On the Rescue Mission Preserving the Environment

In spite of the fact that the modern world is highly preoccupied with the state of environment and is gradually taking necessary measures to provide environmental safety, at present the situation remains threatening.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on On the Rescue Mission: Preserving the Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is obvious that the mankind has to apply certain changes to the existing state of affairs, otherwise the chance to live in a safe place will be lost for good. Due to the number of suggestions, it seems that people are about to find a way out of the complicated situation. Evaluating the Measures to Be Taken: Pros and Cons One of the newest inventions of the mankind, the idea of engineering for sustainable development, has been developed to make all the pieces of the modern life fall into their places, and to make such issues as the modern technologies and the safety of the w ildlife compatible. To be more precise, the sustainable development concerns the problem of combining the environmental, the social and the economic elements into a single body with high potential for further development. Though such combination seemed rather far-fetched idea, at the current moment it seems that this goal can be achieved once people join their forces and make a step forward. To emphasize the significance of the sustainable development, it must be mentioned that the idea that underlines the new approach is the efficient use of the natural resources without harming the environment and at the same time providing the maximum of economical profit for the country and its population. Dealing with the idea of how to utilize the natural resources and provide a good effect on the nature, the book deals with the most topical problem of the environment contamination and the dangers which it triggers. With help of the new approach many dangers can be avoided, yet there is a lot to consider, the authors of the book warn. According to the overwhelming definition provided by ICE, â€Å"Sustainable development is commonly conceptualised as having three dimensions – dimensions which are often symbolised as overlapping circles: environmental, social, economic† (What Is Sustainability and Sustainable Development?).Advertising Looking for critical writing on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the authors of the book make it clear that only maintaining the balance between these spheres of a man’s activity, one can both preserve the wildlife and at the same time reach high level of development. It is worth noticing that the authors of the book mention all the possible dangers which a careless attitude towards environmental problems can lead and has already led. However, pointing at the most complicated issues on the agenda of the mankind development and the nature preservation, the authors of the book not only draw the idea of the helpless state of nature, but also suggest certain means to change the situation, According to the authors of the book, controlling the state of environment can prove quite easy once people take certain responsibility in caring of nature and wildlife. With all the dangers which the mankind poses to the wildlife, the importance of technical progress and the development of industries cannot be denied, which means that people merely have to search for harmless ways of development. Thus, taking the sustainable development approach, people will be able to preserve the environment and at the same time continue the technological growth, which is incredibly important for the modern world. Considering the impact of the sustainable development, the authors of the book suggest one of the most effective methods to maintain the abovementioned balance. Thus, it seems that their objectives have been stated in the most clear and p recise way. Mentioning all the threats which the mankind poses to the environment at present, they heralded the epoch of saving the wildlife and restoring the nature. As the ideas of industry and nature are comprised, the coexistence of the mankind and the wildlife will become possible, the authors of the book claim. Once the mankind realizes the peril which the entire world is now, they will eagerly contribute to the nature restoration, 6the book claims. Moreover, it seems that the process has already been started.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on On the Rescue Mission: Preserving the Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the cheerful prognoses, it seems that the rescue team has a long way to go. Indeed, with the level of the environmental contamination it is highly unlikely that the changes are going to occur soon. On the contrary, the efforts needed to apply are quite considerable, wh ich means that the researchers have a long way to go. According to the evidences obtained recently, the nature is suffering quite severe changes caused by an unwise use of the natural resources and half-baked ideas of how to make use of the natural resources. Thus, one of the most dangerous threats posed at present to the world is the one concerning the nuclear weapons. Though it is quite clear that the risk level of the scientific experiments must be reasonable, the desire to reach far beyond the horizon is more intense than the wish to keep the environment untouched. As Huhne said, â€Å"Safety is and will continue to be the number one priority for existing nuclear sites and for any new power stations.† (Nuclear Safety Is Number One Priority – Huhne (Press Notice)). Certifying that the UK does not have anything to do with the tragic events taking place in Japan recently, Huhne also mentions that maintaining safety at the nuclear power stations remains one of the basi c concerns of the mankind. However, it seems that the considerations of the nuclear power plants do have certain grounds, which have to be tackled sooner or later. Along with the energy challenges the authors of the book raise an important question concerning the level of carbon decrease. Whether it is possible is not a matter of life and death yet, but it will soon become the one, according to the prognoses of the authors of the book. Due to the fact that the mankind produces huge mass of carbon dioxide, the environment contamination progresses geometrically. Leading to an environmental catastrophe, this problem must be tackled, otherwise people will not be able to resist the danger. As the England Annual Conference announced, Speakers representing the views of all the construction professions spoke at – what provided to be – a very enlightening day.Advertising Looking for critical writing on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Topics covered included new developments, insulation, low carbon emissions, retro-fitting historical buildings and the carbon footprint of the whole life cycle of construction. (Is Low Carbon Sustainable Development Possible?) However, these are not only the threats which the book is speaking of. The authors also suggest the method of sustainable development as a means of comprising the technology development and preserving the wildlife and the nature. Once the new method is utilized, it will become easier to control the safety of the environment, the authors insist. It seems that the new means of protecting the nature does have the right to be practiced. Indeed, once the riches of the nature are wisely utilized, the state of the wildlife will become more or less stable. Contributing to the Great Mission: Some Suggestions Throughout the history of the world people have always been using its riches, yet it was only in the past few decades when people became seriously concerned about its safety and balance. Thus, taking into account the damage which has been made to the nature and wildlife, it seems that repairing the damage will take people much more than a few years. Still there are certain suggestions of how to make the world more stable and to maintain the sustainable development without traumatizing the Mother Nature anymore. Thus, it seems that the mankind has to deal with the environmental issues at present, otherwise there will not be enough time to tackle all the complicated issues which have already arisen. Among the most complicated subjects which need serious considerations and fast solutions, the one concerning the alternative energy sources and their utilization. As The Royal Academy of engineering claims, â€Å"Meeting the increasing global demand for energy is one of the key challenges for sustainable development† (25). Thus, it is extremely important to search for4 the new ways of obtaining energy and to make wise use of the remaining sou rces. Taking into consideration the way people use the energy sources, it can be supposed that looking for the new energy sources will soon become the key priority of the mankind. Therefore, it is vitally important for people to think of the new energy sources. It is not only the lack of energy sources at present that raises certain questions, but also the impact which the current ones have on the atmosphere, the wildlife and the nature in general. It is obvious that the modern mankind faces great dangers connected with the energy sources. Due to the CO2 emissions, a great number of animals suffer, and a lot of species are on the verge of extinction, not to mention those which are already considered as extinct. Thus, the energy problem must be tackled. IEMA mentions that they are â€Å"determined to place environmental professionals at the heart of sustainable change, this conference will give delegates some of the tools they need to shape the development of the sustainability agen da† (Make the Business Case for Climate Action and Resource Efficiency.) However, at the same time the researchers admit that the changes which they are going to undertake will demand considerable time and efforts, which means that the current situation is going to last for another bunch of decades before things shift from their standstill position. It must be mentioned that certain measures still have been undertaken, among them the resolution concerning the British government and their responsibility for the state of the environment: â€Å"Government should develop a single framework for UK businesses to use to report their greenhouse gas emissions. This could be based on the 2009 Defra/DECC ‘Guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions’† (IEMA Evidence Included in Influential Report on Energy Efficiency). Thus, there is no doubt that the UK government and a group of activists are exploring the means to ensure the environmental safe ty in the country. However, the existing theories on what sources of energy can substitute the potentially dangerous ones and the ones which are going to be drained soon lead nowhere. However, it must be admitted that the activists interested in the state of the country are not sitting twiddling their thumbs, but working on the problem solution. One of the major improvements in this sphere is the fact that the population of the UK are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers which the unreasonable use of natural energy might lead to. Organized to make people shape a general idea of the energy situation in the country, the Climate Week brought much more results than the organizers could have thought – people are now eagerly participating in the energy problem solution: â€Å"Thousands of businesses, charities, schools, councils and others are running events to help highlight the issue of climate change and provide practical examples of how people are responding to the chall enges.† (Natural England Supports Climate Week).   Therefore, it is clear now that the mankind is going to find the way put of the complicated situation. Once people join forces, they will be able to drive the nature out of the crisis it is in now. Joining forces, people will finally find the alternative energy source and will preserve the environment as it is – pure, rich, and fertile. Works Cited IEMA Evidence Included in Influential Report on Energy Efficiency. IEMA, March 01 2011. Web. Web. Is Low Carbon Sustainable Development Possible? ICE, n.d., Web. Web. Make the Business Case for Climate Action and Resource Efficiency. IEMA, March 18, 2011. Web. Web. Natural England Supports Climate Week. Natural England, March 21 2011. Web. Web. Nuclear Safety Is Number One Priority – Huhne (Press Notice). Department of  Energy Climate Change. March 17 2011. Web. Web. The Royal Academy of Engineering. Engineering for Sustainable Development.  London, UK: Royal Ac ademy of Engineering, 2005. Web. What Is Sustainability and Sustainable Development? ICE. n.d., Web. Web. This critical writing on On the Rescue Mission: Preserving the Environment was written and submitted by user Marisa Tillman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Aristarchus-Biography essays

Aristarchus-Biography essays Aristarchus was not just a man of astronomy. He was also actively involved in mathematics as well as astronomy. He used his knowledge in both fields to discover great advances in the astronomy world like the fact that the earth rotates on its own axis and that the sun is in a fixed position and that the earth revolves around it. Even though Aristarchus ideas and hypotheses were not approved by the rest of the astronomers and mathematicians in the Greek world they did not persecute him. The exact date that Aristarchus died is not sure of but it is guessed that he was born around 310 BC in Greece. They think that he died around 230 BC in Greece. Not really anything is known about his childhood or his parents. But some of his mentors that helped him with his thirst for knowledge are Archimedes and Strato of Lampsacus. Strato of Lampsacus was head of Aristotles Lyceum but Aristarchus is thought to have studied with him in Greece and not Athens. In 287 BC Strato succeeded Theophrastrus and became head of the Lyceum at Alexandria. It is assumed that Aristarchus started studying with him there shortly after with some very smart and influential men. Its thought that Aristarchus made his observations of the summer solstice during One of Aristarchus observations was in the correction of Callipus estimate of the length of they year. Aristarchus added 1/1623 of a day to it and in doing that he discovered six astronomical hypotheses and form those six he founded eighteen propositions. They were all regarding the measurement of the sizes and distances of various stars and planets relative to the known diameter of the Earth. But, of all his discoveries and conclusions Aristarchus is most celebrated as the first to propose a sun-centered universe and for trying to determine the sizes and distances He is only considered to have tried or ...

Essay on Operations and Strategy of Financial Institutions part 2

Essay on Operations and Strategy of Financial Institutions part 2 Essay on Operations and Strategy of Financial Institutions part 2 Essay on Operations and Strategy of Financial Institutions part 2Essay on Operations and Strategy of Financial Institutions part  1Regardless of the separation, there have always been significant management mistakes: Northern Rock had long real estate commitments financed with very short-term resources which suddenly dried up following the subprime crisis; as regards investment banks, they had excessively developed operations that turned out to be toxic (Larosiere, 2012). Such dangerous operations and policies do not depend on the specialisation and, thus, the separation can hardly prevent banks from conducting such risky operations and policies.Effects of the separation of the retail banking from the investment bankingTherefore, the separation of the retail banking from investment banking leading to the narrow specialisation of banks does not really mean the prevention of risks. For example, if the retail business of a bank starts stumbling, the investment business of the bank can help it to compensate losses and maintain the stable marketing performance of the bank or, vice versa, problems in the investment business may be compensated by the steady growth in the retail business.In this regard, it is possible to refer to the recommendation of experts that directors should be primarily responsible for ensuring their bank was implementing the ringfence (Moulds, 2012). But regulators should police compliance and punish any bank found to be in breach by requiring that bank to hold extra capital (Moulds, 2012).  However, such recommendation implies the government regulation that may be not enough to prevent crisis. Instead, the crisis may be prevented through responsible policies and avoidance of risky policies.The separation may have a considerable impact on the profitability and performance of banks, such as Northern Rock. The separation will prevent the bank from the opportunity to diversify its business and, thus, expand its market through the development o f the investment business. Instead, the bank will remain constrained within its retail business. Such limitation will restrict marketing opportunities for the bank to increase its market share and enter new markets as well as existing ones with investment instruments and projects that can increase the profitability of the bank and enhance its marketing performance. Instead, the bank will be doomed to focus on its retail business solely, which has already put the bank on the edge of survival. The shift toward investment banking would be too risky for Northern Rock at the moment.However, to understand possible effects of the separation, it is possible to refer to the application of this strategy in the past, for instance, in the US during the Great Depression. In the late 1920s, the split of the retail banking from investment banking resulted in the decrease of the amount of capital available for investment banking (Casserley, 2014). Moreover, in 1929 the capital of the securities aff iliates of National City and Chase National alone amounted to over $220 million (Casserley, 2014). Ten years later the total capital of the eight largest investment banks was a mere $75 million (Casserley, 2014).In fact, the separation of the retail banking from the investment banking may lead to the overall downturn in the business and economic development that will have a negative impact on the bank’s performance and profitability. In such a situation, the bank is likely to face considerable problems with the accelerated business development and stable growth since the decline of investments, which had been traced during the Great Depression after the attempt of the separation. The slow economic growth and low capitalization of investment banks will have a negative impact on retail banks too because the lack of investments will discourage the growth in the retail banking too since economic or business activities will be low.RecommendationsThe introduction of the separation of the retail banking from the investment banking will not bring consistent changes and qualitative improvements in the performance of Northern Rock, which is now run by Virgin Money, as well as other banks. The problem is not the lack of separation, since the bank was specialised on the retail banking solely before the crisis had struck. Instead, it was the risky policies conducted by the bank and its ineffective management that eventually triggered the downturn in the bank’s development, which were aggravated and fully revealed by the global financial crisis.Furthermore, it is possible to suggest considering the enhancement of the government regulation rather than separation of the retail banking from the investment banking. The government should not restrict business opportunities for banks but increase the regulation making stricter requirements to the bank. Strict requirements will discourage banks from too risky operations and decisions.The bank should focus on the opti misation of its performance rather than separation of the retail from investment operations. For example, the bank should get rid of the risky assets and focus on secure operations along with the attraction of customers, who can help to overcome current difficulties and regain its competitive position in the market. Northern Rock can count on the support of Virgin Money so far but the wise and effective customer relations management along with reasonable financial policies oriented on minimisation of risks is the worth implementing strategy, even if the price the bank has to pay will be low profitability. The bank will stabilise its performance in several years, optimize its operations and assets and, thus, create the ground for the further growth.In addition, the bank should come prepared that the proposal to separate its retail business from the investment one will not bring positive effects on its profitability and performance. The diversification of its operations through the de velopment of the investment department could help the bank to become the universal bank and enhance its performance. The profitability would likely remain low because such changes of bank’s operations are costly. However, in a long-run, the bank could partially secure its assets and marketing performance through such diversification, when the bank confronts the problem of the external impact, but not internal ones as was the case of Northern Rock in 2007-2008.ConclusionThus, the introduction of the separation of the retail banking from the investment banking will hardly bring consistent improvements to the performance and profitability of Northern Rock Bank. Moreover, this decision will hardly be able to prevent the crisis in the banking industry. The separation focuses on the strict control over the banking industry, which is of little help for Northern Rock as well as other banks. Hence, the separation is unlikely to increase the profitability and improve the performance of Northern Rock. On the contrary, this policy can trigger the downturn in the development of the banking industry and this policy can have a negative impact on Northern Rock Bank.

Solar Radiation and the Earths Albedo

Solar Radiation and the Earth's Albedo Nearly all of the energy arriving on planet Earth and driving the various weather events, oceanic currents, and distribution of ecosystems originates with the sun. This intense solar radiation as it is known in physical geography originates in the sun’s core and is eventually sent to Earth after convection (the vertical movement of energy) forces it away from the sun’s core. It takes approximately eight minutes for solar radiation to reach the Earth after leaving the sun’s surface. Once this solar radiation arrives on Earth, its energy is distributed unevenly across the globe by latitude. As this radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere it hits near the equator and develops an energy surplus. Because less direct solar radiation arrives at the poles, they, in turn, develop an energy deficit. To keep energy balanced on the Earth’s surface, the excess energy from the equatorial regions flows toward the poles in a cycle so energy will be balanced across the globe. This cycle is called the Earth-Atmosphere energy balance. Solar Radiation Pathways Once the Earth’s atmosphere receives shortwave solar radiation, the energy is referred to as insolation. This insolation is the energy input responsible for moving the various Earth-atmosphere systems like the energy balance described above but also weather events, oceanic currents, and other Earth cycles. Insolation can be direct or diffuse. Direct radiation is solar radiation received by the Earth’s surface and/or atmosphere that has not been altered by atmospheric scattering. Diffused radiation is solar radiation that has been modified by scattering. Scattering itself is one of five pathways solar radiation can take when entering the atmosphere. It occurs when insolation is deflected and/or redirected upon entering the atmosphere by dust, gas, ice, and water vapor present there. If the energy waves have a shorter wavelength, they are scattered more than those with longer wavelengths. Scattering and how it reacts with wavelength size are responsible for many things we see in the atmosphere such as the sky’s blue color and white clouds. Transmission is another solar radiation pathway. It occurs when both shortwave and longwave energy pass through the atmosphere and water instead of scattering when interacting with gases and other particles in the atmosphere. Refraction can also occur when solar radiation enters the atmosphere. This pathway happens when energy moves from one type of space to another, such as from air into water. As the energy moves from these spaces, it changes its speed and direction when reacting with the particles present there. The shift in direction often causes the energy to bend and release the various light colors within it, similar to what happens as light passes through a crystal or prism. Absorption is the fourth type of solar radiation pathway and is the conversion of energy from one form into another. For example, when solar radiation is absorbed by water, its energy shifts to the water and raises its temperature. This is common of all-absorbing surfaces from a tree’s leaf to asphalt. The final solar radiation pathway is a reflection. This is when a portion of energy bounces directly back to space without being absorbed, refracted, transmitted, or scattered. An important term to remember when studying solar radiation and reflection is albedo. Albedo Albedo is defined as the reflective quality of a surface. It is expressed as a percentage of reflected insolation to incoming insolation and zero percent is total absorption while 100% is the total reflection. In terms of visible colors, darker colors have a lower albedo, that is, they absorb more insolation, and lighter colors have a high albedo, or higher rates of reflection. For example, snow reflects 85-90% of insolation, whereas asphalt reflects only 5-10%. The angle of the sun also impacts albedo value and lower sun angles create greater reflection because the energy coming from a low sun angle is not as strong as that arriving from a high sun angle. Additionally, smooth surfaces have a higher albedo while rough surfaces reduce it. Like solar radiation in general, albedo values also vary across the globe with latitude but Earth’s average albedo is around 31%. For surfaces between the tropics (23.5Â °N to 23.5Â °S) the average albedo is 19-38%. At the poles, it can be as high as 80% in some areas. This is a result of the lower sun angle present at the poles but also the higher presence of fresh snow, ice, and smooth open water- all areas prone to high levels of reflectivity. Albedo, Solar Radiation, and Humans Today, albedo is a major concern for humans worldwide. As industrial activities increase air pollution, the atmosphere itself is becoming more reflective because there are more aerosols to reflect insolation. In addition, the low albedo of the world’s largest cities sometimes creates urban heat islands which impacts both city planning and energy consumption. Solar radiation is also finding its place in new plans for renewable energy- most notably solar panels for electricity and black tubes for heating water. These items’ dark colors have low albedos and therefore absorb nearly all of the solar radiation striking them, making them efficient tools for harnessing the sun’s power worldwide. Regardless of the sun’s efficiency in electricity generation though, the study of solar radiation and albedo is essential to the understanding of Earth’s weather cycles, ocean currents, and locations of different ecosystems.

AnalyticalResponse1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

AnalyticalResponse1 - Essay Example She is bored to death in her sisters house. When she finds work in a shoe factory, this too turns out to be drudgery. She does have enough money to buy some decent clothes as she has to pay four dollars a week as rent to her sister. Carrie begins to hate her co-workers and tries to get out of the boredom by spending most of her free time watching people as they pass on the street outside her sisters house. Carrie loses her job after an illness. It looks like she has to forget her big dreams of becoming rich and famous and return home. However she meets, George Drouet, a successful salesman, who she had earlier met in a train, by chance, a second time. Carrie leaves her sisters house and lives with George. In the meantime Carrie meets George Hurstwood, a friend of Drouet and a wealthy manager of a Chicago tavern. After a string of misunderstandings and errors in moral judgments, Carrie and Hurstwood move on to bigger and better lives in the big city of New York. Capitalism in America brought one of the biggest changes to American culture and that was the trend of â€Å"conspicuous consumption". Carrie in the novel represents consumerism and the American middle class. Carrie is shown as being "ambitious to gain in material things." (Dreiser,1900) And her personality reflects the American middle class growing desire for material things. Carrie wants to accumulate material things because she desires a higher status in society and she is aware that this will undoubtedly ensure her a higher status. Dreiser emphasizes this fact by giving us specific details about everything Carrie owns. Carrie has an imitation alligator-skin bag. She cannot afford a real alligator skin bag but still has an imitation one as she wants the status that goes with conspicuous consumption. As one reads the novel one can see the transition in Carries character while trying to adjust to the fast life of a big city. She suffers from what

Florida lawmaker pushes bill to end FCAT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Florida lawmaker pushes bill to end FCAT - Essay Example Widespread reports of racial profiling that led to incidents like the one in Cincinnati, where police violently clashed with black protesters for three days, have called the attention of the public and inevitably, many politicians. Cloud et al observes a nationwide scrambling for legislations banning racial profiling as a tool in police operations. The writers anticipate, however, a problem in implementing a sweeping prohibition of racial profiling as was being contemplated by the End Racial Profiling bill, then pending in 2000 in Congress. One possible outcome of such a law is a police force hesitant to do their jobs, such as what happened after the Cincinnati riots where arrests dwindled in numbers despite an opposing direction of crime incidences. Another is the unlikely feasibility of a mechanism that could accurately predict when or how racial profiling is actually being committed. The article is a well-written, subtle piece of writing imbuing as much logic and reason to impress the readers of its objectivity to cushion a position that leans towards the less popular view in this highly charged issue. The general impression that one gets after reading the article is that the writers wanted to impress the American readers of the folly of a sweeping anti-racial profiling law, considering the absence of a mechanism that could exactly measure racial profiling. Thus, the article begins by taking into account the perspectives of police, particularly from one who whines about â€Å"guilt by uniform.† The article also points out that there is no exact definition of what racial profiling is and hence, the consequent difficulty in telling the police to stop employing it, as the wrong itself defies precise and conclusive definition (Cloud et al 2). Still later, it stresses the difficulty in gauging the actual amount of racial profiling being practiced by the police force (Cloud et al 3). Understandably, the writers chose to approach this subject in a very subtl e way, presenting facts and reports as much as possible and letting interviewees mouth relevant data, which nevertheless, support the writers’ point. The article does not make much use of ‘pathos’ - the writers seemingly holding back perhaps out of fear that they would be stirring the hornet’s nest. On the other hand, the writers attempt to resort to the appeal of logic and reason by sprinkling an abundance of interviews, reports and factual accounts of events throughout the article that represented their perspectives rather than enunciating these views themselves. The appeal to logic and reason seems to be employed precisely for the readers to forget the emotional underpinning of the issue, which is not bad except that it makes the writers look like fence-sitters at times with no real position of their own leaving the readers confused as to what their objectives really are. Thus, as the writers allow some police personnel to recount the gloom that pervade s their respective agencies leaving their hands tied with charges of racial profiling looming above their heads like the sword of Damocles, the article followed this up with details of racial profiling incidents such the â€Å"flying while black† incident involving the seizure of $7,000 from a black businessman by the DEA on the ground that it was

Marketing over 50's to St Lucia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing over 50's to St Lucia - Essay Example It appears that the original designation was "Sainte Alousie," the name used in Father DuTetre's 1664 volume on the Antilles. Despite the fact that numerous thousands have immigrated to different parts of the Americas and Europe, particularly throughout the twentieth century, this ID remains solid, even around those conceived in the diaspora. The inquiry of an imparted society is quarrelsome, for Saint Lucians are partitioned along numerous lines, yet there is a feeling of fitting in with a place, an area, of which they have a feeling of ownership. One forcing thing of regular society could be Kweyo`l or Patwa, the French-inferred creole dialect spoken by most Saint Lucians. In any case, numerous brought up abroad don't talk the dialect, and Saint Lucians likewise distinguish that their Kweyo`l is practically indistinguishable to that spoken on Dominica and the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. (Munar, 2011) The "creation of tourism as a pay exceptional" rose in the 1950s with the development of disposable pay for pay labourers in streamlined nations. The advancement of tourism as an improvement apparatus started in 1969 with a counselling report finished by Checchi and Company, a private universal advancement counselling ?rm spend significant time in tourism and local improvement. It expressed that any yearning to aid the individuals of the Eastern Caribbean could be accomplished through the advancement of tourism. Tourism was pushed as having two fundamental points of interest: a wellspring of wage and a foundation for more stupendous universal comprehension. Basically, tourism turned into the methods by which Third World nations with little to offer yet nature could collect capital, and at last advance. Tourism as an advancement apparatus in the Caribbean developed ?rst in Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Jamaica in the late 1950s and unanticipated 1960s, and inevitably spread Tourism as a Development Tool in the Caribbean and the Environmental By-items: The Stresses on Small Island Resources and Viable Remedies Janouska Grandoit International Relations, Economics, The Maxwell School of Syracuse University In the Caribbean, land and seaside assets have supported a moderately little populace for a considerable length of time, yet with an increment in present day monetary movement the islands' biological communities are under expanding weight. Without reasonable arrangements that address the main impetuses behind these weights, economical improvement in the Caribbean islands is not conceivable. Nature is frequently traded off by the instantaneous requirement to create outside trade, for the most part through tourism. On the other hand, it was the coming of the streamlined upset and the creation of the steamship in the nineteenth century that denoted the rise of venture out to fascinating goals, particularly for recreation purposes. Around then, travel was expensive to the point that just the rich could take preference, and tourism in Barbados was a selective diversion, organised at the activity of private people, with practically no legislature inclusion inside the incipient area. It was not until the late 1950's and into the 1960's with the commercialisation of the plane motor that tourism developed as a real financial action in Barbados and critical indications of organisation and government inclusion surfaced. From around the 1640's, sugar had been the motor of development of the Barbadian economy, and spoke to the most predominant wellspring of outside

Purification and charcaterization of extracellular cysteine protease Article

Purification and charcaterization of extracellular cysteine protease inhibitor, ECPI2, from chlorella - Article Example First, they cultured a strain of Chlorella sp. 4533, separated the filtrate by centrifuge, and concentrated it through evaporation. After assaying the protease activity, they eluted the inhibitor and obtained two active fractions, one of which was the primary research component, ECPI-2. The active fractions of this were pooled, dialyzed and concentrated, and then the protein concentration and carbohydrate content were determined and measured. 4. Discussion of Figures and Tables. Table 1 is the purification summary for ECPI-2, providing comparison of progressively purified elements in terms of protein concentration, total and specific activity, and percentage yield from crude of each step in the purification process. This was performed to purify the inhibitor and demonstrate the increasing level of activity. The first step used a DEAE-cellulose column of 3.5x60 cm and quadrupled the specific activity. Next, after the active elements were pooled, dialyzed and concentrated, they were applied to a Sephadex S-300 column (2x130 cm) which increased specific activity by a factor of almost 5X. Finally, after another evaporator concentration, the inhibitor was applied to a 1x150 cm column of Butyl Toyopearl 650 M, again doubling the specific activity; from crude to final, activity was increased by over 40X, giving the authors evidence of purity.

Southwest Airlines Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Southwest Airlines Strategic Management - Essay Example The mission statement of Southwest Airlines apparently affirms that the airline company is strategically concentrated to serve its international customer base with the highest degree of quality assurance with a sense of warmth, company spirit and friendliness along with individual pride. Moreover, the vision of Southwest Airlines indicates that the company desires to become a famous airline company by providing inexpensive, reliable and comfortable flight transportation facility, both in the national and international contexts (Southwest Airlines Co, 2012). Strengths The strengths of Southwest Airlines can be identified as its capability to serve its worldwide customers with low prices and higher quality services. Moreover, the organizational structure of Southwest Airlines is identified to be flexible which in turn rewards a competitive advantage for the company. Additionally, the airlines company helps its customers to book tickets mostly through online sources. Generally, the most apparent strength of Southwest Airlines is the working environment of the company which is built on an effective relationship among the staffs (Hawkins, Misra & Tang, 2012). Weaknesses Southwest Airlines does not pursue any partnership or membership with unions. Generally, the organizational operations are examined to indicate the nature of a follower rather than a leader in the global marketplace.

Sales Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Sales Marketing Plan Essay Marketing is one of the most important aspects of a business. According to Peter Drucker â€Å"There will always, one can assume, be need for some selling. But the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customers so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. All that should be needed then is to make the product or service available. † (Peter Drucker, Marketing Management, Philip Kotler). In this report, we have planned to market the service ‘Hair care’ by opening an Hair Salon in Silver spring, USA. We have analyzed different marketing strategies and designed a marketing plan for the same. SLP 01 1. NAME, LOCATION amp; NATURE NAME: â€Å"Looks† Location: Silver spring, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA Nature: ‘LOOKS’ will be one stop solution that will allow the entire family to have their hair needs satisfied in one convenient location. It will serve men, women, and children and it will accept appointments as well as walk-ins. ‘LOOKS’ will also sell premium hair care products. It will focus on serving the entire family in one quick, convenient visit. It will excel due to its attention on their clients, so as to build a long term relationship. Through unheralded customer attention, ‘LOOKS’ will slowly but surely gain market share as it services the entire family, creating long-term relationships. Being on one of the best location of Silver Spring, it will attract a lot of traffic. 2. SELF-ANALYSIS The US salon market accounts for approximately 60 billion dollars. Looking stylish, trendy and beautiful is one of the major concerns of the people in US today and providing this, forms the strength of â€Å"Looks†. As the mission of â€Å"Looks† aligns with this need of the market and as it has comparatively higher competency in the world of fashion it is a strong player. 3. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS The population of Silver Spring is 78,488, with a growth of 2. 5%. The population of Silver Spring consists of 48% males and 52% females. The immediate geographic target of LOOKS is Silver Spring and its neighboring communities of total 250,000 of population. Approximately 12 miles geographic radius is in need of the offered services. The total targeted population 100,000. Baby boomers, Gen-Xers and baby boomlet and the young generation are the groups that are targeted by ‘LOOKS’. 4. ANALYSIS OF  PRIMARY COMPETITORS The location chosen offers very less competition or no competition. Though there are two major competitors which LOOKS has to compete with. Ebony Barbers Unisex ;amp; Fenton Barber Shop are the two major competitors of LOOKS. As Silver Spring is one of the biggest hub for business it may likely to be hurt by emerging competition. LOOKS will have to face Monopolistic competition, as its competitor is able to differentiate their offerings. 5. MARKET RESEARCH The demographic segregation of Silver Spring is displayed in the graph displayed below: Age Group| %| Under 18 yrs| 23%| 18 – 24 yrs| 9. 3%| 25 – 44 yrs| 37%| 45 – 64 yrs| 21. 2%| Above 65 yrs| 9. 6%| Silver Spring is a ‘Salad Bowl’ society with ethnic group maintaining their ethnic differences, neighborhoods and culture. The Silver Spring population comprises of different racial people which are 46. 61%  white, 28. 07%  African American, 0. 44% Native American, 8.22% Asian, 0. 06% Pacific Islander, 11. 55% from  other races and 5. 04% from two or more races 22. 22% people of the total population are of Hispanic or Latino race. ‘Looks’ will concentrate on the needs and wants of all races as each group has a specific want that need to be satisfied. The Household pattern in Silver Spring is ‘diverse’ as maximum people in Silver Spring are adult live together, single parent family and single live out. 6. MARKETING ENVIRONMENT a. Political and legal factors This environment comprises of laws, government agencies and pressure groups. Business Legislation protects companies from unfair competition, customers from unfair business practices, and interest of the society. Consumer Protection is one of the most important aspect that had to be followed by the business legislation in Silver Spring, maintaining the product quality and disclosing the facts about the product is very important. Anti-competitive agreements among competitors are restrained in Silver Spring. Agreements such as price fixing and customer and market allocation agreements are prohibited in Silver Spring. Economic factors Economic environment helps in determining the strength and size of the market. LOOKS need to analyze the economic environment as the available purchasing power in an economy depends on current income, prices, savings, debt and credit availability in the economy. So its important to analyze the major trends in income and consumer spending patterns. Income Distribution The total number of household in Silver Spring is 30,374. Average household income of the area is $51,653 and the average income of the family is $60,631. The per capita income of Silver Spring is $26,357. 9. 3%(7300 people) of the population are below poverty line. The cost of living in Silver Spring is 40. 12% higher than the US average and the unemployment rate is 5. 10%. The recent job growth trend is negative. c. Social factors Silver Spring people are looking for services and products that provide them ‘Self realization’. Customers have become more value driven in choosing their products or services. Silver Spring organizes several ethnic festivals, musical and entertainment events. One of the most famous film festival i.e. Silver docs Documentary film festival is held every year in the month of June. Silver Spring also organizes Silver Spring Jazz festival which is one of the biggest musical festival which attracts more than 20,000 people. This festival is held on the second Saturday in the month of September. It also hosts American Film Institute Silver Theatre and culture, which showcases American as well as different foreign movies. Silver Spring is one of the major area of Montgomery County, the revitalization of Silver Spring has beckoned diversity of people wide variety of ideas. Thus, Silver Spring had a wide variety of culture. SLP02 7. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE ANALYSIS SWOT Analysis : Strengths : * Location, centrally located * Well-trained employees with excellent styling, hair care skills * Customer focused business practice * Wide range of services * Low cost * A powerful strategy supported by competitively valuable skills and experience in key areas * A strong financial condition; ample financial resources to grow the business * Product innovation skills * Wide geographic coverage Weakness : LOOKS will cater to a diverse variety of people of different culture and races i. e. whites, African American, Native Americans, Asians and people of other communities and culture. The Social class which LOOKS will target will be Middle class, upper middle class, Lower upper and upper uppers. Psychographic Segmentation: ‘Lifestyle’ and ‘Style statement’ are one of the priorities of people of Silver Spring. LOOKS will target the audience who are straights, swingers and long hairs having different personality traits. LOOKS will personify the personality of its target audience, by giving a style to their living. 9. SERVICE DESCRIPTION Silver Spring organises lots of cultural festivals, film festivals, and musical events. So LOOKS will cater the need of style needed by the target audience during these occasions. LOOKS will provide a quality service so as to keep the customers satisfied. With the trained and specialized staff it will also be able to speedy service to the client. As people look for quality, convenience and speed. LOOKS will focus in making hard core loyals, through its customer service, quality and style. 10. BUSINESS MISSION LOOKS is committed to provide the best services to its customers, it will provide its customers best professional services in the field of Hair care and styling. With the changing environment, the company will acquire new trends and will upgrade its services to provide best services to its customers. 11. GENERAL OBJECTIVES or GOALS Financial: 1. To reach the breakeven point within two years of the business operations 2. Growth of 10% profits from the base year. Nonfinancial: 1. Expand the operations of business by including new hair care programs within five years. 2. To become one of the best hair care salon in Silver Spring 3. Attracting the customers from the areas near silver Spring 4. Providing best services all round the year. 5. Provide professional services in affordable price. SLP03 12. DISTRIBUTION, LOCATION ;amp; TIMING The primary base of any beauty hair salon is to provide basic hair cut and other hair styling. LOOKS will be one stop solution for all the hair care needs. LOOKS provides hair styling for the entire family. The services of LOOKS will include Haircuts, Formal Styling of hairs, Casual hair styles, coloring, highlighting, perms, deep conditioning treatment, hair care treatment, hair spas, relaxers, massage, hair extension. Service is offered on a walk in basis or by appointment. LOOKS will emphasize a customer-centric service where the customers needs are always the priority. Highlighting is one of the essential services that is demanded by the customers in silver Spring. Coifed hair is one of the famous dress code that is followed by many women at their workplace. Customers not only just look for getting their hairs highlighted, but also prefer the services as cut with waving and smoothing. The main focus of customers in today’s time is quality of service that is provided at the hair salon, they aspire quality services as work place appearance code is one the important aspects of people in Silver Spring. Colouring and highlighting of hairs helps is transforming or changing the look and appearance of the person. Hair straightening and smoothening is also one of the major services that is demanded by the customers. LOOKS will also follow the new trends of hair styling just as blowout styling. LOOKS will also provide therapies and spa treatment which will help in recovering the damage hairs, hair loss and thinning hair treatments. 13. VARIATIONS IN TARGET MARKET LOOKS will tailor its services so that it caters the needs and wants of local customer group as well as immediate neighbours of Silver Spring. People in Silver Spring are of different races and culture so the customers will have diffused preferences, the consumer preferences will be diverse. LOOKS will operate in Silver Spring and its surroundings and will cater all the local variations. It is a suburban area. With the connectivity with two major cities, Washington D. C and Biltmore, it will also target the people residing near Silver Spring. SLP04 14. INFORMATION NEEDS Information on segmentation and competition are essential. Marketing Segmentation is an effort which helps in increasing company’s precision marketing. LOOKS will practice Segment Marketing as it will help in creating large potential market, as LOOKS will provide its services at low cost, it will be able to attract customers and the low costing can help gaining higher margins in future as LOOKS will cater a large market. The main aim of LOOKS will be to create and retain customers, keeping in mind the tastes and preferences of the customers. LOOKS can also create a few fine toned services and can price them accordingly for a high class segment. 15. PERSONAL SELLING LOOKS will adopt Full Market coverage strategy, it will serve all customer groups with all the products they might need. The services and marketing will be designed in such a way that it will appeal the broadest number of buyers. It will aim to endow its services with a superior image in people’s mind. It will try and win price sensitive market by keeping low cost to the services provided. 16. TRAINING * Gap between management perception and service quality specification: This gap occurs when management correctly perceives the requirement of the client but it is not able to provide that service because of the specified performance chart. There are several guideline that a company has to follow. LOOKS will use the products of latest technology so as to serve its clients with the services and style needed. Gap between service quality specification and service delivery: This gap occurs when the personnel is not trained properly and is incapable to meet the standards. LOOKS will focus on training its stylists from few of the top styling professionals, so that LOOKS is able to deliver the specified service required by the client. * Gap between perceived service and expected service: This gap occurs when the customers misperceives the services that is to be provided by the company. LOOKS will minimize the gap between the perceived service and the expected service. It will cater to the expected needs of the clients of LOOKS. LOOKS will give importance to reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy so as provide the determined service quality. 17. INCENTIVES * Gap between customer expectation and management perception: This gap occurs when the management is not able to perceive correctly the requirement and wants of the customer. LOOKS will consult the clients to know their expected needs and wants. The stylists will be trained in the way, that they work in accordance with the expectation of the clients so as to reduce the gap between customer satisfaction and management perception. Gap between service delivery and external communications: This gap occurs when customer satisfaction are affected by statements made by company personnel. LOOKS will focus on meeting the requirement of the clients, the clients who are decisive about the style or the service needed by them will be consulted by our consulting professional who will specially focus on understanding the requirement of the client. 18. EVALUATION OF SELLING PERFORMANCE LOOKS is a customer centred organization. LOOKS has to differentiate its services from its competitors to emerge as the best Beauty Hair Salon in Silver Spring. LOOKS will provide high Performance Quality to its customers. It will provide its customers the style and services as per their specifications. LOOKS will focus on customer satisfaction; the services that will be provided by LOOKS will enable the customer to feel good. LOOKS will provide the adequate and demanded quality to its customers by consulting the customers, the stylist will provide the services as needed by the customer. LOOKS will earn a strong competitive advantage through Personnel Differentiation. LOOKS will train the employees by the best stylists to cater to its customers. The physical space of LOOKS will be another powerful image generator. 19. COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES LOOKS will help women in balancing their lifestyle, taking care of their hairs. It will be a treat for women who have time. It will be one of the places where men and women can get pampered by the hair treatment, spas and other hair styling and hair care services. LOOKS position itself as â€Å"one-size-that -fits-all†, and â€Å"A mirror to your Image† 20. COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY The main objective of LOOKS is to build trust in women, once LOOKS is able to gain the trust then they tend to be loyal. Objectives of LOOKS: * Visual excitement environment * Fashion authority * Above average quality and value for money * Customer dedication * Providing unrevealed value to our customers in the quality of services provided by LOOKS * A commitment to putting customer first at all times. LOOKS will focus on building awareness, attracting traffic or eyeballs, turning first-time buyers into loyal repeat customers as it is the Holy Grail of marketing strategies. It will provide new innovative colors as well as style to their clients. As the customers in this industry have diffused preferences, the preferences of the clients will be considered and worked accordingly. The salon will focus on satisfying both Employees as well as customers because if the employees are happy they will keep the customers happy. A Fun to work environment will be adopted to add a spark in the working environment. 21. MEDIA LOOKS will follow the cheapest mode of advertising . i. e word of mouth as it will focus on customer satisfaction. Other modes of promotion will also be followed like advertising through banners and hoardings. LOOKS will position itself as ‘Mirror to your image’. * Newspaper : One page advertisement will be displayed in the leading news papers of Silver spring as Silver spring Gazette, and Mondotimes. It will help in targeting a greater audience as it covers large geographic area. * Front store Display: As these displays are visible by the pass by, it will help in attracting customers. * Banners: these displays will also help it attracting huge customer base. * Radio :Radio is also one of the most effective mode of promotion, In Silver spring there are huge number of radio stations that operate. It will also help in attracting huge customers as radio also targets huge geographical area. AM station like WACA, (1540 AM), W7OP (1500 AM), FM stations like WWDC (101. 1 FM), WCSP (90. 1 FM) * Pamphlets: To increase more awareness, printed pamphlets can be distributed near schools, shopping places, amusement parks. * Specialty advertising: In this LOOKS will advertise by few useful, low cost items bearing the company’s name and address, on few of the items advertising message will also be displayed. This will include ball pens, calendars, memo pads. Maintaining ongoing contact is essential for building relationships. It is the extension of engaging and focuses on keeping a customer. The objective is to increase the customer base, and retaining customers and engaging them on an ongoing basis results in increased product service opportunities and provides the opportunity to learn more about the customer, and forge closer relationships. 23. SALES PROMOTIONS LOOKS has to build effective communication strategy so as to capture maximum market. LOOKS has to work to develop an insight in people. LOOKS will be positioned in the mind of people as â€Å"one stop solution for hair care and styling†, one-size-that -fits-all†, and â€Å"A mirror to your Image†. LOOKS has to follow â€Å"learn-feel-do† model for determining its communication objective as the target audience has high involvement with a service provided to have differentiation. 24. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS EFFECTIVENESS Competition and Buying patterns of people of Silver Spring LOOKS competitors include: 1. Traditional Barbers: 2. Franchised Quick Salons 3. Independent Salons Ebony Barbers Unisex ;amp; Fenton Barber Shop are the main competitors of LOOKS. The buying patterns of men and women are quite different. Men are more sensitive towards pricing and convenience. Women are concerned and conscious with their styles and trends that are being followed. Monitoring needs to be carried out effectively, and that the feedback gained is useful and appropriate, it is also imperative that feedback is considered in any future decision-making SLP05 25. OVERALL COSTS The average price that we will charge for the styling of hairs will be approximately $100. The fixed cost will be approximately $100,000 per year including the equipments and the variable cost will be approximately $25 which will mainly include the electricity expenses, employee cost and other miscellaneous cost. Calculating the break even point: BEP = [FC ? (P – UVC)] BEPQuantity = [$100,000 ? ($100 – $25)] = 1333 customers BEPRevenue = 1333 customers ? $100 = $133300 The above figures are tentative and subject to change with the market conditions and demand. LOOKS will follow super value strategy, it will provide high quality of service in low price, so as to attract maximum customers. LOOKS initial focus is to attract maximum customers. It will follow Market penetration pricing, this will allow LOOKS to win the largest market share. New and quality product range of the hair care products will also be kept at the salon as many people prefer these for home use as well and it will turn out to be one of the channels for sale for high premium brand products. 27. TEMPORARY PRICE PROMOTIONS A new style of services will be provide to the client, all their requirements will be considered so as to provide them with the best result, the salon will give a total new look to the client keeping in mind the texture and the nature of his hair using best products and giving best services. The salon will follow distinctive strategy for positioning. The price will be on a lower end, as main motive of LOOKS is to give customers the value for the product and their satisfaction, as Customer value and customer satisfaction are very important for any company or a brand to sustain in the market and capture the market share. LOOKS will be focusing on price-quality effect . i. e. providing high degree of quality product. 28. PROFITS LOOKS will also keep premium  hair care products  for sale as they are one of the important revenue generator, they help in providing 5% to 40% of revenue. These professional quality supplies will include shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, reconstructions, brushes, combs, and other styling aids. 29. LEARNING Attract The critical first step of the customer experience is to attract customers to LOOKS. After attracting, it then need to engage customers to obtain their interest and participation. Engage The key factors at this stage are Convenience combined with interesting and innovative services. Learn Building up a knowledge database on each customer – is an important aspect that needs to be done at LOOKS as it can create value for the customer and help build the brand-customer relationship. Relate By leveraging the multidimensional data gathered from ongoing interactions with individual customers, LOOKS can create value by providing a personalized experience. Customization and good Customer Care help to erect switching barriers and encourages customers to return and repeat the cycle. LOOKS has to focus on generating high customer loyalty by delivering high customer value by designing superior value proposition backed by superior value delivery system. LOOKS success depends on the way it creates and deliver the value which is superior than its competitors, which is develops following capabilities : * Understanding customer value * Creating customer value * Delivering customer value * Capturing customer value * Sustaining customer value LOOKS will focus in making their customers their ‘True Friends’ i. e. it will bbuilding relationships with the right customers Conclusion: The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness regarding the services offered, then develop the customer base, and finally work toward building customer loyalty and referrals. The message that LOOKS will seek to communicate is that the entire family can be served quickly, professionally, with superior customer service at reasonable rates. The message will be communicated through various methods. The first is in-store and storefront displays. This will be a convenient method to attract people that walk past LOOKSs store front. The other method of communication is advertisements in two local newspapers.

Modelling Programmes for Industrial Scale Drug Production

Modelling Programmes for Industrial Scale Drug Production Different modelling programs of the production of a drug on an industrial scale Crystallisation: Crystallisation is usually used for the split-up, purification and the creation stage in the chemical industries. It is one of the oldest and most crucial unit operations. Crystallisation is a practical method of gaining a chemical substance that is concentrated. This concentrated chemical substance is in a form that is nice and simple to handle. There are various ways in which crystallisation could be carried out, such as melt, vapour and solution. However, recently melt has been the most popular one as there are great demands for it because of its good purification technique. Chemist always wants to get the chemicals they make as pure as possible and a good way of purifying chemicals is to make crystals of them. When they are in solution, you can have all sorts of impurities. But when they form crystals, the crystals the crystals contain much purer compounds than in the solutions. And the impurities are left in the solution. Generally, the crystals are a very precise arrangement of molecules all the same fitting together. The impurity has a different shape so it doesn’t fit in properly. Sometimes we get an impurity that is the wrong shape and we can get rid of it. Each time we recrystallise it e.g. make some solution, form crystals, filter them out, re-dissolve them, and form more crystals. Each time we crystallise it we get a purer and purer compound. Sometimes in the old days people crystallised thousands of times to get something really pure. The problem is that when you have a solution even if you want to cool it down which is the standard way of getting crystals to form. The crystals cannot form unless you get it something small for the first crystal to form around. Once the first one goes, the whole lot goes (Ssci-inc.com, 2014). There are three following steps in which the development of a certain crystal for the duration of crystallisation process follows. The three following steps that it continues over are; nucleation, crystal growth and Ostwald ripening. Embryos are created by the molecules of the substance combined, in the nucleation step. A macroscopic crystal can be created if the circumstances are for example if the embryo is allowed to reach a critical size known as nucleus. However, the embryo will dissolve if the circumstance is such that it is not possible to reach the critical nuclear size. Crystallising substance can exist in more than one crystalline phase for example; solvates or polymorphs. If that’s the case then each stage will have its own specific embryonic combined and nucleus. The differen t embryos in the supersaturated solution compete for solute molecules (Ssci-inc.com, 2014). The type of embryo that first reaches the critical nuclear size forms a nucleus for that particular crystalline phase and hence enables that phase to grow into macroscopic crystals. Because of the time that is involved in the competition for nucleation this step is controlled by kinetic considerations on condition that that the thermodynamic driving force for the formation of the crystallizing phase is favourable, i.e., ΔG is negative (Ssci-inc.com, 2014). Drug Design: Drug design is sometimes referred to as rational drug design. This is the inventive process of finding new medications based on the knowledge of a biological target. The drug is usually an organic small molecule that activates or inhibits the function of a biomolecule e.g. such as a protein, which in turn results in a therapeutic benefit to the patient. Drug design, in the most basic sense, involves the design of small molecules that are complementary in shape and charge to the bimolecular target with which they interact and therefore will bind to it. Drug design often but not essentially relies on computer modelling techniques. This type of modelling is often referred to as computer-aided drug design. Lastly, drug design that relies on the information of the three-dimensional structure of the bimolecular target is known as structure-based drug design. The phrase drug design is to some extent a contradiction, but what is really meant by drug design is ligand design (i.e., design of a small molecule that will bind tightly to its target). Although modelling techniques for prediction of binding affinity are reasonably effective, there are many other properties, e.g. such as bioavailability, lack of side effects, metabolic half-life, etc. That first must be optimized before a ligand can become a safe and efficient drug. These other characteristics are often difficult to optimize using rational drug design techniques (drug design, 2014). Typically a drug target is a key molecule involved in a particular metabolic or signalling pathway that is specific to a disease condition or pathology or to the infectivity or survival of a microbial pathogen. There are some methods that attempt to inhibit the functioning of the pathway in the diseased state by causing a key molecule to stop functioning. Drugs may be designed that bind to the active region and inhibit this main molecule. Another method may be to enhance the normal pathway by promoting specific molecules in the normal pathways that may have been affected in the diseased state. Also adding to that, these drugs should also be designed so as not to affect any other important off-target molecules or anti-targets that may be similar in appearance to the target molecule, since drug communications with off-target molecules may lead to undesirable side effects. Sequence homology is frequently used to identify such risks (drug design, 2014). Most frequently, drugs are organic small molecules produced through chemical mixture, but biopolymer-based drugs, also known as biologics, which is produced through biological processes, are becoming gradually more common. In addition, mRNA-based gene silencing technologies may have therapeutic applications (drug design, 2014). There are two types of drug design; one is Ligand based and the other Structure based drug design. Ligand based drug design is when you don’t know the structure. On the other hand, structure based drug design is when you do know the structure. Methods of drug design: 2.1.1Ligand-based Ligand based drug design, which is also sometimes referred to as indirect drug design, depends on the information given of other molecules that attach to the biological object. A pharmacophore model can be derived by using these other molecules that attach to the biological object. A pharmacophore is a theoretical description for molecular features that are essential in order to obtain molecular recognition of ligand by a biological macromolecule, a very large molecule. This defines the minimum essential structural features a molecule needs to have for it to attach to the object. In other words a model of the biological object can be built based on the information obtained of what attach to it and this model can also be used for designing new molecular objects that act together with the biological object. On the other hand, a quantitative structure activity relationship which correlation between calculated properties of molecules and their experimentally determined biological activit y, can be derived. These quantitative structure activity relationships in turn can be used to predict the activity of new analogues (Ligand-based drug design, 2014). 2.1.2Structure based The other method is called structure-based drug design. Structure based drug design, which is also referred to as direct drug design, depends on the information given about the three dimensional structure of the biological object gained from methods such as x-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy. If an experimental structure of an object is not available then it can be possible to make a homology model of the object based on the experimental structure of a related protein. Using the structure of the biological object candidate drugs that are predicted to attach to the high affinity and selectivity to the object can be designed using interactive graphics and the intuition of a medicinal chemistry or various automated computational procedures to suggest new drug candidates. The knowledge about the structural dynamics and electronic properties about ligands increased with more information concerning three dimensional structures of bimolecular objects. Current methods for structure ba sed drug design can be divided roughly into two categories. Fragment based Fragment based drug design involve Identifying low molecular weight compounds that weakly attach to a biological object macromolecule and will then be modified or connected to yield potent inhibitors. The specificity of these low difficulty and low affinity molecules has rarely been discussed in the writings (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2014). Computational drug design Drugs and associated biologically active molecules can be studied, improved and discovered by using computational chemistry in computer-aided drug design. In computer-aided drug design the most important aim is to predict if a certain molecule will attach to an object and if that is the case then how strongly does it attach. Often molecular dynamics or molecular mechanics are mostly used to predict the conformation of the small molecule and to model conformational changes in the biological object that might occur when the small molecule attach to it. An estimation of the binding affinity can also be obtained by the use of molecular mechanics methods. Likewise, information based scoring function can also be used in order to obtain binding affinity predictions (Young, 2009). The methods mentioned use statistical techniques such as linear regression, neural nets, machine learning, etc. This is used in order to derive estimated binding affinity equations by adding experimental affinities to computationally derived communication energies among the object and the molecule. If it is possible, the computational method will succeed in estimating affinity before a compound is fused. Therefore, in principle, just a single compound is needed to fuse. This is more efficient and will save a lot of time and money. However, the current computational methods available are not as perfect yet. At its best the computational methods gives just qualitatively accurate approximations of affinity. At the moment it still requires a few repetition of design, fusion and tests until a desired prime drug is found (Young, 2009). List of reference: Ssci-inc.com. 2014. Crystallization Impact on the Nature and Properties of the Crystalline Product. [online] Available at: http://www.ssci-inc.com/Information/RecentPublications/ApplicationNotes/CrystallizationImpact/tabid/138/Default.aspx [Accessed: 8 Mar 2014]. Drug design. 2014. [e-book] Available through: strbio.biochem.nchu.edu.tw https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=3cad=rjauact=8ved=0CEIQFjACurl=http://strbio.biochem.nchu.edu.tw/classes/special%20topics%20biochem/course%20ppts/course3.pdfei=b1YnU4D9BPC00QXdooHIDgusg=AFQjCNHxw8n3fRX0CfwB5yUQ9JXkts-vgA [Accessed: 17 Mar 2014]. Ligand-based drug design. 2014. [e-book] Available through: strbio.biochem.nchu.edu.tw https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=3cad=rjauact=8ved=0CEIQFjACurl=http://strbio.biochem.nchu.edu.tw/classes/special%20topics%20biochem/course%20ppts/course3.pdfei=b1YnU4D9BPC00QXdooHIDgusg=AFQjCNHxw8n3fRX0CfwB5yUQ9JXkts-vgA [Accessed: 17 Mar 2014]. Young, D. C. 2009. Computational drug design. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2014. Fragment based drug design: from experimental [Curr Med Chem. 2012] PubMed NCBI. [online] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22934764 [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].

Child Abuse Must End :: A Child Called It

Do you know anyone who has been abused by someone they love or even you who has been abused? If you have or know someone who has its not okay. It happens every single day to millions of children everywhere. Child abuse is something not to be taken easily. It has seen to become a major social problem and causes of children’s unhappiness and health. Not all child abuse is reported but should be. It’s not just young aged children it is also teenagers who get abused. So take a moment and think do you know anyone who has gotten abused or is being abused? Child abuse is a serious topic in today’s society. It goes way back into time. As time goes on more & more people are aware of what the dangers of child abuse can cause. If it wasn’t a important issue to be talked about and be taken care of child abuse would continue. If no one took the time to help these children what would happen to them. They would end up suffering for the rest of their lives or even end up dead. Child abuse can not go on unseen. Its happening around us all the time. What is more important then helping someone who is getting abused? Who is taking care of child abuse? Who is taking the children out of homes to protect them? Who is giving them a second chance at life? It’s definitely not the people who are abusing them. It’s people who love them and care for them. The state government is the there to help through the whole process. When child abuse is reported to child protective services it is now in the hands of them. Children protective services (cps) determine if it meets criteria for investigation. The CPS and police can work together on the case but also work separately. CPS conducts the family assessments and the police will conduct criminal investigations. After the investigations have been conducted and abuse has been found a police officer will put the child into protective custody. Protective custody is when custody is handed over a family member or the child is put into foster care. But by law a child is not allowed more then 72 hours of protective custody.

Art Analysis Paper :: essays research papers

Art Analysis Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first painting analyzed was North Country Idyll by Arthur Bowen Davis. The focal point was the white naked woman. The white was used to bring her out and focus on the four actual colored males surrounding her. The woman appears to be blowing a kiss. There is use of stumato along with atmospheric perspective. There is excellent use of color for the setting. It is almost a life like painting. This painting has smooth brush strokes. The sailing ship is the focal point because of the bright blue with extravagant large sails. The painting is a dry textured flat paint. The painting is evenly balanced. When I look at this painting, it reminds me of settlers coming to a new world that is be founded by its beauty. It seems as if they swam from the ship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second painting was by George W. Bellows and named Shoghead. This painting brought a sense of ease and relaxation. I can picture myself on the top of the mountain listening to the waves crash on the sides. The open countryside topped by the clouds give the painting a sense of realism. The extremely bright blue water stands out the most, though the focal point is not clear. There is not an excessive use of paint. It is as if Bellows caked it on his brush and made quick short strokes. The use of such dark colors on the hill is a mystery. The terrain has a roughness that makes the painting come to life. The artist did a great job of showing the depth. If I had to guess, he was influenced by Picasso’s work because of the extensive use of thick point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third painting was by Julian Story and it was called American Born in England. It was a battle painting. The black prince stands out as the focal point. It is the center of the painting and brings notice to the way the other knights are dressed. The Black Knight (the Prince of Wales) stands overlooking King John, who is blind. King John wanted to be in the battle for his country. The background (depth) is shown in the distance by atmospheric perspective. There is a sense of honor in the knight for the king. There is a great use of color. The painting is very life like. The picture seems to come to life, making me feel as if I were part of the painting!

Urbanisation: City and Urban Areas

Introduction Urbanization is increasing in both the developed and developing countries. However, rapid urbanization, particularly the growth of large cities, and the associated problems of unemployment, poverty, inadequate health, poor sanitation, urban slums and environmental degradation pose a formidable challenge in many developing countries. Available statistics show that more than half of the world’s 6. 6 billion people live in urban areas, crowded into 3 percent of the earth’s land area (Angotti, 1993; UNFPA, 1993). The proportion of the world’s population living in urban areas, which was less than 5 percent in 1800 increased to 47 percent in 2000 and is expected to reach 65 percent in 2030 (United Nations, 1990; 1991). However, more than 90 percent of future population growth will be concentrated in cities in developing countries and a large percentage of this population will be poor. In Africa and Asia where urbanization is still considerably lower (40 percent), both are expected to be 54 percent urban by 2025 (UN 1995; 2002). Although urbanization is the driving force for modernization, economic growth and development, there is increasing concern about the effects of expanding cities, principally on human health, livelihoods and the environment. The implications of rapid urbanization and demographic trends for employment, food security, water supply, shelter and sanitation, especially the disposal of wastes (solid and liquid) that the cities produce are staggering (UNCED, 1992). The question that arises is whether the current trend in urban growth is sustainable considering the accompanying urban challenges such as unemployment, slum development, poverty and environmental degradation, especially in the developing countries. Urbanization defined Urbanization, simply defined, is the shift from a rural to an urban society, and involves an increase in the number of people in urban areas during a particular year. Urbanization is the outcome of social, economic and political developments that lead to urban concentration and growth of large cities, changes in land use and transformation from rural to metropolitan pattern of organization and governance. Major causes of urbanization Natural population increase (high births than death) and migration are significant factors in the growth of cities in the developing countries. The natural increase is fuelled by improved medical care, better sanitation and improved food supplies, which reduce death rates and cause populations to grow. In many developing countries, it is rural poverty that drives people from the rural areas into the city in search of employment, food, shelter and education. Most people move into the urban areas because they are ‘pushed’ out by factors such as poverty, environmental degradation, religious strife, political persecution, food insecurity and lack of basic infrastructure and services in the rural areas or because they are ‘pulled’ into the urban areas by the advantages and opportunities of the city including education, electricity, water etc. Even though in many African countries the urban areas offer few jobs for the youth, they are often attracted there by the amenities of urban life (Tarver, 1996). Processes of urbanization One significant feature of the urbanization process in today’s local governments is that much of the growth is taking place in the absence of significant industrial expansion. Although local municipalities are fast urbanizing, mega-cities defined as cities with 10 million inhabitants or more are few. Urbanization also finds expression principally in outward expansion of the built-up area and conversion of prime agricultural lands into residential and industrial uses. An alternative to the present expansion of the urban population across a wide area of the country in order to save prime land for agriculture is to construct high-rise buildings and promote commercial development in specific zones, which would depend on effective, appropriate technology and resources. The urbanization processes are largely driven by market forces and policies of local governments that lead to simultaneous processes of change in livelihoods, land use, health and natural resources management including water, soil and forests and often reactive changes in local governance. Government development policies and budget allocations, which often favour urban residents over rural areas, tend to pull people into the urban areas. In the cities, public investment, which often misses the urban poor, with expenditures biased towards the higher-income classes and poverty among vulnerable groups such as new migrants force them into slums and squatter settlements. Challenges of urbanisation Cities throughout the world exhibit an incredible diversity of characteristics, economic structures, levels of infrastructure, historic origins, patterns of growth, and degrees of formal planning. Yet, many of the problems that they face are strikingly familiar. For one thing, as cities grow, they become increasingly diverse. Every city has its relatively more affluent and relatively poorer neighborhoods. But in developing countries, poorer neighborhoods can have dramatically lower levels of basic services. Consequently, a large number of urban residents in developing countries suffer to a greater or lesser extent from severe environmental health challenges associated with insufficient access to clean drinking water, inadequate sewerage facilities, and insufficient solid waste disposal. A major recent United Nations report on the state of water and sanitation in the world's cities found that water distribution systems in many cities in the developing world are inadequate, typically serving the city's upper- and middle-class neighborhoods but not rapidly expanding settlements on the urban fringe. Furthermore, the current data on the provision of water and sanitation in urban areas is very weak and the true situation is actually far worse than most international statistics suggest [20]. The large projected increases in the numbers of urban residents in the developing world over the next 20–30 years implies that municipal authorities responsible for these sectors face very serious challenges in the years ahead. In many cities, the scarcity of public water supplies forces many low-income urban residents to use other water sources such as private water vendors who charge many times more than the local public rate. Consequently, people in slums often must pay much more for lower quality water than other urban residents [21]. Improving public sanitation is another major urban environmental challenge that needs to be immediately addressed in virtually all cities in the developing world. Failure to collect garbage as well as inadequate waste management and recycling policies and practices mean that cities are being inundated in their own waste. In African cities, waste management has been described as ‘a monster that has aborted most efforts made by city authorities, state and federal governments and professionals alike’ [22]. As is the case of the water supply distribution network, sewerage systems are far better at meeting the needs of upper- and middle-class neighborhoods than they are of servicing poorer neighborhoods, particularly unregulated neighborhoods on the urban periphery. A major environmental crisis is looming large as many developing countries as cities discharge ever increasing amounts of waste into the air or into freshwater bodies, threatening water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The extent that urban growth affects the local ecosystem can be controlled to some extent by high quality land management. Land is an essential ingredient in all urban growth, yet in most cities there have been virtually no effective measures to control land development. Although many cities have formulated master plans at some time or another that included guidelines on land development and the future direction of urban growth, rarely, if ever, have these plans been realized. Reasons for this include poor urban governance, poor critical assumptions-urban population projections underpinning these plans have often been extremely weak-and the inability of plans to be adjusted and refined in the light of changing conditions, such as the invasion and settling of unused public space. Devising equitable land development policies remains one of the largest challenges facing planners and policy makers in many cities in the developing world. Congestion in many large cities can also be extremely severe and air pollution is now a serious environmental concern in many cities. Concentrations of carbon monoxide, lead, and suspended particulate matter in many large cities greatly exceed World Health Organization guidelines. Among the greatest environmental health concerns are exposure to fine particulate matter and to lead which contributes to learning disability in young children. A popular response to urban transportation congestion problems has been government investment in large-scale public transportation systems such as underground or overland metro systems. Less attention has been devoted to expanding and improving public bus networks, which tend to be overcrowded and poorly maintained. In many cities, private mini-bus companies have filled a hole in the market by providing low-cost urban transportation where standard bus routes have proved insufficient. Conclusion Around the world, especially in Africa and Asia, cities are expanding rapidly. For the majority of urban dwellers, especially the poor, finding potable water supply, affordable shelter, accessible and secure urban land for agriculture to ensure food security, securing gainful employment and improvement in health facilities would continue to remain a priority. Since restrictive urban growth policies, especially population distribution designed to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration appear to have had limited success in many developing countries, policies must be directed at transforming the rural economy in order to slow the rate of urban sprawl. Comprehensive land use planning and revision of planning standards and administrative procedures would, go a long way to, reduce many of the problems that face urban populations in the developing areas, especially Africa. A Vision for Healthy Urbanization in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for China Dr Henk Bekedam WHO Representative, China Healthy urbanization: a framework for action in China China's Scientific Concept of Development rightly considers urbanization not only as means to further boost economic growth, but also as means to improve the life of people in China. In this context, given the health risks associated with urbanization, it is very appropriate and necessary to put people's health squarely on the urbanization agenda. Putting people's health on the urbanization agenda is, however, a very complex task that requires concerted government policy actions across many sectors. Specifically, in order to alleviate the impact of urbanization on people's health, government policies need to promote quality of urban life, environmental sustainability, health awareness, equitable access to basic health-related services and accountability of local government officials and people working in private enterprises for people's health. A. Quality of urban life International experience suggests that to promote quality of urban life, government particularly needs to act in three related areas: First, design and develop urban peripheries for people as well as for economic activity. This includes, moving industries out of the city centers and synchronizing the emergence of jobs in industries with housing and public infrastructure/services in urban peripheries. Second, design and develop user-friendly transport network. In this context, it is crucial to support public transport network and space for bicyclists and pedestrians, and thus reduce the necessity and advantages of relying on own car. Third, provide suitable space for physical activities and recreation. Cultivating green areas and â€Å"escape zones† in urban centers and peripheries encourages people to stay fit and healthy. B. Environmental sustainability To promote environmental sustainability in urban development, government needs to enforce strict measures toward environmental protection and support environment-friendly investments. Specifically, it is a crucial role for the government to enforce environmental standards, and invest into systems and projects improving the use of energy and energy conservation. In particular, the government needs to establish adequate pricing mechanisms for utilities to end the wasteful use of energy and water that is associated with blanket price subsidies. Similarly, the government needs to enforce energy-efficient construction practices. Critical are also investments into municipal waste management and environment-friendly technologies. C. Health awareness As urbanization is changing people's lifestyles, promoting health awareness is critical. The government particularly needs to act on two accounts. First, disseminating health information and promoting healthy lifestyles. Easy access to information about nutrition, healthy habits, and health risks can positively affect people's behavior. To be effective, information dissemination needs to be complemented with active policies to support early child development, and sports and healthy habits in schools; and to nurture the positive image of healthy lifestyles. For instance, cycling to work would be again a sign of advancement and not backwardness! Second, developing and enforcing adequate health-related regulations. This important task involves all relevant sectors. It involves the market. It involves developing system to manage people's safety: traffic safety, environmental safety, occupational safety, patient safety, food safety and making public places smoke free. Finally, it involves mechanisms toward quality and cost-control in the health system. D. Equitable access to essential health services The possible negative health effects of urbanization underline the importance of enabling all people to have access to essential health services. In this context, it would be appropriate for government to make a package of basic health services accessible to all people in urban areas, urban peripheries and rural areas (residents and floating population alike). This package of basic health services needs to cover public health functions and services – including the prevention of chronic diseases – and essential clinical services. To finance equitable access to basic health, the government will need to ensure full funding for the basic package of health services – through health insurance, medical financial assistance schemes and its own budget. E. Accountability for people's health In order to align the performance of local governments, public sector enterprises and agencies and private sector entities with the agenda of healthy urbanization, government needs to establish clear accountability for people's health. In both the public and private sectors, agencies and enterprises need to bear responsibility for the health effects of their policies and actions. With respect to health services, health providers and local governments need to be accountable for ensuring equitable access, acceptable quality, safety, and fair price. Challenges Cities throughout the world exhibit an incredible diversity of characteristics, economic structures, levels of infrastructure, historic origins, patterns of growth, and degrees of formal planning. Yet, many of the problems that they face are strikingly familiar. For one thing, as cities grow, they become increasingly diverse. Every city has its relatively more affluent and relatively poorer neighborhoods. But in developing countries, poorer neighborhoods can have dramatically lower levels of basic services. Consequently, a large number of urban residents in developing countries suffer to a greater or lesser extent from severe environmental health challenges associated with insufficient access to clean drinking water, inadequate sewerage facilities, and insufficient solid waste disposal. A major recent United Nations report on the state of water and sanitation in the world's cities found that water distribution systems in many cities in the developing world are inadequate, typically serving the city's upper- and middle-class neighborhoods but not rapidly expanding settlements on the urban fringe. Furthermore, the current data on the provision of water and sanitation in urban areas is very weak and the true situation is actually far worse than most international statistics suggest [20]. The large projected increases in the numbers of urban residents in the developing world over the next 20–30 years implies that municipal authorities responsible for these sectors face very serious challenges in the years ahead. In many cities, the scarcity of public water supplies forces many low-income urban residents to use other water sources such as private water vendors who charge many times more than the local public rate. Consequently, people in slums often must pay much more for lower quality water than other urban residents [21]. Improving public sanitation is another major urban environmental challenge that needs to be immediately addressed in virtually all cities in the developing world. Failure to collect garbage as well as inadequate waste management and recycling policies and practices mean that cities are being inundated in their own waste. In African cities, waste management has been described as ‘a monster that has aborted most efforts made by city authorities, state and federal governments and professionals alike’ [22]. As is the case of the water supply distribution network, sewerage systems are far better at meeting the needs of upper- and middle-class neighborhoods than they are of servicing poorer neighborhoods, particularly unregulated neighborhoods on the urban periphery. A major environmental crisis is looming large as many developing countries as cities discharge ever increasing amounts of waste into the air or into freshwater bodies, threatening water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The extent that urban growth affects the local ecosystem can be controlled to some extent by high quality land management. Land is an essential ingredient in all urban growth, yet in most cities there have been virtually no effective measures to control land development. Although many cities have formulated master plans at some time or another that included guidelines on land development and the future direction of urban growth, rarely, if ever, have these plans been realized. Reasons for this include poor urban governance, poor critical assumptions-urban population projections underpinning these plans have often been extremely weak-and the inability of plans to be adjusted and refined in the light of changing conditions, such as the invasion and settling of unused public space. Devising equitable land development policies remains one of the largest challenges facing planners and policy makers in many cities in the developing world. Congestion in many large cities can also be extremely severe and air pollution is now a serious environmental concern in many cities. Concentrations of carbon monoxide, lead, and suspended particulate matter in many large cities greatly exceed World Health Organization guidelines. Among the greatest environmental health concerns are exposure to fine particulate matter and to lead which contributes to learning disability in young children. A popular response to urban transportation congestion problems has been government investment in large-scale public transportation systems such as underground or overland metro systems. Less attention has been devoted to expanding and improving public bus networks, which tend to be overcrowded and poorly maintained. In many cities, private mini-bus companies have filled a hole in the market by providing low-cost urban transportation where standard bus routes have proved insufficient. Causes of urbanisation Urbanization and city growth are caused by a number of different factors including rural–urban migration, natural population increase, and annexation. Because rates of natural increase are generally slightly lower in urban than in rural areas, the principal reasons for rising levels of rbanization are rural–urban migration, the geographic expansion of urban areas through annexations, and the transformation and reclassification of rural villages into small urban settlements. The expansion of the metropolitan periphery can be caused both by the arrival of new migrants and by the sub-urbanization of the middle class out of the central city. The relative importance of each of these various causes of urbanization and suburbanization varies both within and between regions and countries. As stated above, over the next 30 years, population growth in general and urban population growth in particular is expected to be particularly rapid in the developing world, averaging 2. 3 per cent per year during 2000–2030. Although much of the popular rhetoric on urbanization has left the impression that cities are currently growing too fast and that growth should be limited or somehow diverted, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that, for the most part, there is an economic logic to the pattern of urbanization [14]. In most cases, high growth rates are an indicator of success rather than failure and most of the world's largest cities are located in countries with the world's largest economies. Many cities in Pacific Asia, for example, have experienced dramatic economic growth, reflecting the fact that the region is completely integrated into the new global economy. Cities on the forefront of global restructuring such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and Taipei have enjoyed unprecedented growth rates of more than 10 percent per annum throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. All now rank among the top trading cities in the world and in fact, the level of gross national product (GNP) per capita in Hong Kong and Singapore exceeds that of many European countries. This extremely general descriptive of urban trends and projections naturally masks considerable regional diversity. There are enormous differences in the pattern of urbanization between regions and even greater variation in the level and speed with which individual countries or indeed individual cities within regions are growing.