Ostroff, Cheri. Understanding HRM–firm performance linkages: The role of the â€Å"strength† of the HRM system. Academy of management review 29.2 (2004): 203-221. Print. Davis, R., Joseph. Corrosion of aluminum and aluminum alloys. Arizona: ASM International, 1999. Print. Johnston, Robert and Peter Jones. Service productivity: towards understanding the relationship between operational and customer productivity. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management 53.3 (2004): 201-213. Print. Kaufman, J., Gilbert and Rooy L., Elwin. Aluminum alloy castings: properties, processes and applications. Arizona: ASM International, 2004. Print. Kvande, Halvor and Haupin, Warren. Inert anodes for AI smelters: Energy balances and environmental impact. Jom 53.5 (2001): 29 -33. Print. Rynes, L., Sara and Gerhart A., Barry. Compensation in organizations. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass, 2000. Print. Young, Suzanne and Macneil, Johanna. When performance fails to meet expectations: managers’ objectives for outsourcing. The Economic and Labor Relations Review 11.1 (2000): 136-168. Print. This case study on Operational Decision Making Dubal Company (Dubai Aluminum Ltd) was written and submitted by user Amelia Morin 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.

Definition and Examples of Ambiguity in English

Definition and Examples of Ambiguity in English Ambiguity (pronounced am-big-YOU-it-tee) is the presence of two or more possible meanings in a single passage.  The word comes from a Latin term which means, wandering about and the adjective form of the word is ambiguous.  Other terms used for ambiguity are  amphibologia, amphibolia, and  semantic ambiguity.  In addition, ambiguity is sometimes regarded as a  fallacy  (commonly known as  equivocation)  in which the same term is used in more than one way.   In speech and writing, there are two basic types of ambiguity: Lexical ambiguity  is the  presence of two or more possible meanings within a single wordSyntactic ambiguity  is the presence of two or more possible  meanings  within a single sentence or sequence of words Examples and Observations Brave men run in my family.– Bob Hope as Painless Peter Potter in The Paleface, 1948As I was leaving this morning, I said to myself, The last thing you must do is forget your speech. And, sure enough, as I left the house this morning, the last thing I did was to forget my speech.– Rowan AtkinsonI cant tell you how much I enjoyed meeting your husband.– William Empson, Seven Types of Ambiguity, 1947We saw her duck is a paraphrase of We saw her lower her head and of We saw the duck belonging to her, and these last two sentences are not paraphrases of each other. Therefore We saw her duck is ambiguous.– James R. Hurford, Brendan Heasley, and Michael B. Smith, Semantics: A Coursebook, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2007Roy Rogers: More hay, Trigger?Trigger: No thanks, Roy, Im stuffed!Pentagon Plans Swell Deficit– newspaper headlineI cant recommend this book too highly.Leahy Wants FBI to Help Corrupt Iraqi Police Force–headline at CNN.com, Dec ember 2006Prostitutes Appeal to Pope– newspaper headline Union Demands Increased Unemployment– newspaper headlineThanks for dinner. I’ve never seen potatoes cooked like that before.– Jonah Baldwin in the film Sleepless in Seattle, 1993 Because Because can be ambiguous. I didnt go to the party because Mary was there may mean that Marys presence dissuaded me from going or that I went to sample the canapes.– David Marsh and Amelia Hodsdon, Guardian Style. Guardian Books, 2010 Pun and Irony Quintilian uses amphibolia (III.vi.46) to mean ambiguity, and tells us (Vii.ix.1) that its species are innumerable; among them, presumably, are Pun and Irony.– Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms. University of California Press, 1991An ambiguity, in ordinary speech, means something very pronounced, and as a rule witty or deceitful. I propose to use the word in an extended sense: any verbal nuance, however slight, which gives room for alternative reactions to the same piece of language... We call it ambiguous, I think, when we recognize that there could be a puzzle as to what the author meant, in that alternative views might be taken without sheer misreading. If a pun is quite obvious it would not be called ambiguous, because there is no room for puzzling. But if an irony is calculated to deceive a section of its readers, I think it would ordinarily be called ambiguous.– William Empson, Seven Types of Ambiguity, 1947

Leadership exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership exercise - Assignment Example The biggest task was convincing the five of them to accompany me to the charity event. The challenge arose from the fact that convincing all, the five, would be a difficult task given that they live in separate areas and have different kinds of preferences. I took the initiative of convincing all the five on individual capacity. To do that, I took note of their needs and feelings. I knew that a good leader must listen to the rest of the team. I made my proposition logically. I told them that I had an idea of visiting the Children’s home. Similarly, the idea of going there would be entertaining as well as a positive way to get back to the society. The logical argument was that going to the charity would give us a rare opportunity of playing with the less privileged children. By so doing, we would impact positively on their lives as we, also, enjoyed free physical exercise (Hoch, 163). After all the five friends agreed to accompany me to the charity, the next task was coordinating the group. I knew that the most important virtue required from me was leadership. That would entail listening to their suggestions, rather than imposing my ideas on them (Washington et al 13). As a leader, I made contact with the Children’s home to book an appointment on Saturday. On the material day, the most difficult task coordinating the entire group to converge at my house. All six of us had different ideas with regard to the meeting place. However, I gave everyone a chance to give their views. On the same note, while giving my views and reactions to their views, I used hesitant language. This is because a good leader should listen to the voice of those being led. I also know that a good leader should lead by example and action. In that regard, I offered to finance the journey by paying for the gas as well as refreshments that we used. Sam and Patricia proposed that, since we were visiting children, we should buy some snacks

(one of the senses and memory) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(one of the senses and memory) - Essay Example They are all equally necessary and without one, the others would have a difficult time functioning. Together with providing inputs for perception, senses also help in bringing back memories that we often have difficulty remembering. Certain senses are more dominant than others in this aspect for some people, but the general population has reported that it was the smell of a certain object that brought back the memories in a more vivid way. I have discovered that whenever I catch a certain smell, it brings back memories associated with it. Hearing and tasting also help, but none of them come close to smell. Sometimes I even find myself tracking a scent I may have caught. Once I catch it, I just feel like staying there all day. These smells remind me of my childhood mostly, and places that I went with my parents while a kid, memories I deeply treasure. When I was a preschooler, my family was fond of visiting our grandmother’s home in the country. This was far from the city. We w ould find life there completely different. In contrast to the fast, noisy city life, the country was quiet, relaxed, and peaceful. I enjoyed it there. My brother and I would run around in the big plantations together with our cousin and play near the river. The scents of nature all around together with the sound of birds singing was so soothing. We would then walk through the forest of tall trees in the late afternoon before going home. The smell of these trees is strong at this particular time. And I have never seen or smelled these trees in any other place I’ve been to except my grandmothers compound. Now that I’ve been away from my country for over a decade, I had completely forgotten about it, until recently when I was able to go back and visit again. After eleven years of absence the sight of those trees surprised me and brought back old memories of my innocent childhood, but that was nothing compared to the smell they produced. The moment I caught it, a flood of memories just swept me back which left me in tears. Since then, I terribly miss my grandmother’s house because I have linked that smell with it. You may ask why smell is considered the most dominant in bringing back memories. The answer is not so simple. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain’s limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling, smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously. That’s why it is sometimes called the â€Å"emotional brain†. Inside your nose, about the level of your eyes, is a small patch of tissue containing millions of nerve cells. The odor receptors, or senses, lie on these nerves. Each receptor recognizes several odors, and likewise, a single odor can be recognized by several receptors. The process that takes place is quite complex. After an odor molecule enters the nose and is recognized by the olfactory sensors, the signal is eventually sent to the olfactory bulb that is located right above the eyes. The signals only go to two areas in the olfactory bulb, and signals from different areas are targeted to different spots that then form a sensory map. From there, the signals reach the olfactory area of the cortex, which is also responsible for sensing smell. The limbic system, considered the primitive part of the brain, includes areas that control emotions, memory, and behavior. So it is no surprise why this particular sense defeats the others in this

Cartel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cartel - Essay Example A cartel includes a secretive agreement between competing parties on total industry output levels, price fixing, credit conditions, and division of profits, bid rigging, discounts, customers, and areas to receive the supply, market shares, and/or businesses to win contracts (â€Å"Office of Fair Trading† 1). The main objectives of a cartel agreement are to inflate prices, increase individual profitability, and reduce competition in the industry. Cartels have adverse effects on the industry as they reduce choices, inflate market prices, and inhibit the overall economy (â€Å"Australian Competition and Consumer Commission† 1). As such, cartels are illegal in most countries and take place in secrecy where it is not easy to establish their existence. However, a cartel has less influence on an industry than a monopoly. A cartel can be local, national or international where ion the recent times cartels steal billions of dollars from the vulnerable customers every year ( "Australian Competition and Consumer Commission† 1). We can classify cartels into public and private cartels. The government takes place in a public cartel where it implements the cartel agreement and defends the cartel from any liability as it seeks to benefits all the citizens. On the other hand, a private cartel is illegal under the antitrust laws as it seeks to benefit only the parties in the cartel agreement to the disadvantage of everybody else. As such, the Competition Act, Article 101 TFEU of the EC Treaty, the Enterprise Act (â€Å"Office of Fair Trading† 1), and EU competition law prohibit cartels that allows for price fixing, market sharing, limitation of production or supply or bid rigging (â€Å"European Commission† 1). Nevertheless, we still have cartels in the world, which include the controversial Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which is the world's largest cartel under the protection of U.S. foreign trade laws. As such, base d on my understanding of a cartel, we can experience a cartel in different industries. This is because cartels can actually occur in almost any industry where it involves good or services at the manufacturing, distribution, or marketing levels. However, some industries are more prone to cartels compared to others because of their mode of operations or their organizational structure. Ideally, industries with few competitors, where the products have similar characteristics, where communication channels between competitors are already established, or where the industry is suffering from over supply are prone to cartels (â€Å"Office of Fair Trading† 1). More specifically, cartels usually take place in an oligopolistic industry where there are few sellers, barriers to entry, and homogeneous products. Like in most European nations, cartels are illegal in the United States of America. However, although many consider the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)as a carte l, the U.S. foreign trade laws protects it claiming it is an global organization with a legal, long-term, and significant objective. Nevertheless, cartels like drug cartels and all naked cartels are illegal in U.S. Notably, various agencies and legislations like the Competition and Consumer Act prohibits cartels under civil law and makes it a criminal offence for individuals and

Future Scope of Image Processing

Future Scope of Image Processing Imaging can be defined as the representation of an objects external form. That definition no longer holds true. More information within an image can be considered. Fluorescent tags, mechanical-biological parameters, internal structures are some of the recent additions. Fabrication while imaging and the characterization of materials as yet undefined can also be part of imaging. The extremely small images can be measured in nanometers also. Future imaging systems are expected to be less expensive. They will have to be easier to use. There are various types of imaging systems such as those used for chemical, optical, thermal, medical and molecular imaging. The use of scanning techniques and statistical analyses for image analysis are needed to extract valid image values. The satellite applications programs of the future will be based on extensive research in the area of imaging. A number of different sensors will be used in the satellites orbiting the earth. Scientifically useful inform ation will be extracted from these systems. New techniques will be needed to organize and classify the different sets of data obtainable from the orbiting satellites. The future trend in remote sensing will be based on sensors that can record the same scene in many different ways. Graphics data will be important in image processing app1ications. Satellite based imaging for planetary exploration as well as military applications will be the future trend. Biomedical applications, astronomy, and scene analysis for the robotic vehicles are also pertinent areas of future applications of imaging4. Adaptive search of large image data bases will become the norms, since video and graphics data will be available from a variety of sensors developed for remote sensing applications of satellite systems. The design and coordination of microscopy imaging techniques for research in molecular biology is gaining importance. KEY WORDS: future paradigm for imaging techniques, cellular neural network for imaging techniques, Advances in image processing and artificial intelligence, improved sensors for satellite imaging, ultrasound imaging, digital image processing, document and medical imaging, remote sensing. INTRODUCTION The advances taking place in broadband wireless devices and in mobile technology used for hand-held devices have several applications in the field of image processing. Internet enables acquisition of instant information. Most of this information is designed for visual consumption in the form of text, graphics, and pictures, or integrated multimedia presentations. Image processing essentially means algorithmic enhancement, manipulation, or analysis (also understanding or recognition) of the digital image data. Image processing can be thought of a form of signal processing for which the input is an image, such as photographs or frames of video. The output of image processing can be either an image or a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image. Most image-processing techniques involve treating the image as a two-dimensional signal and applying standard signal-processing techniques to it. The acquisition of images is referred to as imaging. Image Processing deals with im ages which are two-dimensional entities (such as scanned office documents, x-ray films, satellite pictures, etc) captured electronically. The technique of video image processing used to solve problems associated with the real-time road traffic control systems is gaining importance. This has a direct emphasis on the future improvements planned for digital video camera techniques. The nuances of Image Processing and the range of applications in which the technology will be deployed in the future will be of value for planning in this vital area. Image Processing is considered to be one of the most rapidly evolving areas of information technology today, with growing applications in all areas of business. This technology holds the possibility of developing the ultimate machine in the future that would be able to perform the visual functions of human beings. The basis for all kinds of future visual automation is relevant to image processing field. Sophisticated optical sorting systems use image processing to discriminate the colors of an object, thereby visually sorting a product though the use of light sensors. Augmented reality5,7 is a term used for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery, thus creating a mixed reality. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time, such as sports scores on TV during a match. Augmented reality research explores the application of computer-generated imagery in live video streams as a way to expand the real-world. Advanced research includes use of head-mounted displays and virtual retinal displays for visualization purposes, and construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators Traffic data collection under mixed traffic conditions is one of the major problems faced by researchers as well as traffic regulatory authorities. There is a growing demand for road traffic data of all kinds. Increasing congestion problems and problems associated with existing detectors created an interest in such new vehicle detection technologies1. But the systems have difficulties with congestion, shadows and lighting transitions. Problems related to image processing application to road traffic are due to the fact that real world images are to be processed in real time. Every image processing technique or algorithm takes an input, an image or a sequence of images and produces an output, which may be a modified image and/or a description of the input image contents. Image Processing extracts information from images and integrates it for several applications. There are several fields in which image processing applications are relevant. Medical imaging, industrial applications, remote sensing, space applications, and military applications are a few examples. IMAGING IN INDUSTRY The applications in industry include fingerprint or retina recognition, processing records of security or traffic cameras. The applications in medicine include ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance. Stereography is the art of using two almost identical photographs to create a three-dimensional (3D) image. The viewer requires special glasses or a stereoscope to see the 3D image. With modern technology, it has applications in motion picture and television industry. Stereography is a complicated process. Modern stereography uses specialized computer software and camera hardware. Volumetric displays do not require special goggles. The three-dimensional graphics created by this type of display can be viewed from any angle. Each viewer can observe the picture from a different perspective. To create volumetric graphics, a technique called as swept surface volumetric display, which is based on persistence of vision is adopted. Here use of fast-moving lit surfaces creates the illusion of a s olid shape. To display volumetric 3D images there is another option which is called as static volume. No moving parts are used in the visible area of the display. However mirrors and lenses are used to direct a beam of laser light. Very fast pulses of laser light are directed at different points in the air. Persistence of vision gives the illusion of a single solid object. This method is useful for medical diagnosis. A 3D display can show a realistic image of a heart. Architects and builders can visualize a construction project in three dimensions. Future applications include methods of interacting with volumetric displays. Sensors can be used by users to manipulate and adjust the graphics. A camera connected to a display can track an athleteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s motions and rotate the images as needed. These types of volumetric interactions can aid in literally reaching out and touching the three dimensional images of kith and kin separated geographically. Bio-medical and other applications2 are possible, wherein model building and rendering can convert 2D image to a 3D image by using the mesh skeleton of a component or an organ. Use of 3D image processing to build realistic models for movies and buildings will also become a reality. 3D image processing requires a mesh object. An image processing program helps in creating lines to build up the mesh skeleton. 3D scanner can also be used to capture the information. The mesh skeleton contains volume and depth information so that a 3D model can be developed. Rendering is used to include colors and textures over the 3D model to make it look realistic. The computer can make use of different 2D screenshots to capture every angle of the model. The user can move the model and it will appear as a 3D image. 3D imaging is a process to render a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface by creating the optical illusion of depth. 3D imaging makes use of two still or motion camera lenses a slight distance apart to photograph a three-dimensional object. The process effectively duplicates the stereoscopic vision of human eyes. The image is reproduced as two flat images that are seen separately, creating a visual illusion of depth. The spot where the left and right images overlap is the point of convergence. As objects in 3D imaging move further from the point of convergence, they appear either closer or further away from the viewer, creating the illusion of depth. Face detection is a computer technology that determines the locations and sizes of human faces in arbitrary (digital) images. It detects facial features and ignores anything else, such as buildings, trees and bodies. Early face-detection algorithms focused on the detection of frontal human faces, whereas newer algorithms attempt to solve the more general and difficult problem of multi-view face detection. It is also used in video surveillance. Some recent digital cameras use face detection for autofocus. The concept of feature detection refers to methods that aim at computing abstractions of image information and making local decisions at every image point whether there is an image feature of a given type at that point or not. Features are used as a starting point for many computer vision algorithms. The desirable property for a feature detector is repeatability. Whether or not the same feature will be detected in two or more different images of the same scene is going to be important. Morphological image processing consists of a set of operators that transform images according to certain characterizations. Mathematical morphology is the field of acquisition and processing of image information starting with simple image modifications using point transforms or linear filters and ending up with sophisticated tools and techniques for the analysis and processing of geometrical structures, based on set theory, lattice theory, topology, and random functions. This area also covers the use of digital image processing techniques to process, analyze and present images obtained from a microscope. Such processing is now commonplace in a number of diverse fields such as medicine, biological research, cancer research, drug testing, metallurgy, etc. A number of manufacturers of microscopes now specifically design the features that allow the microscopes to interface to an image processing system. CONCLUSION A major challenge for automatic image analysis is that the sheer complexity of the visual task which has been mostly ignored by the current approaches. New technological breakthrough in the areas of digital computation and telecommunication has relevance for future applications of image processing1. The satellite imaging and remote sensing applications programs of the future will feature a variety of sensors orbiting the earth. This technology is required for military and other types of surveillance, statistical data collection in the fields of forestry, agriculture, disaster prediction, weather prediction. In order to extract scientifically useful information, it will be necessary to develop techniques to register real-time data recorded by a variety of sensors for various applications3. FUTURE SCOPE The future of image processing will involve scanning the heavens for other intelligent life out in space. Also new intelligent, digital species created entirely by research scientists in various nations of the world will include advances in image processing applications. Due to advances in image processing and related technologies there will be millions and millions of robots in the world in a few decades time, transforming the way the world is managed. Advances in image processing and artificial intelligence6 will involve spoken commands, anticipating the information requirements of governments, translating languages, recognizing and tracking people and things, diagnosing medical conditions, performing surgery, reprogramming defects in human DNA, and automatic driving all forms of transport. With increasing power and sophistication of modern computing, the concept of computation can go beyond the present limits and in future, image processing technology will advance and the visual s ystem of man can be replicated. The future trend in remote sensing will be towards improved sensors that record the same scene in many spectral channels. Graphics data is becoming increasingly important in image processing app1ications. The future image processing applications of satellite based imaging ranges from planetary exploration to surveillance applications. Using large scale homogeneous cellular arrays of simple circuits to perform image processing tasks and to demonstrate pattern-forming phenomena is an emerging topic. The cellular neural network is an implementable alternative to fully connected neural networks and has evolved into a paradigm for future imaging techniques. The usefulness of this technique has applications in the areas of silicon retina, pattern formation, etc.

Race and Class Affecting Education Essay -- Education

The decision of Brown vs. Board affected education nationally in 1954 by dismantling racism in schools. For this reason, segregation did not produce affirmative results for implementing equal opportunity in society. Citizens of the United States should receive a suitable education regardless of an individual’s race or class. Unfortunately, society is continuing separation because of the injustice of race and the location of poverty stricken individuals by not upholding a certain stature. â€Å"Compounding and reinforcing this educational inequality is the startling socioeconomic inequality and residential segregation in the United States† (Rist 4). Isolation of African American, Hispanic, and other minorities are affected because of their lack of prosperity, and it continues to influence society negatively by reducing the equality and opportunity to succeed. Race and class are the main issues of concern affecting education’s infrastructure; to change th is misfortune, people will have to stand to fight for proper education within the United States and not depend on the government. Education is being affected by the lack of proper parenting skills, scarce economic resources in school systems, and society’s misinterpretation of individual’s environment affecting learning capabilities. One of the primary causes of a failing education system is the insufficient amount of support from parents to improve education. For instance, majority of parents who send their children to impoverished schools are not playing an active role in their children’s education. Consequently, there are many factors that keep parents away from supporting their children’s educational needs. Parents may be working more than one job to maintain a roof... ...advantage of the opportunities provided to them. â€Å"In the last 40 years the United States has more than doubled its spending on K-12 education and now outspends almost every other country in the world—devoting 4 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to K-12 education compared with, for example, Japan’s 2.6 percent† (Goodwin 2). Nevertheless, citizens of the United States must put education first to grant children the opportunities to receive proper education, regardless of race or class. Works Cited Glenn, David. "Scholars Question New Book's Gloom on Education." Chronicle of Higher Education 57.24 (2011): a1-a11. Abstract. Print. Heckman, James J. "The Economics of Inequality." Education Digest Dec. 2011: 4-11. Print. Rist, Ray C. "Color, Class, and the Realities of Inequality." Society Mar.-Apr. 1996: 32-36. Print.

Team Leading

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS – M2. 04 DEVELOPING THE WORK TEAM Learner name Learner registration number UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF TEAMS AND THE FEATURES OF TEAM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDING THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 1. How does a team differ from a group? Give 3 examples of the differences. (3 marks) hell 2. Leading the team is an important team role. Briefly describe 2 other roles that members of a team might fill using a recognised model (2 marks) . Describe the 4 stages in team development (4 marks) R6434c v2 13. 01. 11 4. Briefly describe 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for an organisation of using teams to organise people to produce goods and services. (4 marks) KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY TRAINING NEEDS OF A GROUP OR TEAM AND HOW THOSE NEEDS MAY BE MET 5. Explain briefly why an organisation might want to carry out a ‘Training Needs Analysis’ of its employees (4 marks) R6434c v2 13. 01. 11 6.State 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage of each of the following ways of training your team: a. Going on a 1 day training course away from the workplace b. Having a trainer come in and train them in the workplace c. You coaching them individually in the workplace (6 marks) Total marks available for unit M2. 04 (23) Marks required to pass 12 + VLA decision Total Marks Total 50%+ overall Outcome (mark as applicable) PASS FAIL Section fail if applicable: Name of VLA: Assessment date: R6434c v2 13. 01. 11

Prince Henery the Navigator essays

Prince Henery the Navigator essays In 1394, Prince Henry the Navigator was born into royalty in Porto, Portugal. His parents were the King and Queen of Portugal. At that time, Europe was less developed in marine technology than China. Europe had not reached the advancements in the study of geography of Islamic society. However, after two centuries of hard work, Europeans dominated the world in marine technology and the study of geography. Prince Henry the Navigator helped Europe become a leader in navigation and exploration. He paved the way for Portugal to be a leader in the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry always wondered what was beyond the known world. In 1419, Prince Henry began to sponsor sailors, mapmakers, astronomers and shipbuilders who were interested in discovering new lands.(3) He had the money and imagination to send people into the unknown dangers of the ocean. He sponsored voyages that left Portugal to explore new worlds. The explorations sponsored by Prince Henry helped progress the study of geography and made Portugal a leader in navigation among European nations. Henry sent out more than 50 caravels into the sea. Prince Henry, however, never sailed on any of his voyages of discovery. (1) There were many obstacles to success in ocean navigation. Geographical knowledge of the world was not what it is today. In that time people believed that the oceans were full of dragons and sea monsters. They also believed that there were holes in the ocean where ships would disappear. The human dangers of ocean travel included wild natives, unmapped waters, and violent storms.(5). Additionally, the conditions on their ships were very bad. Men would go for weeks without fresh food or water. Around the year 1450, Prince Henry established a school for the study of navigation, mapmaking, and shipbuilding. The school for naval navigation was at Ponto de Sagres in the southwestern tip of Portugal. (7 p. 2) Henry also employed cartographers who created t...

How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Essay Example

How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Essay Example How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Paper How does the setting in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher and the Rye influence the theme Paper Essay Topic: The Catcher in the Rye Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Relationship between the setting and themes The themes of this story include loneliness, deception, alienation, phoniness, relationships and intimacy. There is a close relationship between the setting and the themes. The themes have been developed from the setting of the story. The persona of this story is called Holden Caulfield. As he narrates this story, he is recovering in a metal clinic. The period set for this story is near Christmas. Holden is a lonely boy because he expresses the way he dislikes his roommate and neighbor. This shows that he does not have many friends in school. The only friend he has is a girl called Jane whom he dates. He is sad because he has been expelled and will leave her behind. He says that this is the fourth school he has failed out. This means that he is a loner who does not even seek academic help, he had rather fail. Salinger (69), his sister tells him, â€Å"You don’t like anything that’s happening†¦.. You don’t like any schools. You don’t like a million th ings. You don’t†. This statement shows withdrawal from the society, hence loneliness. Holden is expelled from school and goes back to New York. He is not concerned about his future. Even when his teachers try to counsel him, he expresses lack of interest. This is an evidence of deception. Phoniness and deception are related because deception is an example of phoniness. He is deceiving himself that nothing is wrong with his life. He even refuses to go home because he does not want to confess the truth to his parents. In the hotel, he lies about his age to the ladies he flirted with. This shows that his lifestyle is accompanied by a lot of lying. Ironically, he criticizes people about deception. He says that adults are full of phoniness moreover; they do not want to accept it. This shows that he does not accept he is also a victim of the same vice. Salinger (1), he says that, â€Å"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like†¦.† This statement clearly shows that Ho lden grew up in an environment, which was unpleasant and full of phoniness. Throughout the story, Holden is viewed to be excluded from the normal living. He is alienated from the society. He alienates himself as a way of protecting himself from other people. He does this because he dislikes socializing with other people. He feels that it is confusing and overwhelming. Therefore, he opts to live in a world of his own, which ends up being harmful. He is unable to address himself to anyone and is unable to understand and solve his problems. As a result, he considers himself normal whereas he is not. Due to this urge of alienating himself, he is seen to go out with Sally but sends her away because he feels he wants to be alone. This could be the main reason why he eventually ends up in a mental clinic. Even as Holden is seen to be lonely and alienated, he seems to love women. He pays Maurice to provide for him a prostitute. When he went to Pencey School, he dated Jane and still tried to contact him afterwards. He feels uneasy when she goes out with anyone else. He refuses to go home and spends time in a hotel with women who are even older. This setting brings the theme of relationship and intimacy. Salinger (76) he says that â€Å"You don’t always have to get too sexy to get to know a girl.† Introduction of intimacy at such an early age shows how immoral the society has become. According to the story, Holden was in a boarding school, which was away from his home town. This is a gesture of rejection from his parents. It seems unfair because the sister goes to a nearby school and lives at home. As for him, he was sent to a boarding school far away from home. The school was in Pennsylvania, whereas he lived in Manhattan, New York. Lack of concern from parents could be the reason of his alienation and lack of interest in education. His indulgence to intimacy at an early age shows lack of guidance from parents or guardians. In chapter nine, he confesses that, â€Å"Sex is something I just don’t understand. I swear to God I don’t.† This confession is an indication of negligence from parents. They should have taught him about such life’s issues. We can conclude that Holden ended up in a mental clinic as a result of his parents’ incompetence in raising him well. Works cited Salinger, Jerome. D. The catcher in the rye. New York, NY: Penguin books. 2010. Print

Plasmids Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Plasmids - Lab Report Example Introduction: Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA present in the bacterial species. They are double stranded DNA which forms circles with size ranging from 1 kb to 200kb ( kilobase ). Plasmids are very advantageous for the genetic engineering. Plasmids code for many antibiotic regions and they have the ability to accept the gene of interest. The transformation of our gene of interest into the plasmid is called recombination and the bacteria are called recombinant bacteria. Thus plasmids can be used as cloning vehicles or vectors. The first step of transformation is the isolation ofhte plasmid DNA from the given bacteria culture. The basic method or DNA isolation is 1. Cutluring the host cell containing the Plasmid DNA. 2. Harvesting and lysing the cell to separate the DNA from the cell organelles. 3. Separation of chromosomal DNA and Plasmid DNA through precipitation method. 4. Plasmid DNA isolation and purification. Since both chromosomal and plasmid DNA will remain in the solution, the method to isolate plasmid DNA from the Chromosomal DNA is precipitation method. Larger DNA molecules (i.e. chromosomal DNA), bound to the proteins are separated from the Plasmid DNA when the protein is precipitated. The plasmid DNA which remains in the solution is then precipitated using ethanol. Method: Method: 1. A single colony of Bacteria containing the pBlueSkript KS II was grown overnight in the Luria Betroth overnight with ampicillin as the antibiotic. 2. From the overnight culture, 1.5 ml of the culture was taken in the centrifuge tube and centrifuged at maximum speed for 1 minute. 3. The supernatant containing the medium is discarded and the cell pellet was kept as dry as possible. 4. The cells were resuspended in the 100Â µl of GTE buffer and mixed gently using the pipette to ensure that no cell pellets remain in the solution. 5. To the cell pellets, 200 Â µl of cell lysis buffer was added at room temperature. The tube was mixed gently by inverting the tube up and down five times and incubated at ice for 5 minutes. 6. To the mixture 150 Â µl neutralization buffer was added and again inverted gently up and down 5-6 times. 7. The mixture was centrifuged at maximum speed for 10 minutes and the supernatant was added to the new tube. 8. To the supernatant, 1000 Â µl of 100% ethanol was added to precipitate the DNA. 9. The tube is centrifuged for 10 minutes in maximum speed. 10. The supernatant was removed from the tube and to the whitish DNA pellet, 1ml of 70% ethanol was added and the tube was inverted several times and centrifuged at maximum speed for 2 minutes. 11. The supernatant was removed from the solution and to the DNA, 500 Â µl of 70% ethanol was added as final wash. The tube was again centrifuged at top speed for 2 minutes and the DNA pellet was obtained. 12. The pellet was resuspended in 40 Â µl of 10mM Tris- HCl with RNase. The tube was mixed by flicking the tube and incubated at 37Â ° C for 5 minutes. 13. 5 Â µl of the Plasmid DNA was transferred to sterile microfuge tube and was labeled as B3- 5 Â µl PKS II- southern blot and stored at -20Â °C. Result and discussion: The DNA was extracted from the culture using the miniprep method. The plasmid DNA obtained in this method is used for the transformation process. Answer 1: Ampicillin is an antibiotic that resists the growth of the ampicillin senstitive strains when added to the medium. As our plasmid PKS II codes for ampicillin gene, ampicillin was induced in the growth medium to avoid contaminants. Answer 2: RNase is the enzyme that cleaves the RNA present in the given sample. RNA are the contaminants seen along with the plasmid DNA. Hence RNase was added to cleave the RNA. Answer 3: We can use alkaline lysis/ phenolic extraction method or alkaline lysis/PEG

Arabian Oryx in Arabian Peninsula and UAE Assignment

Arabian Oryx in Arabian Peninsula and UAE - Assignment Example In common usage of the term, biodiversity is normally used to explain entire species living in the specified area. If taken into consideration the largest region, the whole world, then a summary of biodiversity is termed as the life on earth. In conservation and evaluation biodiversity has four main types of diversities that are considered as landscape, ecological, species and generic. The varieties of these levels, as well as variability among or within them, are essential biodiversity concepts. Understanding these dynamics of the elements of complexity in time for the diverse ecosystems of the earth and habitats is very hard and in the field of scientific research. Despite losing the complexity of biodiversity concepts as well as dynamics, to the lowest level, as species go to form the biological diversity (Lachman et al., 2007). To go beyond this assessment of previous achievements, nonetheless, two obvious need of research is required. They are: to understand and improve the incentives and motives behind the biodiversity loss and protection and to improve new methods to optimize the multiple utilization of biodiversity, considering possible conflicts as well as trade-offs for the benefit of acquisition of scientific knowledge and enrichment. Hence, a qualitative maintenance of ecological balance would accentuate the minutest aspects of compatibility with species that are absolutely prevalent in females and males. This is meant for the purposes of maintenance of balance within the family and also maintaining balance in ecology. The conceptual clarity on the categories of the family of Oryx is required for analysis of their suitability and examination of an understanding. Such an understanding substantiates a positive thrust in maintaining balance in nature for the purposes of development of species.  The UAE has organized various breeding pairs consisting of captured ones for the purposes of maintaining a positive outlook for the balanced ecological system by ensuring non-poaching and limitation of hunting for enabling destruction for the purposes of freedom and ensuring behaviour that would augment the jeopardy of endangered species.