Qu saber antes de pagar una fianza migratoria

Si un familiar o un amigo que no es ciudadano es detenido podrà ­a quedar en libertad mientras se resuelve su caso mediante el pago de una fianza. Pero,  ¿quà © esperar en estos casos y quà © obligaciones se tienen si se deposita la fianza? En este artà ­culo encontrarà ¡s toda la informacià ³n necesaria sobre fianzas de inmigracià ³n y su diferencia con las penales. Asà ­Ã‚  sabrà ¡s quà © esperar y quà © hacer en el caso de que se fije una fianza y decidas salir de fiador para obtener asà ­ la libertad de tu ser querido. Si una persona extranjera es detenida, qu tipo de fianzas pueden fijarse para que quede libre mientras no se resuelve su caso? Hay dos tipos de fianza que hay que tener en consideracià ³n y que son muy distintas.  Fianzas criminales, que son reguladas por el estado y se dan en los casos en los que una persona -ciudadana o extranjera, legal o indocumentada - es detenida y se le acusa de un delito.Y las fianzas de inmigracià ³n, que son reguladas por la ley federal y son civiles. Esto es, no se ha cometido un delito. Se fijan para lograr la libertad de un indocumentado que ha sido arrestado o detenido  pero no se le acusa de ningà ºn crimen (estar ilegalmente en Estados Unidos no es un delito, es una violacià ³n de las leyes migratorias).Es fundamental  saber de quà © tipo de fianza se trata. Ya que asuntos importantes como por ejemplo la forma de pago son distintos.  ¿Quà © hay que saber sobre  las fianzas criminales?Cualquier persona que comete un delito serà ¡ detenida. Dependiendo de la gravedad se fijarà ¡ o no una fianza.Como regla general, si a la persona a la que se acusa de haber cometido un delito es extranjera y el crimen tiene la calificacià ³n de agravado (aggravated felony en inglà ©s) entonces como regla general no se fijarà ¡ una fianza. Asà ­ sea una persona con estatus legal, como residente permanente o tenga una visa và ¡lida.En los demà ¡s casos en los que el delito no es agravado se fijarà ¡ o no una fianza atendiendo a factores como: Que la persona detenida no presenta ningà ºn riesgo para la comunidad. Para esto se tiene en cuenta el historial delictivo, si lo tuviera.  O si se ha rehabilitado.  Si hay razones para sospechar de que hay un riesgo de que se desaparezca   y no se presente cuando sea citado por la corte. Aquà ­ se tiene en cuenta por ejemplo si tiene familia en los Estados Unidos. Qu pasa cuando se pide una fianza criminal y hay tambin un hold de Inmigracin? Cuando una persona extranjera comete un delito puede suceder que se le fije una fianza criminal (por el delito).  Pero ademà ¡s puede suceder que la fianza criminal tenga unida un hold de Inmigracià ³n. Esto generalmente quiere decir que cuando se resuelva el asunto delictivo, el caso pasarà ¡ al ICE.   Con lo que la persona quedarà ­a detenida.Es por eso que en estos casos en los que se da al mismo tiempo la fianza criminal y el hold de inmigracià ³n es muy importante consultar con un abogado para ver cuà ¡l es el mejor camino a seguir  antes de pagar la fianza criminal. Se trata de evitar pagar la fianza criminal pero no lograr la puesta en libertad de la persona, debido a que lo retiene Inmigracià ³n. Cundo se da el caso de una fianza de inmigracin? Cuando se detiene o arresta a una persona indocumentada pero que  no se ha cometido ningà ºn delito. Un extranjero que est detenido por ser ilegal pero no ha cometido ningn delito tiene derecho a que se le fije una fianza y tras su pago quedar libre hasta que se resuelva su caso? No, no siempre es posible. Se miran las circunstancias de cada caso, particularmente si tiene alguna posibilidad de arreglar su situacià ³n. Quin puede fijar la fianza de inmigracin? Un oficial del ICE, que es la agencia del gobierno encargada de arrestar o detener a extranjeros. Si el ICE no la fija en ocasiones se puede solicitar un audiencia ante un juez de inmigracià ³n.  Tambià ©n en algunos casos serà ¡ posible ir a una audiencia (hearings)  ante un juez para intentar obtener una rebaja en monto de la fianza fijada por el ICE.    ¿Cuà ¡nto se demora de media el tiempo para presentarse ante Corte de inmigracià ³n? Cuntos tipos de fianzas de inmigracin hay? Una, que se conoce con el nombre de formulario I-352 del ICE. Pero admite cuatro variedades: G(1), que es lo que se conoce como Delivery Bond. Es la mà ¡s comà ºn.G(2), que se conoce como Public Safety Bond, para garantizar que si el extranjero es puesto en libertad y causa algà ºn gasto pà ºblico, el gobierno va a recuperar ese dinero.G(3), que se conoce como Voluntary Departure Bond.G(4), que se conoce como Order of Supervision Bond, o por sus siglas en inglà ©s OSUP. Garantiza que una persona extranjera se presenta ante un oficial del ERO cada vez que se le cita. Si se paga una fianza de inmigracin tipo delivery bond, qu es lo que se est garantizando? Este es probablemente el tipo de fianza migratoria mà ¡s frecuente. Su objetivo es  que la persona extranjera que ahora està ¡ detenida quede libre al pagar la fianza y pueda vivir con su familia y consultar mà ¡s libremente con un abogado mientras se decide su caso. La persona que paga este tipo de fianza migratoria se compromete a que el detenido que queda en libertad: Se va a presentar a TODAS las audiencias (hearings) para las que tenga una cita en la Corte de Inmigracià ³n. Si no se presenta, se enviarà ¡ al obligor (la persona que salià ³ de fiador en la fianza)  un documento conocido como I-340 (Notice to Appear). Eso quiere decir que debe presentar en corte en la fecha que se le indique a la persona extranjera por la que ha dado la fianza. Si no lo hace, no podrà ¡ recuperar la fianza. Y el extranjero tendrà ¡ en su contra una orden de deportacià ³n dictada en absentia.Que va a comunicar todos los cambios de domicilio ySobre todo se garantiza que si al final se dicta en su contra una orden de deportacià ³n que va a salir del paà ­s dentro del plazo seà ±alado. Y es que cuando un juez ordena la remocià ³n de una persona esto no quiere decir que se le lleve de la Corte al aeropuerto y se le envà ­e ya a su paà ­s. Se puede apelar la orden de deportacià ³n de un juez. Si no se hace o se pierde la apelacià ³n entonces la persona q ue firmà ³ la fianza como obligor recibirà ¡ el formulario I-340. En à ©l se le dirà ¡ el dà ­a y la hora en la que debe entregar a la persona para la que dio la fianza para que sea deportada. Si no lo hace, perderà ¡ el dinero de la fianza. Qu se garantiza con una fianza de inmigracin de la variedad voluntary departure? Se le da la opcià ³n de dejar los Estados Unidos dentro de un periodo de tiempo. Si efectivamente se cumple y se abandona el paà ­s dentro de la fecha fijada podrà ¡ recuperarse la fianza.  Si el ICE o un juez fijan una fianza de inmigracià ³n,  ¿quià ©n la puede pagar? Se puede depositar la fianza de dos formas: Directamente un familiar o amigo del detenido que es ciudadano o residente permanente legal.En este caso hay que pagar la fianza al completo.A travà ©s de un agente (bondsman) o compaà ±Ãƒ ­a autorizados a negociar fianzas de inmigracià ³n.   Cunto cuesta contratar una fianza de inmigracin con un agente? Si se acude a un agente para el depà ³sito de la fianza de inmigracià ³n se està ¡ haciendo un contrato de la modalidad que se conoce como surety bond. Es un contrato que funciona de la siguiente manera. El agente (bondsman) garantiza a la Corte que el detenido, si dejado en libertad con fianza, se va a presentar a la corte y en su caso saldrà ¡ del paà ­s si es ordenada la deportacià ³n. Por su parte,  el familiar o amigo del detenido  garantiza  al bondsman que el detenido asà ­ harà ¡.Sà ³lo se puede hacer este tipo de contratos con un agente o una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a que es a su vez agente de una aseguradora que tiene crà ©dito con el gobierno de Estados Unidos y que està ¡ autorizada a dar fianzas migratorias.   El costo de las de tipo migratorio puede ser muy diferente de agente a agente. Pero generalmente està ¡ entre el 15  y el 20  por ciento el premium inicial (el pago que se hace al principio).Una vez que se paga  el premium, eso no se  recupera. Es el costo del servicio. Por ejemplo, si la fianza es de $5,000 y el premium es de un 20  por ciento, pagas de costo inicial $1,000. Pero puede haber mà ¡s costos.  Por eso antes de contratar es importantà ­simo pedir precio a mà ¡s de un agente y  de preguntar, entre otras, lo siguiente:  ¿Hay que pagar por aplicar? ¿Existe costo de renovacià ³n anual y si lo hay, cuà ¡nto es? ¿Existe un mà ­nimo de aà ±os que se està ¡ obligado a renovar  aunque el caso se acabe antes? ¿Cà ³mo se fija el costo que hay que pagar? ¿Es un porcentaje del total del monto de la fianza o es una cantidad fija? ¿Hay que  pagar una tarifa por implementacià ³n? Qu pasa si la persona que quiere ser fiador para que dejen en libertad a su ser querido no tienedinero para pagar el premium? Dependiendo de las  circunstancias y del bondsman, en algunos casos es posible financiar. Si se contrata con un bondsman para el pago de una fianza de inmigracin, se tienealguna responsabilidad econmica si la persona detenida al quedar en libertad no cumple con la Corte o con la orden de deportacin si llega a dictarse? Sà ­, si el detenido queda en libertad y a lo largo del proceso no cumple (por ejemplo, se ordena su deportacià ³n y no se va de Estados Unidos) entonces hay  que pagar por la totalidad de la fianza. En el ejemplo anterior la fianza se fijaba en  $5,000, y al contratar con el bondsman se pagaron  en concepto de premium inicial $1,000.   En caso de incumplimiento de la persona garantizada el fiador tendrà ¡ que pagar  al bondsman los $4,000 restantes. Pero, cmo se garantiza el bondsman que se levaa pagar? Pues porque en el momento de firmar el contrato con el bondsman para que à ©ste procediera al depà ³sito del pago de la fianza se determinà ³ el  colateral. Qu es el colateral? Para pagar una fianza de inmigracià ³n a travà ©s de  un bondsman no sà ³lo se abona el premium inicial sino que hay que dejar  un colateral. Es una garantà ­a que sirve  asegurary  que el bondsman no pierde dinero en el caso de que  la persona para la que se da la fianza no cumple con su obligacià ³n de presentarse a las audiencias en corte o cumplir en su caso con una orden de deportacià ³n. En este caso  el bondsman no podrà ­a  recuperar la fianza, entonces va a cobrar ejecutando sus derechos sobre el colateral. Cunto puede ser el colateral? Pueden pedir que se garantice con el colateral la totalidad del dinero pedido como fianza, de hecho, eso es muy frecuente. O tambià ©n pueden solicitar una cantidad menor, como el 50 por ciento.Sin embargo, particularmente en esos casos de colateral no completo debe examinarse bien el contrato e incluso compararlo con lo que ofrecen otras agencias de fianzas. Hay que leer todo, incluso la letra pequeà ±a.Porque lo que a primera vista puede parecer una buena oferta, puede resultar a la larga que es caro. Por ejemplo, porque se pone como condicià ³n una prima de renovacià ³n anual muy alta o por un nà ºmero de aà ±os mà ­nimo que puede superar a los del caso. Qu puede darse como colateral? En realidad cualquier cosa de valor que acepte el bondsman. Generalmente va a ser una vivienda de la que se tiene tà ­tulo de propiedad, el auto, cualquier tipo de bienes raà ­ces, bonos del tesoro, etc. Algunos agentes incluso admiten el crà ©dito de una o varias tarjetas de crà ©dito, pertenecientes a una o varias personas. Cundo dura el colateral, es decir hasta cundo los bienes dados como colateral estn sujetos a esa obligacin? Hasta que la Corte notifica al bondsman que ya no tiene esa obligacià ³n. Es decir, que el caso se ha cerrado definitivamente y ha acabado de alguna de las siguientes maneras: Permitià ©ndose al inmigrante permanecer en Estados UnidosHa salido del paà ­s deportadoHa salido del paà ­s voluntariamente, en los casos en los que es posibleHa fallecidoLleva 30 dà ­as o mà ¡s detenido por un asunto local, estatal o federal. Una vez que se produce la notificacià ³n se harà ¡ el papeleo para cancelar  el colateral. Cunto tiempo tarda la persona detenida en ser puesta en libertaduna vez que se paga la fianza? Depende del lugar donde està © detenida. Puede ir desde una hora a  a seis u ocho. Si sefirmaun contrato de fianza de inmigracin con un bondsman, cules son lasobligaciones? Pagar el premium inicial.Pagar el premiun de renovacià ³n anual si lo hay.Asegurarse de que el inmigrante acude a todas las citas con la corte y, si finalmente es acordada una deportacià ³n, que realmente se presenta para proceder a la misma.Responder con los bienes seà ±alados como colateral por la totalidad de la fianza de inmigracià ³n si el inmigrante al quedar en libertad no cumple con sus obligaciones de presentarse en corte   y cumplir con las à ³rdenes de un juez de inmigracià ³n, particularmente la de deportacià ³n, si es que llega a dictarse. En qu casos no se va a permitir una fianza? Cuando exista una orden de deportacià ³n previaCuando el detenido haya cumplido una condena por un delito de al menos un aà ±o en prisià ³nCuando se crea que hay un riesgo de no presentarse a las audiencias en corte o a una cita con un oficial de inmigracià ³n.Cuando se considere que es un riesgo  para la comunidad o para la seguridad de los Estados Unidos. Es posible que una persona que acaba de cruzar ilegalmente la frontera y es detenida pueda ser puesta en libertad despus de pagar fianza? Va a depender del caso. En la mayorà ­a serà ¡ muy difà ­cil. Pero desde luego que no es imposible. Si ya hay una orden de remocià ³n dictada contra el detenido, se complica la cosa, ya que sà ³lo serà ¡ posible si se lograr reabrir el caso, para lo cual hay que contar con un abogado.Si todavà ­a no hay orden de remocià ³n y se cree que puede haber una chance para tener un caso de inmigracià ³n, como por ejemplo tener un caso razonable de asilo, lo mejor es contactar con un abogado de inmigracià ³n de la zona en la que està © el centro de detencià ³n (Esta es la base de datos de abogados, se puede buscar por especializacià ³n y ubicacià ³n).  Si no se tiene dinero se puede checar con la pà ¡gina web del Bar Association del Estado y ver si ofrecen servicios pro bono para estos casos o con organizaciones sin fines de lucro como Catholic Charities. Qu sucede si ni el ICE ni el juez de inmigracin sealan una fianza? La persona detenida seguirà ¡ està ¡ndolo, incluso por mucho tiempo hasta que se finalice su caso. O en algunos casos puede aceptar las alegaciones del ICE en su contra y obtener asà ­ una expulsià ³n (remocià ³n) de los Estados Unidos rà ¡pida. Antes de tomar una decisià ³n es muy conveniente meditarlo bien y conocer todas las posibles consecuencias, de una decisià ³n o de la otra. Qu es ELMO? Es un monitor electrà ³nico en forma de brazalete que se pone alrededor del tobillo. A veces para ser dejado en libertad es necesario llevar uno. Si la persona que lo lleva se aleja de su casa, sonarà ¡ una alarma. Puede interesarte Si la persona que queda libre bajo fianza recibe una citacià ³n para presentarse en Corte pero se ha mudado a otro estado, resultà ¡ndole complicado desplazarse puede entonces solicitar un cambio de corte migratoria. En casos de detenciones es importante contar con una buena asistencia legal. Esto es de promedio lo que cobran los abogados de Inmigracià ³n. Nota En esta pà ¡gina hay mucha informacià ³n sobre inmigracià ³n. Se puede utilizar la opcià ³n de search, en la parte superior, para buscar mà ¡s informacià ³n. Si no encuentras lo que buscas, infà ³rmate aquà ­ sobre cà ³mo proponer un tema para que se escriba un artà ­culo sobre à ©l. Lo dicho en este artà ­culo tiene sà ³lo carà ¡cter informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal. Para asesorarse, por favor contactar con un buen abogado reputado en el lugar en el que se reside.

The Oddly Dreamlike Quality of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

We started A Midsummer Night’s Dream with only a text. There was no one to interpret the words, no body movement or voice inflection to indicate meaning or intention. All meaning that a reader understands comes from the words alone. The simplicity of text provides a broad ground for imagination, in that every reader can come away from the text with a different conception of what went on. The words are merely the puzzle pieces individuals put together to bring coherence and logic to the play. Although we all read generally the same words, we can see that vastly different plays arise depending on who interprets them. By interpreting the word-clues that Shakespeare wrote into the script to†¦show more content†¦Perhaps something we expected to see on stage was omitted; perhaps! something unusual was added. We might even sample the same play dozens of times, all performed by different companies; it is common, it is even expected, that none of the twelve interpretations will be much the same. Unlike with reading, with viewing we are not allowed to sample the play in whatever manner we want. As the audience, our experiences are directed. We must resign ourselves to be the two-hour subject of anothers whims and methods. This kind of challenge is usually very enlightening, bringing new thoughts and perspectives where we would otherwise have only our own. These new thoughts and perspectives often materialize in the form of visual and auditory details, mostly because the script stays generally the same. Viewing an actual performance adds depth and detail to what was before only words. We are given scenery, costumes, voices, faces, body movements, and other forms of physical (rather than verbal) expression that contribute to a particular feel. These types of details are in reality just instances of the direct!ors influence, interpretations and preferences that cause us to challenge our initial ideas, and accept us a possibly richer taste of the play. Because I was involved in two scenes of A Midsummer Nights Dream,

Baroque vs. Modern Pop Free Essays

MUSI200 27 January 2013 Baroque Vs. Modern Pop The Western music known today has its roots in the musical practices found in Europe and the Middle East over twenty centuries ago. These musical practices, in turn, have their roots in ancient Greek and Roman practices which are detailed in musical and philosophical treatises of the time. We will write a custom essay sample on Baroque vs. Modern Pop or any similar topic only for you Order Now Greek civilization, with its political structures, its architectural and musical attainments, and its great achievements in philosophy and poetry, has influenced European culture and in turn American culture (Hansen, 2012). I have taken two excerpts of music, Marin Marais (1656-1728) – Pieces a Une Viole du Premier Livre (1686) and a Pop group name R. E. M and there last concert at the BBC. I have chosen R. E. M because their music is based off of the Baroque era with a modern day flare. After listen to both pieces, I was touched by the Baroque era music. I enjoyed both concerts, but I think I enjoyed the Pop concert more than the Baroque concert. The Pop concert of course had more rhythm and the difference in instruments made a difference to me. The drums where the biggest difference, had my foot tapping and my head bobbing, and the Baroque concert had me in a state of relaxation and peace of mind. The music differs from one another through the type of instruments used. The Baroque music used piano and chello unlike the modern day music using acoustic instruments and percussions. They even used electric guitars. I think the biggest difference was the singing; I stated previously that the drums were the biggest difference but the singing was definitely the biggest difference. The Baroque had no singing in the entire concert. The music was similar in the instruments told a story even though the Baroque music did not have words it still told a story, you could almost imagine or maybe even visualize the story being told and at your own words to the music. The Pop music of course had words but even then if you remove the words from the music it had the same effect as the Baroque music. The roles of concerts in the Baroque era I think played a role in society that we lack today. Back then in those times people went to concerts to escape the everyday life and learn something new, it was like a story being told or news being passed. Musicians were highly revered not role models like the musicians of today. Pop concerts today we attend as a form of entertainment, we go to see our favorite band or singer. We don’t attend for the appreciation of music like they did in the Baroque days. Today we have a different kind of appreciation of music, it’s whoever is hot at the time, whatever song is the big hit at the moment. There are certain types of people that attend these types of concerts. The Baroque attendees, I would say a more intellectual type a person that loves the art of music, a person that really appreciate music. The Pop attendees, I would say are more care free and just want to have fun and not have to worry about anything but, having fun, a person that just wants to feel good and carefree for a moment. Our experiences with music are influenced by many factors. The biggest factor is the internet. We have access to things that we didn’t have back in the days before the internet. We can easily move music around and get the sound out to the masses. In the Baroque era it may have taken a year for one composer to get his music heard by the masses. In conclusion, the Baroque era and the Pop era are so different but yet so similar, I guess it would come down to ones own opinion of each type of music. I would think that any music lover would appreciate both eras of music. Works Cited Bethanie Hansen, Cathy Silverman, and David Whitehouse, Music Appreciation, 2012. Website (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=poCRFiaoCLA) Website (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=uaYVa1r0nlA) How to cite Baroque vs. Modern Pop, Essay examples

Market Demand Curve from Schedule †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Market Demand Curve from Schedule. Answer: Introduction The aim of this assignment is to collect data about the prices as well as quantity demanded of three products and evaluate it based on consumers perception. The study also highlights on the market demand curve from the demand schedule of these three products. Market demand refers to the series of different quantities of goods or service that the consumers in the particular market are willing to buy collectively for series of prices per unit of good or service, provided that other things remain constant (Hall and Lieberman 2012). This assignment also focuses on the evaluation of both the price elasticity and the cross -price elasticity for all these three products by using midpoint formula management. The demand elasticity refers to sensitivity of demand for product with respect to change in other variables that includes prices and income. The questionnaire has been prepared based on the information collected about the price and quantity demanded of these three products by ten consumers. This questionnaire is given as under: What is the price of the three products you bought? Will you purchase the same quantity of product if the price decreased by 10%? Will you switch to other products if the price increases by 10%? Will you purchase more quantity of product if its price decreases? Will you purchase less quantity of products if its price increases? Analysis of the data collected from the market about three products The three products that these consumers select for purchasing it are tea, coffee and health drinks. The prices at which ten consumers bought these three commodities are given in the appendix. The data collected reflects that there is less variation in price of each product bought by the ten consumers. In addition, the response collected from the consumers highlights that if the price decreases by 10%, then some of the consumers will consume same quantity of health drinks as it is a luxury product. However, most of the consumers will choose to buy more tea and coffee if its price declines (Rader 2014). Some of the consumers also prefers to switch over to other products if price of the good increases by 10%. Therefore, if the price of tea increases by 10%, then the consumer might switch over to purchase coffee and vice-versa. The main reason behind this is that tea and coffee are considered as substitute products. Nevertheless, in case of health drinks, the consumers might prefer to bu y less health drinks if its price increases as it not a necessity good. In addition, most of the consumers will tend to buy more quantities of preferred products if its price falls (Nicholson and Snyder 2014). This means that consumers will prefer to buy more quantity of tea and coffee rather than buying health drinks. Health drinks being luxury good will not influence the decision of the consumers in buying more of it if its price declines. Furthermore, the data collected from the respondents also reflects that the customers might purchase less quantity of luxury goods such as health drinks if its price increases. Nevertheless, the preference for purchase of tea and coffee might not change even though its price rises. However, it can be expected that other consumers will increase the quantity by 20%, if the price declines by 10%. The market demand curve is drawn from the horizontal summation of individual demand curve or demand schedules of the consumers in a particular market (Baumol and Blinder 2015). The market demand curve for tea is drawn from the horizontal summation of individual consumers demand schedule , which is shown below: Price elasticity and cross-price elasticity of three products Price elasticity of demand is defined as the responsiveness of quantity demanded with respect to change in price for the specific good (Rios, McConnell and Brue 2013). If the price elasticity of demand becomes less than one, the demand is said to be perfectly elastic. When the value becomes equals to one, the demand is unitary elastic. Finally, if the price elasticity of demand becomes greater than one, the demand becomes perfectly elastic. Cross price elasticity of demand signifies the responsiveness of quantity demanded of a specific product with respect to change in price of another product (Bauer 2014). In case of substitute good, the value becomes positive as increase in price of one product leads to increase in demand for other product. On the other hand, the value becomes negative in case of complementary product. In this case, the price elasticity of demand and cross price elasticity of demand for these three products are estimated by using mid-point formula. The midpoint for mula for change in price is given as- Price new- Price old/Price average and for the quantity demanded is given as Qdnew- Qdold/ Quantity average. The price elasticity of demand and cross price elasticity of demand calculated for tea, coffee and health drink are less than one, which indicates that the demand is inelastic for these three goods (Mankiw 2014). This means that change in the product price leads to smaller change in its quantity demanded. However, in this situation, the producers will try to increase the price of these products for maximizing revenue. Conclusion The above assignment provides a view that several factors can cause change in price and quantity demanded for a particular product. The market demand curve for a specific good also depends on the change in its demand schedule. Elasticity of demand also has huge significance to the producer as they sets the product price based on it. Therefore, if the demand for the product management is elastic, they strategize to reduce price for increasing sale. In case of inelastic demand, they try to charge high price for the commodity for attaining larger revenue from sales. PRICE AT WHICH CONSUMERS BOUGHT THESE THREE PRODUCTS CONSUMERS PRICE OF HEALTH DRINKS(Pounds) PRICE OF COFFEE (Pounds) PRICE OF TEA PER KILOGRAM(Pounds) A 5 2 5 B 5.5 4 2 C 6 6 3 D 7 5 4 E 8 6 2.2 F 9 3 4.3 G 6 5.5 4 H 6.7 4.2 3 I 4 6.6 5 J 3 7.5 6 Price elasticity of demand and cross price elasticity of demand for tea, coffee and health drinks Price elasticity of demand for Tea by using mid point formula Price Quantity demanded for 10 consumers 4 73 6 40 Average price Average Quantity demanded 5 56.5 Change in price Change in quantity demanded 0.4 -0.58 Price elasticity of demand for tea -1.46 References Bauer, M.J.R., 2014. Principles of microeconomics. Baumol, W.J. and Blinder, A.S., 2015.Microeconomics: Principles and policy. Cengage Learning. Hall, R.E. and Lieberman, M., 2012.Microeconomics: Principles and applications. Cengage Learning. Mankiw, N.G., 2014.Essentials of economics. Cengage learning. Nicholson, W. and Snyder, C.M., 2014.Intermediate microeconomics and its application. Cengage Learning. Rader, T., 2014.Theory of microeconomics. Academic Press. Rios, M.C., McConnell, C.R. and Brue, S.L., 2013.Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. McGraw-Hill.

Tesco.Com as an Online Distribution Channel free essay sample

This case discusses and analyses how Tesco started online-grocery-retailing as a new distribution channel for its business, as well as the challenges, milestones, and rewards it encountered along the way. In recent years the internet has served as a platform for online retailing for most products, take the case of online retailers such as Amazon. com or EBay who have successfully been able to sell a wide range of products over the internet. However, most companies have not been able to emulate this success in online grocery retailing. In fact, most early attempts resulted in failure as it is the case of Webvan. com and Peapod. com among others. Failure in this arena can be attributed to three main reasons. First, many customers want to actually sample the products to ensure their freshness, specially fruits, vegetables and meats. Second, high distribution costs due to large volumes and the fact that many products are perishable. We will write a custom essay sample on Tesco.Com as an Online Distribution Channel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And third, grocery retailing is a low margin/highly cost-competitive business. Tesco PLC also struggled in the 1990s when it first tried to deliver groceries to customers’ homes via catalog and phone ordering â€Å"It was an operational mess and very inefficient† as CEO Laura Wade-Gery recalled. With the emergence of the internet, Tesco found the platform it needed to satisfy its customers by being able to deliver the groceries to their homes in a cost-efficient manner. Tesco PLC sales increased from $55. 3 billion in 2005 to 64. 6 billion in 2006, and profit before tax from 2. 8 billion to 3. 3 billion. Today, Tesco is the biggest and most successful online grocery retailer in the world, and it has been able to do so without cannibalizing its brick and mortar business. The next section analyses the process Tesco went through in implementing this new distribution channel and the key factors that allowed its unprecedented success in online grocery retailing. The success of Tesco. com has a lot to do with what the company did at the very early stages of implementing its new distribution channel. Tesco followed a very conservative approach to reduce the risk of failure. The company used what they call the â€Å"in-store picking model† which basically means picking the goods the customer wants from their existing brick and mortar stores. The other option was to build large warehouses and use them exclusively for their online distribution channel; this is the strategy that failed online groceries retailers such as Webvan. com and Peapod. com had used. In this context, Tesco was wise to stay away from the warehouse model, which would have also required an initial multimillion investment that the company was hesitant to undergo on an unproven business. Another important initiative from the company at the early stages of Tesco. com was to open cyber-cafes in stores across the country during the year 2000 to empower customers that were not comfortable with using the internet. This idea was probably crucial in gaining customers that were interested in the convenience of having their groceries delivered to their homes but that might have stayed away from Tesco. com just because of their internet illiteracy. Additionally, Tesco. om focused all the efforts on designing their website to be as user-friendly as possible rather than aiming their efforts towards a highly technical and complicated website, and keeping in mind that convenience is what the customers wanted in the first place. The previous shows how Tesco successfully aligned technology (its website) with its business, which ties right with the article â€Å"Key Issues for IT Executives 2011† where IT and business alignment is at the top of the list of issues for IT execut ives. (3). Tesco also offered convenience to their customers by making the transition from the brick and mortar experience to the online experience as smooth as possible. When customers registered into the online system, they were encouraged to key in their Tesco Clubcard number which allowed the system to identify the customer’s most frequently bought items (in physical stores) and then suggest those items for their online shopping cart. By doing this Tesco was not only offering its customers convenience, but it was also providing them with an incentive to get the Tesco Clubcard which in turn would increase customer loyalty. An additional benefit of having customers use the Tesco Clubcard was that it allowed the company to track how many online shoppers were also frequent Tesco (physical) store shoppers, and this would in turn help the company gather useful data to analyze performance metrics to compare and contrast the two distribution channels. Once Tesco. com was up and running, the company still had challenges to overcome and decisions to be made in order to become successful in the unproven business of online grocery retailing.

Free Essays on Adolesence

Adolescence is a time of "storm and strife" By: Ankit Jain E-mail: luv2et@hotmail.com : : Introduction : : Adolescence is a time of â€Å"storm and strife†. Adolescence is a period of time between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when one can either make something of his life or destroy it all, this is the time when a person makes those friends who changes the how he looks at life and how he faces it. An adolescent's main goal these days is to fit in and not be different from their peers. In this paper I will explore the probabilities of the following grievances experienced by the adolescent youth which are drugs, suicide, and homelessness. : : Body of the Essay : : Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from teen years through 20s. As now life is growing more complex, however, adolescents are increasingly cut off from the activities of their elders, leaving most young people with education as their sole occupation. Inexorably, this has isolated many of them from the adult world an d has prolonged their adolescence. Now almost all over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and others encounter death. Addiction is so powerful that it takes control of people's brains and only tells them to do wrong. Drugs are highly Addictive, and most of the adolescents main goal is to fit in the group by doing what the whole group does, this is how they get into crack, booze, pot and crystal. Dr. Nowinski's book in which he states his study of Adolescents drugs and addicts describes specific cases of adolescent drug abuse... Free Essays on Adolesence Free Essays on Adolesence The Developing Adolescent Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from age 12 or 13 through age 19 or 21. Although its beginning is often balanced with the beginning of puberty, adolescence is characterized by psychological and social stages as well as by biological changes (White & Speisman, 1977). In this paper I will discuss the cognitive development of adolescence and what happens during identity formation. Adolescence can be prolonged, brief, or virtually nonexistent, depending on the type of culture in which it occurs. In societies that are simple, for example, the transition from childhood to adulthood tends to occur rather rapidly, and is marked by traditionally prescribed passage rites. In more complex American and European societies, the transition period for young people has been steadily lengthening over the past 100 years, giving rise to an adolescent subculture. As a result of this prolonged transitional stage a variety of problems and concerns specifically associated with this age group have developed. Psychologists single out four areas that especially touch upon adolescent behavior and development: physiological change and growth; cognitive, or mental development; identity, or personality formation; and parent-adolescent relations (McKinney, Fitzgerald, & Strommen, 1977). Cognitive Development: Current views on the mental changes that take place during adolescence have been affected heavily by the work of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who sees the intellectual capability of adolescents as both "qualitatively and quantitatively superior to that of younger children." According to Piaget and the develop- mentalist school of psychology, the thinking capacity of young people automatically increases in complexity as a function of age. Developmentalists find distinct differences between younger and older adolescents in ability to generalize,... Free Essays on Adolesence Adolescence is a time of "storm and strife" By: Ankit Jain E-mail: luv2et@hotmail.com : : Introduction : : Adolescence is a time of â€Å"storm and strife†. Adolescence is a period of time between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when one can either make something of his life or destroy it all, this is the time when a person makes those friends who changes the how he looks at life and how he faces it. An adolescent's main goal these days is to fit in and not be different from their peers. In this paper I will explore the probabilities of the following grievances experienced by the adolescent youth which are drugs, suicide, and homelessness. : : Body of the Essay : : Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from teen years through 20s. As now life is growing more complex, however, adolescents are increasingly cut off from the activities of their elders, leaving most young people with education as their sole occupation. Inexorably, this has isolated many of them from the adult world an d has prolonged their adolescence. Now almost all over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and others encounter death. Addiction is so powerful that it takes control of people's brains and only tells them to do wrong. Drugs are highly Addictive, and most of the adolescents main goal is to fit in the group by doing what the whole group does, this is how they get into crack, booze, pot and crystal. Dr. Nowinski's book in which he states his study of Adolescents drugs and addicts describes specific cases of adolescent drug abuse...

Analysis of Monsanto Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Monsanto Company - Term Paper Example Put in simple terms, the company products advanced pesticides, herbicides and crop seeds. Currently, the company leads globally in the production of the herbicide glyphosate, the famous herbicide marketed by the brand name Roundup. It also leads globally in the production of genetically modified (GE) seed. The company provides the technology used in as high as 90% of the GE seeds used in the US market (Barlett and Steele 2008). Positive impacts Monsanto is one of the leading global companies committed to sustainable agriculture. The company has been tirelessly working with farmers to help them achieve more yields while at the same time, conserving more of the vital resources and improving lives (Monsanto Company 2011). The company discovers, develops and delivers products that are innovative. These products help the farmers to keep in pace with the rapidly rising demands for such agricultural products. ...Monsanto has produced traits that are drought-tolerant and this has become a br eakthrough in improving water productivity in farming. Its first corn train that is drought resistant is under regulatory review and is expected to be commercially available by 2012. This is also a big step towards adapting farming to climate change. Monsanto’s products help farmers to maximize soil health both in long-term and short-term basis. This is because its products help farmers to maintain the productivity and integrity of their soil by enabling conservative tillage practices and improved efficiency in the use of nutrient inputs. Through its advanced biotechnologies, Monsanto has been able to improve the lives of many farmers and their dependents. It is projected by 2020, this will include an additional 5 million people from families with poor resources. Monsanto has also started projects like Project Sunshine in India which has tremendously increased corn yields in India (Business Standard 2011).  

Study Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Study Skills - Essay Example Being a competent independent learner is derived from being self motivated, being able to manage personal learning processes, good time management skills and continually reflecting on what and how you learn best and tailoring your energies to suit. Within this portfolio I will examine the development of learner independence, time management, self evaluation of personal learning, production of an action plan and improving my essay writing skills. If as anticipated this is completed successfully it will add additional skills to my current ones and aide me in my current quest to secure a higher second grade result on this degree course. Learner independence or autonomy can be defined as â€Å"capacity to take responsibility for, and control of, your own learning, whether in an institutionalised context, or completely independent of a teacher or institution† (Thornbury, 2006). Learner independence is the ability of the learners to control their learning process (Holec, 1981). In the present age, when knowledge is growing at very fast pace because of the ongoing research work and rapid advancements in technology, the importance of independent learning cannot be overemphasized. Learners must understand that the education they are provided with at institutions is time-constrained, and what they need to learn is not limited to what they are taught in schools. Most learners used to learning in the traditional classroom environment do not develop independence in learning because this behaviour is not emphasized enough by the teachers. Many students would opt for independent learning if the teachers tell them that t he resources can be used independently as well if they are interested in further self-study (Krzanowski, 2007). It is very essential for students to understand the process through which learning takes place and what style works best for an individual. Since distance learning requires

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic Research Proposal

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic is Alcoholism - Research Proposal Example It is not only the media to blame for the radical directional change; the government has contributed to this course overwhelmingly by failing to enact stiffer laws to control alcohol consumption. By failing to launch massive anti-alcoholism campaigns, the government and the media have failed many families and individuals. The effect of alcoholism on families is immeasurable (Mezzasalma). Sander, when describing what became of their family when his father was enslaved by alcoholism says, â€Å""My brother became a rebel, my sister retreated to shyness†¦" (67). He further reiterates that what he considered â€Å"a private grief† was actually, â€Å"a public scourge† (138). As such, alcoholism qualifies to be a social problem that affects all the societal aspects, legal, economic, and political (Oshea 14). Quitting alcohol is a momentous task that requires everyone’s involvement and the government and the media cannot relent (Pittman 18). It is high time that all stakeholders should stand to be counted for doing what is right, regardless of the political implication, to fight alcoholism. Alcoholism is a monster that has destroyed many resourceful persons, broken many families, and cost lives and should be fought at all cost. Mezzasalma, Lorena. "Characteristics of Alcoholics Attending Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatmentà ¢ in Italy: A National Survey ." Oxford Journals | Medicine | Alcohol and Alcoholism. N.p., 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 May

Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant

Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant Developing Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant Identification INTRODUCTION Bitter tastant (emetic) research utilises a variety of animal models for the identification of the emetic susceptibility of novel compounds and aim to characterise the underlining mechanisms that give rise to emesis. There are two categories of animals used in this type of research, those that have the ability to vomit (ferrets, dogs and cats), and those that lack the emetic reflex (rats and mice) (Holmes et al., 2009). In addition to this, there is a different sensitivity to emetic compounds amongst these animal models, due to the existence of multiple pathways for the emesis induction. There are also differences in the receptor pharmacology and distribution, and metabolic pathway regulation. This makes it very hard to use a unique animal model for emetic research, pushing research towards a multi-model approach, therefore increasing the utilisation of animals (Robery et al., 2011). Ingestion of bitter tastants can lead to innate aversive behaviour, reduced gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting in mammals and as such bitter tastants are thought to provide a potentially vital warning sign of toxicity (Robery et al., 2011). Humans recognise thousands of different compounds as bitter. Despite this ability only around 25 taste 2 receptors (TAS2R) have been identified. Common bitter ligands include cycloheximide, denatonium, PROP (6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil), PTU (phenylthiourea), and ÃŽ ²-glucopyranosides (Meyerhof et al., 2010). As previously stated, bitter substances are detected by a specific subset of taste receptors, known as BITTER TASTE-SENSING TYPE 2 receptors (TAS2Rs) (Meyerhof et al., 2010). These are part of the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and can be found on cell surface that mediate gustatory taste perception on the tongue. Signal transduction of bitter stimuli is accomplished via the ÃŽ ±-subunit of gustducin (Gulbransen et al., 2009). This G protein subunit activates a taste phosphodiesterase and decreases cyclic nucleotide levels. The ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³-subunit of gustducin also mediates taste by activating IP3 (inositol triphosphate) and DAG (diglyceride). These second messengers may open gated ion channels or may cause release of internal calcium. Although all TAS2Rs are located in gustducin-containing cells, knockout of gustducin does not completely abolish sensitivity to bitter compounds, suggesting a redundant mechanism for bitter tasting (unsurprising given that a bitter tas te generally signals the presence of a toxin). One proposed mechanism for gustducin-independent bitter tasting is via ion channel interaction by specific bitter ligands, similar to the ion channel interaction which occurs in the tasting of sour and salty stimuli (Gulbransen et al., 2009). The properties of TAS2Rs are different from other GPCRs, because of the ability of binding a wide range of compounds with low specificity and affinity. TAS2Rs have recently been suggested to have important extra-oral functions in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In the human airway epithelium TAS2Rs are expressed on the solitary chemosensory cells and ciliated epithelial cells, where they sense chemical irritation and promote ciliary beat frequency, respectively. Thus TAS2Rs may be protective and part of the defence against inhaled noxious compounds (Zhang et al., 2013). Recent studies have found that in resting primary airway smooth muscle cells, bitter tastant activate TAS2R-dependent signalling pathway that results in an increase in [Ca2+]i levels, although to a level much lower than that caused by bronchoconstrictors (2-adrenoceptor agonist) (Zhang et al., 2013). Under physiological circumstances, bitter tastants can activate TAS2Rs to modestly increase [Ca2+]i levels without affecting contraction, but in the situation of muscle constriction, they can block L-type calcium channels to induce bronchodilation (Zhang et al., 2013). TAS2R agonists showed both greater relaxation and inhibition of airway hyper-responsiveness than a ÃŽ ²2-adrenoceptor agonist in mouse airways. Given the large selection of known natural and synthetic agonists recognized by the 25 TAS2Rs, the findings have introduced bitter taste receptors as a potential new family of targets for asthma pharmacotherapy (Zhang et al., 2013). Dictyostelium as  a biomedical model organism D. Discoideum is a well-established research model organism, especially in investigating chemotaxis. D. Discoideum is a social amoeba that feeds on bacteria as its staple food source. Once the food supply is exhausted, cells start a developmental program leading to the production of spores that are able to survive in hostile conditions (Frey et al., 2007). Starving cells produce a chemo-attractant, cyclic AMP (cAMP), which serves as a signal for 1 x 105 neighbouring cells to aggregate, which then develop into a mature fruiting body (after 24 hours), where 20% of the cells form a stalk that supports a spore head incorporating 80% of the remaining cells as spores. When food sources are available again, the spores germinate into amoebae, completing the life cycle (Figure 1) (Frey et al., 2007). (Frey et al., 2007) Figure 1 D. Discoideum, develops from a single vegetative amoebae (0hrs) through to the generation of the mature fruiting body (24hrs). Aggregation is caused by the chemotaxis of cells toward cAMP waves to give rise to a multicellular aggregate. Aggregation results in the creation of a mound, then a tipped mound, and as development proceeds, the tip prolongate and forms a finger. Ultimately, the finger collapses to form a slug or continues to form a fruiting body. During final stage of the development, the cells differentiate into vacuolated stalk cells that sustain a spore head containing spores, which can tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions. The full developmental process from starvation of vegetative cells to the formation of a mature fruiting body is accomplished in 24 h (Frey et al. 2007). D. Discodeum has been extensively utilised to investigate a range of fundamental biological processes such as cell migration, signal transduction, phagocytosis and signalling during morphogenesis and cell differentiation. The fully sequenced genome contains 34 Mb of DNA (84-fold smaller than the human genome). D. Discoideum has a genome that encodes for a variety of proteins that are human homologues, associated with a variety of disorders (Boeckeler et al., 2007). Therefore, it has been suggested that the primary role of those proteins can be analysed in the model to understand their related disease function. Nausea and vomiting are common but serious side effects associated with many therapeutic drugs. Whilst the physiological mechanisms behind the generation of the vomiting response are well characterised, the diverse range of emetic stimuli that can generate the response are poorly understood. The potential of using D. Discoideum, a eukaryotic amoeba, as a model for predicting emetic liability was examined in this thesis. The effects of a diverse range of known emetic and aversive compounds on Dictyostelium cell behaviour was investigated, resulting in the identification of a small number that strongly inhibit cell behaviour in a concentration-dependent manner. Recent studies using Dictyostelium as a simple model system for bitter related (emetic) research has shown the validity of using this approach for the reduction of animals in testing for emetic liability. Even though Dictyostelium does not contain genes encoding homologues to T2R proteins associated with bitter compounds detection, it has been identified the molecular mechanism responsible of PTU detection. The screening of mutants resistant to the effects of PTU on growth identified a putative G-protein coupled receptor mutant, GrlJ-. Translation of this discovery to human context identified an uncharacterised human gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type B isoform, with a relatively weak homology to GrlJ. The expression of the human GABA-B receptor restored GrlJ- sensitivity to PTU, implicating this human protein as a novel receptor for PTU. In addition, GrlJ only partially controls PTU detection but not detection for all bitter substances. This research was carried out by monitoring the cell behaviour (motility, circularity, protrusions formation and displacement) following exposure to a range of known emetic compounds. Results show that bitter tastants cause an acute, marked and concentration dependent effect on cell behaviour. Therefore, this suggests that Dictyostelium may guarantee a new model for the analysis and screening of novel bitter/emetic compounds, and therefore reducing the utilisation of animal models by identifying the best candidates in a range of molecules. In this study a range of eight compounds were tested to investigate their effects on Dictyostelium random cell movement. The compounds list was specifically created to understand if the model system was able to predict the bitterness of those compounds and ultimately obtain a ranking order comparable to the in vivo rat brief access taste aversion (BATA) and human sensory panel models (Rudnitskaya, et al., 2013). The set of substances consisted of both organic and inorganic – azelastine, caffeine, chlorhexidine, potassium nitrate, paracetamol, quinine and sumatriptan. Results have shown that the bitterness ranking order obtained by using random cell movement assays was comparable to the one obtained with the BATA and the human sensory panel models. In particular, amongst those compounds, Azelastine, a selective (non-sedating) H1 antagonist structurally similar to other anti-histaminic molecules has shown to be one of the most potent compounds in the inhibition of Dictyostelium cell behaviour. This bitter-tasting compound is pharmacologically classified as a 2gen antihistamine, with relative lack of CNS (central nervous system) activity. Clinical trials, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the combined effect of direct inhibition and stabilisation of inflammatory cells. In vitro studies suggest that the affinity of azelastine for H1 receptors is several times higher than that of chlorpheniramine, a 1gen H1 antagonist. Azelastine directly antagonizes TNF-ÃŽ ±, leukotrienes, endothelin-1, and platlet-activating factor. In vivo studies in a guinea pig model have demonstrated that both histamine-related and h-independent bronchoconstriction were inhibited by azelastine (Williams et al., 2010). The second most potent compound tested is Chlorhexidine (CHX), a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, frequently used in dental-care to inhibit bacterial growth and in periodontal disease prophylaxis. It is classified as antibacterial, but it can also interfere with the proteolytic activity of some periodontal pathogens. This inhibitory effect is associated with its chelating properties (Trufello et al., 2014). One of the chemicals used as standard for bitterness measurements is Quinine, a natural occurring alkaloid with different medicinal properties, such as antipyretic, antimalarial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Methods D. discoideum discoideum maintenance Cells and spores were stored at -80  ºC, and every month an aliquot of the frozen stock was collected and placed on a Raoutella planticola bacterial lawn. After 3-4 days, plaques of growth were visible, which were then scraped and transferred into liquid dishes. Culture dishes were kept in absolute sterile conditions at the constant temperature of 21  ºC. Cells needed for experiments were transferred into shaking cultures (120 rpm/min) or washed off every 2 days. In order to make shaking cultures, cells were washed off the plate, transferred to a G0 media (Ax medium containing 100 µ/ml Penicillin and 100 µg/ml Streptomicin), and kept in the shaking incubator at 21  ºC and counted and or diluted every day. Cells were utilised for experiments after 2-3 days of shaking and flasks were kept for one week before replacing them with fresh cultures. The liquid content in flasks was 1/5 of the total flask volume, in order to maintain ideal growth conditions (oxygen and surface area) , and they were be kept between 2 and 5 x 106. Development assay Dictyostelium development assays were performed in triplicate experiments. Cells were plated onto membranes at the concentration of 1 x 107 per membrane (in KK2), then the membranes were transferred onto millipore filters embedded with the selected drug. Cells were placed in small petri dishes (6 cm diameter) and kept at 22  ºC for 24 hours in humid environmental conditions. Development images were taken after 24 hours at different magnification resolutions (x2, x3.2, and x4 side at 45-degree angle). D. discoideum Permanent stock At least 1 x 107 cells were collected from fresh culture plate, and resuspendend in 200ÃŽ ¼l D. discodeum freezing medium (7% DMSO, Horse serum), and frozen to -80 ºC using isopropanol freezing containers for two hours, then stored at -80  ºC in liquid nitrogen. Live cell microscopy To prepare D. discodeum cells (Ax2) for behaviour analysis experiments, cells were grown in shaking suspension in Axenic medium (Formedium Co. Ltd, Norfolk, UK) for at least 48hrs. Cells were washed and resuspended in phosphate buffer at 1.7 x 106 cells/ml. Cells were then pulsed for 5 hours with 30 nM cAMP at 6 min intervals whilst shaking at 120 rpm. Cells were then washed in phosphate buffer, resuspended at 1.7105 cells/ml, and 250  µL aliquots of cells were added to into a Lab-Tek 8-well chambered coverglass wells (Thermo Fisher, Leicestershire, UK), and allowed to adhere for 10-15 min, and for each experiment double concentrated drugs (250  µl) were administrated at the 15th frame by using a P1000. Cells movement was investigated using an Olympus IX71 microscope at 40X magnification, and images were recorded with a QImaging RetigaExi Fast1394 digital camera. Images were acquired every 15 seconds over a 15 min period for each compound, and at each concentration, with a minimu m of three independent experiments for each drug/concentration and an average cell number of 10 cells quantified per experiment. Solvent only controls were carried out for all experiments to ensure readouts were based upon compounds listed, with for example, no effect of DMSO shown at 1% – the highest concentration used in the experiments described here. References Ayana Wiener; Marina Shudler; Anat Levit; Masha Y. Niv. BitterDB: a database of bitter compounds. Nucleic Acids Res 2012, 40(Database issue):D413-419. Bachmanov AA, Beauchamp GK (2007). Taste Receptor Genes. Annual Review of Nutrition 27: 389–414. Choi, D.H. et al., 2013. Evaluation of taste-masking effects of pharmaceutical sweeteners with an electronic tongue system. Drug development and industrial pharmacy, 9045, pp.1–10. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23786206 [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Finger, T.E. Kinnamon, S.C., 2011. Taste isn’t just for taste buds anymore. F1000 biology reports, 3(September), p.20. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169900tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed December 9, 2013]. Finger, T.E. Kinnamon, S.C., 2011. Taste isn’t just for taste buds anymore. F1000 biology reports, 3(September), p.20. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169900tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed December 9, 2013]. Gulbransen, B. D., Clapp, T. R., Kinnamon, S. C., Finger, T. E. (2009). NIH Public Access, 99(6), 2929–2937. doi:10.1152/jn.00066.2008.Nasal Holmes, a M., Rudd, J. a, Tattersall, F. D., Aziz, Q., Andrews, P. L. R. (2009). Opportunities for the replacement of animals in the study of nausea and vomiting. British Journal of Pharmacology, 157(6), 865–80. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00176.x Margolskee, R.F., 2002. Molecular mechanisms of bitter and sweet taste transduction. The Journal of biological chemistry, 277(1), pp.1–4. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11696554 [Accessed December 4, 2013]. Meyerhof, W. et al., 2010. The molecular receptive ranges of human TAS2R bitter taste receptors. Chemical senses, 35(2), pp.157–70. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20022913 [Accessed October 17, 2013]. Pulkkinen, V. et al., 2012. The bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) agonists denatonium and chloroquine display distinct patterns of relaxation of the guinea pig trachea. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, 303(11), pp.L956–66. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22962016 [Accessed September 19, 2013]. Pulkkinen, V. et al., 2012. The bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) agonists denatonium and chloroquine display distinct patterns of relaxation of the guinea pig trachea. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, 303(11), pp.L956–66. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22962016 [Accessed September 19, 2013]. Robery, S. et al., 2011. Investigating the effect of emetic compounds on chemotaxis in Dictyostelium identifies a non-sentient model for bitter and hot tastant research. PloS one, 6(9), p.e24439. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169598tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Rudnitskaya, A. et al., 2013. Assessment of bitter taste of pharmaceuticals with multisensor system employing 3 way PLS regression. Analytica chimica acta, 770, pp.45–52. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23498685 [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Ueda, T. et al., 2003. Functional interaction between T2R taste receptors and G-protein alpha subunits expressed in taste receptor cells. The Journal of neuroscienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 23(19), pp.7376–80. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12917372. Wiener, A. et al., 2012. BitterDB: a database of bitter compounds. Nucleic acids research, 40(Database issue), pp.D413–9. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3245057tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 17, 2013]. Williams, P.B., Crandall, E. Sheppard, J.D., 2010. Azelastine hydrochloride, a dual-acting anti-inflammatory ophthalmic solution, for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Clinical Ophthalmology, p.993. Available at: http://www.dovepress.com/azelastine-hydrochloride-a-dual-acting-anti-inflammatory-ophthalmic-so-peer-reviewed-article-OPTH [Accessed February 3, 2014]. Zhang, C.-H., Lifshitz, L. M., Uy, K. F., Ikebe, M., Fogarty, K. E., ZhuGe, R. (2013). The cellular and molecular basis of bitter tastant-induced bronchodilation. PLoS Biology, 11(3), e1001501. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001501 Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3589262tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 15, 2013]. Trufello, a M. et al., 2014. Subclinical concentrations of chlorhexidine inhibit gelatinase activity of carious dentine in vitro. Australian dental journal, pp.1–6. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24494744 [Accessed February 10, 2014].

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owens Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est Essay e

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owen's Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est From the earliest records of history, accounts of war have been portrayed as valiant acts of heroism. Children and adults alike have gathered together to hear tales of war and its glory. From the stories of Alexander the Great to recent-day movies like Saving Private Ryan, war has been praised and exalted with words such as bravery, honor, and freedom. However, Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" shows the ugly, horrible side of fighting. By use of gripping words and vivid descriptions, Owen paints incredible pictures of what World War I was really like. He tears away the glory and drama and reveals the real essence of fighting: fear, torture, and death. No longer are we left with good feelings and pretty phrases like "Liberty and justice for all!" Instead, our hearts grieve over what these soldiers had to suffer through. Every line of the poem rebuts the Roman poet Horace's quotation: "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori--It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country." T he poem employs three different devices that work together to refute the belief that war is heroic and glorious: the speaker's descriptions, his similes, and his memories. First, the narrator's descriptions are clear and effective, leaving no dispute about what the soldiers had to endure with trenches and mustard gas. The poem does not use vague descriptions such as "It was terrible and horrible." Instead, the fifth and sixth lines read: "Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots / But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind." Right away, the reader can almost see the weary soldiers heading "towards [their] distant rest." They are so weary that some are sleeping while... ...ys will be a terrible, terrible thing. In conclusion, "Dulce et Decorum Est" is a magnificent tapestry of poetry. By the speaker's descriptions, similes, and memories, Owen weaves reality and memories together to create a masterpiece. Through the speaker, Owen seems to express his grief over those who have died fighting. He sees no glory in men dying horrible deaths from mustard gas, writhing with pain and agony. No, he does not feel that it is sweet or becoming to die for one's country. His opinion is expressed throughout the whole poem. Yet, his poem is not one of beauty. It has no pleasant words or pleasing sounds; it does not bring good feelings or happy smiles. But it is one of truth, the truth about war. Works Cited: Owen, Wilfred. â€Å"Dulce Et Docorum Est.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams. New York: Norton & Company, 2000.

Globalisation Creates More Opportunities for Uk Businesses Essay

Globalization is the growing trend towards worldwide markets in products, capital and labor, unrestricted by barriers. Globalization is not a new process but it has accelerated in recent years with the rapid growth of multinational companies and with the expansion of free trade with fewer quotas on imports. There are many key features of globalization, which has made an impact on business strategies such as; increased international trade, freer movement of workers between countries and finally the growth of multinational businesses in all countries. These create both potential opportunities but also limitations to businesses. In this essay I will discuss both sides. The expansion of national businesses has helped to raise productivity and efficiency in the UK economy. This provides a solid foundation and sustaining a comparative advantage in the areas where the UK still has some world class manufacturing businesses. Inward investment allows for the application of better manufacturing techniques, this could include Just-in-time supply strategies, which also speeds up the process of applying new technologies and spreading information. Honda use this system of JIT in the UK market, by doing this is creates more competitors within the business because you always order the right amount, which will keep your inventories low which therefore, means your costs will be lower. By Honda having this advantage it allows them to invest there saved money elsewhere in the business. Globalization creates threats for UK businesses because it has intensified the competition with in other businesses. Due to the rising import penetration and also the switch of manufacturing to find a lower-cost production centres in Eastern Europe and South Asia, this has caused a fall in output and therefore thousands of jobs are lost in the UK each year. By this happening it leads a rise in unemployment, which ultimately lead to worsening in the regional economic divide. An example of this is Dyson, they moved from a small village called Malmemsbery in the county of Wiltshire to South East Asia, by doing this is made 800 employees redundant and this has a massive effect on the local community. Globalization creates more opportunities than threats for UK business; due the current movement of globalization the terms of trade have moved into the UK favor. For example, the UK economy is moving further and further towards the high production, sale of high value manufacturing and high knowledge services which tend to command in global markets a price higher than the cost of importing cheaper manufactured goods e.g. the UK exports of high quality luxury cars such as Bentley and Rolls Royce which seem to command the market around the world the nit comes to luxury cars. Due to the manufactures high expertise it is very difficult for other car companies who want to enter the market such as Ford or Toyota as they do not have such as expertise in their business. This switch towards more expensive products as the main source of exports provides the UK with better living standards and most importantly the opportunity cost of exporting has moved in to the UK favor. Another threat in which globalization has caused is the threats to the UK service industries. O2 outsourced there call centers out to India as it has lower labor costs. This links back to my last point of making people redundant due to the outsourcing of a business abroad. Another negative claim is that O2 customers, the British public prefer to have English accents and easier to pronounce names this is not xenophobia on behalf of the British public but instead an ease of transaction as many customers report unsatisfactory calls. This also puts pressure on the businesses as they are taking a risk of moving abroad but also it may cause the business to drive down real pay levels in the UK serve sectors in order to compete more effectively. Over the last 12 years the UK has enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth, rising employment and improving living standards. The UK growth has been on a trend rate of 2.5% per annum, which is the one of the longest growth phases for nearly 100 years. This healthy trend is due to the rising levels of trade and investment spurred on by international competition. Finally a threat in which globalization can cause is the fear of the effect globalization will cause to the environment. The huge growth in competition in the UK has lead to a massive influx in pollution over the UK from sea freight transport to international air transport, this long distance travelling leads to pollution being spread all over the UK and the ever rising scale of household and industrial waste leads to an enormous external costs. The likes of Tesco and ASDA which freight and ship a variety of food products and cheap electrical goods has meant that the customer has benefited the most from cheaper costs however this has had a detrimental affect on the environment, with broccoli from Japan, oranges from Florida and lamb from New-Zealand this is meant that these companies are racking up huge amounts of travelling which leads to a massive increase of carbon footprint. To conclude this quote sums up my views of globalization in the UK: â€Å"The things that Britain has always had a comparative advantage in selling to the world — financial services, scientific research, education, entertainment and so on — are rising in price. Because of this shift in relative prices, the British people have effectively enjoyed a large pay increase without having to work any harder†

What Happens To The Human Body In A Vacuum

What Happens To The Human Body In A Vacuum As humans get closer to the time when astronauts and explorers will be living and working in space  for long periods of time, a lot of questions arise about what it will be like for those who make their careers out there. There is a great deal of data based on long-duration flights by such astronauts as Mark Kelly and Peggy Whitman, but the life sciences experts at most space agencies need a lot more data to understand what will happen to future travelers.  They already know that the long-term inhabitants aboard the  International Space Station  have experienced some major and puzzling changes to their bodies, some of which last long after they are back on Earth. Mission planners  are using their experiences to help plan missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Crew members on the International Space Station work with such technology as 3-D printers to understand how these and other technology can be used in space. This is a printer inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the station. NASA However, despite this priceless data from actual experiences, people also get a lot of non-valuable data from Hollywood movies about what its like to live in space. In those cases, drama usually trumps scientific accuracy. In particular, the movies are big on gore, especially when it comes to depicting the experience of being exposed to vacuum. Unfortunately, those movies and TV shows (and video games) give the wrong impression about what its like to be in space.   Vacuum in the Movies In the 1981 movie Outland, starring Sean Connery, there is a scene where a construction worker in space gets a hole in his suit. As the air leaks out, the internal pressure drops and his body is exposed to a vacuum, we watch in horror through his faceplate as he swells up and explodes. Could that really happen, or was that dramatic license? A somewhat similar scene occurs in the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Total Recall. In that movie, Schwarzenegger leaves the pressure of the habitat of a Mars colony and begins to blow up like a balloon in the much lower pressure of the Mars atmosphere, not quite a vacuum. He is saved by the creation of an entirely new atmosphere by an ancient alien machine. Again, could that happen, or was dramatic license at play? Those scenes bring up an entirely understandable question: What happens to the human body in a vacuum? The answer is simple: it wont blow up. The blood wont boil, either. However, it will be a quick way to die if an astronauts spacesuit is damaged.   What Really Happens in a Vacuum There are a number of things about being in space, in a vacuum, that can cause harm to the human body. The unfortunate space traveler wouldnt be able to hold their breath for long (if at all), because it would cause lung damage. The person would probably remain conscious for several seconds until the blood without oxygen reaches the brain. Then, all bets are off.   The vacuum of space is also pretty darn cold, but the human body doesnt lose heat that fast, so a hapless astronaut would have a little time before freezing to death. Its possible that they would have some problems with their eardrums, including a rupture, but maybe not.   Being marooned in space exposes the astronaut to high radiation and the chances for a really bad sunburn. Their body might actually swell some, but not to the proportions so dramatically shown in Arnold Schwarzeneggers movie, Total Recall. The bends are also possible, just like what happens to a diver who surfaces too quickly from a deep underwater dive. That condition is also known as decompression sickness and happens when dissolved gases in the bloodstream create bubbles as the person decompresses. The condition can be fatal and is taken seriously by divers, high-altitude pilots, and astronauts.   Astronauts train extensively underwater on Earth, wearing pressure suits, to simulate working in space. NASA/Johnson Space Center.   While normal blood pressure will keep a persons blood from boiling, the saliva in their mouth could very well begin to do so. Theres actually evidence for that happening from an astronaut who experienced it. In 1965, while performing tests at the  Johnson Space Center, a subject was accidentally exposed to a near vacuum (less than one psi) when his space suit leaked while in a vacuum chamber. He did not pass out for about fourteen seconds, by which time unoxygenated blood had reached his brain. Technicians began to repressurize the chamber within fifteen seconds and he regained consciousness at around the equivalent of 15,000 feet of altitude. He later said that his last conscious memory was of the water on his tongue beginning to boil. So, theres at least one data point about what its like to be in a vacuum. It wont be pleasant, but it wont be like the movies, either. There have actually been cases of parts of astronauts bodies being exposed to vacuum when suits were damaged. They survived due to quick action and safety protocols. The good news from all those experiences is that the human body is amazingly resilient. The worst problem would be lack of oxygen, not lack of pressure in the vacuum. If returned to a normal atmosphere fairly quickly, a person would survive with few if any irreversible injuries after an accidental exposure to vacuum. More recently, astronauts on the International Space Station found an air leak from a hole made by a technician on the ground in Russia. They were in no danger of losing their air right away, but they had to go to some effort to get it plugged safely and permanently. Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Anthem by Ayn Rand Free Online Research Papers In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the leaders not only enslaved the bodies of their people, but they also destroyed their minds and had seek to accomplish a tyrannical end. The leaders of Equality 7-251’s community took control of the bodies and mind of the citizens, by completely brainwashing them from the day that they were born. The people didn’t try to fight back nor escape because they didn’t know that the way they were living is wrong or that there was any other way to live. By making it a sin to be an individual they didn’t have to worry about those who were smart, figure out the truth. From the day that they were born every baby was taken to the house of infantry without ever getting to see their parents. Then as they grew older they are sent to different houses, at different stages of their lives, and once they turn of age they are sent to have a baby with someone they do not know and the cycle continues. Without the love and care of parents, the children grow to never know love so their whole world is loveless. Which makes it safe and easier for the leaders to control them. They never have normal experiences like privacy. They sleep in a room of one hundred beds and are never allowed to be alone. They are told it is a sin to be an individual. They speak in third-person and do not use the word †I†. Not allowing them to be individual means not allowing them to ever think for them. They will follow everything the leaders say if they do not have pride in themselves so they were never allowed to see there own reflection. They weren’t even allowed to have their own names; everyone who lived in the house got one name then a number. The most important reason individualism is not allowed, is because individualism is the key to ego. Ego is the one word of which all people were forbidden to speak of. Afraid of them forming ego’s the leaders made their lives so strict and cut so many things out, because ego is said to be â€Å"a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.† The one thing the leaders didn’t want the most was for any one to be different from anyone else. That would ruin the plan of their tyrannical end. Research Papers on Anthem by Ayn RandPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresHip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentBringing Democracy to AfricaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionQuebec and CanadaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

Management Task Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Task Analysis - Research Paper Example Although all the industries need to remain alert all the time so that they can keep their customers satisfied and attracted to their products and services. In case of manufacturing businesses, the processes of operations are the most crucial areas of emphasis and the organizations have to make sure that the end product is produced in compliance with the set standards (Zacharatos et al., 2007). In case of automobile companies, the complete operation process is important and every step which starts from the raw material selection to the final product production is vital that needs adequate attention by the management staff (Stanton, 2005). In order to make sure that the cars are produced in the best possible manner, the complete production process needs to be given utmost consideration by the management team. To understand the types of production processes employed in various forms of automobile companies, three companies are being considered, i.e., Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Toyota. Fer rari Ferrari is the leading name in case of the car racing companies; the company is well-known for the best range of cars that it manufactures for the racing events. In recent times, the company like other automobile companies has made sure that their operation system is flexible so that the engines can be modified according to the customers’ requirements. Crystal and Ellington (2004) stated that the automobile companies need to make sure that they implement those production processes that will help them in increasing their output processes. In case of Ferrari, the market comprises niche target market that values the performance of the engine along with the quality of the car and they are insensitive to its price. The company designs the products for the customers who want to participate in the racing events. For the customers of Ferrari, the most important factor is the smooth running of the cars and they will be paying any price for it. The management tasks for the company , as stated by Gray and Leonard (2009), can be divided as order selection, scheduling of the orders, batch size, inventory management and process improvement. The tasks will have to be carefully monitored by the management team to ensure that the end product has the best quality. The operation systems need to be flexible so that they can be modified according to the customers’ preferences. In the case of Ferrari, the operation process will be a continuous process and line process cannot be implemented as in most of the cases the end product will not be the same. In case of Ferrari, the most important management tasks comprise assessing the staff needs for capacity utilization, long-term planning and inventory requirements along with addressing long-term planning issues such as location issues (Mashilo, 2010) and technological advances that happen constantly (Embrey, 2002). Vertical integration with the suppliers becomes important and adequate inventory needs to be maintained so that the demands are adequately addressed; the labors need to be skilled in handling all the operative measures (Hertzum & Jacobsen, 2003; KPMG, 2005). Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce is the leading name in the luxury car assembly plant and it is important for the management team to make sure that the operation procedures are properly designed. In order to make sure that

Compare and contrast the ideologies and aims of VILLA and CARRANZA and Essay

Compare and contrast the ideologies and aims of VILLA and CARRANZA and their impact on the Mexican Revolution ( 1910-17) - Essay Example d his success in the revolution was mainly due to his ability to portray himself as a wise, stern patriarch who was the nations best hope for peace.† (Minster About.com Guide) Villa often opposes dictators during his time and revolted against the current regime twice. He strongly believed in his ways and that Mexicans should be free from oppression of people in power and injustice. Carranza joined the revolution due to high ambitions; he collaborated with Francisco Madero who was the brains of the revolution in 1910. As quoted by Christopher online, â€Å"Carranza was not a true believer in reform and he felt that a firmer hand (preferably his) was needed to rule Mexico.† (Minster About.com Guide) Carranza was more into the politics of the matter. One of his major reasons for joining the revolution was his plans of attaining power for himself. After Madero got assassinated by Huerta, another uprising came; this time led by Carranza himself. He was supported by Villa and Obregon on this one. Villa led his army to winning countless battles with his bravery. With his great charisma he was able to gather an army of 3000 in just a month time. He led them the last time against American Troops, after attacks on Columbus and New Mexico, before he was awarded pardon in 1920. Carranza, on the latter part of the second uprising, was sided by the United States. Villa went to the mountains during this time and was considered a fugitive of the New Mexican government. Little was changed during Carranza’s reign. Jennifer Rosenberg added in her online article that; â€Å"Villa retired from revolutionary life in 1920 but had only a short retirement for he was gunned down in his car on July 20, 1923.†(Rosenberg About.com Guide) After Obregon drove him off of power in Mexico, Carranza was gunned by Rodolfo Herrera in his sleep together with his top supporters in 1920. As Christopher Minster quoted it, â€Å"Herrera was put on trial by Obregon, but it was clear that no one missed

How media influences people about disease---ALS and its ice bucket Research Paper

How media influences people about disease---ALS and its ice bucket challenge - Research Paper Example People who use Facebook and Twitter are for all practical purposes running little media houses, and face the problem of their much larger brethren, where will the next story come from? Originality is too time-consuming: emulation is inevitable. Fads ensue. What gets emulated? Anything that can contribute to social capital. The content must be easy to create but not as easy as photographing ones morning cappuccino. For example, someone in Toronto snapped a selfie with the controversial mayor Rob Ford. Overnight, hunting Rob Ford became a Toronto sport, and your face next to his became social currency across Canada. Its easy to write off these fads as simple stunts of digital narcissism, but they matter to marketing because they carry incidental meaning. It was not lost on Fords reelection team that media coverage on Facebook was as good as, perhaps better than, press coverage. Selfies with Ford carried the incidental meaning that he was one of the people, a fun-loving regular guy. He began to make himself selfie-friendly. Brands, too, ask how they can become incidental props in these viral stunts. The challenge that brands encounter, however, is that their involvement could come off as merely jumping on the bandwagon because spreadable stunts tend to carry no meaning beyond the stunt itself. Take "planking" for example. An early Facebook fad, planking is the act of lying face-down in an incongruous place. It is the epitome of digital narcissism and any hint of motive other than "look at me" just clouds the picture. By contrast, the ALS ice bucket challenge offers an example of a brand harnessing the energy of a narcissistic fad on social networks in service to the brand itself. The usual elements are there: an act that is incongruous, not easy to do, and screams "look at me." Yet here, the incidental meaning is not at all dissociated from the personal meaning. Im

Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Food Manufacturing Management Essay Example for Free

Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Food Manufacturing Management Essay Introduction Audit objectives Why Audit? The intentions of this Audit are as follows: Using a recognised GMP standard (UNIDO/BRC) assess and quantify the effectiveness of the current quality system that is in place. Recommend, upon review, strategies for improvement that can be made to meet, and potentially exceed, the minimum retail requirements. * Upon completion, allow the business to set attainable goals and objectives in order to drive the business forward. This is in an efficiency, production and legal capacity. Company Profile Shetland SeaFish (Hull) limited started trading in 1922 as a specialist manufacturer of frozen fish products. The company employs 50-60 staff on site and has a total of 80-100 employees working throughout the group. The group has three factories. The other two are involved in primary processing and fish farming in the Shetland isles. The company supplies supermarkets, discounters, fish wholesalers, frozen food distributors and food service companies. The main market is the UK but the company also has a small export trade. Shetland SeaFish (Hull) limited has implemented a tightly controlled system of operational procedures including a fully documented HACCP system and quality manual. Business Environment The food industry is one under pressure. The fishing industry in particular is an area with its own particular problems which have a direct impact on this company as fish is its primary raw material. Over the past few years, environmental concern over diminishing fish stocks has contributed to increased governmental interdiction to manage fishing quotas. Although this may be the case for the national fishing industry, the world wide catch (up until recently) has been on a steady rise. This company sources raw material from worldwide locals (Particularly the Asiatic areas such as China and Scandinavian Seas) so the impact has been minimal. The way in which the company sources fish may change in the future, as internet auctions are on the increase, and this makes the market more of a volatile entity as prices can fluctuate as events affect fishing procurement. The other main problem with the food industry is the strength of the major multiples over the manufacturers. The major supermarkets to whom most food manufacturers supply, aim to maintain a constant gross profit margin which is typically quite large. To reflect this, the multiples like to pass down on-costs to the suppliers. Offers such as buy one, get one free are fuelled by the manufacturer, and come straight from their bottom line. By running a BOGOF offer, it is affectively selling the product at half the unit price for the duration of the offer. One supermarket that this company has dealt with also deducts (on their own accord) a set price to go towards advertising and marketing. For example, a deduction of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 might be deducted from an invoice to them for product, with the reasoning being that even if that amount is not being used to directly promote that particular product, just by advertising the stores in general, the increased amount of customers flowing through the store, should they say, increase sales to the companys product. This deduction from the invoice is imposed by the supermarket, and because you do not know how often they are going to do this, it makes costing for business more difficult. Combine this with the fact that at every price review by the supermarket buyers, they demand higher quality products, for a reduction in unit price, depresses margins lower than ever. The margin depression brings with it a set of problems. Because a company has to reduce its costs to meet the price points per units, so as to maintain the business with the supermarket, it makes it for a business to remain as profitable as what it would like to be. A smaller margin means that a company does not have the same amount of free capital available to it to make necessary re-investments which would help to procure more sales and increase throughput. In section four of the overview, a specific study of this is discussed in relation to an OEE study on one of the factories lines. There are several technological resolutions available which if purchased would go a long way to increase productivity. Unfortunately there are several financial constraints which place barriers to the procurement of these technological improvements. A brief discussion of Chicken and Egg barriers is briefly explained in section four of the overview. The problem lies in the fact that if a new piece of equipment is needed to continue, or to improve production, then the company does not have enough liquid capital available to be able to purchase it outright. This means that the company would have to investigate borrowing facilities. The problem with this is that the company would like to have a secured amount of business from one of, or a combination of customers, in order to take on the risk of borrowing large amounts of money. The reason for this is that a company has to account for a payback period into their costing to cover borrowing and interest as well as machine depreciation. With shortened product placement tenures, the guarantee of continued business for this period is not there, inhibiting the business from wanting to take a risk of this magnitude. Eventually a company has to bite the bullet and take a risk in order to increase turnover and throughput. Smaller margins also mean that there may not be enough of an increase in net profits to cover staff requirements. Each year there is a general staff appraisal to discuss the terms of wages and conditions. If the company is reduced in its profit capacity, then this trend is often relayed onto the workforce. f the company has diminished available finances then money is not possible to give staffs the annual increase in wages or to be able to invest in communal facilities. This has a knock on effect on staff morale and motivation if the annual increase is postponed or if it has to be cancelled. It manifests itself in some individuals in a revenge motivation mentality. As the individuals feel aggrieved because the company cannon comply with what the workers feel is a basic right, then they may wish to get back at the company. At best this may just be by reducing their amount and quality of work, therefore their loyalty is affected. At worst, it could be resignation, dissention or even some form of industrial sabotage. Without the increase in wages rates it also lessens the difference between that and what the government sets as the national minimum wage. This poses a problem in relation to retaining, and gaining new employees. At one point, working in a factory used to attract a premium, but over time that has decreased to the point to where wage levels between shop workers and factory workers are almost the same. With the current work ethos among new employees (particularly young people) the dilemma of where would I like to work arises. Either a (usually) smelly, shift work system, hard work inducing factory, or a shop, where they can go straight out from without having to go home for a shower and change, is less hard work and usually has a set nine until five work pattern. For the same, or similar, wage, most people appear to want to work in a shop. This displays a distinct shift from employment trends from primary or secondary employment to a majority of employment in the tertiary, or services, sector. If a company has a high turn-over of staff, then generally the quality of staffs decreases. This may then affect production output and efficiencies. One way that this can be combated is though an increase in staff training. This not only acts to both increase staff quality, but it also helps to improve the individuals job satisfaction. This is through increased competency, increased knowledge (i.e. making an individual more multi-skilled) and the feeling that they are not in a dead-end job. In the industry sector to which this company falls, there is an increased amount of governmental grants available for staff training programmes. Within this factory, all of the employees of first tier level have all been through NVQ level 2 training in Food hygiene and handling. Production supervisors have received additional training to NVQ level three in this area. There is also a range of other courses that are being studied that are part funded, or reimbursed by, governmental policies. It is clear that there are some relatively easy ways to increase the efficiency and line throughputs of production. Unfortunately limiting factors come into play to inhibit potential growth as long as margins are squeezed smaller and smaller. This is a self perpetuating cycle. If allowed to make a little bit more profit then this can be channelled back into the business to increase production efficiency and overall turnover making the business more successful. Legal Issues There is a complex mine field of legislation that comes into play when dealing with a food unit operation. There is a whole plethora of acts and regulations which help to control the food industry which helps to protect the consumer from dubious practices and ensure that the final product that is consumed is of the expected substance, nature and quality demanded. There are several levels of legislation: * Acts, which are statutes passed down by parliament. * Regulations which are made under specific acts * E.C. directives which are passed down from the E.E.C. The Food safety enforcement officers have various enforcement powers which enable them to ensure that all of the legislation is correctly adhered to. These can be servicing notices, sampling and seizing foodstuffs, and also to instigate criminal proceedings if an offence is made. The main legislation affecting this business are to be listed as following; Food Safety Act, 1990 This act is in relation to the sale of food for human consumption and is applicable to all food premises. This act makes it an offence to: * Render food injurious to health * Sale or possession of food injurious to health, or that is unfit for, or is contaminated. * Sale of food that is not of the correct nature, substance and quality demanded by the consumer. * Give any false or misleading descriptions. The Food Premises (Registration) Regulations, 1991 (SI No. 2825) amended 1997 This regulation requires all food premises to register with the local, or port authority, in the area that they are situated. Every registration authority must keep a register, which can be accessed by the public for inspection. Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulation, 1995 (SI. No. 1763) This act provides general requirements for all food handlers and premises (with specific requirements for preparation areas, moveable and temp. premises, transport, equipment and the like) to be kept clean, facilitate cleaning, and prevent the accumulation of dirt. It also specifies a requirement for all food premises to identify all steps in the business that is critical to food safety, and to minimise these risks. The Food Safety (Temperature Controls) Regulations, 1995 (SI. No. 2200) This determines any matter involving a risk to food safety, in relation to the nature of the food, manner in which it is handled and packed, and processes and conditions under which it has been displayed or stored. No person should keep food that is likely to support the growth of pathogenic bacteria or the accumulation of their toxins. Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations, 1996 These regulations govern the origins of animal foodstuffs from countries outside the EEC. Since 1993, foodstuffs imported from other members of the EEC are not liable for inspection due to the open border policy, but they are still subject to the Food Safety Act 1990. Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (SI. No. 1499) These require most foodstuffs that are to be sold for human consumption be labelled with: * The name of the food. * List of ingredients (Quantifying ingredients mentioned in the name of the food). * Best before dates, which indicate minimum durability or perish ability of the food in relation to microbial or product degradation beyond being fit for human consumption. * Any specific storage conditions required. * Name and address of the manufacturer The Quick-Frozen Foodstuffs Regulations, 1990 (SI. No. 2615) amended 1994 Food that has undergone quick-freezing (i.e. whereby the zone of maximum crystallization as rapidly as possible) should be labelled as such. It must be suitably packaged so as to protect it from microbial and other contamination and also to protect from de-hydration. Must be labelled with: * BBE * Storage requirements including temps. * Batch reference * A clear message not to refreeze after defrosting. There are also some specific legislation relating to food poisoning: Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1994 The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1988 (SI. No. 1546) National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1986 The National Health Service (Food Premises) Regulations, 1987 (SI. No. 18) The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) These pieces of legislation relate to reports of incidences of food poisoning and food borne illness. It empowers officers to investigate food premises on the basis of risk to increased infection, and to identify the source of food poisoning illnesses. Separate to food related issues there are also a number of other pieces of legislation that apply to most businesses. These are: Health Safety The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 1994 (SI. No. 3246) The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation, 1985 (SI. No. 2023) The Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989 (SI. No. 635) The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2051) The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 3004) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2966) The Manual Handling Operations Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2793) All of these laws are in relation to keeping equipment in good order; provide all PPE, also in good order, and to report all accidents and medical problems caused by/ at work. There are some new environmental legislation in relation to waste water and effluent, and also the climate change levy. There are also waste land fill laws (After B.S.E. and Foot and Mouth no food wastes can be further processed into animal feeds) It is clear that there are a lot of laws that help to keep the consumer, and employees safe, both in relation to food safety and personal safety. In order to comply with all of these laws, and check with the companys compliance to these, the office of fair trading and the environmental health office audit the factory on a regular basis. Section 2 Key Findings Summations on Audit checklists Section by section review HACCP System: The company has a very detailed and comprehensive HACCP system following the Codex principles and based on risk assessment for each product type. The latest revision is June 2002. The HACCP documentation includes Introduction (Intro, team, product description, intended use, flow diagram, and verification of flow, controls and hazards), Process flow (product, production process), Hazards, Hazard analysis and Hygiene controls. The site technical manager who is qualified in advance food hygiene leads the HACCP team. The other HACCP team members include the production manager, financial director, business consultant, Q.A. supervisor and HS officer. They have all received training in HACCP principles. Eight CCPs have been identified and clearly marked around the site. These include; R.M. intake, band saw room, product storage, packaging storage, coatings, sauce making, sauce buggies, sauce deposition and metal detection. Shetland SeaFish (in conjunction with Cravenglow consultant limited) has produced a handbook for employees entitled Understanding HACCP and the British Retail Consortium Quality Award. This book was issued to all staff before going through their first successful BRC audit, and is issued to new staff during induction. The Handbook explains; HACCP terms and working practices, details the eight CCPs, How to control potential Hazards, How HACCP works, Different types of Hazard, other important HACCP information and an introduction to the BRC standard Quality Management System: The site operations/quality manual has been fully implemented and indexed in the latest revision (Revision 4 October 2002) to the BRC technical standard version three. Policies and procedures referenced to the HACCP manual and currently cover all of the identified critical controls. Each working area has its own handbook that includes some or all of the following: Factory cleaning procedures Technical terms Key staff Safe working practices Factory procedures QA procedures applicable to the area. A specifications file maintained by the company has a programme of internal audits that cover the entire quality system twice per year. The handling of complaints is the responsibility of the Technical manager. Complaints are referenced individually, by customer, and complaint type. Corrective actions arising from complaints are recorded. An approved supplier list is in operation, deliveries assessed at intake, and supplier performance reviewed quarterly. One of the key findings of this audit has been that although the supplier audit plans clearly defined and laid out, it has not been adhered to. This needs rectifying by the time of the next audit. Factory Environmental Standards: The factory is well located just off the main route into Hull, and has a logical process flow. The buildings are well constructed. Walls panelled with false ceiling and smooth concrete floors. Equipment is industry standard and is be well maintained. There is a planned maintenance system administered by a well-resourced engineering department. Staff changing facilities are provided by separate storage of work wear and personnel wear with staff locker rooms situated well away from production. Work clothing situated in changing facilities on the entrance to the production facility. A dedicated night hygiene crew operate a comprehensive cleaning programme, verified using bioluminescence ATP swabs. This form of assessment is under utilised. By conducting more swabs, a more indicative trend analysis can be compiled. This system could also be extended to incorporate hand swabbing, so as to gauge the effectiveness of the staffs hand washing. A comprehensive pest control contract is in place with Rentokil and no infestation reported. The only addition to this regime would be to introduce catch tray analysis. This is not done at present, although Rentokil have been asked to provide a quote for the service. The reason that catch tray analysis is so important is that various indicator species of insect may help to identify a particular problem within the factory. Another option is that the accountant is a qualified entomologist. The suggestion has been made that they complete the catch tray analysis on behalf of the company. Transport and waste removal are both contracted out services. Product Control: There is a product development procedure detailing the process steps and documentation held for customer driven development work. Development work is mainly restricted to crumbs, batters and sauces and as such, the suppliers of these materials carry out a lot of the work. Product is analysed on line hourly by trained QC staff External chemical and microbiological analyses are carried out at a UKAS accredited external laboratory. The result turn around is typically ten days. There is an investigation into the possibility of bringing the microbiological testing into a feasible in-house solution. The testing procedures preferred are the rapid methods that are now available on the market. These allow for rapid enumeration and identification in unprecedented speeds compared to traditional plating methods. Because of the simplicity of the tests, it reduces the degrees of error that might be entertained in old style methods, and also it helps to simplify the lab quality manual. All of these rapid methods are AOAC accredited methods and are thus suitable for ISO 17025 standards, which is a pre-requisite for the accreditation edicts stated for BRC compliance. Products coded to allow stock rotation, and on-site stock levels kept to a minimum. The cold store has the capacity for approximately 600 pallets, which are on a mobile racking system. Metal detection is carried out on all products at 3.5mm non-fe and 3.5mm fe. Legislation is on the way to incorporate testing using S. Steel rods as well, using the same sensitivity levels. Product is released based on on-line QC testing. A non-conformance procedure is used to prevent the despatch of non-conforming product and its restriction to quarantine. Process Control: Control of sauce cooking and processing is closely monitored by QC and thermographs are in place to verify sauce cooking profiles. QC also regularly verifies process parameters and freezer temperatures. Continuous quantity control monitoring equipment is in place on the coated fish line. Check-weigh systems are calibrated at the start of each day following a detailed calibration procedure. Hourly QC checks and daily taste panels verify process parameters and specifications requirements have been fulfilled and all measuring equipment is calibrated at appropriated frequencies. A small amount of kosher product is processed on site and the delivery processing and despatch of kosher materials is closely monitored. Personnel: Staffs trained to NVQ levels 1 and 2 in hygiene and safe product handling by external consultants. Plans are in place to introduce an in-house training scheme. The Q.A. supervisor holds a CIEH certificate of Advanced Food Hygiene. Once they complete the CIEH professional trainers certificate, it will allow them to train new staffs, and re-iterate to current, basic food hygiene and HS. Hygiene rules are also available in the staff handbook, given at induction. Induction includes hygiene and HS requirements, fire drill procedures including a tour of the facility (highlighting emergency exits), company objectives and the review of the individuals accountability level. Staff and visitors complete a basic medical questionnaire before entering the factory. Protective clothing provided and laundered by Brooks based in Hull and only specialising in laundering of food industry clothing. Supervisory staff and line leaders trained to NVQ levels 3. Detailed training records are in place, but not review on a frequent basis. Section 3 Improvement strategy Recommendations on enhancement Why did it fail? What can be done? The overall result of this audit is promising. The main sections that are in need of improvement are the cleaning and management systems. With regards to the cleaning controls one of the biggest deficiencies is that there were no daily cleaning logs in place at the time of the audit. These are necessary to verify that all of the pieces of equipment that has been used during the course of the production shift have been cleaned effectively. This should also incorporate a list of equipment that needs weekly or monthly cleaning, similar to the engineers protective maintenance system. Provisions are in place to indicate cleaning frequency, but by combining this with a daily cleaning log a system of records can be obtained to help with any Due Diligence defences that might need to be called into play. The preventative step to reduce the microbial and soil loads within the factory are the cleaning schedules, but the due diligence defence are the daily logs. These are a record confirmation that the schedule has been implemented, and also provides accountability of who conducted the particular action that might be in question. It also helps the management team to assess the manning levels required for a particular cleaning regime. By combining these logs with an effective utilisation of the Lightning ATP hygiene verification system it would be possible to more accurately monitor the effectiveness of the cleaning systems that are in place. At present the unit is not used at levels that are going to supply the monitoring team with a set of results that are statistically significant. By increasing the levels of testing with the unit, a better picture of cleanliness levels can be obtained by using the trend analysis software to scrutinize past results and to predict problems that might occur in the future. This system could also be extended to apply to incorporate hand washing checks. This could be done on a random set of checks throughout the week. It might be possible to correlate this to the expected and actual bacterial soap usage rates to see if there is a relationship. This might be an extra way to monitor the effectiveness of the staff in the own personal hygiene in relation to hand washing. The engineers need to keep an inventory of parts as a repair is carried out so that all pieces are accounted for upon completion so as to eliminate the possible physical contamination problem, or at least to identify if there is one. A number of hose pipes were observed around the factory, liberally strewn on the floor. This is not bad GMP; it also creates an impression of untidiness and not caring for not only visitors, but also to other staff. Perhaps the purchasing or some hose reel storage units. If these hoses were kept on one of these units, it would automatically reel in and is then kept neatly on the wall, off the floor and out of the way of people walking around the factory. During the course of the audit the food waste skip was left open. This leaves the door open to many potential problems. The first is that it has a potential to attract pests. By leaving the skip doors open is may provides a food source for advantageous vermin. It was observed that there were some birds on the fence which might have been attracted by the residue surrounding the skip. To eliminate this problem construction of a reaching handle for the skip door should be made. By keeping the skip door closed it prevents vermin from entering the skip to scavenge for food. With the skip door closed, thus stopping pests from gaining a free food store, the area around the skip must be kept clear also; otherwise keeping the door closed is a futile effort. This area not only needs to be swept, but also cleaned down with a detergent to emulsify the fatty residue left from the batter scraps. This would also help to make the area safer for the employees as it would make the area left prone to causing slippages, and this is especially important as there is a small set of steps out there. There is no provision for persons to wash their hands upon re-entering the factory after going to the food skip. There person would have to go to the basins outside the packaging area. A small basin or alcohol station should be installed to prevent this. The main body of the factory was in very good condition. There were a few incidences that need to be rectified in order to improve the grade. Around the sauce making area, the ceiling tiles above them had some signs of mould growth. This is an indication that the ventilation is perhaps inadequate for that area. Some form of steam extraction unit might need to be investigated in that area. In the short term, regular cleaning with a sterilizer (with some form of mould growth inhibitor) would suffice, but this would only deal with the symptoms, and not deal with the route cause. The sauce agitators in this area are in need of recovering. The motors on the agitators have some small areas of paint flaking from them. Even though the paint is blue in colour, it provides a potential physical contamination problem. This needs to be tackled in several ways. The first and easiest to do is to recover the motors. The motors can be covered with a stainless steel covering which would prevent both paint flakes falling into the sauce, but also dirt accumulation on the motor. Another method is to use an alternative agitator motor. There are several on the market, and several of these are not mounted directly above the sauce making kettles. There are also some other methods for sauce production, that if increased production were to be required, then they should defiantly be investigated. Another area in the factory that could benefit from additional extraction/ventilation is directly surrounding the coating line. When the fryer is producing breaded products, then the first stage crumb, which is a fine crumb, causes a lot of dust to be blown in the air. This causes excessive dust accumulation on the pipe works above the fryer line. This needs additional cleaning to remove the dust in this area. Perhaps a form of extraction system should be investigated in this area. As a minor point, there was also a small pool of water surrounding the con-air compressor units. This implies that the floor does not bevel in the right direction. Again this is a situation that has a long term objective, but also has a short term measure. The long term goal is to re-lay the floor in that area to make the floor slope in the right direction (i.e. from the wall to the drain). The short term solution is to have the cleaners regularly squeegee the floor of water. Standing water is a particular problem in that it provides excellent breeding ground for Listeria spp. Bacteria. Listeria is a food borne bacteria that is naturally found in the environment. By providing pools of standing water, it magnifies the problem and opens the potential for increased incidences of Listeria monocytogenes poisoning. It is a strange practice that although there are manager and team leader meetings on a regular basis, there were no supervisor meetings held. This is a gross deficiency, not for GMP, but for the lack of communicational strokes that are missed from these meetings. By conducting these meetings a dialogue can be maintained between the higher levels of management and the junior levels. During these sessions company objectives can be relayed, problems considered, and grievances examined. It is also an excellent opportunity to provide motivation to the staff and to keep them apprised of important happenings within the company, such as potential sales, production turnover, NPD and the direction of the company. These meeting should be implemented effectively immediately. If not in their own right, then try combining the team leader meetings. This may pose a problem with truthful communication if the team leaders feel inhibited by the presence of the supervisors, especially if they have any grievances with them. The omission of the supervisor meetings exacerbates the next point. That is the cross communication of ideas and instructions between departments. This point is discussed in more detail in the second overview of the audit. The job descriptions that are in place for the key positions within the factory are deficient in the totality. I would suggest a review of these be taken with the specific aim to include the individuals main duties and responsibilities, full accountability, and any health and safety requirements that are obligatory to know. By providing a comprehensive description it helps the individual to identify their own progress against what is expected of them. It would also help to identify any training needs by comparing what the individuals actual abilities to what is needed for that position. During an appraisal a gauge of competency can be made against the standard and a measure of feedback can be relayed to the person. This also ties into the fact that no records are kept of personal record reviews. These need to be conducted on a regular occasion, and if they are being conducted at the moment, then they need to be recorded. There are some clear objectives that have been identified and now need to be applied and rectified to improve the factory as a whole. Section 4 Conclusions Overview of progression stratagems Step by step guide Structure and Fabric * Hand washing basin/ alcohol station to be installed by exit to food skip. * Foods skip needs to be looked at and a handle constructed to enable the lid to be closed. * Sauce kettles needs to be looked at for possible installation of extraction units. * Sauce agitator motors needs to be covered to prevent paint flaking into product. * Hose pipes to be placed into self reeling units. * Pool of water needs investigating around con-air units. Floor needs re-laying in that area. * Dust accumulation above fryer area. Additional extraction needed. Pest prevention * Pallet shed door needs to be kept closed. Pallets stored away from walls in storage. * Some drain covers missing and needs replacing. * Catch tray analysis needs to be done. Cleaning systems * Daily cleaning logs introduced. * Engineers inventory of parts during a repair to prevent contamination. * Effective utilisation, and expansion, of ATP hygiene monitoring system. Management Controls * Introduction of supervisor meetings. * Additional training to supplement and increase knowledge of GMP systems, Food hygiene and legislation. * Review of job descriptions. * Record employee appraisals. Section 5 References Background / further reading. Including bibliography Hygiene for Management, Sprenger. R. A. 1998 (8th Ed) Cleaning, Dillion M, et al Inspirational Supervisor, Shaw J. 1999 FdSc Food manufacture management GMP Course work notes, Dillion M. 2002 Log book Overviews Overviews Part 1: Basic findings from two sections of the manual. Section 1 Structure and Fabrication The factory has a logical process flow and the buildings are of sound construction. All internal factory wall surfaces are panelled with a lowered false ceiling and smooth resin floors. Equipment is industrial food grade standard and appears to be well maintained. A preventative planned maintenance system is in operation and resourced by a competent engineering department. The work wear is situated in a separate clean changing area immediate on entrance to the production area. The pest control is out-sourced to Rentokil (initial services) with no signs of infestation problems to report. OBS 1: The floor is made of an impervious material and when combinations of two immiscible liquids (such as oil and water) mix, it causes some sections of the floor around the fryer area are slippery. Recommendation Review the cleaning schedule for this area to include a protocol stating that the floor in that area is to be cleaned as often as required throughout the production day, in addition to the usual scheduled cleans. Another suggestion would be to use a floor covering/mat to make the area more non-slip. Timescale 30days OBS 2: There was a small pool of standing water around the con-air units during production. Recommendation The long-term goal would be to re-lay/repair that section of floor to provide an adequate slope to provide water run-off into the drainage channels. Action to be taken place in the mean while would be to revise the cleaning schedule to include that the area is to be cleared as often as required throughout the production day. Timescale 90 days OBS 3: There was no steam extraction above the sauce making kettles giving rise to N/C1. N/C1: Evidence was noted by observation and noted, audit checklist ref: GMP Section 1 -ref 1.8.2, that there was the beginnings of mould build up on the ceiling tiles above the sauce kettles. Recommendation Investigate the possible methods of fume extraction best suited to the needs of the task. Possible installation of an extractor cowling. Action that can be introduced quickly is that a revision of the cleaning schedule to include weekly/fortnightly/ or as required cleaning to be undertaken in that area using a detergent with mould growth inhibitor. Timescale 90days Section 2 Storage Facilities Storage or R.M, WIP, finished goods, packaging and tainting elements are well segregated with observed codes of practice to prevent cross contamination. Products are coded to allow stock rotation on a FIFO basis and the stock levels that are kept on site are kept to a minimum. There are no contractual off-site storage facilities used. Products are released on the basis of on-line QC testing. Procedures are in place regarding damaged or defective goods segregation and disposal. OBS 1: Only visual checks are made of the contracted out logistics companys vehicles. Recommendation Revise an audit schedule to visit their head office so as to not only audit the vehicles used for the transportation of goods, but also to review the company policies and procedures regarding GMP practices. Timescale 90days Part 2: Area to improve. The area of greatest need is management control, especially in relation to motivation of staffs and inter-departmental communication. A highly motivated workforce can increase the potential output efficiency greatly, without the need for costly capital expenditure. Poor communication is the catalyst for future problems John Shaw, Business consultant The vast majority of problems within the workplace arise due to the lack of or inadequate communication between colleagues. All members of the organisation must develop their verbal and written skills to allow for ease of dialogue between the two parties. Regular dialogue is essential for the pooling together of ideas and suggestions that helps to minimise problems and help to achieve the company objectives. Employees must be able to interpret management edicts and be able to pass on these instructions to other staffs clearly and concisely in order to achieve peak performance. One opinion that might be made is that the companys impersonal uses of memos are substituting important meetings that would be held to discuss some of the key issues. By conducting regular meetings to open up a dialogue for discussion, it would help to eliminate any confusion that might have arisen because of their own interpretation of what is trying to be stressed in the communiquà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. By opening a dialogue between colleagues, it helps to make them feel a part of the team because they are being consulted and being offered to stress their opinions and grievances. During the meetings, it lets the individual know exactly what is being expected of them to do, with little chance for error. Once the individual knows the parameters in which they are expected to perform, and then the individual has some attainable guidelines on how to conduct him or herself around the workplace. Being made part of a team is one essential tool in the motivation of staffs. By including their opinions within any debate, it helps to raise that persons self-esteem. Once a person begins to become motivated, it often leads to greater job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is a combination of hard work and competence. Employees who reflect pride in their work are an infectious source of inspiration to others. This can be seen again in persons whom take personal pride and lead by example. Motivation is a key component to modern businesses. Staffs should take every opportunity to motivate others constantly. One way to encourage your staff is to let them know what is required of them by defining the days objectives. Use of praise and encouragement inspire maximum performance from an individual from a few choice words or phrases. Where an individual or team needs berating if they have made a mistake, remain calm and resolve the problem through constructive criticism. This is where the situation is given an explanation of what went wrong, gentle words to re-enforce the need that it does not re-occur, and gives further guidance on how it can be avoided in the future. It is imperative that if it is an individual involved, then take them to one side to discipline them. This way you are not undermining them and therefore their personal dignity is maintained. Another critical instruction is not to overreact to minor problems. Destructive and unwarranted criticism is harmful to morale and can easily sweep across a work force. It is also a good idea to be receptive to reasonable grievances that they might have and suggestions that they might make. Motivation encourages individuals and teams to continually achieve the companys goals through sustained peak performance. Part 3 Cleaning and the Law Cleaning plays a fundamental part of food hygiene. It is pivotal in preventing contamination of both microbiological and chemical, but it also helps to make the indicator signs of pest infestation easier to spot. All cleaning comprises of four factors: * Heat * Mechanical energy * Chemical energy * Contact time Cleaning is usually a five stage process (although not exclusively). 1) Pre-clean 2) Main clean 3) Rinse 4) Disinfect 5) Final rinse 6) Drying The relative energy and time components of a cleaning programme can differ greatly. This is all dependants on the load of soil age, the chemical properties of the cleaning agent, and the surface to be cleaned. Staffs should receive clear concise instruction on how to correctly conduct the cleaning schedule. The chemicals used within this factory are as follows: Chemical Action Fatsolve Surfactant degreasing detergent Bleach Hypochlorite based disinfectant Sparkle Surfactant degreasing detergent Acid foam Acidic de-scaler Caustic floor cleaner Alkaline (NaOH) floor cleaner Caustic pearls Alkaline (NaOH) fryer cleaner Tego 2001 Biocidal disinfectant/detergent combination All staffs that will be handling these products for use in hygiene must receive full training and monitored for competency and efficiency. All of these products must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to protect the employee whom is to be using these chemicals. This Act states specific legislation to include: The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regs, 1994 (SI. 1994 No. 3246) (COSHH) These regulations require employers to assess the hazards and provide suitable controls. Implementation is by means of risk assessment. COSHH is concerned with chemicals that can be classified as toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant. All of the products used within the body of the factory are supplied with all COSHH safety sheets and are filed in the technical department. Each of these products is mentioned in the company HACCP plan to include the risk assessment of these products. Chemicals (Hazards, Information Packaging) Regs, 1993 (CHIP) Again, this states that all chemicals sold must be supplied with a COSHH safety sheet provided for the purchaser by the supplier. This must include detailed information about the product, its hazard classification under CHIP regulations. It is also prohibited to decant harmful chemicals into unmarked containers. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work Regs, 1992 These regulations enforce the employer to provide all necessary PPE required for a specific task so as to minimise the health and safety risks that the employees might be subjected to. There are several good reasons why effective cleaning is so important besides those mentioned earlier: * It creates a good visual impression for both workers and visitors alike giving a sense that the business cares. * Helps to maximise the efficiency and costing of several types of products. For example, if a sauce is left to build up deposits, then it would restrict the diameter of the pipe work, making the motor have to run harder to pump product through, thus reducing the lifetime of that component. Its also helps to reduce wastege * Legal obligations. It is that final point which needs further explaining. The food safety Act, 1990 This law makes it an offence to contaminate food so that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be used for human consumption in its current state. It also states that a food proprietor and staffs must identify all steps that are critical to food safety and minimise those risks. This is further backed up by the Food Safety (GFH) Regs, 1995 This states: * Premises must be kept clean, designed to facilitate cleaning, and to protect against the accumulation of dirt. * Make it a requirement for all food business proprietors to identify any step in activities of the business which is critical to food safety, and to introduce restrictive controls at those points identified. This law allows an enforcement officer to raise a non-conformance on the actual presence of dirt, and does not have to prove that that soilage poses a risk to health There is a clear legal and moral obligation that wherever there is a risk to food, a business proprietor must ensure that the working premises are kept clean so as to minimise the risks to public health. These responsibilities must be stressed to all employees not only in their induction period, but also sporadically throughout their employment. Part 4: PEST in relation to OEE During the course of this audit, an OEE analysis was conducted on one of the production lines (See OEE exercise workbook). The aim of GMP is to improve the manufacturing performance, and by using OEE calculations it is possible to gain a quantifiable index of performance. Using the precepts behind GMP it is possible to identify areas that could benefit from improvement so as to improve production performance. The identification of the seven wastes which are the non-value added and also the value added sections of a production period are vital. It is the main objective to reduce the first, and increase the latter. With regards to the production run that was studied several strategies can be entertained to help to minimise waste due to the above mentioned wastes. Firstly, fish cakes are products that produce only small amounts of waste due to the fact that defects can often be re-worked during the same production run. Defect cores can be removed from the line by operatives and then deposited back in the koppens former to be re-moulded into another cake. Reducing the throughput can often help reduce the rejects levels. Running at just a few strokes under the maximum for the line might make it more cost effective to reduce the throughput by a minimal amount in order to dramatically decrease the amount of reject product. By doing this the right first time figure could increase to raise overall production efficiency. If speed is the overriding factor, i.e. the faster the speed, the higher the defect rate, then just by reducing the stroke rate of the machine, the amount of over-processing required would be reduced. If however speed were not the decisive factor, then an investigation of the machines capabilities would have to be reviewed, and if it cannot be removed, then do you accept this defect level caused by the machine, or do you evaluate the possibility of purchasing a more efficient piece of kit? With regards to the machine that is in place, the Koppens former is approximately 10-15yrs old and forms cakes by using hydraulic cups and a forming plate. Over the years the maximum output of the machine has dropped by approximately 25% from the max of 40s/m to now 30s/m. Would it be better to buy a new piece of kit. Perhaps the purchasing an AEW forming machine? Unfortunately these are costly pieces of kit. Costing in the range of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250K. This is a large prohibiting factor in an SME of the size of the company in question, with their limited financial resources. In order to justify a capital expenditure of that magnitude, a significant order would have to be procured to allow for the required payback period to make it a cost effective purchase. It is almost chicken and egg scenario. With a new piece of machinery of this nature the potential for increased throughput of not only this line, but also of others would rise significantly, but monies or orders to cover payback periods would have to be secured before capital expenditure is considered. It is a difficult political climate with retail customers at present. More and more of the major multiples only issue contracts for periods of usually a year (although there has recently been a downward trend to decrease these to six monthly). So a guarantee off continued business is not certain, which prohibits the purchase of the new machinery. The small margins also affect the staff efficiency and retention (thus quality). Because margins are tight, only a small amount on the top of national minimum wage can be applied. This can limit not only the response to job advertisements, but also with staff retention and loyalty. With a higher staff turnover, the quality of staffs employed often reduces, thus affecting the throughputs and efficiencies of the lines. This interplay of factors is what has to be investigated further upon before resolutions can be found. Identification is just the first step in an overall improvement plan. Appendix 1: Summary Sheets GMP Audit Material Enclosed in this booklet are copies of the audit checklists that you can use to audit your site against each element of GMP. You should aim to audit 2 elements of the standard each week and use the techniques discussed in week 1 on problem solving to objectively assess each element of the standard. If you wish to discuss any elements in more detail then contact one of the tutors on the course who will be able to help you clarify any problems or issues that you may have. IMPORTANT You will need to copy the food safety and hygiene audit assessment form each week, as you will need to use this to summarize for each assignment. Using the Sample Assessment Forms for the 10 sections of Good Manufacturing Practice identify: 1. Areas of Strength and Weakness for the GMP sections for your own plant or operation, using the checklists provided. 2. The causes of problems which are inherent with the areas of weakness 3. The barriers and aids which will effect the improvement process 4. Prioritise the actions needed to improve your Good Manufacturing Practice needs, using the assessment forms, which should be included within your weekly assignment. A grading system has been given on each checklist. You may use this grading system to help you to assess your factory, but feel free to modify this. If you do modify the system then you should explain, quite clearly, how the grading or scoring system is used. Key to the ABCD grading system for assessing the sections and elements of the GMP standard: Grade A Excellent Scores 50 points. Grade A scored when there are no safety problems or issues. Requires no further action. Grade B Satisfactory Scores 30 points. Actionable within defined timescale as agreed at audit. Grade C Major Scores 10 points. Actionable within one working week. Grade D Critical Scores 0 points. A Grade D is automatically awarded when a critical safety issue is identified, and is actionable immediately.