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

Plagiarism - Essay Example In simple terms, the use of another person’s work without giving due acknowledge to the source constitutes plagiarism. The first step towards avoiding plagiarism is to admit that adhering to the strategies for avoiding plagiarism makes a person no less of a great writer. The following paragraphs of the essay are used to lay out how students can strategized their writing to avoid cases and instances of plagiarism in a wake of an era when plagiarism is gaining more and prominence throughout universities in the world. Strategies for avoiding Plagiarism One of the first strategies to avoiding plagiarism is to identify the appropriate mechanism instituted in the selection of a group of words belonging to another person. By academic provisions, a student is expected to either paraphrase a group of words belonging to another person or bring quotation marks when the words are taken verbatim (University of Michigan’s Scholarly Publishing Office, 2006). ... An example can be cited with the same example above to read as ‘plagiarism remains a critical component of academic dishonesty’. From the structure of the paraphrased sentence, it can be seen that the central theme of the original message is maintained while keeping about the same number of words. It is in light of this that the Durkin University (2012) states that â€Å"a paraphrase is the rephrasing of a short passage from a text, in about the same number of words.† The next strategy to paraphrasing and using quotations is much related to paraphrasing and using quotation and this has to do with using in-text citation. In-text citation simply refers to a provision whereby the writer states the name of the original owner of any quotation or paraphrase made Durkin University (2012). In most jurisdictions, it is expected that the writer will also state the date of publication of the said source. The general idea behind in-text citation is therefore for the writer to state the name of original owner and the date of publication. However, depending on the referencing format or style being used by the writer, there are difference ways in which in-text citations will be made. Some of the referencing styles are APA, Harvard and Oxford. It is very important for a student who wants to avoid problems with plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty to have a fairer idea of how to use in-text citation for the different referencing styles. In a typical APA referencing style, a write who indicates the name of original owner and date before the quotation or paraphrase will be expected to write the surname of the owner and put the date in parenthesis. Example is Gardener (2011). If the source is an institution, it is expected that the

Assessment Methods Essay Example for Free

Assessment Methods Essay What is assessment? Black and William (1998) declare that the term assessment is generally used to refer to all activities teachers use to help students learn and to gauge student progress. There are many different forms of assessment, however they can generally be divided into two main categories; formative and summative which can be formal or informal. Formative assessment focuses on the gap between where a learner is in their learning, and where they need to be. Marshall (2006) states that formative assessment gives you more flexibility, your assessments can focus on the individual needs of your learners. Formative assessment is usually carried out during the learning process and is a form of giving feedback to the learner, in order for them to understand how they are progressing and to identify areas that may require further attention and what they need to do to achieve the learning outcome. Summative Assessment on the other hand tends to be a formal measuring of the learning and focuses on the achievements of the learner at a particular time. This could be at the end of a term or at the end of a particular program of study. It is generally used to identify if the learner has achieved a level of competence and/or knowledge. Summative assessments can take the form of test, exams Practical, oral or written, the individual is usually given a score which can result in a pass or fail. Assessments can be Objective or Subjective. When assessments are objective, the questions asked have a single correct answer; these questions can take the form of multiple choice or true and false answers. When assessments are subjective, the questions asked may have more than one answer and can take the form of a written response such as an essay. There are also criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments. A criteria-referenced assessment measures what a learner can actually do (their competence) and it is measured against a set standard, an example of this is the current driving test. Whereas, norm-measured assessment compares learners one against each other, an example being the IQ test. As a teacher in my teaching practice I use a variety of assessment processes. I use criteria based formative assessment in the skills-based Basic First Aid course; learners are expected to be able to perform effective CPR and to be deemed competent they are measured against a set criteria defined by the Resuscitation council and Health Safety Executive regulations. I use observation to measure whether they meet these criteria. However the assessment required for the First Aid at Work course, which is more in depth, requires a summative assessment, which takes the form of objective questioning to ascertain if the learner has gained clearly defined knowledge base and a practical skill test to ascertain if the learner is able to perform effective first aid. This assessment is a defined pass or fail. All learners on our NVQ program are measured by performance criteria which define the context for assessment laid down by the accrediting bodies, and both formative and summative criteria-based assessments are used. This allows the assessor to give students feedback on their development and on areas that may require further attention and also to observe when they have reached occupational competency. All assessment processes must first start with an initial assessment. Black and William (1998) suggest that this initial assessment (for learning) focuses on the gap between where a learner is in their learning, and where they need to be. This assessment is a good starting point to discover what skills your learner has and to direct them to the next stage. I carry out an initial assessment on candidates undertaking NVQ training. This is used as a tool to develop an individual learning plan for them. During this assessment process we would ask the candidates to complete different forms and questionnaires in order to gather the information for their plan. This would include a numeracy and literacy test to judge their level of skills and to ascertain if they will need to be referred for extra help and a learning styles questionnaire so that we can tailor any training towards their preferred learning style. Initial assessment can also be used informally at the beginning of a course as a tool to establish learners existing knowledge and expectations. This information can be used to bias the teaching towards the needs of the learners and also focus the learning towards the learners’ expectations. Other types of assessment can be used to judge whether a learner has made progress such as self-assessment. This is where the student reflects upon their own progress and assesses their own development and achievements made during their learning journey; or it can be a peer-assessment, where the learners peers (who are on the same learning journey) assess the learners developments and achievements through observation of their practice during the journey; or third party, which is where another person not on the learning journey, assesses the learners progress by examining how they have put the knowledge/ skills they have learnt into practice, (these would be a supervisor or manager). Assessment can occur in a number of ways including observation, watching and evaluating the learners progress which works well for practical skills-based courses; written questions to gain an understanding of the learners knowledge in their own words, although this can discriminate against those whose written English skills are less developed; Multiple Choice questionnaires, again this is to assess their understanding of the taught material, and ensures equal opportunities for everyone as it is suitable for those who may be concerned about their writing / spelling or who may be nervous. Please see assignment 8. 3. 6 record keeping in regard to assessment record keeping. REFERENCES Black, Paul, William, Dylan (October 1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Beta Kappan. Available at http://www. pdkintl. org/kappan/kbla9810. htm. Marshall B. (2006) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector BTEC Level 3 Edexcel Limited London (page 81) Wikipedia (2009) Assessment (online) available at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Assessment accessed on 11/12 Oct 09Ã'Ž

A Liberal Arts Education :: essays research papers

A Liberal Arts Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction. This universal education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects. The students can observe the strengths and capabilities, as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows the students to find connections between diverse fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories, thoughts, or inventions. It allows the students to investigate areas of intrigue and create new fields of study by blending subjects that compliment each other. With these new inventions, discoveries, ideas, and new methods of problem solving, society will advance in a positive direction. Standards of living will rise with these inventions and discoveries, making society more productive and more capable of controlling its surroundings. New thoughts and theories will give insight to those who desire meaning and understanding of concepts. A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields and subjects allowing students to create new theories, inventions, and connections between fields. With this foundation, great thinkers can build and expand from what others have learned rather than wasting time and effort on what has already been discovered. While it is true that the factual information about each subject is very important, the most useful tool liberal arts students can possess is the knowledge of the strengths and capabilities of each individual field, as well as the weaknesses and restrictions. With this knowledge, the students can mesh attributes of different subjects to formulate new and more brilliant concepts; the brilliance being a function of the strengths and compatibility of the chosen subjects. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by mixing different colors. The brilliance of this new color depends on the shades and hues of the colors used to create it. The same is true for education. The resulting idea or innovation is a function of the aptness and compatibility of the subjects meshed to create it. For example, the invention of the transistor, one of the most important electronic devices, was developed by a team of research specialists. Specialized mathematicians, scientists, physicists, and engineers all worked together to find a quicker, more efficient way to process the overload of telephone calls. The leaders of this research team had to be highly educated in every one of those fields of study, as well as language. They had to practically translate the technical terms of each field to the other team members so each one understood the A Liberal Arts Education :: essays research papers A Liberal Arts Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction. This universal education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects. The students can observe the strengths and capabilities, as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows the students to find connections between diverse fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories, thoughts, or inventions. It allows the students to investigate areas of intrigue and create new fields of study by blending subjects that compliment each other. With these new inventions, discoveries, ideas, and new methods of problem solving, society will advance in a positive direction. Standards of living will rise with these inventions and discoveries, making society more productive and more capable of controlling its surroundings. New thoughts and theories will give insight to those who desire meaning and understanding of concepts. A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields and subjects allowing students to create new theories, inventions, and connections between fields. With this foundation, great thinkers can build and expand from what others have learned rather than wasting time and effort on what has already been discovered. While it is true that the factual information about each subject is very important, the most useful tool liberal arts students can possess is the knowledge of the strengths and capabilities of each individual field, as well as the weaknesses and restrictions. With this knowledge, the students can mesh attributes of different subjects to formulate new and more brilliant concepts; the brilliance being a function of the strengths and compatibility of the chosen subjects. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by mixing different colors. The brilliance of this new color depends on the shades and hues of the colors used to create it. The same is true for education. The resulting idea or innovation is a function of the aptness and compatibility of the subjects meshed to create it. For example, the invention of the transistor, one of the most important electronic devices, was developed by a team of research specialists. Specialized mathematicians, scientists, physicists, and engineers all worked together to find a quicker, more efficient way to process the overload of telephone calls. The leaders of this research team had to be highly educated in every one of those fields of study, as well as language. They had to practically translate the technical terms of each field to the other team members so each one understood the

Gender Studies :: essays research papers

Gender Studies My decision to take the extracts from literary discourse to illustrate the differences between the male and female manner of writing was dictated by the fact that it is more interesting to search for such differences in this very discourse, then in scientific or newspaper, where there are strict rules of how to write (non-personal narration, non-emotiveness, usage of terms; laconic phrases, etc.) In literary discourse one may write whatever one wishes. (Jane Austen. Pride Prejudice) After a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, might be alleviated on his side, by preparations for the reception of his bride; as he had reason to hope, that shortly after his next return into the Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter for thanks. (F. Scott Fitzgelald. Tender is the Night) Rosemary had another dinner date, a birthday party for a member of the company. Dick ran into a Collis Clay in the lobby, but he wanted to dine alone and pretended an engagement at the Excelsior. He drank a cocktail with Collis and his vague dissatisfaction crystallized as impatience – he no longer had an excuse for playing truant to the clinic. This was less an infatuation than a romantic memory. Nicole was his girl – too often he was sick at heart about her, yet she was his girl. Time with Rosemary was self-indulgence – time with Collis was nothing plus nothing. Already from the structure of the passage it is visible which passage was written by a woman and which by a man. Austen writes the events without any consequence, together with her thoughts and comments, whereas Fitzgerald, by contrast, enumerates the events in strict consecutive order. In addition, Austen uses more emotional and subjective adjectives to describe people and their state. It was counted that the female author uses verbs almost half less then the male author does (7:13). In the domain of punctuation, the gender differences are the most conspicuous: Jane Austen tends to the idiosyncratic usage of semi-columns; she does not use dashes in the given passage, whereas F. Scott Fitzgelald uses three dashes (as the indicator of reason-result understanding of events; ٭he prefers to explain the human behavior using a dash) and not a single semi-column.

Article Review Essay

Conducting their study as the transitional funding attached to the peace process in Northern Ireland is reaching its end, the authors examine the role of aid in conflict resolution particularly with regards to intangible outcomes such as identity formation. The idea behind this funding is that it reduces economic disparities between the conflicting groups and that the economic growth started by this funding will continue into the future. These funds come from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), which addressed unemployment and poverty in Republican / Loyalist communities; the Peace I funds, which promoted social inclusion, cross-community contact, and economic development; and the Peace II funds (ended in 2006), which had similar goals to Peace I but targeted local, grassroots (nongovernmental) organizations. The authors also consider the role of external agencies as they intervene in ethnopolitical conflict and the importance of community development in the peace process. The authors are careful to note that economic aid is not a magic cure for conflict as this aid, if improperly administered, can at times heighten underlying conflicts. Indeed, in Northern Ireland, the approach has had mixed results. In designing their study, the authors took both a qualitative and quantitative approach. For the qualitative portion, the authors interviewed 98 community leaders, civil servants, and development officers from Belfast, Londonderry/Derry, and the Border region (Northern Ireland). These interviews consisted of semi-structured questions, including those attached to the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale: â€Å"What are your best wishes and hopes for your personal future? What are your worst fears and worries about your personal future? What are your best wishes and hopes for the future of your country? What are your worst fears and worries about the future of your country? † (page 166). The quantitative data was drawn from the summer 2006 Northern Ireland Public Opining Survey. The sample consisted of 1,023 adults representative of Northern Ireland’s adult population. The study as a whole was designed to look at the respondents hopes and fears about Northern Ireland’s future. Through the inclusion of qualitative data, the authors hoped to demarginalize voices that are often not heard in the official discourses of the peace process. This study yielded numerous tantalizing findings. First, the authors found that more Nationalists than Unionists imagine a future where conflicting groups are able to perceive a sense of shared community. Second, the authors found differences based on gender: more females than males saw the opportunity for building new relationships amongst communities in the future. Third, the authors found two common fears / concerns that extend across religions, genders, and ages: the fear that violence in changing the social fabric of Northern Ireland and the belief that politicians are disingenuous and not interested in serving the needs of their constituency. Fourth, the authors found that more Nationalists than Unionists saw the modernization of the economy and the political structure as means by which to support the peace process. Finally, the authors found that younger adults were more concerned about the potential failure of the peace process and the economy than older adults The authors consider numerous theories about identity formation. In designing their study, they took into consideration geographic differences in identity formation: i. e. Londonderry/Derry vs. Belfast and urban vs. rural locations. They also consider how the Irish view immigration and the infiltration of outside values. In general, this article is not convincing. Its primary strength is the detailed background to the conflicts in Northern Ireland, with a focus on the economic causes and effects of this conflict. This strength does not mitigate the effects of the article’s numerous weaknesses. First, the authors do not explicitly state their hypothesis. While exploratory studies such as this one can potentially reveal valuable information, the authors nowhere state the reasons behind the study. When questions such as identity formation are being explored, the readers need to know the authors’ relationship to the issue. For example, are the authors somehow involved in this ethnopolitical conflict? Or, are they looking at it from the perspective of an outsider? If they are outsiders, does their perspective have a bearing on how the respondents answer their questions? Second, the authors explicitly state that they wish to demarginalize those voices that are not typically heard in the official peace process discourse. However, in selecting the respondents for the qualitative portion of the study, the authors chose community leaders, civil servants, and development officers. It would seem that these are precisely the voices that are heard in the official discourse. Readers are left to wonder why the authors did not include a more representative sample of the population of Northern Ireland for this portion of the study. Third, this does not seem to be a study that was designed specifically to answer certain questions. As noted, the authors nowhere state a hypothesis. For the reader, it appears that the quantitative and qualitative data seems to have been mixed together ad hoc. In other words, the study does not seem to be designed to fit a specific question. Rather, the authors appear to have attempted to answer questions based on the information they had at hand. Fourth, as the basis for this study was largely to examine economic role of the peace process, it seems like a gross oversight that the authors did not provide data on their respondents’ demographics. In the discussion section, the authors indicate that they collected background demographic information (political party, religious views, age, gender, socioeconomic status) on the respondents, but this information was not included in the results section and does not appear to have been considered in any significant way. Finally, the analysis of the qualitative data seems a bit lacking. It would perhaps have been stronger to indentify the common themes and subthemes of the responses, rather than using the responses as illustrative examples. Because of these specific weakness as well as the authors’ failure to mention the limitations of their study and to provide specific recommendations for how their results can be used to generate future studies and/or to impact the peace process, this article is not convincing.

The Imposition of Democracy in Iraq essays

The Imposition of Democracy in Iraq essays In the wake of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the world is faced with an arduous task. After the removal of a totalitarian regime that has suppressed the Iraqi people for decades, a new government must be created in Iraq. This task is a difficult one for several reasons, but perhaps the largest is because of the challenge that is present in attempting to instill democracy in a nation which has never truly experienced it, and thus has no existing infrastructure which has the capacity to support democracy. Not only this, but one must take into account that the Iraqi people have no concept for an identity as a free, democratic nation. After being repressed for such a substantial amount of time, they will most likely face great difficulty in discovering ways to best utilize their freedom for the prosperity of the people of Iraq. Nevertheless, one must hope that a democratic system will be able to survive and prosper. Despite the initial difficulties which may arise, a democracy is the best co urse of action because it will create an economically sound environment in the long run. The economy will bloom under a non-authoritarian rule. Democracy will let the free market do its work, and with the guidance of political institutions, create a nation which is prosperous and free. Freedom and democracy have historically depended upon the strength of the bourgeoisie (merchant middle class) within a given society. According to Barrington Moore, a strong bourgeoisie has been extremely pivotal in the creation of successful democratic systems. Moore uses three categories of criteria to classify the strength of the bourgeoisie in a society (Moore 1966). The first depends upon the form of commercial agriculture a nation uses. Currently, Iraqs system of commercial agriculture (post-Saddam) is market-based, which according to Moore is conducive to democracy. Next Moore looks at the strength (commercial impulse/interests) of the bourgeoisie. In Iraq, t...

The Definition of Inflection

The Definition of Inflection Definition of Inflection The change in the form of a word to indicate a change in its grammatical usage. In both English and Spanish, a noun can be inflected to indicate a change in number (that is, to indicate whether it is singular or plural) or gender (although changes in gender are unusual in English). In both languages,  conjugation  is the inflection of verbs to indicate tense, mood,  and  person. In Spanish, adjectives are inflected to indicate gender and number. The inflection can take the form of a prefix,  a suffix, a change in the word ending or beginning, or a change in the way the word root is formed. (In both English and Spanish, prefixes arent used for inflection, although they can change the meanings of words.)  In both languages, the suffix and changed word ending are the most common inflections. For example, both languages typically add an -s or -es to indicate that a word is plural, and Spanish frequently changes word endings to indicate gender. Similarly, both languages can add a suffix or change the word ending to indicate verb tenses (although English does so only for the past tense). In both languages, changes in the root word are also used in some irregular verbs. For example, the difference in tense can be seen in changing I go to I went, the same as the corresponding Spanish term,  voy,  changes to  fui  to indicate the change in tense. Greek and Russian are examples of highly inflected languages. Spanish is moderately inflected, more so than English, but not as much as Greek or Russian. Chinese is an example of a language that has little inflection. In general, word order tends to be more important in languages that have more inflection. You can see how this plays out in English and Spanish: Spanish, the more inflected language, also requires more attention to word order. There is also a second meaning for inflection. It can refer to how words are stressed or given tone. For example, a question is often inflected in raising the tone at the end of a sentence. Inflection is known as either inflexià ³n  (change of voice) or flexià ³n (grammatical change) in Spanish. Examples of Inflection Inflected differences are shown in boldface: Tengo un coche rojo. Tengo dos coches rojos. (I have a red  car. I have two red  cars.) Pablo es actor. Ana es actriz. (Pablo is an actor. Ana is an actress.) Samuel es abogado. Katarina es abogada. (Samuel is a lawyer. Katarina is a lawyer.) Abre la ventana. Le gusta ventanear. (She is opening the window. She likes being by the window.) Soy rico. Si fuera rico, comprarà ­a otro coche. (I am rich. If I were rich, I would buy another car.) Como  carne. Comà ­ la carne. (I eat meat. I ate the meat.) La mujer est  feliz. Las mujeres estn felices. (The woman is happy. The women are happy.) Corre cada dà ­a. Le gusta correr. (He ru ns daily. He likes running.)

INsane or not insane That is the question essays

INsane or not insane That is the question essays Insane Or Not Insane? That Is The Question Some people wonder is Montressor was insane in the short story of The Cask of Amontillado. Well to me, he was. I say this because would a sane man want revenge on a person? Would a sane man want to kill someone in such a slow and painful way? That is the idea that is going to be discussed in this essay. I must not only punish but punish with impunity (p. 149) That line in itself just says that he is not a normal thinking human being. This is when he starts to make out his plan of retribution. During this time, Montressor was careful not to arouse Fortunatos suspicions. ...Neither by word or by deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued...to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation (p. 149). Fortunato had a weakness, which Montressor thought could be good for his implementing his plan. Fortunato prided himself upon being a connoisseur of fine wines. In this respect, they were both equals. So therefore, he knew that he would catch on to the bait and fall into the trap. Montressor knew that Fortunato had been drinking and this was even more of a good thing for him. He had shown his gratitude for finding Fortunato because he had just purchased a large cask of what he thinks in Amontillado, which is a dry sherry. Montressor had his doubts about its authenticity and so didnt Fortunato. Amontillado...Impossible! And in the middle of a carnival! (p. 149). Montressor then told him that he also had his doubts, that he had already paid full price and that he was sorry for not consulting with him first. He then tells Fortunato that he was on the way to Luchesis because he wanted to know its authenticity. That was just a piece of the bait to make Fortunato come into the trap. Fortunato was also placing himself in the trap by suggesting that they go to thei...

To what extent is there a 'global' communications industry Essay

To what extent is there a 'global' communications industry - Essay Example ication, should help to produce a society that does not interact with each other only for manipulative economic and commercial gains, rather help in preserving some vestige of traditional social structure. The traditional telecommunications model, wherein the domestic business houses provide services to domestic customers, has now taken a global perspective whereby systems and organizations are providing services on an international scale. These systems target the global sector bringing in a greater number of customers from centralized communication and data facilities irrespective of the location of the customers served or national boundaries. The transnational nature of such venture poses substantial legal, technical and practical challenges. This paper has two sections where the first section deals with an analytical study of the political economy of communication based on the conceptual tools of Vincent Mosco, a renowned communications researcher. The second section focuses on Internet as a tool for shaping and commercialization of the corporate world together with some inter-related issues highlighting the more pressing concerns. Vincent Mosco’s book on â€Å"The Political Economy of Communication† (1996) provides vital insights into the forces shaping the communication system. His theoretical analysis is based on three social processes: commodification, spatialization and structuration. Mosco defines commodification (1996: 143 – 144) as the process transforming the utility factor of a product into its market value, which is the primary means of converting social values into economic relations. Schiller (1996 a: 18) has reiterated Mosco’s view by applying this idea of exchange of information. He has stated that the innovative ways of producing, organizing and spreading information has a radical impact on industrial, political and cultural processes and practices. The generation of information and its sale has now become sites of profit making which has

Toyota Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Toyota Brand Management - Essay Example Market analyst’s claim that if a company has a strong brands it has low employee turnover and a lower likelihood of losing its customers. The greatest strength of integrated branding is aligning the actions of the company with its strengths. This implies that the brand should reflect the company’s capabilities (Roll 2006, p.56). A second aspect of integrated branding that is beneficial to Toyota is customer preference. A brand driven company has the mechanisms to acquire knowledge about the customers needs. This information enables to produce in regards to the needs of the customer thus making them satisfied. Satisfied customers are loyal to a company, and this leads to significant sales. Brand environmental audit is essential in the branding process is various ways. The company intending to market a product will know the strengths and weaknesses of the target market. The company is also in a position to know the preferences of a market. With this knowledge, the brandin g manager strategizes on the branding process (Aggarwal 2008, p.129). The following is an analysis of the Asian Markets. The strength and the weakness of the Yen can produce strong implications on Toyota’s abilities to make sales. If the yen is strong, it gives citizens purchasing power in foreign commodities. This aspect is crippling to Toyota’s branding strategies as they experience reduced local demand. This is to show that the economic status of the region plays a critical role in determining market specificity. The brand a company intends to market, therefore, must pay attention to the economic situation. In this regard, a marketing manager will be careful not to launch an â€Å"expensive† product during an economic recession. The Economic situation in Asia is as a result of the political instabilities in the region. However, in recent times, the region has stabilized and there is a marked improvement in the economic sector (Bradley 2005, 71). Another impli cation on the Asian markets is the media. The positive or negative light shed by the media can make or build a brand. The Media has immense influence because most youth depend on the media for access to information. Globalization of the Media has wide spread roots in the Asian region. Chinese television programmes are a favourite in the region with more and more Asian countries paying attention to Cantonese pop music. There is also the internet whose advancement in the Asian region is rapid. People share information in chat rooms and social networking. The fun Vii is targets the youth, and Toyota has to ensure that the media gives positive criticism to this regard (Aaker 2011, p.33). The other aspect of the asian markets to consider is regionality. This can work for or against toyota in the sense that people can either prefer local brands or foreign brands. However, in the case of asia, locals, especially men prefer local brands to foreign brands. In comparison to U.S brands, Asia b rands indicate the mother company of a product and the place of the assembly to his effect. Regionality may indicate the popularity of a product peoples acceptance of the product and the priority they give it. Toyota has already established itself in the region, so this is not a likely huddle for them to jump over (Cayla & Eckhardt 2007, p.217). Consumer attitudes are extremely influential in determining trends in the Asian markets. The asian markets are particularly keen on technological advancements. The deep rooted culture of innovation plays a prominent role in the branding techniques and the design of the product. The Asian markets, in view of embracing globalisation, focus on the future prospects and not on the current events. Asian innovations

Aboriginals and the Fur Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aboriginals and the Fur Trade - Essay Example After mixing with the invaders an indigenous culture was created. The Canadian aboriginals survived mostly on the fur trade with the Europeans that enabled them to get iron tools like knives to facilitate hunting and household activities. The ‘made beaver’ was the principal used by the aboriginals in trading since they preferred to bargain over prices. Fur trade in Canada led to the establishment of the oldest industry, Hudson Bay industry, as well as economic exploration of Canada which, in a way, exposed the aboriginal’s way of life to the rest of the civilized world. Some interesting accounts have been written about the history of the aboriginals before 1900 which revolve around their way of life, culture, and even administration. Hearn Samuel, in his journey from Wales in Hudson’s bay to the Northern Ocean in search of copper, accompanies us throughout the journey concerning life of the aboriginals in 1769-1774. Samuel Hearne, born in 1745 and died in 1 792, was an explorer and a naturalist. He undertook three journeys in search of copper and a North West passage. In 1969, his guides were aboriginal Indian home-guards. This journey through the Indians’ land with the participation of Indians as guides highlights some aspects of the Indians way of life. Aspects of Indians way of life: Hearn’s journey in the 18th century taught him a lot about adaptation. He had to adapt to the Indians way of life during his journeys in an experiential way. He learnt that travel was only possible by following buffalo’s migration routes and habits since they were the only source of food available. Hearn’s expedition takes us through various aspects of the aboriginal Indians life in North America, describing how they survived with their rudimentary knowledge and technology. The aboriginal Indians could learn the behavior of animals, for example, migration, and this enabled them to travel without fasting since they hunted anim als like buffaloes, caribou and musk-oxen. Lack of fire made the aboriginal Indians' eating raw musk-oxen a habit, also adopted by Samuel Hearn in order to survive during the snow period when making fire was impossible.1 The Indians small canoes could only be used to cross rivers. This made them (and Hearn too) walk for long distances during their traveling. The Indians were very much used to such exercises. During the third journey when they found copper in July 1771, the Indians who were eager to join their waiting wives turned back. They increased their pace, and this made Herne, who was not accustomed to walking such long distances on foot, lose his toe nails. This is one amazing aspect of life that can be found among the aboriginal Indians: they were used to walking long distances and in harsh conditions. The aboriginal Indians who were traders in fur could undertake such juorneys in order to exchange their wares with others, and they had learnt the seasonal movements of animal s which were their sources of food when traveling.2 The aboriginals' ability to survive inland, as highlighted by Hearn, was due to their knowledge of seasonal animal migrations, use of furs as clothing and their ability to withstand harsh conditions, for instance, fasting a lot or eating raw meat. The aboriginals' rudimentary technology and lack of canoes made trade impossible inland3. This made Samuel Hearn advise the London committee to introduce more posts, which were to involve the natives in an extended usage of canoes in order to be able to advance trade inland. The aboriginal Indians were very vital for the success of trade in Europe. Trade had suffered a lot in September 1873 after the arrest of Hearn. The reason for

Busniess Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Busniess Environment - Essay Example From the Olympic organizing committee Gurgaon-Based Luca Wines is set to toast the London Olympics. This is a good platform for advertisement of the firm considering their products will be supplied in restaurants and hotels. Besides, a public limited firm that will benefit from the London Olympics is the British Airways, which is the aviation transport industry. Many of the athletes are likely to use the reputable airline’s services to and fro the country. Going by the state of economy and the companies that fall in every category, GlaxoSmithKline plc is one of the firms that are set to be affected directly from the London, 2012 Olympics. The firm falls in the manufacturing sector under the pharmaceutical industry. The company produces a variety of products for common ailments such as virus control, infections, mental health, digestive condition and asthma. Notably, in the primary sector firms in the agricultural and fishing industry sector will have a lot to benefit due to th eir sensitivity in terms of food production and supply. The tertiary sector has various firms that will be affected by the London 2012 Olympics. In fact, the banking and other service sectors such as hotel management and hospitality sector. For example, Barclays bank has a lot to benefit from the London Olympics. ... They also include non-profit organizations, which may use it to offer services to the consumers. The cooperative businesses will be directly affected by the games. For example, the Banna Housing Cooperative is one of business that will be affected by the games during the Olympics. In addition, other cooperatives in the financial sector and housing sector are set to be affected directly or indirectly the games. Other Organizations Furthermore, it can be noted that the Olympics will affect other governmental organization and non-governmental organization either directly or indirectly. For instance, environmental agency that is concerned with protection of the environment will be indirectly affected through their duty to ensure a healthy and fresh environment of the participants. Therefore, there are potentials of possible pollution and the accompanying litigations that might occur consequentially. What’s more, some non-governmental organizations are also set to be affected. For instance, UNICEF, which is a non-governmental organization that cares for the rights of children. Various sponsors in relation to cooperate business firms will be involved in the support of the games. Purposes of organizations From the above discussion, it is clear that organizations such as Banna Housing Cooperative have a mission to grow and expand into a bigger firm based on the high demand for housing. The influx of visitors into the famous city calls for provision of shelter. Therefore, the housing sector has a main goal to provide room for everyone with comfort. In provision of good quality homes Banna Housing has intentions to build its reputation to the highest level to better the lives of members. On the other hand, the banking sector has

Create a report analysing two specific strategy tensions of an Essay

Create a report analysing two specific strategy tensions of an organisation of your choice - Essay Example Ever since, they have been leaders in the budget airline but the recent losses and competition in budget airline industry, suggest that the airline needs to rethink its strategy to sustain in the competitive environment. 2.0 Industry Logic or Strategic Choice When firms enter a new market or have to reinvent their strategy, they can either comply with industry norms or make their own strategic choice. If the company has the ability to adapt itself to the environment then it is said to comply with the industry environment. However, if it has the ability to act without regarding the rules of the game, it has made a strategic choice. The business model that a firm pursues can be the â€Å"logic of the firm, the way it operates and how it creates value for its stakeholders† (Baden-Fuller, MacMillan, Demil, and Lecocq cited in Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, 2009). The business models according to the authors operate on two sets of elements – choice made by management in ever y business function (policies, assets and governance) and the consequences of the choice. 3.0 Ryanair – strategic choice Ryanair demonstrates choice over compliance thereby demonstrating industry leadership. Ryanair has demonstrated that it has the ability to act without regarding the rules of the game, thereby suggesting it is capable of making a strategic choice. For instance, its pricing policy (choice) resulted in high sales volume, achieving economies of scale, and it also increased the bargaining power of the firm. Using secondary airports (choice) reduced costs of operation (consequence) and standardized fleet (choice) meant higher bargaining power with suppliers (consequence). Large sales volume is the result of the policy (choice) of low fares. Ryanair has the ability to create a fitting environment and the creation process is controllable. The success of Ryanair lies in its ability to manipulate industry demand. It has amply shown its ability to innovate processes a nd the change the rules of the game. Ryanair has the ability to shape the industry norms at a fast pace. They follow a divergent development path as they constantly innovate or create new design, which according to Baden-Fuller and Stopford (2010) is possible only when the firm has the dynamics to change the rule of the game. 4.0 Dimensions of strategic choice Two core dimensions of strategic choice – value proposition (focus on external customer) and value chain (focus on internal operations) – are linked (Leavy, 2013). Ryanair’s value proposition is clear and distinctive. Ryanair focuses on lowest fare, safety and on time. Because of a distinctive value proposition, Ryanair is able to translate this onto a meaningful strategy. They are thus able to deliver better and faster than its rivals. The value proposition is aimed at not just being different from competitors but to make a difference in the lives of its customers. The firm’s profitability is large ly firm-dependent. Ryanair was one of the most profitable low cost airlines in the market in 2005 (Strategic Direction, 2006) because of the discontinuous innovation which

Busniess Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Busniess Environment - Essay Example From the Olympic organizing committee Gurgaon-Based Luca Wines is set to toast the London Olympics. This is a good platform for advertisement of the firm considering their products will be supplied in restaurants and hotels. Besides, a public limited firm that will benefit from the London Olympics is the British Airways, which is the aviation transport industry. Many of the athletes are likely to use the reputable airline’s services to and fro the country. Going by the state of economy and the companies that fall in every category, GlaxoSmithKline plc is one of the firms that are set to be affected directly from the London, 2012 Olympics. The firm falls in the manufacturing sector under the pharmaceutical industry. The company produces a variety of products for common ailments such as virus control, infections, mental health, digestive condition and asthma. Notably, in the primary sector firms in the agricultural and fishing industry sector will have a lot to benefit due to th eir sensitivity in terms of food production and supply. The tertiary sector has various firms that will be affected by the London 2012 Olympics. In fact, the banking and other service sectors such as hotel management and hospitality sector. For example, Barclays bank has a lot to benefit from the London Olympics. ... They also include non-profit organizations, which may use it to offer services to the consumers. The cooperative businesses will be directly affected by the games. For example, the Banna Housing Cooperative is one of business that will be affected by the games during the Olympics. In addition, other cooperatives in the financial sector and housing sector are set to be affected directly or indirectly the games. Other Organizations Furthermore, it can be noted that the Olympics will affect other governmental organization and non-governmental organization either directly or indirectly. For instance, environmental agency that is concerned with protection of the environment will be indirectly affected through their duty to ensure a healthy and fresh environment of the participants. Therefore, there are potentials of possible pollution and the accompanying litigations that might occur consequentially. What’s more, some non-governmental organizations are also set to be affected. For instance, UNICEF, which is a non-governmental organization that cares for the rights of children. Various sponsors in relation to cooperate business firms will be involved in the support of the games. Purposes of organizations From the above discussion, it is clear that organizations such as Banna Housing Cooperative have a mission to grow and expand into a bigger firm based on the high demand for housing. The influx of visitors into the famous city calls for provision of shelter. Therefore, the housing sector has a main goal to provide room for everyone with comfort. In provision of good quality homes Banna Housing has intentions to build its reputation to the highest level to better the lives of members. On the other hand, the banking sector has

My Neighbor Totoro, Tonari no Totoro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Neighbor Totoro, Tonari no Totoro - Essay Example Mei and Satsuki find that the house is occupied by small animated dust creatures referred to as susuwatari (Kjolseth 1). These are dark, small, dust-like home-spirits seen when shifting from bright to dark areas. Such beliefs, according to research, were thought to exist mostly in the mid 90’s in Japan (Kjolseth 1). The time period, hence, leaves this film to be focused around the mid 90’s. Signs of worship or an element of Shintoism, can be viewed in details such as the paper ribbon rope on Totoros tree and Shimenawa rice straw (Kjolseth 1). They signify that the land is sacred. The audience can also spot a neglected Shinto shrine beneath the camphor tree, as well as a Torii Shinto shrine gateway, at the entrance to a hill. Furthermore, enhancing the naturalistic elements of the movie is Hisaishis work on incorporating these shrines. They show how Japan used to be a holy place back then (Kjolseth 1). Some of the crucial themes incorporated in Miyazaki’s film are Environmentalism, Flight, Children and childhood, as well as Water. Flight, in particular human flight, is a habitual theme in My Neighbor Totoro (Kjolseth 1). The director thinks of flight as a type of freedom from gravity. In My Neighbor Totoro, with regards to Environmentalism, people interact with large tree tops where tiny mysterious creatures live. People use these trees as worship points. Water is also a constant theme in antagonism to the Ascension representation of flight. Critics, after the film was released, recognized Totoro as one of the best cartoon actors, describing the being as both awe-inspiring and innocent. This more than what was established in Japan’s film industry as the director brought in new things (Kjolseth 1). King Totoro captures the magic of childhood and innocence more than any of Miyazakis other supernatural creations. The director recognized the main

Management Essay Example for Free

Management Essay Essay Title: Suggest ways in which managers can choose to manage diversity in the workplace. Illustrate with examples from organisational practice. Gilmore, Williams et al, 2009. Human Resource Management. New York: Oxford University. Summary This book not only describes the knowledge of human resource management (HRM) but also illustrates numerous interesting examples with further discussion, such as discussion questions and case study that link the theories and practices. In chapter 11, it mainly discusses the equality, diversity, and dignity at work with real cases, it also provides the background of diversity and the main pieces of UK equality laws. Authority The book was written by Sarah Gilmore and Steve Williams. They are two principal lecturers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. Dr. Gilmore’s research interests are HRM, training and development and psychoanalysis. In addition, Dr. Williams co-authored Human Resource Management and other three books. For instance, Contemporary Employment Relations: a Critical Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, 2010). Two authors both have academic background and relate in those fields. Currency The book was published in 2009. It is current enough for my research. Accuracy This book includes abundant references, it not only states the knowledge of theoretical side but also provides practical aspects such as the real case of Tesco. On the other hand, this book have many information related the Internet sources that would be lower reliable than other information. Readership Managers would read it because it would help readers to improve the knowledge about this field. Relevance The information about the UK equality law is vital important for my research. It completed my whole picture of essay. Due to, in my research the legislation is a main element to reduce the discriminations in the workplace.

The circumstances of the incident

The circumstances of the incident The circumstances of the incident The incident took place on Ward X during an early shift. During this shift, there were 30 patients on the ward, in four six bedded bays and six side rooms. During the early shift, Mrs J was seen on the ward round and was discharged by the medical team. Mrs J had had a laparascopic cholecystectomy five days previously, but had developed pneumonia in the postoperative period and therefore had been on the ward much longer than had been anticipated. Mrs J was a 58 year old semi-retired librarian with a history of hypertension treated with antihypertensive medication. During this morning shift, the staff nurse, Nurse M, looking after all the patients in Mrs Js bay, was asked to discharge Mrs J by the medical team, and Mrs J was very relieved, and called her daughter and son in law to pick her up ‘after lunch. Mrs J needed medications to take away (TTAs), and needed her discharge paperwork completing, and her community nurse needed to be informed to attend her at home the following day. Nurse M had two other patients to discharge that day, and had to provide care for three other patients, two of whom had had surgery the previous day. Nurse M carried out the medication round in her bay at 8 am and at 2pm. At four pm Mrs Js daughter approached me to ask why her mother had not been discharged yet. She was considerably distressed, as her mothers stay in hospital had been much longer than anticipated. The perceived delay in her discharge had upset the patient and her family. Nurse M stated that she had started the discharge but been too busy to complete it during her shift. She therefore handed over the discharge to the afternoon shift nurse, Nurse F. Mrs J was discharged at 6pm. The next day, her daughter telephoned the ward to complain that Mrs J was discharged without her anti-hypertensive medication. The actions taken As the ward manager, I spoke to the patients daughter and apologised for the discharge taking so long, and for the failure to provide essential medication to take home. I spoke to Mrs J and to the community nurse, Nurse P, in order to ascertain whether there had been any adverse effects on the patients condition. Mrs Js daughter had visited the GP the following morning and obtained a replacement prescription, and so Mrs J missed only one dose, and one delayed dose of her antihypertensive medication. No adverse impact had been identified. Following this incident, I reviewed the case notes of Mrs J, and all the patients in B Bay on Ward X, to ensure that there had been no other oversights or omissions. I reviewed the discharge documentation for the second patient discharged that day, Miss T, and found that all was in order. A review of the discharge notes for Mrs J showed that the TTA prescription had not included the antihypertensive medication. The staff involved Nurse M, a Band 5 nurse with 3 years experience. Nurse F, a Band 5 nurse who joined the ward 3 months previously. The ward manager, a Band 7 nurse. Nursing Assistant L, a trained HCA with eight years experience on this ward. The patients involved Mrs J, a patient recovery from healthcare associated pneumonia after a laparascopic cholecystecomy. Five other patients in B Bay on Ward X: Mrs T, Miss S, Mrs L, and Ms K. Other important aspects and considerations that you consider necessary The ward was full that day, and there was one member of staff missing for part of the morning shift, due to sickness. The omission in the medication order can be localised to the Senior House Officer who signed the TTA request, but Nurse M should also have identified that the medication was missing, either at the time of completing the form. Nurse F should have identified the omission when she checked the medication with the patient at the time of discharge. Both nurses were questioned and given a verbal reprimand. B) Essay As a ward manager, observing the behaviours of staff working together within a ward team, I have often noticed that the discharges which are ordered at the time of the ward round early in the morning are often not completed until the evening, even when the discharge is relatively uncomplicated. I have also noticed that this reflects other aspects of care, where staff do not seem to be working particularly quickly or efficiently. In this situation, the behaviours of staff seemed to indicate on first analysis that staff were overworked and that this omission occurred because of pressure on staff. However, this author also identified other issues which were contributing to the situation. The first was that I noticed how staff had fallen into particular behavioural patterns during the early shift, which meant that they often left discharges to be completed by the afternoon staff. It seemed that certain staff tended to fall into this pattern, and to fall into particular routines in which they slowed down at certain times during the shift. I noted as well that there were a particular sub group of nursing staff that behaved like this, and that there was a divide between some staff and those who supported them, such as the HCAs. For example, Nurse M and HCA L did not seem to work well together, and I noted that Nurse M had addressed this by simply not delegating too much to the HCA. This situation seems to indicate that not only is good management and leadership needed in order to address what seems to be an issue of staff behaviours, but also good leadership in relation to team working, warranting an analysis and examination of team working. It became apparent that as the ward manager I would need to use the position of team leader to destabilise the ingrained patterns of work behaviour and break up old alliances which might be impeding effective teamworking. The conclusion reached was that this was not simply a case of finding fault with Nurse M and Nurse F, but deconstructing the circumstances that had led to this mistake. The fault in this situation is diffused amongst all of those involved. This included a potential that it was my own leadership at fault in this situation, requiring me to bear some of the responsibility for this occurrence. Leadership within nursing requires a complex set of skills and attributes, and the ability to manifest a strong nursing leadership role. However, it is challenging because of the nature of the work, which can change rapidly at any point in time, and the nature of staff relationships and behaviours, which can involve complex interactions and inter-dependencies. Fostering effective teamworking in this situation, and leading a team towards better ways of working, is likely to be very challenging even when circumstances are good, but in a position where the team is one staff member short, it could be argued that this makes it all the more challenging. A manager needs to understand the whole theory and practice of teamworking within organisational contexts, and also understand how they can, in their own leadership role, support effective team working and improve care standards, whilst at the same time supporting staff dealing with a heavy and complex workload. All nurses must manage themselves and their own workloads, and must develop self-awareness of their own traits, strengths and developmental needs. This author has spent some time reflecting on their own capabilities, and has identified their own strengths, such as the ability to carry out routine tasks swiftly, and to prioritise care and workloads for better patient care and more efficient management of tasks and demands. Another personal strength is the ability to take a wider view and to consider a range of factors affecting workload, and team working, including skill mix and different personalities and how well staff work together. The academic field of organisational studies has long been concerned with leadership, theoretically and practically. It is a multifaceted concept and has been considered from a variety of perspectives, including an applied perspective with specific reference to nursing. There tends to be a polarisation of theoretical perspectives, in which some believe that some people are destined to be leaders because of pre-existing or innate abilities or proclivities, traits which make them ‘natural leaders; and some theorists posit that leadership is comprised of a set of skills and applied knowledge that can be acquired and used by anyone trained in them (Day, 2000, p 5810.) Thus some would argue that the people possessing ‘natural leadership skills and abilities would be the best leaders, while others continue to assert that there is no difference and that a person given the right training and development could be a good leader (Green, 2003, p 27). There is merit in both perspectiv es, in that a natural leader who has had training could be argued to be potentially better than one who has no predisposition to leadership, and that there may be some people who are not suited to leadership roles who should not aspire to be leaders. However, suggesting that leadership is something which can be learned is a much more egalitarian viewpoint, which could be positive, but could result in people being placed in positions of ‘official leadership against their own preference, when their true strengths lie elsewhere. In relation to the situation described in the report in part A, this author would argue that not only did the team require more directive leadership at this time, but that such leadership should be visible, tangible, and strong enough to ‘lead the team towards more collaborative and supportive working practice (Bishop, 2009). The literature shows that clear lines of command are important, but clear, strong leadership is more than simply exercising control over people, it is a more bilateral approach which engages leader and team in managing work in such a way that it improves patient care (Clegg, 2000, p 31). However, Grint (2005, p 1467) also shows that in order for leaders to be effective, they must be able to motivate others to follow them and to go in the direction they have indicated. Thus leadership is more than simply guiding people, it is about engaging with them and making them ‘want to follow the lead. Thus it is possible to see that authority does not locate an individual as a leader on its own; the ‘followers must accept and support that leader as well (Grint, 2005 p 1467). In this case, however, the leadership activities must be very much directed at leading a diverse team of disparate individuals with a range of personalities, skills, and experience, as well as differing roles and responsibilities. Breakdowns in interprofessional working and communication are common within healthcare settings (Sutcliffe et al, 2004, p 196). However, organisational theories argue that there are typical types of roles that individuals assume within teams, and the seminal theory here is Belbins (1993 p 57) team roles theory. This theory is useful because it allows the leader to ‘manage individual team members and motivate the team more effectively through understanding their team roles (Belbin, 1993 p 57; Johansen, 2003, online). Anything which enhances team working is likely to improve communication, enhance team and individual worker efficiency and effectiveness, and improve nurses satisfaction with their working lives, contributing to better practice standards ( Amos et al, 2005 p 10; Clegg, 2000 p 31; Dimeglio, 2005 p 110), and this author would also argue that exploring how to manage a team more effectively would help them to contribute to their own professional development (Bandura, 1994 p 71). Thus, an effective leader could look at the eight defined roles which are said to occur within organisational or workplace teams, some of which may be fulfilled or enacted by more than one person at a time, just as one person may enact more than one role at once (Belbin, 1993 p 57-59). Effective teams ideally demonstrate that members enact all the roles defined (Johansen, 2003, 0nline). Belbin (1993 p 57-59) describes these as: the calm, confident chairman, objective but unemotional, generally infallible; the impatient shaper, coercive, unafraid of confrontation, directive and apt to destabilise the status quo; the problem-solving plant, an imaginative highly intellectual and creative individualist who may not be a good team player; the informativ e and enthusiastic resource investigator, good at communicating, who can find their motivation flagging; the analytical and evaluative monitor evaluator, who can be perceptive but cynical; the reliable company worker, who plods along and reaches goals but can display a degree of rigidity and inflexibility; the mediating team worker who tends to be both a communication hub and coordinator, using effective social skills to propel the team along; and the conscientious and deadline-conscious completer-finisher (Johansen, 2003, online). This author would argue, however, that the team leader could occupy one or more of these roles, but if they have a manager, may not be viewed by others to be a member of the team, per se, and so not included in the ‘inventory of team members. Thus there may be a flaw in this theory, because there is no specification of how a manager would necessarily fit in to this team. Team leadership in this context, however, is complicated by the nature of healthcare practice in which teams are comprised of multiple professionals and occupational groups (Cockburn, 2004 p 66), and thus a nurse manager of a ward has to be able to be a leader across different professions and disciplines and may need to display different leadership behaviours in order to achieve this (Murphy, 2005, p 128). One way in which a ward manager might lead in this manner is through quality management activities (Sale, 2005), and the use and promotion of evidence for practice, a process which requires multiprofessional input (McLaren et al, 2002 p 444). But in this case, the issues which have proved most challenging relate to the ways in which team members manage their workloads, and perhaps also the ways in which different professionals within the team communicate with each other. The manager must lead the team towards a new way of functioning effectively, by ensuring all members are functioning appropriately and fulfilling their different roles (Amos et al, 2005 p 10). This author would argue that within the greater quality agenda, the common goals of quality assurance should act as a common driving force for better teamworking (Martin, 2003). In this instance, the ward manager will be working to encourage better multidisciplinary team (McFadzean, 1998), but this does not mean that they have the authority to discipline some members of the team, such as the medical staff, and here, historical divides between the professions may impede the process of team building (Hartley, 2002, p 178). In this situation, Nurse M and Nurse F should both have felt able to ask for assistance if they were busy, and should have checked the TTA prescription, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the SHO who wrote the prescription. Legally, however, all are accountable. But the ward manager, as team leader, would lead by example by accepting the shared accountability of this omission (Sheldon and Parker, 1997, p 8). Thus the nurses should be supported to accept this shared responsibility, but at the same time should be supported to examine their practice and see where it could be improved, such as looking at how they could improve delegation skills so that basic tasks are more effectively delegated and advanced nursing responsibilities are better met (Curtis and Nichol, 2004, p 26), and how they can improve interprofessional communication (Kenny, 2002). This author would argue that nurses in the ward setting are all required to develop leadership skills, as an extension of their professional role, and this equates to the concept of distributed leadership (Harris and Spillane, 2008, p 31), and within this model, leaders are developed, supported and empowered, at every point on the scale of organisational hierarchy. Therefore, in this situation, the ward manager would need to understand who acts as what within the team roles inventory (Belbin, 1993), and also support leadership skills to emerge amongst staff at every level. The HCA described in this scenario, for example, exerts significant influence, and these leadership attributes could be harnessed to improve team working, rather than destabilise the hierarchy. The role of the manager as team leader in this scenario is clearly also to provide feedback and evaluation to the team, and to explore the consequences of these circumstances in a way that should prevent it from occurring again (London et al, 1999, p 5). Providing feedback in an empowering manner can improve performance within the team (London et al, 1999, p 5), and therefore, evidence from available research would suggest that effective leadership would achieve this through multiple approaches. Research suggests that optimal team performance and quality of care requires good leadership (Beech, 2002 p 35; Green, 2003 p 27). This seems to require what Murphy (2005 p 128), describes as charismatic, transformational leadership, in which â€Å"charismatic transformational leaders espouse intellectual stimulation and individual consideration to empower staff and enhance patient care. Nurse managers that develop and foster transformational leadership can surmount oppressive traditions and confidently navigate a complex and rapidly changing health care environment.† However, leaders such as this will continue to struggle with the hierarchies and inherited culture and traditions of the professions (Murphy 2005 p 128). But it is through such activities that proactive nurse leaders mould the future of nursing itself, and contribute significantly to the quality agenda (Shirey, 2006, p 256). Thus the leader in this scenario needs to re-educate the team, and act as a role model fo r the team to develop their own leadership capabilities (Cummings et al, 2008, p 240). It would appear that in this situation, the risk involved was avoided by luck rather than judgement, and it is imperative that the ward manager addresses the behaviours and habits which have led to the omission concerned. However, it would not be enough to simply discipline those concerned, because multiple factors have affected this occurrence, and the staff involved will have to continue to deal with these factors in the daily working lives. Therefore, leadership will lead, guide and empower staff to be able to better address their work roles whilst managing the competing demands on their time and attention, through better self management, better communication, better team working, and with clear, motivational guidance from a true leader.

Death penalty Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fifty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the trend towards worldwide abolition of the death penalty is unmistakable. When the Declaration was adopted in 1948, eight countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes; today, as of November 1998, the number stands at 63. More than half the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, and the numbers continue to grow. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of fundamental human rights - the right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. Both of these rights are recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, other international and regional human rights instruments and national constitutions and laws. Defense of life and defense of the state may be held to justify, in some cases, the taking of life by state officials; for example, when law-enforcement officials must act immediately to save their own lives or those of others or when a country is engaged in armed conflict. Even in such situations the use of lethal force is surrounded by internationally accepted standards of human rights and humanitarian law to inhibit abuse. The death penalty, however, is not an act of defense against an immediate threat to life. It is the premeditated killing of a prisoner for the purpose of punishment - a purpose that can be met by other means. The cruelty of the death penalty is manifest not only in the execution but in the time spent under sentence of death, during which the prisoner is constantly contemplating his or her own death at the hands of the state. This cruelty cannot be justified, no matter how cruel the crime of which the prisoner has been convicted. The cruelty of the death penalty extends beyond the prisoner to the prisoner's family, to the prison guards and to the officials who have to carry out an execution. Information from various parts of the world shows that the role of an executioner can be deeply disturbing, even traumatic. The right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment are the two human rights most often cited in debates about the death penalty. But the death penalty also attacks other rights. In many cases prisoners are sentenced to death in trials which do not conform to int... ...ting the public on the uncertainty of the deterrent effect of capital punishment. A better public understanding of crime prevention and criminal justice would produce more support for anti-crime measures which are genuine and not merely palliative. At the very least, politicians should not make demagogic calls for the death penalty, misleading the public and obscuring the need for genuine anti-crime measures. Often the national debate on the death penalty is conducted in purely national terms. The international dimension needs to be brought in. Countries can learn from other countries' experience. Over the centuries, laws and public attitudes relating to torture have evolved. It is no longer permissible to use thumbscrews or the rack as legally sanctioned means of interrogation and punishment. Attitudes toward the death penalty are also changing, and bringing about abolition requires courageous political leadership, leadership that will be exercised in the defense of human rights. The requirement of respect for human rights has to include the abolition of the death penalty. It is not possible for a government to respect human rights and retain the death penalty at the same time.

History of the Korean War :: Korean War Asian History Essays

History of the Korean War The Korean War took place between the years of 1950 and 1953. The cause of the war was that Korea was under Japanese rule ever since the end of the Chinese-Japanese war in 1895. After World War II, in 1945, Korea was freed from Japan. The United States troops occupied the southern part of the country and Russian forces took the north. The very first and main reason we entered the war in Korea was because John Foster Dulles, the future Secretary of State under Dwight Eisenhower, said that it would be best if we entered the war. At the time Dulles was a special advisor to the Secretary of State Acheson. Dulles was in Tokyo when the Koreans staged war. Dulles sent a message to Acheson that if the South Koreans start losing and cannot hold back the North Koreans, they should send in United States forces. He said to do so, "even though this risks Russian counter moves. To sit by while Korea is overrun by unprovoked armed attack would start a disaster chain even leading most probably to Wo rld War III." When Dulles got back to Washington he specified that he meant sending in United States Air and Naval forces only, not troops. Almost immediately after getting word of the invasion, Acheson decided that the United States should put the matter before the United Nations. He then called President Truman and got his approval. Almost fourteen hours after Washington got word of the war there was a conference set up among certain members of the United Nations. The final decision of the United Nations was to give arms and equipment to the R.O.K. army (Republic of Korea). Then they authorized General MacArthur to use his forces and the United States Seventh Fleet, "to stabilize the combat situation". We first entered the war on June 25, 1950 because the United States felt that if Russia's troops would fight for North Korea, we should fight for South Korea. Also, since South Korea had a dictatorship, we wanted to prevent it from becoming communist and remaining a dictatorial form of government. If the communist started conquering many nations they might start a whole empire (the domino effect). In December 1943 the United States, China and Great Britain made a promise to Synyman Rhee during World War II that Korea would be given its independence "in due course" after World War II.

Flood Monitoring System

Sensors 2012, 12, 4213-4236; doi:10. 3390/s120404213 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 www. mdpi. com/journal/sensors Article A Real-Time Measurement System for Long-Life Flood Monitoring and Warning Applications Rafael Marin-Perez 1, , Javier Garc? a-Pintado 2,3 and Antonio Skarmeta G? mez 1 ? o 1 Department of Information and Communication Engineering, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, E-30100, Murcia, Spain; E-Mail: [email  protected] es 2 Euromediterranean Water Institute, Campus de Espinardo, E-30100, Murcia, Spain; E-Mail: [email  protected] om 3 National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, 3 Earley Gate, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AL, UK Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email  protected] es. Received: 7 February 2012; in revised form: 14 March 2012 / Accepted: 22 March 2012 / Published: 28 March 2012 Abstract: A ? ood warning system incorporates telemetered rainfall and ? ow/water level data measu red at various locations in the catchment area. Real-time accurate data collection is required for this use, and sensor networks improve the system capabilities.However, existing sensor nodes struggle to satisfy the hydrological requirements in terms of autonomy, sensor hardware compatibility, reliability and long-range communication. We describe the design and development of a real-time measurement system for ? ood monitoring, and its deployment in a ? ash-? ood prone 650 km2 semiarid watershed in Southern Spain. A developed low-power and long-range communication device, so-called DatalogV1, provides automatic data gathering and reliable transmission. DatalogV1 incorporates self-monitoring for adapting measurement schedules for consumption management and to capture events of interest.Two tests are used to assess the success of the development. The results show an autonomous and robust monitoring system for long-term collection of water level data in many sparse locations during ? o od events. Keywords: real-time data acquisition; sensor network; hydrological monitoring; ? ood warning system Sensors 2012, 12 1. Introduction 4214 A warmer climate, with its increased climate variability, will increase the risk of both ? oods and droughts [1], whose management and mitigation are important to protect property, life, and natural environment. Real-time accurate monitoring of hydrologic variables is key for ? od forecasting, as well as for optimizing related warning systems for damage mitigation. Recent studies show that in the speci? c case of semiarid and arid areas, adequate deployment of monitoring networks is essential to a real understanding of the underlying processes generating run-off in storm events, and to achieve effective emergency systems (e. g. , [2]). Traditionally, researchers have directly collected data at the places of interest. This has now been commonly substituted by automatic sensor and datalogger systems, which provide high temporal data resol ution, while reducing operational human resource requirements.Dataloggers permit local automatic and unattended data gathering, and reduce environmental perturbation. However, data retrieval from standard dataloggers and storage in processing and control/warning centers still has to be done either manually, which prevents its applicability in ? ood warning systems, or through wired connections, which leads to substantial investments and operational costs. To confront these problems, sensor network technology has been proposed in many monitoring applications [3]. Yet, speci? c literature on sensor network for ? ood forecasting is sparse, with only a few examples available (e. . , [4–8]). Basically, a sensor network comprises a set of nodes, where each node includes a processor, a wireless radio module, a power supply, and is equipped with sensor hardware to capture environmental data. Each node performs the tasks of data gathering, physical parameter processing, and wireless d ata transmission to the control server. Speci? cally, for hydrologic applications, sensor nodes must also ful? ll a number of additional requirements: †¢ Power lifetime: Power sources are often not available at the locations of hydrological interest.Moreover, these locations are usually unprotected, and if renewable energy devices are used, there are prone to vandalism or theft. Thus, sensor nodes must have low-consumption, which along with existing standard batteries, should last at least one hydrologic cycle. †¢ Sensor hardware compatibility: Most hydrologic sensor nodes include a datalogger device connected through a cable to one or more measurement instruments. The datalogger must provide multiple wired interfaces to be able to communicate with a range of speci? c sensor hardware interfaces.This also involves issues of power supply, and selective time for power dispatching, which leads to optimal power management and facilitates the expansion of connected instruments. †¢ Reliability: Harsh weather conditions may cause failures in the wireless communication over the monitoring network. Backup mechanisms in local sensor dataloggers must be used to avoid information losses in unexpected crashes. †¢ Long-range communication: Hydrologic measurement locations are commonly sparse over large areas, and far away from the control center (i. e. , tens or hundreds of kilometers).Sensor nodes must have a peer-to-peer connection with the control center. Sensors 2012, 12 4215 In general, these, sometimes opposing, requirements are dif? cult to be satis? ed by existing developed solutions. For example, multiple sensor readings and long-range communication are high power-consumption tasks, which diminish battery lifetime. For instance, many existing wireless solutions for agriculture applications (e. g. , [9–11]) use a set of tens or hundreds of motes, which collaborate to gather dense data in a small area. Motes have low consumption, but they pr ovide limited sensor interfaces, and short-range communication.On the other hand, several hydrologic and meteorologic applications have been implemented with a few wireless datalogger stations, which individually obtain multi-sensor data in a few sparse locations over a large area (e. g. , [5,12–14]). These dataloggers permit high computing and long-range communication. However, they have an excessive investment cost and a high consumption that may be, in the long-term, unsustainable. This paper describes the design, development, and deployment of a real-time monitoring system for hydrological applications.The paper is focused on the description in detail of our wireless datalogger device, so-called DatalogV1 [15], which combines the low consumption of motes and the reliable communication of most powerful multi-sensor datalogger stations in order to satisfy the requirements of ? ood warning system scenarios. The DatalogV1 provides automatic monitoring and long-term autonomy i n sparse points over large areas. To demonstrate the goodness of the DatalogV1 design, we deployed a monitoring network in the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed, in Southern Spain. The severity of ? ash ? ods in the Rambla del o Albuj? n has caused important environmental and economic damages over the last years. Accordingly, the o wireless monitoring network is intended to provide real-time accurate hydrologic information to support an operational model-based ? ood warning system. This is an excellent test to asses the DatalogV1 performance and success in a real case scenario. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 introduces the context of environmental monitoring and ? ood warning systems. Section 3 depicts our hydrologic monitoring scenario.Section 4 presents the design of DatalogV1 hardware. Section 5 shows the implementation of DatalogV1 software. Section 6 describes the architecture developed for remote hydrologic monitoring. Section 7 describes the deploym ent of the monitoring network in the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed. Section 8 shows the results o obtained regarding power consumption and data collection. Section 9 provides concluding remarks. 2. Environmental Monitoring Environmental monitoring is the most popular application for sensor networks. At present, sensor networks have been applied for a number of applications as, e. . , soil moisture monitoring [16], solar radiation mapping [17], aquatic monitoring [18], glacial control and climate change [19], forest ? re alarm [20], landscape ? ooding alarm [21], and forecasting in rivers [22]. The ability to place autonomous and low cost nodes in large harsh environments without communication infrastructure enables accurate data collection directly observed from interest areas. With sensor networks, environmental data can be observed and collected in real-time, and used for forecasting upcoming phenomena and sending prompt warnings if required.Sensors 2012, 12 2. 1. Model-Based Floo d Warning System Context 4216 The developed sensor network was incorporated within the context of a model-based ? ood warning system in the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed. A model-based ? ood warning system, for mitigating the o effects of ? ooding on life and property, incorporates a catchment model based on observed/forecasted rainfall and telemetered observations of hydrologic state variables at various locations within the catchment area. Generally, observed variables are ? ow and/or water level in channels.Also, other variables such as soil moisture and piezometric levels may be of interest, depending on the watershed response. Real-time updating of the ? ood forecasting involves the continual adaptation of the model state variables, outputs and parameters, so that the forecasts for various times into the future are based on the latest available information and are optimized, in some sense, to minimize the forecasting errors (e. g. , [23]). This is the process of data assimilati on. Implementation of environmental sensor networks for data assimilation within model-based ? ood warning systems involves complex engineering and system challenges.These systems must withstand the event of interest in real-time, remain functional over long time periods when no events occur, cover large geographical regions of interest to the event, and support the variety of sensor types needed to detect the phenomenon [8]. 3. Hydrological Monitoring and Forecasting in the Rambla del Albuj? n Watershed o The Rambla del Albuj? n watershed (650 km2 ) is the main drainage catchment in the Campo de o Cartagena basin, in Southern Spain (see Figure 1). The main channel in the watershed is 40 km long and ? ows into the Mar Menor; one of the big coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean (135 km2 ).The Campo de Cartagena basin is an area with semiarid Mediterranean climate, where the average temperature ranges from 14 o C to 17 o C, mean potential evapotranspiration is 890 mm yr–1 and me an precipitation is 350 mm yr–1 . Most rainfall comes in short-time storm events, and the watershed hydrologic response is highly complex and non-uniform. Previous studies have shown the complex ? ash-? ood response of the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed o and the importance of spatially distributed observation for adequate forecasting (e. g. , [2]). Also, for ? ooding evaluations, stage gauges provide an advantage over ? w gauges that the observations remain unbiased when ? ow goes out of banks, in which case the validness of calibrated rating curves (stage-? ow relationships) is prevented. In this sense, remotely-sensed information (from aerial photography and/or satellites) is appealing as it contains much more spatial information than typical stage gauge networks in operational watersheds. Accordingly, recent studies are evaluating the potential of aerial photography and remotely sensed (from satellites) synthetic aperture radar to provide measurements over large areas of w ater levels and ? od extents in lakes and rivers (e. g. , TerraSAR-X or COSMO-Skymed constellations [24]). However, the current low temporal frequency of satellite acquisitions relative to gauging station sampling indicates that remote sensing still does not represent a viable replacement strategy for data assimilation into model-based forecasts [25]. Also, before the ? ow goes out of banks, the accuracy of standard stage gauges is higher than that provided by airborne information, which is key for early warnings.Thus, if economically viable, a spatially distributed network of stage gauges remains the best option to capture the observations required to feed the forecasting and data assimilation processes. Sensors 2012, 12 4217 At the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed, we implemented a hydrological monitoring system consisting o on a network of stage gauges located at eight critical junction points between major tributaries. The monitoring locations were carefully chosen in order to achi eve effective water level monitoring during ? ood events and a reliable model-based forecasting system.Figure 1 shows the selected locations which are far away (? 50 km) from the control center at the University of Murcia, to the North of the watershed. In this area, an existing phone infrastructure enables the communication among the server in the control center and the DatalogV1s in the ? eld. The DatalogV1s must be autonomous only with batteries, because no power source exists in the monitoring area and solar panels are frequently stolen or vandalized. In the following sections, we describe the design and development of the DatalogV1 to provide remote data gathering of the water stage in channels during ? ods. Figure 1. Deployment scenario. The embedded image shows the location of the Rambla del Albuj? n watershed at the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The violet line describes the o watershed boundary drawn on a digital terrain model (DTM). Within the watershed, the main cha nnel network is shown in blue, and labeled squares indicate deployed gauge locations. Sensors 2012, 12 4. Design of DatalogV1 Hardware 4218 The DatalogV1’s design was developed to address the requirements of the described application. The block diagram of DatalogV1 is illustrated in Figure 2(a).The critical components are a low-power microcontroller ( µC) module that supervises the DatalogV1’s operation, multiple sensor interfaces (Pulse, SDI-12, RS-485, Analog) that enable to take measurements from different kinds of sensor devices, and a GPRS module for long-distance communication with the control center. Moreover, two communication modules (USB and Bluetooth) enable the in-situ interactions via a laptop. All electronic components and a battery are mounted in an IP65 waterproof box to protect from harsh weather conditions, as shown by Figure 2(b).The DatalogV1’s design is balanced between low-power consumption for long-lifetime, and computational capability for multi-sensor reading and long-range communication. The hardware design of these components is described in the next subsections. Figure 2. Two different views of the DatalogV1. (a) Block diagram showing the main components. (b) The electronic components and the battery are mounted on a IP65 protection box. SDI-12 Interface RS-485 Interface Pulse Counters Analog Inputs Power Connector DC/DC Converter GPRS Module Linear Regulator Battery Connector Linear RegulatorMosfet Switch  µC DC/DC Converter Pulse Counters Bluetooth Module RS-485 Interface USB Module Battery Connector Power Connector Analogic Inputs SDI-12 Connector GPRS Module Bluetooth Module USB Module  µC (a) (b) 4. 1. Design of Microcontroller Module The circuit schematic of the microcontroller module is shown in Figure 3. The central part of the schematic represents the low-power 8-bits microcontroller (PIC18LF8722) manufactured by Microchip. The PIC18F8722 operating to 3. 3 V is ideal for low power applications ( n anoWatts) with 120 nW sleep mode and 25  µW active mode.It provides high processing speed (40 MHz) with a large 256 KB RAM memory. A 12 MB data? ash memory is included for local storage of sensor data. The top-left portion of the schematic (IC3) shows a security mechanism to avoid microcontroller blockage in case that available energy is not enough. Thus the microcontroller resets when there is less than 2. 4 V. The center-left part of the schematic contains the crystal oscillator setting to 11 MHz. (OSC1/OSC2 tags). The oscillator provides a precise clock signal to stabilize frequencies for sensor readings and data transmissions. Sensors 2012, 12 Figure 3.Circuit schematic of the microcontroller module. The center portion is the microcontroller used to control DatalogV1 operation, and the center-left is the crystal oscillator used for setting the clock. 4219 4. 2. Design of Sensor Interfaces DatalogV1 provides multi-sensor interfaces to take readings from a wide set of hydrologic instruments. Its sensor interfaces are two pulse counters, two digital connectors (RS-485 and SDI-12), and eight analog inputs. Each pulse counter reads from a tipping-bucket rain gauge (pluviometer) which generates a discrete electrical signal for every amount of accumulated rainfall.Digital interfaces supply power to and read measurements from instruments, which can themselves include some degree of computational capability. Analog connectors enable the reading of simple instruments which modify the supplying voltages to return voltage values proportional to the physical observed variables. These multiple interfaces are compatible with the most of hydrological sensor devices in the market. Pulse-counters typically connect to rain-gauge devices. The standard rain gauge collects the precipitation into a small container. Every time the container is ? led and emptied, it generates a electric pulse. According to the number of pulses and the size of the container, DatalogV1 estimates t he precipitation without requiring power supply. Sensors 2012, 12 4220 For each digital interface, DatalogV1 can supply and read multiple sensors. Both RS-485 and SDI-12 interfaces consist of three electronic wires for data, ground and supplying voltage. The RS-485 is a standard serial communication for long distance and noisy environments. In addition, the SDI-12 is a serial data interface at 1,200 baud designed for low-power sensors.Using serial protocols, DatalogV1 can directly obtain the physical measurements. The analog inputs allow to read 8 differential sensors, 16 single-ended sensors, or a combination of both options. A differential connection comprises four electronic wires acting as voltage-supplier, ground, positive-voltage, and negative-voltage, while a single-end connection contains two electronic wires for supplying-voltage and positive-voltage. The main difference between differential and single-ended is the way to obtain the voltage value. In single-ended, the volta ge value is the difference between the positive voltage and the ground at 0 V.However, single-ended connections are sensitive to electrical noise errors, which are solved by differential connections. Because twisting wires together will ensure that any noise picked up will be the same for each wire, the voltage value in differential inputs is the difference between the positive and negative voltages. Figure 4. Circuit schematic of analog interfaces. (a) Selector of analog connections to plugged-in sensors, (b) ADC converter from output voltage to digital data. (a) (b) To obtain the measurements of the physical variables, output voltages are processed using three main hardware components: multiplexer, ampli? r, and ADC converter. Two multiplexers MC74HC4051D from Motorola company enable to select the output voltage of a speci? c analog sensor (Figure 4(a)). Each multiplexer contains 3 control pins CA0, CA1, and CA2 to choose an output voltage among 16 possibilities. The selected outp ut voltage is ampli? ed for preserving high effective resolution. DatalogV1 uses an AD8622 ampli? er, manufactured by Analog Devices, that provides high current precision, low noise, and low power operation. The pre-con? gured ampli? cation depends on the output range Sensors 2012, 12 4221 of the selected sensor.Finally, the ampli? ed output signal is converted to a digital value through an Analog-Digital Converter (ADC), as shown by Figure 4(b). DatalogV1 contains a 13-bit ADC MCP3302, manufactured by Microchip, that provides high precision and resolution. This ? exible design provides full compatibility with presumably all kind of available sensors for hydrologic use. 4. 3. Design of GPRS Communication Module A GPRS module is used to transmit monitoring data from DatalogV1 to the control center. Figure 5 shows the GPRS module implementing all functions for wireless communications. Figure 5.Circuit schematic of the GPRS module. The center portion is the GPRS module used to control the long-distance communication, and the top-left portion is the SIM card connection. The top-left part of the circuit shows the connection of SIM phone-cards according to the manufacturer speci? cation. The bottom-left shows a uFL coaxial connector to the wireless antenna. We chose a Wavecom Q2686 chip, which is connected to the microcontroller via an USART interface (CS-USART). The Wavecom Q2686 contains a programmable 256 KB SRAM memory and includes a ARM9 32-bit processor at 104 MHz.This Q2686 chip makes possible to join a GSM/GPRS base-station and receive/send data reliably in quad-band communications on the 800, 900, 1,800 and 1,900 MHz Sensors 2012, 12 4222 bands. Also, the chip makes it easy to upgrade to 3G when needed. This GPRS module enables long-distance UDP/IP communications through cellular radio networks. 4. 4. Design of Power Module The power module consists of two power sources and three regulable mechanism to provide a secure supply of electronics components. The main energy source is a 12 V DC battery of 7,000 mAh power capacity which can be rechargeable using an optional solar panel.To adapt the input tension of the solar panel (17–20 V) to a lower tension (12–15 V) to supply the battery, we use a commutated DC/DC regulator in step-down mode, as shown by Figure 6(a). The microcontroller turns on the DC/DC regulator when it detects that the battery has a low level according to a pre-established threshold. Three circuits guarantee stable energy levels for battery, solar-panel, and sensors, as shown by Figure 6(b). The circuits of battery and solar-panel include security mechanisms to avoid a too low power level input to the sensors.For this, the circuit of sensors is used, before readings are taken, to check if the power supply is stable as to obtain an accurate measurement. Figure 6. Circuit schematic of the battery, solar-panel, and power-control modules. (a) Battery and solar modules, (b) secure power control for battery, so lar panel, and sensor. (a) (b) Figure 7. Circuit schematic of the power supply module. (a) Power supply for GPRS, sensors, and ADC converter, (b) power supply for microcontroller. (a) (b) To reduce the power consumption, DatalogV1 keeps almost all electrical components deactivated, such as GPRS, sensors, and ADC.Only the microcontroller circuit is always supplied at 3. 3 V Sensors 2012, 12 4223 (Figure 7(a)) through a linear regulator LM2936 from National Semiconductor with ultra-low current in the stand-by mode. This LM2936 regulator features low drop-out voltage (50 mA) to minimize power losses. Also, this circuit includes a diode (D10) to provide a security power to protect the microcontroller and all board at most 5 V. When it is necessary, the microcontroller supplies independently the electrical components using two DC/DC converters, two linear regulators and a MOSFET switch (Figure 7(b)).Concretely to supply sensors, a DC/DC converter and the MOSFET switch is combined to crea te a adjustable commutation cell. The design of the commutation cell includes high-power isolated chips in order to reduce interferences. At the same time, it has a good linearity and load regulation characteristics, and allows to establish the voltage supply between 3 V and 10 V. The chosen MOSFET is a FDC6330L, manufactured by Fairchild Semiconductor, which provides high performance for extremely low on-resistance (