The world Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

The world Of Mice and Men Essay Question: The world Of Mice and Men is one of hostility and suspicion. Explore the second chapter of Of Mice and Men in the light of this statement and decide whether you agree. Introduction Of Mice and Men is a contrasting story to others because it has many different sides to it. You could look at it one way and say that its a joyful book and has only a couple of nasty people in the book, But you could look at it the other way and say that the ranch is a horrible, mean and a fight to survive. The Bunkhouse is a small room with 8 beds made up and the other three showing their burlap ticking, the walls were whitewashed and the floor was unpainted. From only the first few lines of chapter two and you can see that Steinbeck has tried to show us the reader that the bunkhouse like the rest of the farm is small and not a nice place to be. When it then goes on to talk about people possetions it shows us that in that time is was normally to only have about 5 things on you (sometimes even less). The Character Candy Candy is the swamper (cleaner of floors by pouring water on it and using a mop to clean of the dirt) on the ranch, when George and Lennie Arrive on the Ranch he is the first person to greet them. He is meant to be an old man, handless and without a Dog. He acts extremely nice towards George and Lennie (some say too nice). Being Old he is trying to keep his job for as long as possible because back then (and still now in America) there was no unemployment befits like there in the UK so he is trying to keep his Job to live by calling everyone a nice fella meaning everyone is kind back to him (most of the time). Interview with Boss In the Interview with the Boss he comes in and trys to ask George and Lennie why they are half a day late to work. George tries to tell him that the Bus driver give us a bum steer. But when the Boss hears this he doesnt even care and carries on about what he had to do. This shows us that the Boss doesnt change his mind at all because he thinks what he does/says is right and thats it but by the end of the talk he is almost like a nice person almost like he has a guard up and when everything is okay the guard goes and along comes a helpful man. The Character Curly Curly is the Bosses Son, he is meant to be small and one of those small guys who hate big guys. As soon as he comes through the door he looks a Lennie and puts up to fits, like you would in a boxing ring. This shows the most hostility of all of the things on the ranch because some guy walks in who the swamper called a nice fella and he tries to start a boxing fight with your Mate/You. After going into the room like hes in a boxing fight he then asks some questions directed to Lennie, Which because George Told Lennie strictly not to talk George has to talk and answer them. This aggravates Curly because he may not be in charge of anything he really thinks himself to be on the top because the Boss will never fire him because he is his son. The Character Curlys Wife Curlys Wife is a tart (a married woman who wants to see other men), well thats that Curly thinks when he said I think hes married a . tart. She has meant to have been only married to Curly for only 2 weeks and shes already on the hunt for other men? Some people think that it is because she was just a tart in the first place and always has been and thats why Curly married her but some other people think that it is because she feels like she is held captive in the house and whenever she is with Curly outside the house it told to go to the house. This shows us that she could be feeling like she is all most an item of Curlys and isnt allowed to go anywhere without permission of Curly. This shows us again that the ranch can be almost like a prison. Conclusion Overall I think that for Chapter Two the statement: The world Of Mice and Men is one of hostility and suspicion is true because if you look at all the points above the only nice thing at the ranch is Candy and he is only putting it on so he doesnt get fired from the ranch and die from not having any money. This shows us that the ranch a place with only Good patches and are few and far between.

Career Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Career Development Plan Essay The recent merger of InterClean and EnviroTech (ICET) has opened many opportunities for employee promotions. In an effort to stimulate our employees, focus on their strength and talents, and teach them new skills that will assist in our overall success, management has decided to revamp the way training’s been done in the past by implementing a new training performance format. Our new training module will focus on sanitation standards, communication, customer service and satisfaction and networking. The program will consist of 9 steps that will key in on industry knowledge. The training format will consist of new training evaluation and mentoring needs, focus on objectives of training and mentoring, reviewing performance standards, analyze delivery methods, examine contents for training and mentoring, address time frames and evaluation methods, feedback, and lastly explore alternative avenues for further development. Once this program is implemented, we believe our employees will develop an expertise in their respective areas that will have a positive impact in ICET’s organizational competitiveness, performance and productivity. The new training and mentoring needs The new training format will impact the way ICET does business. The focus of the new three week training will be to teach our sales associates about sanitation standards, communication, customer service and satisfaction and networking. Each step in the new training format will help us attain overall success that will benefit the employee and our company as well. However, training alone will not offer one on one simulation. Therefore, we are implementing a mentoring program that will give employees accessibility to learn and work with mentors that have specific knowledge about interested areas for a period of six month to ensure well rounded working knowledge from key experts. Objectives of the training and mentoring program The objective of training will be vital to attain future success. Therefore, the first objective will be to learn about the sanitation standards and regulations so that we will be well informed as we cross over into health care service solutions. The second objective we will focus on is communication. The key concentrations will be listening, and planning to attain effective decision making. The third objective will be customer service and satisfaction as related to personal attention and quality service and lastly the fourth objective will be on the importance of networking to build relationships with key industry contacts. With regards to the mentoring program our focus will be to combine all the aforementioned above that will blend with our new mentoring program. This will allow employees to focus on their specific career development goals they would like to accomplish within the organization by working aside once a week for six month period with a mentor that is an expert in the chosen area. Performance standards The performance standards will be rated based on job role expectations. The indicators for example in sales will be based on revenue generated. This will be measured by how many sales deals were closed and the type of products. Market integration or expansion also be measured. Here the ability to find new perspective customer or even cross over into other types of health care businesses such as nursing homes or medical rehabs will be taken into evaluated and lastly customer retention based on quality customer service and feedback will also be considered. We feel all expectations will be reasonable and attainable once training is completed. Delivery methods Delivery methods are vital when training is being implemented. The focus is to keep the trainee interested and integrated during training. Therefore, we will focus on three training methods; experimental, integrative and reinforcement. For sanitation standards we will train with fact sheets, videos and or pamphlet and booklets. This will fall under the reinforcement methods. For the communication objectives, we will use skits because it will teach the trainee real life simulations which can be critiqued to help improve and fine tweak any area that need improvement. This delivery method will fall under the experimental method. As for the customer service objective, we will use dialogue. This will allow the trainee to participate and improve their delivery when meeting a customer and or closing the deal. This style will fall under the integrative methods and lastly we will use networking via conventions and or conferences so the trainee can interact with other business professionals. As for the mentoring program we will offer face to face interaction once weekly with expert mentors by area. Content for training and mentoring To achieve the best outcomes for ICET, we believe the content of the training program should be closely correlated tot to our business strategy and organizational goals. Therefore we will evaluate the skill and ability of employees that best match the open positions. This will be done by evaluating experience, worker, and occupational requirements. For example, experience will evaluated based on former training, experience, certifications or licenses. Worker requirements will be based on basic skills, cross functional skills, knowledge and education and lastly occupational requirement will be measure by general work activities, work and organizational content (Cascio 2005). Time frame Setting realistic time frames for employees to be trained properly is an important part of a successful training and mentoring program. Forming new habits or learning new methodologies take times which is why we have decided that employees will receive three week training so they feel fully acclimated and comfortable when they are out on the field. As for the mentoring program, we have decided to make it a three month program because we feel in order to appreciate and truly learn hands on the employee should be exposed to the daily routines of the mentor. Once the employee gets a good grasp of each section during the allotted training time, we believe they will be motivated and continue to develop their skills via applied experience they attain while working. Evaluation methods A good evaluation will most often use multiple methods because a well rounded objective decision can be archived. Therefore, we have decided that we will evaluate employees by these three standards; group interviews so we may see how the candidate behaves and reacts to intimidating settings, person to person simulations to see how the employee performs when selling a product and lastly via personality questionnaire to see if the employee characteristic match up with the extroverted personality we are looking for. Feedback Constructive feedback can make all the difference if you want to keep employees motivated. Therefore, it is our commitment to make sure that all feedback is constructive and address all the good quality the employee posses as well as the areas of improvement that will develop them further. Hence, we will sit with employees and perform verbal feedback that is clear and precise so that there is no room for misunderstanding. We want the make sure the employee is encouraged and understands that we are committed and interested in their career development and well being. We would also like to get feedback regarding the training program and any areas of weakness that can be improved. We will build an anonymous questionnaire so that the employee can be candid and honest without feeling as if there are attached strings. Alternate avenues for those who need further development Lastly, we would like to provide alternate avenues for employees who would like press further. Therefore, we will provide access to continuing education course twice a year. We will also have updated listing of conferences and training that will go beyond on internal training so that employees will be aware of the latest trends, approaches, and opportunities in their specific field. We believe this will help the employee morale as they will have access to any continuing education as needed. In conclusion, we believe our new training module will teach and provide the employees with all the necessary tools to become and maintain success.. Our focus on sanitation standards, communication, customer service and satisfaction and networking will set our employees apart from the rest because they will be well rounded and well informed. Once this program is completed, the employees will develop an expertise in their respective areas that will have a positive impact in ICET’s organizational competitiveness, performance and productivity. Reference http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/training/performance_management/define.htm

Business Plan Of Innovative Green Product Marketing Essay

Business Plan Of Innovative Green Product Marketing Essay The coconut crop is grown in 14.3 million hectares of land which constituted about 1.1 per cent of net crop area of the world. And annual output is around 13.3 billion coconut nuts in the India. In 1000 hectares of land approximately 1,47,000 trees can be planted and which can give 23 million coconuts. India contributes about 15.46 per cent in area and 21 per cent in terms of production of coconut in the world. The coconut crop is grown in eighteen States and three Union Territories. It is concentrated on the West Coast region of the country comprising the states of Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, followed by East Coast of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Pondicherry. The coconut cultivation areas also traditionally located in the coastal region of Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Islands of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep. Kerala is considered as the land of coconut and holds the key for the development of coconut. Coconut Development Board CDB is a main organization for the expansion and development of coconut industry. It is the main body which is attached to the coconut industry. Coconut Development Board is a statutory body established by the Government of India for the integrated development of coconut production and utilization in the country with focus on productivity increase and product diversification. The Board which came into existence on 12th January 1981, functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, with its Headquarters at Kochi in Kerala and Regional Offices at Bangalore in Karnataka, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and   Guwahati in Assam. There are six State Centres situated at Bhubaneswar in Orissa, Calcutta in West Bengal, Patna in Bihar, Thane in Maharashtra, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and Port Blair in the Union Territory of Andaman Nicobar Islands. FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD Imparting technical advice to those engaged in coconut cultivation and industry. Providing financial and other assistance for the expansion of area under coconut. Encouraging adoption of modern technologies for processing of coconut and its products. Adopting measures to get incentive prices for coconut and its products. Presentation of Data For starting of any business, we required some market research data. Data may be primary or secondary data. Primary data are those which are collected for the first time. And the secondary data are those data which are collected from secondary sources like research paper, circulars, guidelines, magazines etc. We have to gather data which can help us in determining the feasibility of project. Here in this business plan we have collected primary data through questionnaire and interview method. Also we have studied some important data from government agency like Coconut Development Board (CDB), Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) etc. Following are the data was collected. Consumer Survey was carried out. Around 1000 Questionnaire were filled out. 65% respondents chosen natural health Coconut Water Out of this 65%; the proportion of age group of 18-35 years was around 70%. Market Availability/ Market Potentiality The coconut is not only significant in socio cultural needs of our society, but also has gained considerable importance in the national economy as a potential source ofemployment and income generation among the plantation crops. In India soft drink and juice industry is very vast. India has a diverse agro-climatic condition due to which there exists a wide-ranging and large raw material base suitable for food processing industries. India is the largest producer sugarcane, coconut etc. If we set up a plant, the availability of raw materials and infrastructure would be available to the entrepreneur. Indian soft drink market is valued to be Rs.7100 crore: In India soft drink companies have captured a large amount of market for colas and juice products. This is because of two reasons. First is India has a large population which can afford to consume a cola product with a reasonable price. Second is penetration of marketing activities carried out by marketers. In India the market for natural and health drink like coconut water has not surpassed too much. The reason may be lack of advertising efforts and lack of awareness among people about the coconut water benefits. So if we just turn the preference of 1% of the soft drink colas consumers, it will be great or huge market for coconut water. This is the reason of focusing on soft drink market. The carbonated drinks are the mainstay and accounts for 85% of the total soft drink market. There are also around 15% of the consumers prefer juice market. So they can be a less efforts required to shift their preference. Coconut water can be the part of the $19 billion sports drink market globally: In todays fast and stressful situation energy drink and sport drink are becoming more and more famous and favorable choice of consumers. Sports drink is useful to Athletes and sports enthusiasts to replenish electrolytes lost in perspiration. Coconut water contains more nutrition than any commercial sport drink. India being the less developed in nutritional level and governments interest in growing up of nutritional products: Indias rank in health development and facilities is very lower. As the time passes, government is also taking interest in increasing the nutritional product expansion and health of the public gets superior. So it may be steering point for development of coconut water. Benefits of the product First of all to start any of the business, we have to think about the benefits of the products and how it will be marketed so that the maximum utilities of the product can be possible. The water of tender Coconut is a sterile, nutritious, thirst quenching health drink. The pure and sweet tender coconut possesses enormous therapeutic properties and is a thirst quenching refreshing health drink for all age groups. Tender coconut water has the same level of electrolytic balance as we see in our blood. Numerous medicinal properties of tender coconut water reported are:   (Given by Coconut Development Board) Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.   Oral rehydration medium Contains organic compounds possessing growth promoting properties Keeps the body cool Application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox, measles, etc. Kills intestinal worms Presence of saline and albumen makes it a good drink in cholera cases Checks urinary infections.   Excellent tonic for the old and sick Useful for different diseases Useful to Athletes and sports enthusiasts to replenish electrolytes lost in perspiration. Can be injected intravenously in emergency case. Ingredients Nutritional Facts As everyone knows about health benefits of coconut water. Coconut water is also used for long term benefits like smoothly digestion system, smooth urine system, maintains body temperature etc. In coconut water main ingredients has been elaborated as follows. These all facts about nutrition is taken into consideration per 100 ml of coconut water. Nutrition (Per 100 ml) Potassium (mg %) 247 Sodium (mg %) 48 Minerals (mg %) 0.5 Fat (mg %) 0.1 Calcium (mg %) 40 Magnesium (mg %) 15 Phosphorous (mg %) 6.3 Iron (mg %) 79 Copper (mg %) 26 Protein (mg %) 0.1 Production Process The process from the starting to its final products is very easy. It does not require a high degree of mechanicals or engineering process. Coconut Water of 6-7 month stage is first filtered through pressure filters and then mixed with the desired proportion of additives plus sugar and concentrated to the appropriate level. The water is then packed in pouches/cans and retorted in an autoclave, after which it is cooled in a stream of cold water. List of machinery to be used: Coconut   water collection tank  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Autoclave Filter  Ã‚   Additive mixing tank  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   coconut water storage tank  Ã‚   Volumetric filling machine   Baby boiler  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Raw material  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10000 Coconuts Final product 3100 litres Driving Forces for Coconut Water At the time of setting up of any business, we have to see possibilities or factors that can help us in developing/expanding our product line. Generally these are called driving forces of the product. Following are the driving forces for the coconut water. Abundant availability of raw material: As we have seen that the India being the 3rd largest producers of coconut nuts globally. This production of crop has spread over the many states and union territories of India. So we can be sure about the continuously supply of raw materials throughout the year. The main season of procuring raw material is monsoon. Convenient in moving to final consumers: Generally, a coconut nut is heavy in weight and sometimes makes it difficult to carry in bulk. Even the time has come for packaged food and processing items. The marketability of packaged food and beverages has increased tremendously since last decades. So if coconut water is packaged in tetra pack or aluminum can or pouch, it will be convenient in carrying at different places for different time. Increasing awareness about health consciousness: In todays time people are tend to be more health conscious and prefer to natural eatable items. More specifically in metro cities or urban areas people have suffered too much from the disease and they are bearing the cost of hygiene foods. It is the result that coconut industry has developed by 2-3 times.Increasing dieses due to the soft drinks have awaked public more. Pure natural and hygiene product by sciences: In todays competitive era, everything has to be prove and get it to be certified and registered with the concerned agency for consumption. Coconut water is declared as pure natural and health drink by science. So it may also increase the chances of convincing people to shifts their choice. Liberal Government policy towards healthier eatable items: Government is also helping for promotion of healthy food and beverages. So for the coconut water promotion government policy may not be as strict as in the case of some others products. Increasing demand of By product like Ethanol coconut oil etc.: It has been increasing amount of petroleum products. Thereby spreading pollutions and decreasing volumes of non-renewable sources of energy. Lignocellulose can be used for this purpose. 9. Target market In the very beginning before launching of any product one has to think about their target market. Who will be their target customers?For the successful launching of Coconut Water in the market, following consumers would be targeted. Youth people [ India being the youngest country in world] Old aged people Patients (Strong Focus) Children Ladies [specially for pregnant ladies] India is the youth nation in the world. And youth people are tend to be more health awareness. Also India has a lot of opportunities for the patients as we have large number of sick people every year. We can also target pregnant ladies. Because even the doctors are also suggesting to drink coconut water as a good medicine. 10. Marketing and Communication As we have studied earlier that the reason for not popularity of coconut water product into the market. So here extremely efforts would be towards the marketing and communication aspects of marketing mix. Here we can consider important factors that affects to the final consumers. i.e. four Ps of marketing viz. Price Product Place Promotion. Pricing: Price of the product is very crucial and determinant of profit from that product. Especially here in the case of coconut water as we have to enter in that market which is dominated by giant companies with their giant operations of efficiency and marketing campaigns. At this stage we can go for two options that is capturing market share with lower pricing and creating awareness among public. And other option is charging competitive pricing with colas companies. Pricing @ introductory stage: Here we go with this option preferably. At the introductory stage of launching of product we have to pull huge customer attention. So we will keep our pricing at lower margin compare to the soft drink colas companies. At the initial stage we have decided price of Rs. 15 per 300 ml bottle. Competitive pricing to soft drinks and colas: As we start to grow our product into market, and research talks about the consumer awareness about coconut water into the market; we will be able to charge competitive pricing to the colas companies. Product: The second P of marketing is Product itself. It states following: How should be the product? How should it be packed in attractive way? How should it be in size etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? How should it be looking externally? Here we will in the initial stage focus on 300 ml packaged in aluminum can. Afterwards in family size of 1 ltr,1.5 ltr and 5 ltr bottle. The main focus is on the external looking of the packing. Place: This P of marketing states about how product should be placed at different places so that there is maximum possibilities of sell. Place for Coconut Water includes following: Hospital region College areas Sports areas Gym Khana Malls Central areas etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ coffee houses or high end snack shops With the hope of moving the product into a more mainstream setting, our distribution strategy aims at selling to larger distributors that directly capture our niche target markets. We plan on expanding from smaller localized grocery stores into mainstream action sport retailers including: Sports Chalet, Sports Authority, larger surf retailers, 24 Hour Fitness, and Golds Gym. Our plans to move into these distribution channels with confidence, knowing the growing demand from our current selective target market. Promotion: Promotion may be of two types i.e. product promotion and sale promotion. Product promotion : Promotion of the products means making products more popular among the general public. Product promotion of Coconut Water includes:- Advertising. Free sample distribution. Health awareness programs. Social networking sites etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Yoga centers Sales promotion: Sales promotion means how to increase short run sales of the products. It denotes short run increase in sales. For the Coconut Water it includes:- Discounted pricing for big quantities like family pack, executive pack or party packing. Presenting lucky draw prizes. Sponsoring some social events. Point of purchase 11. By products In todays competitive era, cost reduction and maximum utilization of available resources has become very much important. It means in the production process, there should be a minimum wastage. Every component should be utilized as possible as their extent. Following are the coconut by products. Ethanol (lignocellulose waste): Though it is too much difficult to get liquid in terms of ethanol from wastage of shelf that is called lignocellulose waste. The reason for this coconut shelf has a large amount of glucose and minerals. If we are using huge amount of coconut shelf, it will be available for the by product. Coconut oil: There are so many producers in the market who makes coconut hair oil and also coconut edible oil. Coconut oil is used in the country as a cooking fat, hair oil, body oil and industrial oil. Coconut oil is made from fully dried copra having maximum moisture content of six per cent. Steam cooking of copra is also practiced by some millers to enhance the quality and aroma of oil. Refined coconut oil is also manufactured in the country for industrial uses. Refined coconut oil is mainly used in the manufacture of biscuits, chocolates and other confectionery items, ice cream etc. 12. Export Opportunities Today the extent of international trade has increased by many folds. Considering it as an opportunity we can also look forward for export efforts of coconut water in packaged form. The countries like UAE, USA, Japan and UK are the major export destination for the products. Because these are the nations which have applied and maximum users of the product. Even this nations government also plays an active role in marketing of this healthy product. First and foremost we have to acquire IEC (Import Export Code). This code can be availed through the DGFT i.e. Director General of Foreign Trade. Other than this there are so many documents required for fulfillment of the regulations like LC, Leding Letter, GR form, FEC A/c with RBI, quality certificate, contract with the overseas and domestic depository banks etc. We can also set up our plant at SEZ or EOU to avail the various government skims and subsidies. 13.Cost Analysis The very important aspect of any product or service is its price. Cost analysis includes from the beginning i.e. from the procurement of raw materials until it reaches to the final consumers. It is consisting of direct and indirect expenses. Purchase Rs. 4.50 per unit Other Cost Rs. 6.00 per unit 1. Transportation Cost. 2. Marketing Cost. 3. Packaging Cost. 4. Office Cost. 5. Other Cost. Total Cost per Unit: Rs. 10.50 Selling price : Rs. 15.00 Less (Total cost): Rs. 10.50 Profit per unit: Rs. 4 .50 Financial Aspects As we know finance is a blood for any organization. As our body will not work without blood. Similarly business activities cannot be worked or done without availability of finance. Here in this B plan we have taken model for coming five years. We have calculated financial flow for five years. Because at least we should be clear about next five years about our business, though not at all sure. Investment: Total machinery cost : Rs. 12 lakhs Other Fixed cost : Rs. 20 lakhs (Including Working Capital) Total cost Rs. 32 lakhs Total revenue : Net revenue in 1 year : Rs. 54,00,000 Total net revenue in 5 years : Rs. 3,22,82,700 Here machinery cost includes different types of machine required for carrying out the process. Other fixed cost includes land expenses, depreciation expenses, some lease expenses etc. Year wise calculation of revenue and growth Year Sales (units) Per Unit Price (Rs.) Total Value (Amount) % Growth 1 3,60,000 15 54,00,000 2 3,78,000 15 56,70,000 5 3 4,08,240 15 61,23,600 8 4 4,57,240 15 68,58,600 12 5 5,48,700 15 82,30,500 20 Total 21,52,180 03,22,82,700 Here we are setting target of monthly sales of 30,000 units thereby yearly sales in units will be around 3,60,000 units. By multiplying this by sales price of Rs. 15, we get net revenue of Rs. 54,00,00 at the end of 1st year. In the second year, we are setting target of 5% increase in sales volumes in 3rd year 8%, in 4th year 12% and in the last year 20% growth in sales volume. If we sum up, we will have earned net revenue of Rs. 3,22,82,700 in five years of time (assuming that the selling price would remain the same and growth target will be achieved through). Profit Calculation: Net revenue : Rs. 03,22,82,700 Less fixed cost: Rs. 32,00,000 Less Variable cost: Rs. 2,25,97,890 Net Surplus: - For five years Rs. 64,84,810 Average profit per year Rs. 12,96,962 BREAK EVEN POINT: FIXED COST Rs.32,00,000 - = - CONTRIBUTION Rs. 4.50 7,11,111 UNITS =============== BEP means at this stage No profit No loss. So it means till the sales volume of 7,11,111 units we will not have a profit. In second option if we want profit every year, we have to write off equal proportion of fixed cost from profit. 15 .Financial Feasibility of Project Before investing any amount in a project investor will think about its return. For this there are various method can be applied like Pay Back Period (PBP) method, IRR method or Net Present Value (NPV) method. Among this NPV is considered to be an appreciable method as it takes into account present value of future inflow. So here we will use NPV method to analyze the financial viability of project. Net Revenue Variable cost Fixed cost = Net surplus (In Rupees) Year Net Revenue (Rs.) Variable Cost (Rs.) Fixed Cost (Rs.) Net surplus (Rs.) PV factor @ 12% NPV (Rs.) 1 54,00,000 37,80,000 6,40,000 9,80,000 0.893 8,75,140 2 56,70,000 39,69,000 6,40,000 10,61,000 0.797 8,85,617 3 61,23,600 42,86,520 6,40,000 11,97,080 0.712 8,52,320 4 68,58,600 48,01,020 6,40,000 14,17,580 0.636 9,01,580 5 82,30,500 57,61,350 6,40,000 18,29,150 0.567 10,37,128 Total 32,00,000 45,51,787 We will calculate NPV @ 12% rate of return i.e. our required rate of return. We have total fixed cost of Rs. 32,00,00 spreading in five years of life. So per year we will write off equal proportion which is Rs. 6,40,000. So we will get net surplus every year by deducting variables and fixed cost from net revenue. If NPV > 1 project is selected If NPV If NPV = 1 project may be selected Conclusion: Here in this project NPV > 1. So project should be selected. As the total sum of future flow at present is greater than its investment made. Here our NPV is Rs. 45,51,787 and our investment outlay was Rs. 32,00,000. . Challenges/ Limiting factors for growth Market Dominated by soft drinks companies: As we can see in the market that the colas and drinking market is well dominated by giant colas companies. So As a new player in the market it will be tough to sell our product. And specially to convince to try a new one which is not entertaining or any status to the final consumers. So we have to work upon this and have to make proper strategies and programs to capture a market share. High popularity of soft drinks and colas among youths: As our youth people are most consuming colas. There is too much marketing penetration on youth. So Ill be difficult task to make our product more popular. Because unless our product is popular, no one is going to buy it or no one will know about our existence in the market. We have to divert maximum efforts towards the marketing funda. Challenges to maintain health standard of product as it is a natural product: As we are marketing our product as a natural product, we have to be very quality conscious and obey standards set by various laws. If we fail in that, competitors will take advantage of it and they will start spreading wrong rumors into market which will cause our ultimate sales volumes. From the view point of lower income society, it is an Exploiting business. As it reduces their employment: In majority case, coconuts are sold by small vendors on the roadside. Generally they are lower class people. They run their family on daily income basis. So if we start selling coconut water in packaged form, it may happen that small vendors sales will decline and consequently there will be negative impact on the family running. So they may also start a unethical social activities. So we have to find out solution to overcome these challenges. Here we can make them our vendors. And also we can follow the model of supplier and franchise. No longer life/Changes in taste in long period of time: If the coconut water comes in touch with air, within 24 hours it will spoil. We will not be able to drink it. The reason is some important bacteria evaporate from it. So as a solution we have to use scientific preservative technology and packaging techniques. Here we can add some additives which is natural and not harmful. We cant mix any hazardous chemicals like soft drink colas. 17. Laws For doing any business we have to follow the rules and regulations, policies of government laws. Here especially we are in processed and packaged food business. Also we are dealing with agro food as raw materials. So we have to take into consideration various laws. Below is the list of laws that we have to consider. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954 The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 The Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 The Insecticide Act, 1968. Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. Environment Protection Act, 1986. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 18. Conclusion As it is a natural and energy product People are becoming more health conscious Coming time is of natural items Market is broad Raw material and environment is appreciable Healthy government policies and subsidies Every coin has two sides. Similarly it has also pros and cons of starting up of unit. But after analyzing facts and situation, the more possible weight goes towards its favorable.

Evaluation Of Online Encyclopaedias English Language Essay

Evaluation Of Online Encyclopaedias English Language Essay This report evaluates the capabilities of three online Encyclopaedias: Wikipedia, Free Online Encyclopaedia Britannica and Encyclopaedia Americana. The evaluation is based on the APPARATUS assessment method that are given weights according to their relative importance to search capabilities, contents , used materials references credentials of author(s). The Encyclopaedias are rated based on these the APPARATUS assessment and the ratings tabulated at the end of the report to facilitate comparison. 2. Introduction In this report, we evaluated the APPARATUS assessment of three online Encyclopaedias : Wikipedia, Free Online Encyclopaedia Britannica and Encyclopaedia Americana. The evaluation focus on the following criteria: , Authority Objectivity 2) Purpose 3) Physical Production 4) Arrangement 5) Recency 6) Accuracy 7) Treatment 8) Users 9) Scope These criteria were weighed according to their relative importance to APPARATUS assessment . Ratings from 1 to 4 were assigned to respective features and tabulated. Wikipedia Wikipedia is an online free-content encyclopaedia that users can edit and contribute to.   Jimmy Wales, wikipedia co-founder, has pronounced Wikipedia as an effort to create and distribute a multilingual free encyclopaedia of the highest quality to every single person on the planet in his or her own language. Wikipedia is to bring knowledge to everyone who seeks it. Britannica Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica has been the worlds most valued reference source for over two centuries. Today Britannica provides a variety of products, intended to fit different users needs.If users want the full 32-volume Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, an encyclopaedia for younger users, or educational teaching materials, Britannica provides an appropriate resource with features and enhancements. Encyclopaedia Americana Americana is one of the largest general encyclopaedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopaedia has been produced by Scholastic. It has articles on natural and exact sciences, on engineering and economics, in addition to on separate works of literature, music, and art. Many articles in the encyclopaedia are written from anti-Marxist and anti-communist viewpoints. As a rule it contains instructive articles, but there are also analysis articles most often about separate countries and centuries-for example, the articles The 18th Century and The 20th Century. Authority and Objectivity Wikipedia Wikipedia is an online free-content encyclopaedia that users can edit and contribute to. Jimmy Wales, wikipedia co-founder, has pronounced Wikipedia as an effort to create and distribute a multilingual free encyclopaedia of the highest quality to every single person on the planet in his or her own language. Wikipedia is to bring knowledge to everyone who seeks it. Wikipedia articles are all free content and their text is covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA) and in most cases the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). The Wikimedia Foundation does not own copyright on Wikipedia article texts and illustrations. It is purposeless to email our contact addresses asking for approval to copy articles or images, even if rules at users company or school or organization order that user ask web site operators before copying their content. The only Wikipedia content users should contact the Wikimedia Foundation about is the trademarked Wikipedia/ Wikimedia logos, which will not be freely usable without permission. Wikipedia is available in languages other than English. Wikipedia has more than two hundred and eighty languages, including a Simple English version, and related projects include a dictionary, books, and scientific reference sources, quotations manuals and a news service (see sister projects). All of these are maintained, updated, and managed by separate communities, and often include information and articles that can be hard to find through other common sources. Britannica The editorial board is organized more than four thousand expert contributors, and the articles are written and continuously updated by a hundred full time editors. The authors, compilers, and editors are coming from different backgrounds like Nobel Laureates or Pulitzer Prize winners, expecting writers, artists, civil servants, scholars and activists. Some contributors in the record of the Britannica include Freud, Russell, Marie Curie, Einstein, Huxley and Shaw. Nowadays, the contributors are professors and domain experts in specific areas from Oxford, Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago and other reputable universities. Some contributors introduced their personal negative opinion on topics such as Hinduism so that the articles on Britannica have some cultural bias. A quote of the 11th edition will better help to understand these biases. The 9th edition onwards, the Britannica was widely considered to have the greatest authority of any general English language encyclopaedias especi ally because of its broad coverage and distinct or outstanding authors. Encyclopaedia Americana All articles are signed by the author, a leading authority in his/her field, chosen by a team of editors and advisors. Americana is one of the largest general encyclopaedias in the English language. This series has more than 45000 articles, most of them more than 500 words and many running to considerable length (the United States article is over 300,000 words). The works coverage of American and Canadian geography and history has been a traditional strength. The Encyclopaedia Americana is written by over 6000 contributors, and most articles are signed by their contributors. Controversial subjects are included with several references for abortion, homelessness, and homosexuality. The editors have striven for a balanced and objective viewpoint on all topics. Purpose Wikipedia Wikipedias purpose is to benefit readers by acting as an encyclopaedia, a comprehensive written compendium that includes information on all branches of knowledge. The goal of Wikipedia is to build a free encyclopaedia; indeed, the largest encyclopaedia in history, not only in terms of breadth but also in terms of depth and also want Wikipedia to be a reliable resource. The purpose of an encyclopaedia is to gather knowledge spread around the globe; to express its general system to the men with whom we live, and broadcast it to those who will come after us, so that the work of prior centuries will not become useless to the centuries to come; and so that our children, becoming better instructed, will at the same time become more worthy and happy, and that wiki cannot die without having provided a service to the human race. Many visitors come to Wikipedia to acquire knowledge, while others come to share knowledge. At this very moment, dozens of articles are being superior, and new articl es are also being created. Britannica The purpose of the online encyclopaedia Britannica is to be an excellent reference and to provide academic materials to students and researchers. For academic institutions, libraries, and corporations, Britannica provides Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online, a wealth of trusted, wide-ranging resources intended especially for serious researchers. This widely varied set of powerful resources makes Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online an essential addition to every academic, corporate, and research library. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online School Edition presents Britannicas renowned educational resources in a student-friendly and engaging site designed especially for teachers and elementary, middle, and high school students. This unique resource brings together three encyclopaediasEncyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Britannica Student Encyclopaedia, and Britannica Elementary Encyclopaediato meet the needs of a variety of reading levels. In addition, a section specifically for teachers provides wor ksheets to support effective use of the Internet in the classroom. Encyclopaedia Americana The corporate purpose of Scholastic is to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy, the cornerstone of all learning. As well as more than 90 years of experience supporting the learning lives of children, today Scholastic remains committed to providing quality, engaging educational content in digital and print formats for the next generation of learners, and the families and educators who guide them. This encyclopaedia is intended for use as a general reference resource in schools, colleges, and public libraries. No American bias is detected. Physical production Wikipedia As for the largest Wikipedia, which is the English version, it includes around 3.8 million articles. All these documents are only in electronic format. Another feature of the toolbox is the Printable version. Use it whenever users want to print articles for a printer-friendly version of the article. Browsers (eg.Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explore) that will be familiar with the media print will automatically apply the printable version when printing with the default Mono book style sheet. There are more than 8000 active contributors working on more than 19 million articles which is a really large number of articles. It can compare to another project by the cofounder of Wikipedia called Citizendum. Its the short for of citizen compendium and is another online encyclopaedia project with tighter editing rules and higher reliability due to a close interaction between authors and editors. This means that Citizendum contains more reliable information but way less content (about 16 thousan d articles). Britannica Britannica usually prints a new set of the tomes every two years, but 2010s 32-volume set will be its last. Instead, the company will focus only on its digital encyclopaedia and education tools. The online version of the encyclopaedia, which was first published in 1994, represents only 15% of Britannicas revenue. The other 85% is sales of education products: online learning tools, curriculum products and more. Encyclopaedia Britannica brings to sudden stop of print publication after 244 years. The print version of the Britannica was considerably more expensive than its competitors. In general, the Internet tends to provide more current coverage than print media, due to the ease with which material on the Internet can be updated. Encyclopedia Americana Today, each year Americana released more than 600 titles for readers of all ages(0-18), in a variety of print and digital formats. Since 1926, when Scholastic published its first collection, Saplings, the Company has continued to release award-winning and best-selling books, ranging from beautifully-rendered titles for tots to holding reads that fascinate global audiences. Among those 600 are the amazingly successful publishing properties like Harry Potter, and Captain Underpants, Goosebumps, The 39 Clues, the beloved series Clifford the Big Red Dog, I Spy, Bone, Fly Guy, Dear America, Geronimo Stilton, The Magic School Bus, and The Hunger Games trilogy. The list of authors and illustrators consists of Tedd Arnold, Blue Balliett, Jim Benton, Meg Cabot, Patrick Carman, Suzanne Collins, Christopher Paul Curtis, Gordon Korman, Cynthia Lord, Ann M. Martin, Jon J Muth, Dav Pilkey, J.K. Rowling, Matthew Reinhart, Pam Muà ±oz Ryan, Allen Say, Brian Selznick, David Shannon, Jeff Smith, Magg ie Stiefvater, Mark Teague, and Walter Wick, among others a diverse list representing titles that span themes, ages, and geographies. Scholastic Trade division also publishes licensed properties such as Star Wars, Rainbow Magic, Its Happy Bunny, Lego, Chuggington, and Bob Books. Scholastic books have a reputation for gathering accolades and awards (including Caldecott Medals, National Book Awards, Newbery Medals, and Coretta Scott King Awards) and topping bestseller lists year upon year, and include memorable titles and series like The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, No, David!, Allie Finkles Rules For Girls, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?, Amulet, Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy, Wonderstruck, Smile, The Underland Chronicles, The Baby-sitters Club, Owen Mzee, The Guardians of GaHoole series, Chasing Vermeer, Charlie Bone, Zen Shorts, and the Shiver trilogy. Nearly ten years later, on July 21, 2007, Scholastic published the much-anticipated seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, making publishing history with a record-breaking 8.3 million copies sold in the U.S. in the first 24 hours. More than 140 million copies of the Harry Potter books are in print in the United States; more than 400 million copies have sold worldwide. Arrangement Wikipedia Wikipedia has a good starting point at the summary of a topic, but its greatest value is its links to outside sources. As for Britannica, its a pathetic shadow of its old treeware self. Wikipedia also has many portals, which categorize content around topic areas; our best portals are collected as featured portals. Articles can be found using the search box on the top-right side of the screen. A representative article contains a main page, titled on the definite topic (I.e., UNESCO) and a second page is accessible to discuss the topic with other users. These pages can be read, edited or one can access the editing history. On the main article page, there is a short introduction on the topic, organized by a table of content that work as hyperlinks. To display articles, users can type a search in the search field or browse through the lists that include lists of countries and territories, of people, by nationality, by occupation. It also has alphabetical indexes sorted by the first two l etters of the title modified by subject or special categories. Each subpart includes an edit button so everything can be edited. Paragraphs contain several hyperlinked terms to further extend the information someone can get on the topic or related issues. The last part of the page is a list of reference, then external links and related articles. One of the lesser users known, especially useful, techniques for researching with Wikipedia is the effective use of the What links here link which is on the left side of the screen, as the first item in the box marked toolbox. This link will contribute users a complete list of other Wikipedia articles that link to the current article. Even if the article user are looking at is a stub or, more extraordinarily, if it is a blank article, several related articles may be easily accessible through this feature. Sometimes these backward links will show users ways in which the article users started from is incomplete in one area or another. An inter esting feature is a list of timelines (centuries, decades or the major events in a given year). It is remarkable to mention that there is no advanced search option but only a single option less normal search. Changes can be viewed at the recent changes page and a random page at random articles. Over 3,500 articles have been designated by the Wikipedia community as featured articles, exemplifying the best articles in the encyclopaedia. Another 15,000 articles are designated as good articles. Some information on Wikipedia is organized into lists; the best of these are designated as featured lists. Britannica The Britannica includes 33 volumes. It separated into three main sections; volumes from 1-12 (Micropedia) which covered the short articles set (less than 750 words) that focuses on ready reference questions. Volumes from13-29 (Macropedia) containing longer articles (2+ pages) with more in-depth information. Volume 30 (Propedia), a one volume covers 10parts of knowledge (Matter and energy, The Earth and life on it, Human life, Human society, Arts, Technology, Religion, History of mankind, and Branchesof Knowledge) , this volume summaries of contains all human knowledge.  The topic in each section in (Micropedia, Macropedia) arranged alphabetically letter by letter. This Britannica is connected with facebook, twitter, youtube, newsletters, RSS, Widgets. When I browsed through the articles, each EB article was overwhelmed by as many as 8 Airtel ads per page, depending on the length of the article/page. If users would like to avoid ads, sign up for a subscription form. There is a norma l search and an advanced search. If we want to narrow down or broaden the results, the advanced search option uses Boolean operator like AND, OR, NOT, using other options. In the field of research tools users can change different options such as:  compare countries, this day in history, timeline, world atlas, world data analyst. There is also a spotlight section, where we can see the special features of the encyclopaedia. Each list has its own features, so for the videos, images audio list, the requested result is displayed including naturally images, audio recordings and video files so that user can comprehend the topic more easily. Users can contribute to their browsing history, relating articles in terms of type, description, date, and contributor. Users can get information about the primary contributors and other contributors in the list of contributor. It is also possible to browse a dictionary or thesaurus to search the meaning of words. In the last part, widgets shows info rmation of history of event and people related to the requested article and various date. The results are also displayed like a table of contents, where users can conveniently select the sub-menu of their choice for a more efficient browsing. An interesting feature is that the author of the article can give his or her purpose to the readers. Indeed, the online encyclopaedia Britannica academic edition have got the teachers choice award, 2007 2008 SIIA CODiE winner because of its structured and organized contents, secure environment for internet research, and  «Ã‚  neutral perspectives  Ã‚ » (as we mentioned this neutral perspective is subject to discussion).   Encyclopaedia Americana Articles are composed of alphabetically, using the word-by-word system. If two or more articles have the same heading they are ordered by person, place, and thing. Each entry begins with a large bold-faced heading, and may be further sub-divided by smaller bold-faced sub-headings. Longer articles include a contents box for quicker searching, with an information highlights box. Cross-references may be provided in the text or at the end of  article. A bibliography is included at the end of an article when appropriate. Users can choose among five customized interfaces that meet specialized needs and the reading and interest levels of the user. The five interfaces are: 1) Elementary School interface 2) Middle School interface 3) High School interface 4) Adult Patron interface 5) Librarians/Educators interface. Each interface composes of features and returns search results based on reading levels tied to three core differentiated domains: Elementary School, Middle School, and High Schoo l/Adult Patron. A pronunciation key and a list of abbreviations used in the encyclopaedia are included at the beginning of each volume. Recency (Currentness) Wikipedia In October 2012, there are editions of Wikipedia in 285 languages. It has become the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet, standing sixth globally among all websites on Alexa and having an estimated 365 million readers worldwide. In 2011, Wikipedia received an estimated 2.7 billion monthly page views from the United States alone. Wikipedia has taken a great deal of criticism in the press for problems relating to the trustworthiness of its authors and its general responsibility. Britannica Many people know Britannica as the publisher of those big multivolume encyclopaedias that have been a source of joy and learning since 1768. Today that encyclopaedia is chiefly to be found in a multitude of digital forms that are updated daily. The online encyclopaedia Britannicas home page is updated every day with the breaking news and revised articles from New York Times. Britannica also marks the contribution of users by presenting the comments they left on articles. The updating of the content is subject to the editorial boards policy. The updating are quite fast and the content is revised more regularly than the printed version. Now Britannia is also available as Online School Edition, so its not completely behind Wikipedia. Today this Britannica extremely expanded with schools, parents, and educators, designing products for the 21st-century classroom and todays home learning environments. Britannica is a creator in digital education, and their products are marked by engaging a nd reliable content. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc, have announced that it will stop publishing its 32-volume print edition (retail value $1400) after 244 years, and instead focus on its digital versions. The Encyclopaedia Britannica is a general knowledge book brought out first in three volumes in 1768 by three people. Encyclopaedia Americana Today, Scholastic is the largest publisher and distributor of childrens books in the world, with a collection of titles that entertain and support childrens wide-ranging interested and stages of reading development. Whether its a graphic novel or a board book, a future dystopian setting or a look back in history, our books help young readers explore their imaginations and become lifelong lovers of books. Information is up-to-date for the time of publication. Accuracy Wikipedia Wikipedia has taken a number of positive steps to help develop and maintain the accuracy and objectivity of Wikipedia entries. Its important to note that Wikipedia articles are in a state of constant flux and there is the potential for vandalization. Wikipedia with an open nature has directed to various concerns, such as the quality of writing, the amount of vandalism and the accuracy of information. Some articles have unconfirmed or unreliable information, although a 2005 investigation in Nature presented that the science articles they compared came close to the level of accuracy of Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica and had a similar rate of serious errors. Wikipedia had a rule against using original research that some claim discourages participation by scholars and experts. Nevertheless, those same scholars and experts are able to participate in the writing of articles and linking to supporting documents on the web. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has always maintained that the service and its community are set up a self-policing and self-cleaning nature that is supposed to ensure its articles are accurate. Britannica Since the articles are written by professors and experts from in their respective fields we can confidently conclude that the content is accurate. It also is satisfactorily up-to-date. The sentence structure is also organized very well. In a press release, Jorge Cauz, President Encyclopaedia Britannica says Britannica Online includes abundant information along with gorgeous multimedia, and that makes it an excellent match for Bharti Airtels broadband service. There are eight serious errors, such as general misunderstandings of vital concepts, in the articles but users can find a series of factual errors, omissions or misleading statements. Wikipedia had 162 such problems, while Britannica had 123. The averages are 2.92 mistakes per article for Britannica and 3.86 for Wikipedia. Britannica came out looking a little bit more accurate than Wikipedia. the error rate for each encyclopaedia was not insignificant, and added that he thinks such numbers demonstrate that broad review of encycl opaedia articles is needed. Britannica is more reliable than Wiki. However, the content is not necessarily in-depth. While searching for Singapore, the article does not mention the Marina Bay Sands or who the president is. In comparison, the recent marriage of Prince William is largely covered. Encyclopaedia Americana The 30 volume publication contains tens of thousands of articles written to serve the educational community as a bridge between the general reader and the specialist. Articles are accurately presented in easy to understand language, and are aimed at all learners and educators, from the young student to teachers and librarians. When an author is chosen to write an article, he/she is reminded that the objective of the publication is to present facts and interpretations to the non-specialist reader, as well as explain technical terms in an understandable manner. Before publication, each article is reviewed by the editors to ensure accuracy of information and vocabulary, spelling and sentence structures that it satisfies these objectives. In the new edition, the Editor has make an afforded to limit the work to its legal purpose the presentation of knowledge with faithfulness and with scholarly objectivity, avoiding the promotion of theories and such discussions and protections as are wh olly strange to the character and nature of an encyclopaedia. Every effort has been made to protect not only accuracy of statement but also fairness and correctness of view. Treatment Wikipedia The editing guidelines also mention a manual of style that provides detailed guidance to help editors to use a reliable, clear and exact language and layout. It is recommended to avoid jargon or vague or unnecessarily complex wording. Usually if any jargon or concept is used in an article, it will be hyperlinked to the matching Wikipedia page on this term. Regarding as the importance of the term, it finally attains a Wikipedia article of its own, which is nearly always linked to. It is usually clarified with more known terms. There is no range of English specification except for quotations, proper names, titles of works such as books, films, or songs where the original spelling must be kept. Articles on precise comparison of variety of English can feature different spellings. In addition, the guidelines mention that several citation styles are possible, namely the main recognized styles such as APA or MLA. The users can also give a rate the article according to its perceived trustwor thiness, objectivity, completeness and whether it was well-written, the user can also mention whether users are knowledgeable on the topic . Britannica As this encyclopedia have for many years, by cooperating with experts, scholars, educators, instructional designers, and user-experience specialists; by subjecting their work to hard editorial review; and by combining it all into learning products that are useful, reliable, and enjoyable. Each edition of the Britannica is written and updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,400 contributors. It is regarded as one of the most scholarly of English language encyclopaedias and remained roughly the same size for the past 70 years, consisting of 40 million words on a half-million different topics. The current 15th edition, published in 2010, consists of 32 volumes a two-volume index, a 12 volume Micropaedia, and a 17 volume Propaedia. The online edition costs a lot less, with a basic subscription running at $17 per year or $1.99 per month, compared to $1,395 for the 32-volume print version. The company has been providing online editions of its encyclopaedia for 20 years, wit h more than 65% of its online sales coming from educational institutions; the online edition is updated continually. The goal is to expand its appeal to consumers. With that move, Britannica is taking on Wikipedia. Although publication has been based in the United States since 1901, the Britannica has maintained British spelling. Its three-volume first edition was published in 1768-71 in Edinburgh, Scot. In subsequent editions it grew in size and reputation. The most famous editions include the ninth (1875-89), known as the scholars encyclopaedia, and the 11th (1910-11), which, with contributions from more than 1,500 experts of world reputation, was also the first to divide the usually long treatises into more specified articles. The current edition, the 15th (1974, with a major revision in 1985), exemplified a new structure, dividing the major articles from the shorter ones. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica now also appears in CD-ROM and on-line versions. A series of ownership changes le ad to its purchase by American publishers in 1901; since the 1940s it has been published in Chicago. Almost all articles are written in simple and widespread way, but particularly for the science and technology, users can see technological jargons, as this is addressed more to the educated users. It uses MLA and APA citation styles. Encyclopedia Americana The index also lists thousands of entries for which there are no separate articles, but does provide listings of articles that cover the subject. In all cases, volume and page numbers are provided for easy look-up. In 1902 a new version in 16 volumes that carried over some of the old material was published under the title Encyclopaedia Americana, under the editorial supervision of Scientific American magazine. The magazines editor, Frederick Converse Beach, was editor-in-chief, to be assisted by hundreds of famous scholars and authorities who served as consulting editors or authors. The first publisher was R.S. Peale Co; between 1903 and 1906 further editions were issued by the Americana Corp. and the Scientific American Compiling Department, with George Edwin Rines appointed managing editor in 1903. The relationship with Scientific American was terminated in 1911. From 1907 to 1912, the work was published as The Americana. A major new edition appeared in 1918-20 in 30 volumes, with George Edwin Rines as editor-in-chief. An Annual or Yearbook was also published each year beginning in 1923 and continuing until 2000.The sentence structure is very simple with easy understanding vocabulary. The meaning and simple sentence structure can clarify the complexity of expressed thoughts. It seldom use jargons words in the Americana. User Wikipedia Wikipedia aims to be user friendly and accessible to all. The main resource is in English but if the user doesnt speak English, he or she can access it in another language, though the content will be more limited. The English text of the CC-BY-SA and GFDL licenses is the only legally binding restriction between authors and users of Wikipedia content. What follows is our interpretation of CC-BY-SA and GFDL, as it pertains to the rights and obligations of users and contributors. Britannica The online encyclopaedia Britannica is a general encyclopaedia so that it is not only targeted to the intellectual levels such as students, teachers, librarians, and administrators but also targeted the kids. The Britannica websites are general audience sites, intended for Users (visitors and subscribers) of all ages. If a user is a California resident, he/she is entitled to prevent sharing of his/her personal information with third parties for his/her own marketing purposes through a cost-free means. If users send a request to Britannica Customer Service, Britannica will provide users with a California Customer Choice Notice that they may use to opt-out of such information sharing. Now all Airtel Broadband customers in India can take a 2 year free subscription to Encyclopaedia Britannica (worth Rs.6575). Specifically, there are three models for them: students encyclopaedia (age 11 and above), childrens encyclopaedia (age 8-11), and thesaurus and dictionary. In the latter, articles t o be browsed are subjects related to their curriculum. EB is absolutely the biggest authoritative resource of information with over 100 million users. Users are able to visit many of website pages without informing who they are or revealing any information about themselves. Users contin

Dengue Fever: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Dengue Fever: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention Dengue fever Dengue fever is a disease that is triggered by a virus (DENV) and there are different serotypes related viruses (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4) (Byron et al., 2009; Whitehorn et al., 2011). However they have 60-80% homology The virus belongs to the flaviviridae family genus and the flavivirus which is an aborvirus that is arthropod borne (Roach, 2002; Byron et al., 2009). Severity of dengue fever can progress to Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) or Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) (Byron et al., 2009). It is an icosahedral virus that has an enveloped single stranded, positive sense genome (Byron et al., 2009; Whitethorn et al., 2011).      Figure 1. Dengue virus evoluntary tree (Hesse, 2007) Transmission of Dengue virus The virus is transmitted through a biological vector to human bloodstream from mosquito bites. The arthropod vector is Aedes mosquito mainly Aedes aegypti that is common in tropic or subtropics regions (Byron et al., 2009).  Aedes albopictu is another mosquito vector. The mosquito that has acquired the virus can transmit it to uninfected human for the rest of its life (). Human being are the reservoir for the virus, mosquito bite an infected human to obtain the virus which it will transmit to another human being who will now become a carrier () Another reservoir is monkey in the DENV virus sylvatic cycle. The virus is found in the mosquitoes salivary gland and can also be transmitted from adult mosquito to its egg making it preserving the virus from season to season (Rolland, 1995) Figure 1. Transmission cycles of dengue virus (Byron et al., 2009) Symptoms and Clinical features of dengue fever Infection by DENV maybe asymptomatic or show a wide range of clinical symptoms (Byron et al., 2009). Symptom are more severe in children below 15 years than in adults (Byron et al., 2009; Carlos et al., 2005). Dengue fever initiate with a high fever whereby the body temperature increases up to (104-105) Fahrenheit within 4-5 day from infection (Guzman et al., 2002). After 2-5 days of fever a red rash might appear followed by a second severe rash again that looks like measles accompanied by increase skin sensitivity and discomfort (Harris et al., 2000). Other symptoms are fatigue, muscle ache, joint ache, vomiting, Nausea, swollen lymph nodes, headache especially on the area behind the eyes, nasal stiffness, sore throat, coughing, retro-orbital pain, arthralgia, myalgia and gastrointestinal pain ( Byron et al., 2009; Guilarde et al., 2008). Leukopenia is common while thrombocytopenia is occasional, likely in patients with haemorrhagic signs like petechiae, gingival bleeding and epista xis (Guilarde et al., 2008; Kittigul et al., 2008) Pathogenesis of the Dengue virus (DENV) Lack of animal models results to lack of knowledge of the actual pathogenesis of the virus but it anticipated it is multifactorial (Bryon, 2009).Dengue fever virus have four serotypes (homology of surface antigen) which make it hard for the immune system to combat and this is the basis of it virulence(Ross, 2010; Limon et al., 2005). Host genetics and background, viral genetics and host immune status determines the pathogenesis and how the immune system reacts (Sierra et al., 2007; Quinlivan, 2007; Tanaka and Mizokami, 2007; Byron et al., 2009). Once the virus access the body system through the skin epidermis Langerhans and keratinocytes cells are initially infected. However the immune system responds by producing antibodies that stick structural protein while inactivating the virus and hindering macrophage infection by the virus. At this point primary infection occurs which is the dengue fever. However antibody adherence does not inactivate the virus, viral replication occurs by att aching to the cell surface entry inside the cell cytoplasm and translation of viral proteins (Rothman, 2010; Byron et al., 2009). Subsequently the virus enters the blood stream and results ( primary viremia) where it will attach various tissue macrophages in various organs likely macrophages within the spleen (Bracken, 2005; Byron et al., 2009). As the virus replication expands to macrophages, monocytes, liver cells, bone marrow, the viral load of DENV increases (Chang et al., 2002; Burke and Kliks, 2006). Viral replication efficiency determines the viral load which can be measure in blood to determine the severity of the infection (Hesse, 2000; Halstead, 2003; Green and Rothman, 2006; Byron, 2009). Infected cells die through apoptosis and to some extend by necrosis (Byron et al., 2009; Chakravarti et al., 2006). Necrosis causes release of toxins which triggers coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. Based on bone marrow stromal severity of infection, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-18 leve ls hemopiosis is inhibited reducing blood thrombogenicity (Byron et al., 2009; Chao et al., 2009). Viral load and viral tropism will increase resulting to severe thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction which cause capillary fragility, easy bruising and also gastrointestinal mucosal bleeding which are features of DHF while the infection triggers development of specific antibody and cellular immune response against DENV (Nachman, 2008; Chang et al., 2002). Ig antibodies bind to the virus during secondary infection thereby eliciting the infection by increasing the viral load (Nachman, 2008; Byron et al., 2009) If another different serotype invades the body, the immune system combats it the same way as it did previously due to minor difference present within various serotypes (Bryon, 2009; Huerre et al., 2001). Moreso, the dengue viruses have M proteins that assist in apoptosis of their target cell. Furthermore upon macrophage invasion, DENV, it triggers the pro-inflammatory cytokines release as well as other mediators by antigen presenting cells, cross reactive T-cells of low and high avidity, HLA and endothelial cells of the immune system which compromise abnormal homeostasis and tissue permeability (Byron et al., 2009; Carlos et al., 2005). This slows down virus elimination and can cause a more severe secondary infection, such as DHF or DSS (Byron et al., 2009). Figure 2 Proposed pathogenicity of dengue virus (Byron et al., 2009). Diagnosis of dengue fever Dengue fever is diagnosed based on the clinical symptoms. Test and examination to identify the DENV can be done through antibody titre of the DENV (Jesse et al., 2004; Hesse, 2007). Another method is by doing a white blood cell count which is very low in infected patient (Jesse et al., 2004; Hesse, 2007; Ross 2010).Blood test to detect DENV via serology and ELISA to identify IGM antibodies (Hesse, 2007; Byron et al., 2009; Whitehorn et al., 2011). Carrying out a liver function test (ALT and AST) which is elevated in infected individuals (Byron et al., 2009). Further laboratory tests like polymerase chain reaction can be done for the virus types, specifically RT-PCR which identify viral RNA in patient samples (blood,liver,CFS) and can be modified to quantitative RT-PRC or using a Taqman probe when dealing with small quantities Of RNA (Hesse, 2007; Ross, 2010). Immunohistochemistry using antidengue monoclonal antibodies to identify viral RNA (Jesse et al., 2004) Prevention Can be done by shielding away from the Aedes mosquitoe and also reducing the mosquito population by covering the body through clothing to reduce chances of mosquito bites. Mosquitoe nets can be used (Argawal et al., 1998; Byron et al., 2009). Moreso travelling in times or to areas where mosquitoes are absent (An et al., 2004).Usage of mosquitoe repellents is also essential. In high risk areas, hose opening should be closed (windows, doors etc.) (Byron et al., 2004). Eliminating water stagnant by covering them as well as putting insecticides can kill the mosquitoe (Argawal et al., 1998; Byron et al., 2009). Moreso still water collecting containers like drums, flowerpots buckets should be eliminated (Byron et al., 2009) furthermore the World Health Organisation have made efforts to enforce correct disposal of these items via chemical methods and environmental management (World Health Organisation Media Centre, 2002; Argawal et al., 1998; Byron et al., 2009). Improving community dengue virus vector control programs and moreso monitoring and surveillance should be done in order to determine the control measures effectiveness (World Health Organisation Media Centre, 2002) Currently there is no vaccine against the dengue fever virus but there is ongoing research to develop vaccine against the virus (Byron et al., 2009). One promising vaccine been worked on is a live attenuated virus vaccine named West Nile virus, which is measles based virus to eradicate dengue (World Health Organisation Media Centre, 2002). This vaccine have been used in Thailand although there is no evidence that it can combat all four serotypes of dengue in order to avoid complications of dengue fever (DHF and DSS) (Argawal et al., 1998; Byron et al., 2009; World Health Organisation Media Centre, 2002). Treatment Treatment for dengue virus is not specific, to care for symptoms like dehydration, the patient must rest and consume copious amount of fluids, intravenous electrolytes is given to compensate the dehydration (Jesse et al., 2004; Hesse, 2007). For high fever, joint pain and headache antipyretic drugs like Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and codeine should be administered (Jesse et al., 2004; Hesse, 2007; Byron et al., 2009). Moreso drugs such as corticosteroids or carbazochrome sodium sulfonate are administered in order to inhibit the increase capillary permeability as well as stopping plasma leakage (Byron et al., 2009). Asprin and non-steroidal should be administered under doctor supervision for anti- inflammatory purposes (Byron et al., 2009). Treatment can reduce the mortality rate from 20% to 1% (Jesse et al., 2004; Hesse, 2007; Byron et al., 2009). Epidemiology Dengue fever has re-emerged since 20 years ago accompanied by an expansion in geographic distribution thereby increasing the epidemic, moreso with the upcome of hyperendemicity (Debarati and Schimmer, 2005). An estimation by the World Health Organisation of about 2.5 billion people are affected by the dengue virus each year. World Health Organisation estimated, that yearly there are 50-100 million cases per year with more than 500 000 cases of hospital admission with 15,00 deaths (World Health Organisation, 2002; Debarati and Schimmer, 2005 ). Dengue fever endemic has increase from 9 countries in 1970 to 100 countries currently (Debarati and Schimmer, 2005; World Health Organisation, 2002 ). The first dengue fever epidemics occurred in 1779-1780 in continents like Africa, Asia and South America (). Recently in 1998, there was a pandemic in United States resulting to less than 1% fatality rate. The mortality rate ranges from 1-10 % (Debarati and Schimmer, 2005; Byron et al., 2009). In creasing expansion of the disease all over the world is due to increase in population as well as lack of vector control programs (Gubler et al., 2004; Hesse, 2000). However due to control and preventive measures the number of cases is increasing from travellers who are carrying the virus from high risk areas such as sub-tropical and tropical region (Byron et al., 2009). Figure 3. Global epidemiology of Dengue virus (LaRive, 2008). Global cases and outbreaks of dengue fever In Venezuela, 2007 there was an outbreak of 80,000 dengue fever cases in which 6,000 persisted to DHF. In the same year above 890,000 cases were reported in America of which 26,000 persisted to DHF the route of transmission being endemic and from travellers ( Byron et al., 2009; World Health Organisation Media Centre, 2002). Most recent outbreak occurred in 2005 in Brownsville Texas with 25 reported cases and 16 DHF (Whitethorn et al., 2011) The virus was also transmitted to neighbouring state Tamaulipas where there was 1251 case reported in which 223 had DHF (Bebarati and Schimmer, 2005; Whitehorn et al., 2011).

Economic Performance of Kolhapur Division of MSRTC

Economic Performance of Kolhapur Division of MSRTC Introduction An attempt is made in this Chapter to analyses the economic performance of MSRTC in Kolhapur division based on selected indicators. The entire division is divided into twelve depots, viz. Kolhapur, Sambhaji Nagar, Gadhinglaj, Ichalkaranji, Gadhingla, Ichalkaranji, Gargoti, Malkapur, Chandgad, Kurundwad, Kagal, Radhanagri, Gaganbawada and Ajra. The activities of the MSRTC are governed by the corporate objectives set by the RTC Act. 1950. The main objective as indicate earlier are to provide efficient, adequate, economical and co-ordinated transport services to the laymen. However, it is to organise itself on business terms, while achieving the aforesaid objective. Financial Indicators Cost per Kilometre (CPKM) For any Road Transport Corporation the main and utmost important financial performance indicator is cost per Kilometre, because it together with CPKM decides the fare. The profitability of an organisation is a function of both costs and prices, which are equally valid in the case of the passenger road transport industry too. An organisation may incur loss either because the costs go up, the price remaining the same or costs remaining the same the price/fare may fall. The second phenomenon of fare coming down does not ordinarily arise in the case of passenger road transport industry for reasons of relative inelasticity of demand for the service monopoly rights conferred on the services and state regulation of fares. The cost of operations in absolute terms does not by itself indicate measure of costs. Costs have to be worked out to compare the cost of providing the service with the rate of earnings. Cost per kilometre is one of such relative measure which is computed by selecting effective kilometre as a unit of measurement. The cost per kilometre (CPKM) is computed by dividing the total cost of operations by the total effective kilometres. The CPKM is expressed in terms of Rupees. The CPKM can be worked out either in respect of the total cost of operations or in respect of each component of the cost separately. CPKM is calculated by the following formula – The direct or operational or variable costs react proportionately with the change in volume of operations and the cost per unit, i.e., CPKM is constant with volume of operation. As indirect or fixed costs of not change with volume of operations the cost per unit, i.e., CPKM declines as volume rises or increases as volume falls. In the Road Transport industry two different types of costs are considered: Fixed Costs The industry incurs fixed costs relating to part of crew wages, general administration, interest and debt charges welfare expenses and part of workshop mechanical wage. This cost per Kilometre varies inversely with the kilometre range achieved but is constant in total rupee amount. Variable Costs Variable costs are uniform per kilometre but fluctuate depending on the volume of activity in Kilometre. Under this head depreciation, HSD Oil, Tyres, Tubes and spare parts and included.   Earnings per Kilometre (Epkm) The earning per kilometre (EPKM) is computed by dividing the total earning of operations by the total effective kilometres. Revenue in absolute terms without reference to Kilometre will not correctly reflect the ‘Profitability’ of the operation. An Earning per Kilometre (EPKM) is one of the useful ratios to indicate the earning potential of a route/depot/division organisation. The EPKM is related to the carrying capacity of the buses, fare structure and the earning potential of route. The EPKM is calculated by dividing total earnings by total effective Kilometres. EPKM is calculated by the following formula – The EPKM is expressed in terms of Rupees. The EPKM may be in relation to either traffic or gross revenue.   Margin The margin is computed by subtracting the total cost from total earning. Positive margin values indicate the profit, while negative margin values indicate loss or deficit. Margin = Total Earnings – Total Cost Depot-wise Economic Performance of Kolhapur Division   Economic Performance of Kolhapur Depot Economic performance of Kolhapur depot is explained in the following table: Table 4.1 Economic Performance of Kolhapur Depot (In Rs.) Year Variable Cost Fixed Cost Total Cost (CPKM) Total revenue (EPKM) Margin 2001 9.09 8.05 17.13 13.67 -3.46 2002 9.14 8.20 17.34 14.47 -2.87 2003 9.91 8.38 18.29 14.47 -3.82 2004 10.57 7.90 18.47 14.48 -3.99 2005 11.50 8.38 19.88 15.29 -4.59 2006 12.79 8.64 21.43 17.75 -3.68 2007 13.51 8.62 22.13 18.92 -3.21 2008 13.69 8.97 22.66 19.45 -3.21 2009 15.13 9.43 24.56 20.99 -3.57 2010 15.06 10.09 25.15 21.03 -4.12 2011 17.26 10.86 28.12 23.70 -4.42 2012 18.95 11.70 30.65 26.19 -4.46 2013 20.86 12.26 33.12 28.49 -4.63 Mean 13.65 9.34 22.99 19.15 -3.85 SGR 129.48 52.30 93.35 108.41 Source : Official Records of Kolhapur Division of MSRTC Above table No 4.1 shows that, cost and earning of Kolhapur depot as per kilometre. Variable cost of Kolhapur depot is increased from Rs 9.09 to Rs 20.86 per km during the investigation period. Average variable cost is Rs 13.65, while its SGR is 129.48. Variable cost is highly increased because of the prices of diesel, spare parts and lubricant is continuously increased. In the study period, fixed cost of Kolhapur depot is increased from Rs 8.05 to 12.26 per km. Average of fixed cost is 9.34 and its SGR is 52.30. Total cost of Kolhapur depot during investigation period, is increased from Rs 17.13 in 2001 to Rs 33.12 per Km in 2013, average total cost is 22.99 and its SGR is 93.35. Total revenue of this depot from year 2001 to 2013 is increased from Rs 13.67 to Rs 28.49 per Km; average total revenue of last thirteen years is Rs 19.15. Its SGR is remained 108.41. Due to the low load factor of the buses, total revenue growth remains low as compare to the total cost of the depot. Margin shows always negative trends during the study period, it means the Kolhapur depot experienced always loss during study period. In the year 2002, loss of Kolhapur depot is minimum i.e. Rs 2.87 while it maximize in 2013 (i.e. Rs. 4.63). Average margin of Kolhapur depot during the study period is Rs -3.85, it means economic performance of Kolhapur depot is insignificant. Above figure No 4.1 reveals the trends in the total cost and revenue, it is found rising in almost same manner. Hence, there is not so much variation in margin, it always perform negatively. The economic performance of Kolhapur depot is not up to the mark, in the study period variable cost, fixed cost and total cost of continuously increased, comparatively rate of variable cost is highly increased i.e. SGR 129.48 and fixed cost SGR is 52.30 and total cost SGR is 93.35. The average of variable cost, fixed cost and total cost (CPKM) is Rs 13.65, Rs 9.34 and Rs 22.99 respectively. In the same duration SGR of EPKM is 108.41 and its average is 19.15. Average margin of CPKM and EPKM is Rs. -3.85. It is clear that in the study period, Kolhapur depot experienced loss in the investigation period.   Economic Performance of Sambhaji Nagar Depot Economic performance of Sambhaji Nagar depot is explained in the following table: Table 4.2 Economic Performance of Sambhaji Nagar Depot (In Rs.) Year Variable Cost Fixed Cost Total Cost (CPKM) Total revenue (EPKM) Margin 2001 9.50 7.54 17.04 13.53 -3.51 2002 9.61 7.57 17.19 13.99 -3.2 2003 10.29 7.70 17.99 14.41 -3.58 2004 10.75 7.66 18.41 14.18 -4.23 2005 11.70 8.13 19.83 14.71 -5.12 2006 13.10 8.22 21.32 17.36 -3.96 2007 13.89 8.41 22.30 18.26 -4.04 2008 13.80 9.07 22.88 18.58 -4.3 2009 14.86 9.74 24.60 20.06 -4.54 2010 14.84 9.93 24.77 20.47 -4.3 2011 16.66 10.84 27.50 23.91 -3.59 2012 17.73 11.89 29.62 23.82 -5.8 2013 19.36 12.34 31.70 24.95 -6.75 Mean 13.55 9.16 22.70 18.33 -4.38 SGR 103.79 63.66 86.03 84.41 Source : Official Records of Kolhapur Division of MSRTC Above table No 4.2 depicts cost and receipts as per kilometre of Sambhaji Nagar depot during last 13 years. Its variable cost increased from Rs 9.50 to Rs 19.36 with Growth Rate of 103.79. Fixed cost also increased from

The Youth Offenders Program :: essays research papers

The Youth Offenders Program   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be honest, I was really pissed off that I had to enter the Zona Seca program to begin with. My so-called infraction was a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am a full time student who works at least twenty-eight hours a week and is extremely pressed for time. The commute from Los Angeles was an extreme inconvenience. Just had to get that off my chest. Do not be fooled, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend this program. I just wish I could have took it here in L.A Surprisingly enough, the Zona Seca program was nothing like I expected. Going into the program I expected lengthy and boring lectures by condescending bureaucrats. To my surprise, the classes were interesting and informative. Our instructors both at the Rehabilitation Institute and the Zona Seca office were very understanding. More programs that are prevention orientated rather than reactionary like Zona Seca are needed. Before the first class session I viewed Zona Seca as a kind of punishment; afterwards more like a therapy/counseling session. The visit with the coroner really struck a nerve. When the coroner started talking about the way young adults drink alcohol as opposed to the way most adults do I could not help but think of all the times I have gotten belligerent. He made the statement that most young people drink to get to drunk. I could not agree more. Although I do drink because I like the taste of alcohol, that taste was definitely acquired. When I first started drinking it was for the sole purpose of getting drunk. Death as a result of to much alcohol was something I was completely oblivious to. Imagining how close to permanent unconsciousness I may have been is extremely scary. I can remember being so drunk in Rosa Rito Mexico that I woke up the next morning not remembering a damn thing from the night before. That includes puking up my dinner, the seven hundred and fifty-ml bottle of Bacardi Limon and the ten or fifteen other mixed drinks I had. If my friends did not tell me of the details from the previous night I would had never known what happened. The coroner’s report really made me look at the way I drink. I’m not going to stop drinking, but I am going to be a lot more responsible and careful when I do.