Operation Management Case Studies Essay Example for Free

Operation Management Case Studies Essay Operation Management Case Studies Intoduction Case study on Salmon processing facility Question 1 E= $ 6,333.33 Therefore, the additional expenditure for the productivity of the two systems to equal will be $ 6, 333.33 Question 4                   If the cost of energy increases in future, the productivity of facility will be affected negatively and it will decrease. If the cost of the energy increases beyond the estimated additional expenditure of $ 6,333.33, the productivity of the new facility will be much lower than that of the old system and therefore, it will not be advantage to the firm. This will also affect reduce the profitability of the company. Case 2 on Hard Rock Cafe Question 1                   The Hard Rock strategic changes that it has experienced include globalization and changes in its brand through unique services that include rock music. The music has led to the growth of this company. It has managed to open 157 cafe facilities in more than 57 countries. The cafe has also diversified brands to fish and lobsters in Britain. Moreover, it has started shifting its target market from tourists to non tourists’ cities in United Kingdom in addition to leasing cafes in tourism cites such as Nottingham (Heizer, Render, 2013). Question 2                   Hard Rock has various PRODUCTS that vary from Hamburger, beef, and other tourism attracting meal. The cafe is has also diversified its products to fish and lobsters thus widening its market and meeting the needs of the customer.                   Hard rock cafe moved its LOCATION from domestic market to global market. In addition, it has started opening in new non tourisms LOCATIONS such as Manchester united to prevent risks associated with economic fluctuations that arise from tourism business poor performance.                   Hard rock HUMAN RESOURCE has participated in developing new strategies that has helped to improve the performance the business. For example, the introduction of sound and visuals in dinner events that attract more customers and recruitment of highly trained employees that provides quality services.                   The Hard Rock has improved its  SERVICE by adding unique services that cannot be found in any other place in the world such as music on both quality visual and sounds. They serve food with enthusiasm on their customers (Heizer, Render, 2013). Question 3 -123825158750Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Standardization Less rapid product changes more minor changes Optimum capacity Increasing stability of process Long production runs Product improvement and cost cutting Little product differentiation Cost minimization Overcapacity in the industry Prune line to eliminate items not returning good margin Reduce capacity Forecasting critical Product and process reliability Competitive product improvements and options Increase capacity Shift toward product focused Enhance distribution Product design and development critical Frequent product and process design changes Short production runs High production costs Limited models Attention to quality Best period to increase market share RD product engineering critical Practical to change price or quality image Strengthen niche Cost control critical Poor time to change image, price, or quality Competitive costs become critical Defend market position OM Strategy/Issues Company Strategy/Issues HDTV CD-ROM Color copiers Drive-thru restaurants Fax machines Station wagons Sales 3 1/2† Floppy disks Internet 00Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Standardization Less rapid product changes more minor changes Optimum capacity Increasing stability of process Long production runs Product improvement and cost cutting Little product differentiation Cost minimization Overcapacity in the industry Prune line to eliminate items not returning good margin Reduce capacity Forecasting critical Product and process reliability Competitive product improvements and options Increase capacity Shift toward product focused Enhance distribution Product design and development critical Frequent product and process design changes Short production runs High production costs Limited models Attention to quality Best period to increase market share RD product engineering critical Practical to change price or quality image Strengthen niche Cost control critical Poor time to change image, price, or quality Competitive costs become critical Defend market position OM Strategy/Issues Company Strategy/Issues HDTV CD-ROM Color copiers Drive-thru restaurants Fax machines Station wagons Sales 3 1/2† Floppy disks Internet                   The company is still in the growth stage but approaching maturity. This is from the fact that Hard Rock is trying to change its products from beef and Hamburger to lobster and fish, it can be noted that it is trying to improve its products in order to increase its competitiveness. The company is still forecasting on its future market where it want to change from tourists-dependent market to non-tourism dependent market (Heizer, Render, 2013). The cafe has products that are reliable with little improvement. Reference Heizer, J., Render, B. (2013). Principles of operation ,management: Sustainability and supply chain management. Pearson Source document

Why is Thermoregulation Important?

Why is Thermoregulation Important? In all living organisms there is a complex series of chemical reactions occurring, the rate of which is dependent of temperature. In order for these chemical reactions to occur and thus sustain life all animals exhibit some way of regulating their body temperature. This process is known as thermoregulation. This regulation is achieved in various ways, either by behavioural or autonomic means. Homeothermic animals take advantage of both behavioural and autonomic means of regulating their body temperature in response to temperature fluctuations. Homeotherms have complex means of maintaining core body temperature within very narrow limits. For example, humans are able to regulate skin blood flow through the vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels redirecting blood so as to conserve heat in cold conditions or to increase heat loss in the cold. This process is further reviewed later on. Other autonomic processes utilized by homeotherms are shivering and non-shivering thermogene sis. Poikiotherms do not have the means to regulate their body temperature in such a precise way. Their body temperature is more dependent on the environmental temperature and they regulate this primarily by behavioural means. Such animals include bees, fish, amphibians and reptiles. However current knowledge on how this behavioural thermoregulation operates is not very high. Heterotherms exhibit the characteristics of both homeotherms and poikilotherms. One such example are bats which when active utilize autonomic means to maintain their relatively high body temperature. At rest however the metabolic cost of maintaining this body temperature is too high thus they substantially reduce their metabolic rate, at such time they can be described as being poikiothermic. This review will focus in some detail on the various mechanisms by which different animals thermoregulate, some of the benefits and drawbacks associated with thermoregulation and how this complex system has evolved across different groups of animals. I will draw on knowledge from various pieces of literature to give a comprehensive overview of this important life process. Behavioural and autonomic means of thermoregulation As discussed earlier homeotherms are utilise autonomic means to regulate their internal body temperature. It has been postulated that there is a hierarchy of structures responsible for maintaining the internal body temperature of these animals. The preoptic area of the hypothalamus plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulatory process. Early thermal studies identified the preoptic area as the centre of the thermoregulatory response. This area is synaptically connected to the lower brain stem and thus enables precise regulation of body temperature. Early research suggested that an increase in temperature in this preoptic region would lead to the excitation of neurons, resulting in the heat loss organs bringing about a reduction in preoptic temperature. In the same way, a reduction in preoptic temperature would excite neurons and lead to the heat production organs bringing about an increase in preoptic temperature. More recent research however has demonstrated that there is a far grea ter number of warm-sensitive neuron than cold-sensitive. These warm-sensitive neurons, play a much bigger role in the thermoregulatory process. During pre-optic warming these warm sensitive neurons significantly increase their firing rates and because of the synaptic connection with the lower brain stem, effector neurons are able to bring about heat loss responses. The median forebrain bundle is an important pathway that may be utilized here carrying signals to effector areas. In this way autonomic responses such as skin blood flow and shivering are controlled. Figure 1 demonstrates that in addition to bringing about heat loss responses, the increased firing rate of warm sensitive neurons inhibits nearby cold sensitive receptors preventing heat production. During pre-optic cooling the firing rate of warm sensitive neurons decreases thus reducing synaptic inhibition of the cold sensitive neurons. In turn the cold sensitive neurons increase their firing rate and induce heat production responses and heat retention. The preoptic region is also involved in afferent signals, detecting peripheral temperature changes through receptors in the skin. This information is integrated with central temperature information and the appropriate thermal response is activated. Most preoptic neurons are actually temperature insensitive, but do serve a purpose in thermoregulation. It has been postulated that they are involved in the comparison of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs from both warm sensitive and temperature insensitive neurons. It is this that forms the basis for set point temperatures, therefore playing a vital role in heat loss, heat retention and heat production responses. Figure 1 demonstrates the activity of a temperature insensitive neuron. If a neuron is inhibited by a warm sensitive neuron and excited by a temperature insensitive neuron it will act as a cold sensitive neuron. Once the preoptic temperature drops below a certain point i.e. the set point, it will increases it firing rate and bring about heat production and heat retention responses. If thermoregulation does not operate properly it may result in fever. This can be caused by the presence of endogenous substances like pyrogen. Pyrogen affects the activity of the pre-optic thermosensitive neurons. It can inhibit the firing rate of the warm sensitive neurons resulting in heat loss responses not occurring and elevated set point temperature. Also because of the synaptic inhibition between the warm-sensitive and cold-sensitive neurons, this decreased firing rate will result in an increased firing rate in the cold-sensitive neurons and bring about heat production responses further elevating the set point temperature. As a result fever occurs. Skin blood flow The preoptic area is able to coordinate correct efferent response in response to various internal and external thermal stimuli. One of these responses is the control of skin blood flow in humans. The vasodilation of blood vessels and the resultant increased blood flow to the skin is vital to heat dissipation during heat exposure. The increased skin blood flow significantly increases convective heat transfer from the body to the periphery. In conjunction with this increased skin blood flow, the evaporation of sweat from the skin results in cooling of blood in the dilated vessels. This process continues until the internal temperature returns to normal, at which point sweating stops and skin blood flow returns to normal. Skin blood flow in humans is controlled by vasoconstrictor and vasodilator nerves. The vasoconstrictor system is continually active, detecting even detecting subtle changes in ambient temperature. Through this activity maintenance of normal body temperature is achieved. Even small changes in skin blood flow can cause relatively large changes in heat dissipation. The vasodilator system on the other hand is only activated when an increase in internal temperature is detected. This may be during exercise or as a result of environmental heat exposure. Humans have many eccrine sweat glands distributed around the body which are responsible for thermal sweating. These sweat glands are innervated by sympathetic nerves which when stimulated results in secretion. The sweating response is only of benefit when it is coupled with evaporative heat loss. It is for this reason that environmental conditions like humidity and wind speed play an important role in this thermoregulatory process. Sweating and vasodilation are functionally linked however changes in one does not necessarily reflect changes in the other. An example of this is during exercise, as the threshold for cutaneous vasodilation is increased bit the threshold for the sweating response is not. During exercise blood cannot be redirected to the skin at the same level as blood flow to the muscle must be maintained. During cold exposure vasoconstriction of blood vessels and the redirection of blood flow to the core is essential for heat retention. When vasoconstriction occurs its results in a decrease in heat dissipation from the skin. Any alteration in this process can have serious implications, impairing the bodys ability to thermoregulate. As temperature decreases further shivering occurs. These muscular contractions help to maintain core body temperature. Humans are not the only animals to utilize evaporative heat loss process. Despite the fact that most mammals do not have sweat glands many of them are able to use this process in different ways. Birds lack sweat glands and some mammals like cats or dogs only have sweat glands on their feet. In such animals evaporative heat loss occurs by increased air movement over moist mucosal surfaces of the mouth and upper respiratory tract. This is brought about by rapid shallow breathing along with increased salivation. Another way of utilizing this process is seen in rats and kangaroos when they spread saliva on their fur. Tests in rats have shown that warming of the pre optic area of the hypothalamus results in increased saliva secretion. It also resulted in body extension which improves heat loss through the increase in effective body surface area. Many small mammals and those that hibernate exhibit another process in the thermoregulatory process. This process known as non-shivering thermogenesis occurs in response to the cold and it is regulated by the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus. It is a result of increased metabolic activity in the brown adipose tissue. The brown fat cells there are numerous fat droplets interspersed with many mitochondria. The brown adipose tissue has a rich supply and is also innervated by many sympathetic nerves. In cold conditions this non-shivering thermogenesis is activated by impulses passing down these sympathetic nerves or by the release of noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla. The free fatty acid store are burned up with the help of mitochondria and heat is produced. The rich blood supply to the area ensures blood is transported back to the core thus increasing core temperature. This process is seen in animals that hibernate, evident from the amount of brown fat found in such animals. Behavioural thermoregulation As indicated before the preoptic region plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulation, it does not however play such an important role in behavioural thermoregulation. Currently there is a lack of knowledge to indicate exactly which area of the hypothalamus is involved in behavioural thermoregulation. Behavioural responses to changes in environmental temperature occur before the internal body temperature elevates. It is from this that the assumption has been made that receptors in the skin play a key role in behavioural thermoregulation. Research has shown that the neurons responding to thermal stimulation of the skin are located in the spinal cord, with the signals from these reach areas in the cerebral cortex. However these signals, whether detected as hot or cold, cannot be a direct cause of activating the behavioural process. The reasoning behind this is that if a cold stimulus is applied to the skin of a resting animal, they perceive this as unpleasant and move away from it. Ho wever during exercise the same cold stimulus applied to the skin may be perceived as pleasant. It is because of this that the behavioural mechanisms of thermoregulation appear to be based around thermal comfort and discomfort. It has been postulated that the parastrial nucleus and the dorsomedial hypothalamic region are involved in eliciting behavioural responses. Further research however needs to be done to confirm this, possibly by examining the effect of lesions of the two areas on behavioural responses. Once the area directly responsible for eliciting behavioural responses further research can then be done into the relationship between behavioural and autonomic responses. One example of an animal that exhibits mainly behavioural thermoregulation is the lizard. Lizards are ectothermic mainly obtaining heat from external sources. Lizards are able to maintain a relatively high body temperature, unlike most other ectotherms they can do this very precisely. Much research has been carried out into the thermoregulatory process of reptiles. An early concept that was developed was that of the preferred body temperature (PBT), which is related to homeostasis. The idea being that the PBT is the optimum temperature at which the animals physiological processes take place. The PBT varies across species and in some lizards the PBT can change along with the seasons. There are a number of different ways in which the lizard obtains heat from the environment. The absorption of solar radiation or the conduction from hot air or surfaces are the main ways in which lizards gain heat. If internal temperature is too high they may reduce this by radiation from the surface, con vection or conduction to a cooler surface. Like other animals discussed before lizards are able to utilize evaporative cooling processes. In temperate climates lizards maintain a high PBT and obtain heat through absorption of solar radiation by basking in the sun, these are known as basking heliotherms. Different species of lizard exhibit different behaviour in relation to basking. The Lacerta vivipara emerges and begins to bask at a time when the activity temperature can be reached in the least time. This way they do not unnecessarily make themselves vulnerable to predators. Other lizards may emerge at a constant time independent of temperature. When basking lizards will adopt a specific posture in order to maximise body surface area and thus maximising their heat gain from the surroundings. They do this by sprawling on the ground with outstretched legs. During the day lizards will alternate between periods of activity and periods of basking. When they achieved their activity tempe rature they will stop basking and may begin actively foraging for food. During this time their internal body temperature is continually dropping and once it reaches a certain point they will have to bask again. This is a continual cycle throughout the day, observed in species known as shuttling heliotherms. Species which obtain most of their heat by conduction from hot rocks are known as thigmotherms, they are only able to in regions with intense solar radiation. Although the information on how lizards monitor their body temperature and how they use this to elicit the appropriate behavioural response is limited, the assumption is made that they must have thermal receptors in the skin. While maintaining a high body temperature the lizard will exhibit a lower metabolic rate than mammals, the reason being that they obtain most of their heat by thermal radiation. However lizards do generate some heat by metabolism but as they do not have fur, feathers or other insulatory means seen in h ometherms this heat is lost very quickly. Research has shown that heart rate can effect thermoregulation in these animals. During cooling the animals heart rate decreases thus decreasing blood flow and conserving heat. As seen in other animals, these reptiles exhibit some control over peripheral blood flow through the sympathetic vasoconstriction or vasodilation of blood vessels. Evolution of homethermy Endotherms like birds and mammals are different from ectotherms in that they have substantially higher standard metabolic rate. When the ambient temperature is reduced endotherms may raise their metabolic rate to generate heat, as opposed to ectotherms such as the lizard which simply allow their body temperature to drop. The evolution of this process of homeothermy may have occurred in stages with the first being the development of behavioural thermoregulation. As seen in the lizard this can become very precise. Once this level of thermoregulation had been achieved enzymes may have become adapted to function optimally at the PBT. Along with a gradual increase in the importance of metabolic heat and development of fur, feathers and subcutaneous fat to retain the heat homeothermy eventually evolved. Consequences of homethermy The evolution of homethermy has many advantages, in that it gives such animals independence from changes in environmental temperature. There are however some downfalls to this process. In order to maintain their high body temperature they must also maintain a high metabolic rate. To do so homeothermic animals must eat a lot more than poikiotherms and they must do so continually. This can be a big problem for small mammals or birds which lose heat fairly quickly. These smaller animals must feed voraciously just to maintain their body temperature. Adaptions to cold Many animals have had to adapt to survive in climates where they are exposed to severe cold conditions. There is a number of ways in which they do this, either through migration, adapting itself to tolerate the cold or it can go into hibernation. Some poikiotherms such as faced with extreme cold have demonstrated adaptions to avoid freezing through the secretion of glycerol. Through this they are able to reduce the freezing point of the body fluids. Another adaption to surviving extreme cold conditions is known as supercooling. This phenomenon is the ability to tolerate temperatures lower than the typical freezing point. One experiment demonstrated that fish taken from deep water had a freezing point between -0.9 and -1.0 C, yet the temperature of the water from which they were taken was -1.73C. Thus they are demonstrating supercooling. It is through this process that deep water fish are able to survive such low temperatures. Another adaption to climatic stress is hibernation. During hibernation, body temperature decreases to approximately that of the surrounding environment. Heart rate and metabolic rate also drop to a minimal level. Animals that hibernate are homeothermic during the summer but under the cold conditions of winter they become poikilothermic. During hibernation the animal remains inactive with greatly reduced metabolic requirements. The animal sustains these small requirements through its energy stores. If surrounding conditions get too low the animals metabolic rate may increase to generate heat. Some species also exhibit another process in regulating their body temperature. This process is a cycle between phases of intense activity with phases of torpor. This is a daily cycle exhibited in small birds and mammals that have high metabolic rates. An animal that exhibits such behaviour is the insectivorous bat. Their particular aerial habits inhibit them from carrying large energy stores. Studies have shown that torpor is important in energy maintenance during the summer diurnal roosting of the N. geoffroy. While resting, the energetic cost of maintaining a  constant, high (normothermic) body temperature (Tb) in small  bats rises steeply when ambient temperature (Ta) decreases below  about 30_C (Herreid and Schmidt-Nielsen 1966; Kulzer et  al. 1970; Genoud 1993; Geiser and Brigham 2000). Hence, thermoregulation  throughout the diurnal rest phase can be energetically  expensive, even at relatively high roost Ta. Furthermore,  during cool weather, insect activity and therefore foraging  success and energy intake of insectivorous bats typically declines  dramatically (Paige 1995; Hickey and Fenton 1996). Torpor is  likely an important factor in allowing insectivorous bats to  manage their energy expenditure nd survive in temperate climates  

A Pair of Tickets by Amy Tan Essay -- American Literature

"A Pair of Tickets" by Amy Tan In the story "A Pair of Tickets," by Amy Tan, a woman by the name of Jing-mei struggles with her identity as a Chinese female. Throughout her childhood, she "vigorously denied" (857) that she had any Chinese under her skin. Then her mother dies when Jing-Mei is in her 30's, and only three months after her father receives a letter from her twin daughters, Jing-Mei's half sisters. It is when Jing-mei hears her sisters are alive, that she and her dad take a trip overseas to meet her relatives and finally unites with her sisters. This story focuses on a woman's philosophical struggle to accept her true identity. The protagonist of the story is Jing-mei. She is a flat character who turns out to be dynamic. Throughout her life, she has been very stubborn about accepting her identity. An example of this is when she explains, "I was 15 and had a vigorously denied that I had any Chinese whatsoever under my skin" (857). She shows her dynamic characteristic at the end of the story when she finally does accept her heritage. The main conflict of this story is Jing-mei's struggle between accepting her identity based on her heritage and not on a personal image. There is no real order in which this conflict is clarified, because the climax and resolution come about at the same time. The conflict is internal due to the fact that she cannot accept her true identity. The climax comes when she finally meets her twin sisters and says, "I get beyond the gate, we run toward each other, all three of us embracing, all hesitations and expectations forgotten" (870). It is then that the resolution comes into play and "After all these years, it can finally be let go" (870). It is at that point, when she can finally a... ...Also an important quote is when she says, "But today I realize I've never really known what it means to be Chinese. I am thirty-six years old" (857). Even though she was in her 30's and still had that identity crisis, it was uplifting knowing that all it took for her to resolve that conflict was one meeting with her sisters. The story "A Pair of tickets" examines a woman who has grown up with American influence all her life and struggles to accept her true identity. Through the story you can see Jing-mei struggles with her identity for over 30 years, but it finally is resolved once she is able to meet her twin sisters that have been missing from her life for over 30 years. Works Cited Tan, Amy. â€Å"A Pair of Tickets.† The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction. Compact Edition. Ed. Dana Gioia and R.S. Gwynn. New York: Longman, 2001.

Define and discuss the traditional role of a narrator Within a Blood Es

Define and discuss the traditional role of a narrator Within a Blood Brothers. Compare the role of the narrator in the Play Blood Brothers and consider how you Would present the narrator to an audience if you were the director. Blood Brothers Essay Define and discuss the traditional role of a narrator. Within a Blood Brothers. Compare the role of the narrator in the Play Blood Brothers and consider how you. Would present the narrator to an audience if you were the director. The dictionary definition of narrate – VT (a story) to tell, relate; to give an account of; (film, TV) to provide a spoken commentary for narration n – narrator n... The tradition of narration came from the Greek chorus. Their were thirteen people in the chorus; all singing and dancing. The chorus which served as the narrator, asked probing questions, and also gave great advice to the heroes. If there was any violence it was merely narrated. The purpose of the narrator is to fill in the audience and let them know what is going on. Narration is one of the most important components of a story. The characters, plot, setting, and theme are also significant; however the narrator sets the mood and also the pace of the story. In Blood Brothers the narrator plays a variety of roles for example sometimes he is at a higher status than them and also is sometimes very negative. The original Greek narrator was in a chorus which consisted of thirteen people, in the play blood brothers the narrator also sang with the characters. They usually stayed as part of the chorus or on the side of the stage. They knew everything about the characters sometimes they could see into the future like in blood brothers the narrator was preparing the audience for what was going to come next in act 4 Scene 1. They usually spoke the beginning and end of the play he narrated the beginning of the play to set the scene and at the end he was the last one to speak before they both died. In act 1 scene 1 the narrator is a storyteller. He also sounds, very negative in what he is saying as he says ‘ Brother parted from brother’ ‘Wrenched apart’ ‘A stone in the place of a heart’ which is negative she gave him away because she didn’t think she would be able to cope and also because of money as well as her other seven children. I feel that the narrator is being very hars... ...lk around so he would be in with the cast to show the equality in status at times. He would have a deep voice as many people see god as having a deep voice and as he is controlling the families and is a higher status and people see god to be in the sky. My narrator would appear at the beginning and at the end of the play he would also appear to sing with the characters he would also be standing on the balcony at the side when he would be controlling the families I would also want him to interact with the characters so I would also having him walking around in between the characters when they are frozen and he is explaining to the audience what is happening. For the body language if I was showing the bad sign off him I would make him stand in one place at a higher status staring down at the characters but if he’s in a good mood I want him walking around interacting with the characters. I would also give him a strong accent and he would also talk loud as that’s how many people see god. Conclusion The understanding of the narrator has helped me to analyse this dramatic technique by setting the scene and also explaining to the audience what is going on.

The Roles of Negotiation in Construction Essay -- Construction Industr

The Roles of Negotiation in Construction Negotiation is a form of the decision-making process where two or more parties jointly search a space of possible solutions with the goal of reaching a consensus. In the construction industry, collaboration is an essential key for the success of projects. Since different participants from different organizations try to work together in projects, competitive stresses exist in their relationships and as a result, disputes or conflicts may inevitably occur; negotiation is preferred by project participants for the settlement of claims. Negotiation plays an important role in resolving claims, preventing disputes, and keeping a harmonious relationship between project participants. However, claims negotiations are commonly inefficient due to the diversity of intellectual background, many variables involved, complex interactions, and inadequate negotiation knowledge of project participants. Most project managers consider negotiation as the most time- and energy-consuming activity in claims management. Negotiation theories and principles To address the complex technical and human issues in negotiation, several important negotiation theories and principles have been developed, which mainly include game theory, economic theory, behavior theory, and negotiation theory. Game theory seeks to get at the essentials of decision making and the associated strategies in situations where two or more parties are interdependent, and where, therefore, the outcome of their conflict and competition must be the product of their joint requirements and the interaction of their separate choices (Bacharach ... ...on Collaborative Negotiatons for Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects- (J. of Management in Engineering/ April 2001/ 121) Pe -Mora, F., and Wang, C-Y. (1998)-Computer-supported collaborative negotiation methodology ( J. Comp. in Civ. Engrg., ASCE,12(2)) Gulliver, P. H. (1979)- Disputes and negotiation: A cross-culture perspective, (Academic, San Diego) Bacharach, S. B., and Lawler, E. J. (1981). Bargaining: Power, tactics and outcomes (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco) Young, O. R., (1975) Bargaining: Formal theories of negotiation (University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Ill) Zartman, I. W., (1977) The negotiation process: Theories and applications (Sage,London) Z. Ren, C. J. Anumba, and O. O. Ugwu. (2003)-Multiagent System for Construction Claims Negotiation ( J. Comp. in Civ. Engrg., ASCE,7(2003))

High Altitude Living Low Altitude Training Essay

Altitude training describes training practice by athlete’s training in oxygen deprived conditions for several weeks to increase their performance endurance. Often, there are altitudes training camps strategically designed for this objective (Geiser, Vogt, Billeter, Zuleger, Belforti & Hoppeler, 2001). Altitude training further entails simulated or natural altitude conditions in the training course often as a precursor to a major competition event. The conditions are maintained while the training athlete is in the training process, during exercises and while at rest. Despite this, altitude training strategy exposes the athlete to hypoxia, low oxygen pressure, thereby resulting to hypoxemia, tissue oxygenation and lower blood. The history of living high altitude and training low altitude traces to 2400m altitude Mexico’s 1968 Olympic Games. During the event, enduring athletes such as in the 10,000 and 3,000 m marathons could not set new records and their performance declined whiles the sprinter athletes succeeded (Rusko, LeppÃÆ' ¤vuori, MÃÆ' ¤kelÃÆ' ¤, & LeppÃÆ' ¤luoto, 2010). Altitude hypoxia condition explained this. It was known to decimate human being’s aerobic performance. Consequently, coaches, athletes and sports consultants adopted altitude training camps to acclimatize competition. Implementing altitude training was observed also to †¦ altitudes. Experts argued that, in endurance performance, the volume of total red blood cells was paramount. This was confirmed by experimental tests involving manipulation of human blood (Stray-Gundersen, Chapman, & Levine, 2012). Therefore, the higher the volume of an athlete’s red blood cells, the faster the performance of an athlete probably is during the triathlon. However, it is commonly observed that altitude training has improved the performance and endurance of multiple athletes but still others do not. So, how comes altitude training does not induce the consistency in positive results? Scientific empirical evidences suggest astronomical variant individual adaptive responses to this training concept. In addition, altitude tolerance exposure determinants are also poorly understood (Tiollier, Schmitt, Burnat, Fouillot, Robach, Filaire, et al., 2005). Moreover, hypoxia condition training at a practical level as the training intensity management is a principal problem. Under such conditions, maximal exercise capacity of an athlete reduces drastically. High living and low training concept arose to improve on the defects of altitude training. It involves sleeping or living at high altitude thereby stimulating increase in volume of red blood cells while training at sea level to conserve an athlete’s training intensity. This helps to overcome multiple training related problems while posting consistent adaptations. Besides, living high and training low at low altitude triggered renal hormone erythropoietin (EPO) secretion (Wilber, 2013). In turn, the hormone stimulates the synthesis of red blood cells provided there is sufficient ‘altitude dose.’ Therefore, the high altitude living low altitude training rationale in sporting events was founded on a combination of altitude and rigorous practice to boost the volume of red blood cells. In so doing, there was a boost in an athlete’s endurance performance. Based on this finding, several hypoxic facilities across the worldwide have been established by various sports federations over the years. In addition, numerous amateur, elite and professional athletes across the world training in low altitudes prior to major events have been observed to set new fetes (Wilber, 2013). This confirms the high altitude living and low altitude training hypothesis. Despite this, numerous accurately controlled scientific researches do not exhibit systematic assertive results of the hypothesis on athlete’s endurance performance. Despite the anecdotes, altitude training results over the years produced majority positive performance results among athletes. Assertive endurance results by elite athletes who posted world-class records over the years present a strong case to adapt classical altitude training. References Geiser, J., Vogt, M., Billeter, R., Zuleger, C., Belforti, F., & Hoppeler, H. (2001). Training High – Living Low: Changes of Aerobic Performance and Muscle Structure with Training at Simulated Altitude. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 22(8), 579-585. Rusko, H. K., LeppÃÆ' ¤vuori, A., MÃÆ' ¤kelÃÆ' ¤, P., & LeppÃÆ' ¤luoto, J. (2010). Living High, Training Low; A New Approach To Altitude Training At Sea Level In Athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 27(Supplement), S6. Stray-Gundersen, J., Chapman, R. F., & Levine, B. D. (2012). â€Å"Living High – Training Low† Altitude Training Improves Sea Level Performance In Male And Female Elite Runners. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 12(1), 60-61. Tiollier, E., Schmitt, L., Burnat, P., Fouillot, J., Robach, P., Filaire, E., et al. (2005). Living highà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"training low altitude training: effects on mucosal immunity. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 94(3), 298-304. Wilber, R. L. (2013). Pro: Live High+Train Low Does Improve Sea Level Performance Beyond that Achieved with the Equivalent Living and Training at Sea Level. High Altitude Medicine & Biology, 14(4), 325-327. Source document

Positive and Negative Impacts of the Sixties Counterculture Essay

Hippies represent the ideological, naive nature that children possess. They feel that with a little love and conectedness, peace and equality will abound. It is with this assumption that so many activists and reformers, inspired by the transformation that hippies cultivated, have found the will to persist in revolutionizing social and political policy. Their alternative lifestyles and radical beleifs were the shocking blow that American culture– segregation, McCarthyism, unjust wars, censorship–needed to prove that some Americans still had the common sense to care for one another. The young people of the sixties counterculture movement were successful at awakening awareness on many causes that are being fought in modern American discourse. If not for the Revolution that the hippies began, political or social reform and the People’s voice would be decades behind. While the hippie movement has subsided, as it became too â€Å"cool† and entrenched in mainstream society, the spirit of the Hippies lives on, as their work was only the framework for decades of reform to come. Civil Rights The work that hippies did, hand in hand with African-Americans, was very powerful in striking the discourse on racial equality in the US. Demonstrations reached their inspirational peak in 1964 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched with 250,000 people in support of civil rights and racial equality. They were successful politically with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The fight for equal rights has not been won, however, as most of the hippie’s battles continue to be fought by the veterans and new recruits of the movement. Racism and inequality ensue today as the discrimination, prejudice, and hate crimes occur at an alarmingly frequent rate. Rita Sehti, in The State of Asian America, explains that â€Å"media sensationalism, political expedience, intellectual laziness, and legal constraints conspire to narrow the scope of cognizable racism† (Sethi). But it is still a problem of extreme magnitude  in America, being fought more often in courtrooms than campus protests. Groups like ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Council), and ARA (Anti-Racist Action League) have come into force thanks to the social reform of the sixties counterculture. Organizations such as these continue to foster great changes in civil rights and equality. Feminism The sexual revolution of the sixties was truly a woman’s revolution. Women were given the choice of getting pregnant for the first time in history. The value of this freedom was much more signifcant than controlling pregnancy, however. It represented female empowerment and gave women a long needed boost toward the fight for gender equality. Hippies, hand in hand with conformist women, protested and battled for equal wages, abortion rights, academic equality, discrimination, family and abused women aid, and much more. The progress the activists made for women’s rights in the 1960s is unparalleled and monumental. It is now 2004. For the first time in history, the 1972 Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade is being challenged by American government. This court decision gave women the right to choose to end a pregnancy. The Bush administration’s Christian fundamental values are infringing on the Constitutional values of America. On April 25, 2004 there is to be a national protest march on Washington DC for women’s rights. This is to be the largest women’s rights protest in world history. Its’ organizers, participants, and sponsors hope that the demonstration will speak to the American people, legislators, and media the way the feminist movement of the sixties has. Environmentalism As people began to recognize their relationship to each other and their environment in a new way, a heightened Earth Consciousness was born. Concern for the environment grew because hippies saw the Earth as wat it is–a  loving Mother Nature that provided for and nourished their very lives. They pioneered the ongoing and tough battle to save the earth with the founding of Earth Day, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and groups like Greenpeace. Environmentalists host one of America’s largest political lobbies. Groups such as Greenpeace protest with millions of members worldwide on issues ranging from destruction of rainforests, oil companies, nuclear wastes, Greenhouse effect, and biodiversity. Political Awareness and Student Rebellion Recently Ralph Nader spoke to an enthusiastic and supportive audience at Columbia College. Nader spoke about the very same issues he lectured about in 1968–corporate rule, environmental protections, military-industrial complex and unjust wars, equality and access to education, women’s rights. It was an increased awareness that overtook the young people of the sixties counterculture movement. This awareness led to a social outcry against injustices in politics. The hippies, hand in hand with college students, helped stop an unjust, costly, and deathly war in Vietnam. The hippies had the courage to speak out for the 67% of Americans that were opposed to the war. An anti-war movement not unlike the Vietnam protests has progressed over the past two years against the War in Iraq. March 20, 2003 was a national day of protest with over 25 million protesting the worldwide-disapproved occupation of Iraq. Seven-hundred were arrested in Chicago as the protesters marched on Lake Shore Drive. NION (Not in Our Name) is a prominent organization formed post-9/11 that organizes, educates, and demonstrates through direct action against the unjustified Iraq war. The hippie movement was comprised almost entirely of youth (the 18 to 30 year- old demographic). In an unprecedented and organized fashion, these young people united to make positive changes in the world. Youth have a powerful voice in numbers as parents, schools, and governing institutions wish not to have too much fuss in their daily lives. After the disasters at  Altamont and Kent State University, some of the strength of the movement faded. But not for long. Today college students play a huge role in legislation reform. Groups such as SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) and YIRP (Youth in Revolutionizing Politics) have been succesful in gaining media and political support in increasing awareness of American political issues which affect the world. M Negativity M Hippies grew up. Therein lies one major problem with the movement. The members of the counterculture were optimistic, idealistic kids. Many of them impressionable teens with a desire to conform to some group of peers. But after the fatal blows to the unity of the hippie tribes–Kent State massacre, mass arrests and assasinations of revered leaders and activists, government censorship, rock n’ roll overdoses, an influx of shady, greedy characters into the hippie community, legislation (building codes prohibiting hippie communes and open houses; anti-vagrancy laws) and so on–many of these kids matured as adults and adopted totally contradicting lifestyles. Karen Thomas, longtime Chicago hippie activist and drug law reformer, tells of a time when she was working as an accountant at the Board of Trade. Many of her colleagues and stock trader â€Å"suit- types† told of the jolly times at Woodstock and smoking grass and the GroovyLoooveDayz. This utter and embarassing 180 of lifestyles showed the Conservative world that hippies were indeed a bunch of idealistic kiddies who would one day grow up. They are now working for the very companies they protested against for violations of human, environmental, women’s and animal rights. The irony of the grown-up hippies is damaging today, as it discredits future youth, counterculture, social, politial, and rebellious movements. There are some obvious flaws in the countercultures’ approach to sparking a political revolution. In some ways the philosophies of the movement were far too broad to provoke any sort of lasting change. One must pick their battles wisely if they are to make any timely progress in legislation reform. â€Å"Real  love†, rising of the consciousness, and enlightenment are great for some. But it takes a bit more than a peaceful nature and groovy hair to convince those legislators in D.C. that what they are doing is wrong. Hippies never provided any long-term alternatives to the evil system they were fighting, just colorful short-term ones. It is not far off to imagine that many hippies felt drawn to the idea of protesting for cause of impure motives. Perhaps they were drawn to the excitement, the glory of speaking before an enthusiastic crowd, and the prestige of recognition in the scene. Allen Ginsberg once lamented that too many of the protesters in the sixties seemed to be doing it because it was a good excuse to be spiteful. Many hippies had uncontrolled anger and emotion that interfered with the clarity of their message. Long-time organizer Saul Alinsky, in his book Rules for Radicals, asks if you are willing to cut your hair to make yourself more effective. That is a pretty good indication of an activist’s level of sacrifice and dedication. The hippie movement both amused and scared parents, educators, police, and government officials. They closed in on the hippie movement once and for all with the Draconian drug war launched by Richard Nixon in 1969. His administration arranged for an unprecedented amount of federal budget to be applied to cracking down on marijuana arrests. The drug war was used as a crutch to stop the hippie movement dead in its’ tracks. And it has done a pretty good job, with over five million marijuana arrests over the past decade! (Sidenote: Ninety percent of these arrests were for nonviolent, simple posession charges).