Samsung Ansoff Matrix and Generic Strategies free essay sample

Over the past few years the company has shown tremendous ontogeny. Indeed it is Europes largest low cost carrier and fastest growing airlines. Currently it’s operating more than 1,500 flights every day from over 50 bases and around 1400 low fare routes across 28 countries which connect 165 destinations. Now I am going to discuss Ryan air’s (RA) current strategic position by analysing its macro (external)and micro (internal) environment. Macro Environment Macro environment consist of those major external and uncontrollable factors that influence an organizations decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. Now, i am going to analyse company’s position by using PESTLE and porter’s 5 Forces. Pestle Analysis: This is mainly used to analyse the wider macro environment in which the business operates. The organisation normally have no control over PESTLE factors and at best should try to accommodate and device strategies around these factors or issues. Political factors: The political environment in EU has been stable, enabling Ryan air to expand its routes and activities successfully. We will write a custom essay sample on Samsung Ansoff Matrix and Generic Strategies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The increase in Air Passenger Duty in UK in 2009, 2010 and 2012 (? 11, 12, 13 ) and the EU Airport Charges applicable from March 2011 have affected the operating costs of Ryan air consequently. The repeated European government owned Air Traffic Control strikes have also caused a huge loss for airline industry as these strikes forced RA to cancel huge number of flights. Ryanair also had to pay compensation to passengers based on EU 261 reforms. Economic factors The interest rates in England is 0. 5% which has a positive affect and will encourage RA to borrow money on low interest rates to expand their business activities. (buying air crafts etc. ) The high unemployment rate in EU and UK has resulted in less people travelling even by low-fare airiness. This has a negative impact on RA as the ratio of domestic flights in Uk has been decreased due to less disposable income. The economic instability in Greece, France, Hungary and Italy has resulted in low demand for air travelling, thats why many airlines are cutting their routes including RA. The social environment It can be explained by different demographic trends. Majority of the people living in UK and EU countries are individualistic and they prefer to travel during their vacations. A substantial increase in leisure travelling, student migration programs within the EU nations has resulted in an increased demand for low-fare airlines especially Ryan air. The free trade concept specially in European union, has made possible for Rain Air to earn some revenue from the business community. Technological factor Internet is the most powerful tool available to travel marketers. RA and its competitors have their internet-based reservation system which helps to increase the number of passengers. RA uses the modern aircrafts with new generation engines, which result in less emissions and less fuel consumption; and allows the company to move on through its cost reduction strategy. Ryanair has introduced online check-in and self services in airports for the passengers which has received a mixed response from the passengers especially people travelling with families. Legal factors The emission constraint set by the European commission and its activeness of monitoring antitrust law and policies, sooner or later will affect the RA strategies; as EU legislation on working time regulation and union recognition, could seriously threaten RA policies and revenues. Due to BAA airport monopoly, Uk Court of Appeal asked BAA to sell Stansted and Glasgow airport (October 2010) to increase competition; which has helped RA in increasing their market share by increasing the traffic at those airports which had declined due to BAAs high cost and mismanagement. Environmental Factors As for the environmental aspect, Ryan air is currently the industry leader in terms of environmental efficiency. As per requirement of Environmental Protection Laws Ryan air operates a single-aircraft-type fleet of Boeing 737-800 â€Å"next generation† with an average age of only 3. 4 years which are aimed at minimizing drag, thereby reducing the rate of fuel burnt and noise levels. The unit emission per passenger has also reduced due to the inherent capacity increase in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The new cap-and-trade scheme of EU for CO2 emission control can effect RA cost management based on the allowances to be needed in 2012. Now we are going to analyse industrial environment of RA using porter’s five forces. Porter’s 5 Forces The 5 forces are the environmental forces that impact on the companies ability to compete in the given market. The purpose of 5 forces analysis is to diagnose the principal competitive pressures in a market and assess how strong and important each one is. Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrants is low. The short haul market is highly competitive as it needs high capital investment, special licenses and flight authorisation. Then the restriction or lack of slot availability makes it even more difficult for new entrants, to assess many airports. Any new entrant should have a differentiation strategy to enter and stay competitive in the market. The low threat of new entrants has provided RA an opportunity to grow and focus on the existing customers. Ryan Air has consolidated its position in the market with a brand differentiation as low-cost airline. The power of buyers: At present, the bargaining power of buyer for RA is medium/high due to the alternative options available and switching to another airline is relatively simple and doesnt imply further cost. Internet has made it easier for the customers to have an access to the latest low fare offers, provided by different airlines and do the comparison among their prices and services as well. Though Ryan Air has 7% growth in volume of passenger in third quarter of 2011 but they are not getting good customer service feedback and customers are not loyal to RA. So, RA should consider its other extra-cost factors like customer service, punctuality etc. to attract the new and retain its existing customers. The power of suppliers: The bargaining power of supplier is high. The suppliers for Ryan Air include aircraft suppliers, airports, fuel suppliers, catering etc. Boeing and Airbus are the only two aircraft suppliers. Ryan Air uses only single type of aircraft Boeing 737-800 and so faces high switching cost related to maintainability. Ryan Air uses regional airports which have low bargaining power as they are heavily dependant on one airline. Bigger airports where RAs competitors operate, have greater bargaining power. RAs policy is to avoid these airports. Price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil; RA controls this successfully through hedging. So rising fuel prices could not be a threat to RA in future. Threat of Substitutes: Threat of substitutes is very high as there are number of substitutes available to the customers. Induction of high speed trains and cars with low fuel consumption are the biggest competitors of Ryan air; as they have attracted the young generation in EU nations towards land transport which is easier to access and use. In Ryan Air’s case: Depending upon the price/performance ratio, passengers of airline can easily opt for the land travel substitutes like trains, cars or ferries. For e. g. the high speed trains in UK like Euro star are the main competitors as these trains give almost same services in similar budget as that of RA Moreover the stations are nearer the city centre than the regional airports (RA). Hence, there is no brand loyalty for RA. Competitive Rivalry: The low cost airline industry in UK is highly competitive and most of the advantages can be copied easily. There is no much differentiation on services among LCC; thus the main differentiating factor for RA is price. One of the main competitors of RA is Easyjet which like RA offers no-frills, short haul travel in low cost. So far, the direct competition has been avoided by mainly operating from/to different destinations; the moment the competition should become direct, there will be heavy pressure on prices, revenues and profitability consequently. Other competitors are Aer Lingus, Analysis of the internal environment An analysis on Ryan air internal environment needs to be done to assess the extent to which companys strategies are suitable to what is happening in its task environment. Micro environment This environment influences the organization directly. Firm has full control over these factors. For the analysing the micro environment of the RA, I will use SW analysis. SWOT This is an overall evaluation of the companies strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal and can be controlled by the organisation while opportunities and threats are external. The objective of SWOT is to identify and convert the threats into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths. Strengths: Ryan air provides no-frills, point-to-point services on short haul routes which allow offering its low fares by cutting down the unnecessary frills like meals, video etc. The source-to-destination service cuts down extra service charges on connecting passengers and baggage transfer resulting in reduction of baggage losses. RA has earned a good repute due to its punctuality and in 2010 the rate of on-time departure was 88%. RAs aircraft maintenance cost is controlled by using single type of aircraft Boeing737-800 with average age of 3. 4 years. However its 374. 6 millions profit (2011), 8056 staff and a fleet of 275 air crafts displays its spectacular strength. Weaknesses: Ryan air has poor public image and had been involved in different controversies regarding customers dissatisfaction through misleading adverts. In different customer satisfaction surveys, Ryan air has been voted among the bottom players. The reasons for this also include unfriendly staff, uncomfortable seats, hidden costs, insufficient safety measures etc. Recently Ryan air has been accused for charging passengers for boarding pass. It has also been criticized for extra luggage allowance and higher credit card fee per passenger. After analysing its strength and weaknesses we can say that government policies in EU, different EU regulations like compensation for travellers for delay or cancellation of flights, CO2 emission regulations etc. ; recent economic crisis in some EU countries is worth mentioning, all these are a constant threat and can have adverse effects on the operating cost of RA. Else security threats needs to be addressed constantly and demand more and more effective steps to be taken, to maintain Ryan air s passengers volume. Moreover, to compete with substitutes like fast speed cars, ferries, trains and coach services throughout UK and Europe is a big challenge for RA as those services are also easy to access and economical for the customers. Fluctuation in currency rates is another issue which can directly affect the revenue earned by RA as it recorded foreign exchange losses of 1. 0 million in the 2010; due to the strengthening of the U. K. pound sterling and U. S. ollar exchange rates against the Euro. It provides four different growth strategies: Market Penetration, Market Development, Product Development, Diversification. Corporate Level Strategy (Ansoffs Matrix) Existing New Products Products Existing Markets Market Penetration The firms growth with existing products in the current market segment. For e. g sales, promotions, seasonal offers, royalty cards etc. Product Development The firms growth by targeting its existing market segment with new product. For e. g. apple introducing new ipad s. New Markets Market Development The firm targets new market with its existing products. For e. g. Tesco going to USA with the same products to capture that market. Diversification The firms growth into new businesses by developing new products for new markets. For e. g. Virgin introducing low fare flights by the name Virgin Australia. After analysing Ryanairs growth in the industry we suggest that Ryanair should use these two strategies: †¢Product Development †¢Diversification 1- Product Development keeping in mind the technological advancement in the airline industry RA should enhance its product development strategy by introducing Satellite phone in its air crafts. This will help in attracting business travellers; once find it beneficial, they will start travelling frequently by RA. . This satellite phone which also includes video conferencing will help the business community to have a continual communication or remain in contact with their businesses. RA can spread the cost by charging the facility from its customers. Strategic Evaluation and selection Product development Suitability Offering of satellite communication will increase market share and will especially help in attracting more business travellers. Acceptability Risk: medium- it may be expensive because of maintenance expense of satellite communication. Return : medium as it might take some time for business community to chose RA, solely for satellite phone. Reaction : mixed kind of reaction can be predictable. Feasibility Money: They have sufficient financial resources to support their product development. Other wise they can raise funds by issuing shares, as well as low interest rate can also help in raising finance. People time: RA can also outsource their new products saving enough time and minimising their operational costs. 2- Differentiation RA can internationalise by using Diversification strategy. It can be done by introducing long- haul flights into a new market. It means new product targeting new market such as India. Long haul flights that can accommodate travellers easily and are facilitated with all the required immigration facilities. RA has chosen Asian market and especially India because Indian airline is the fastest growing passenger market in major economies up to 18% in 2011. The life style of people in India is changing and buying power of the Indian market is increasing . Indians economy is stable and growing. Else India has got so many attractions for the tourists. While entering India, RA should acquire Air Asia to grow and plan for the long term. RA need to launch aggressive market campaign to reach out to new customers and to grow in the new market. Diversification seems to be the best suitable practise in this environment as airline industry has started to decline. Going to long haul in suitable and aligns with its strategy. RA can use its Boeing 737-800 aircrafts which new generation engines, which result in less emissions and less fuel consumption. Acceptability Risk: High as market (Asian) and product (long haul) ; both are new for RA. But this can be minimised by making an alliance with Air Asia which is experienced and dealing with both. Level of Though uncertainity exists but high risk – high return. Return : high. Adopting the new strategy is always a challenge. But it is expected that RAs diversification strategy will result in increased passengers volume and high profit margins; due to acquisition with AirAsia. Reaction : Positive. Customers are expected to be happy as RA will maintain its low fare strategy. It will create new job opportunities in UK and India.

How Fart Lighting Works

How Fart Lighting Works Did you know you can light farts on fire and that the color of the flame will depend on your personal biochemistry? Heres a look at how fart lighting works, the chemicals responsible, and how to light farts safely. Why Are Farts Flammable? Farts (the informal name for flatus or flatulence) result from normal bacteria in the digestive tract breaking down food into simpler chemical compounds. Everyone hosts their own personal colony of bacteria, so the gas signature you produce is your own unique flammable aroma. The color of the flame depends on personal biochemistry. Gases in Farts Although the exact chemical composition  of farts varies from one person to the next, there are six common gases: carbon dioxidehydrogenhydrogen sulfidemethanenitrogenoxygen Hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and methane are flammable gases that will produce a flame when exposed to an ignition source, such as a match or lighter. With the energy from the ignition, the flammable gases react with oxygen from air and flatus to produce oxides and water.  The smell of farts results from hydrogen sulfide as well as indole, skatole, short-chain fatty acids, and volatile amines. Colored Fart Flames Hydrogen is the most abundant gas in most farts, so most flatus burns with a yellow to orange flame. However, if you are a member of the population that produces flatulence high in methane, you may yield a blue flame. This is relatively uncommon, so producing the blue angel or blue dart is considered a sort of special talent in certain circles. In order for the flame to be blue, the concentration of methane needs to be high. Eating foods high in sulfur (e.g., broccoli, cabbage, kale)  may enrich methane content in flatulence. However, this only matters if you already host the right bacteria. The gases depend more on the species of bacteria than on the foods you eat, although diet certainly impacts the quantity of flatus that is produced and stored in the rectum.  The only way to change the color of your farts, as far as I know, is to switch out the bacteria in your gut for a new set. To some extent, this occurs naturally over time. Illness or exposure to certain antibiotics can wipe out the bacteria, allowing others to colonize. How To Light a Fart on Fire (Safely) Okay, so lighting gas on fire is not an inherently safe project since the flammable gas is released from inside your body, but if you are curious about the color of flame your fart produces or just feel like igniting flatus because its funny, there are some tips that will help protect you and the person lighting the fart: Wear clothing. Not only does this protect onlookers from seeing body parts they may not wish to view, but it protects delicate skin from burns. Assuming you fart forcefully, plenty of gas will make it through the barrier to produce a display. Natural fibers (e.g., cotton, silk, wool) are less likely to catch fire or melt than synthetic fibers (e.g., nylon, polyester).If possible, light the fart with a long-handled match or lighter. This reduces the chance of burning ones hand.Not that they would, but dont let people get up close and personal viewing the project. Protect eyes and faces (and noses).Just in case something goes wrong, be prepared to put out a fire. Smother a fire by dropping and rolling or covering the affected area/object with a nonflammable material. Water works to extinguish fart fires.Its really not advisable to light farts when intoxicated. This applies to all fire projects. Youre less likely to be thinking clearly and your ability to react to an emergency may be im paired. Your friends will upload embarrassing videos and text pictures to everyone on the planet. You know the drill. People do get burned lighting farts, so by no means is this practice encouraged. Sources Ohge, H; Furne, JK; Springfield, J; Sueda, T; Madoff, RD; Levitt, MD (November 7, 2003). The effect of antibiotics and bismuth on fecal hydrogen sulfide and sulfate-reducing bacteria in the rat. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 228 (1): 137–4 2. doi:10.1016/s0378-1097(03)00748-1Suarez, F; Furne, J; Springfield, J; Levitt, M (May 1997). Insights into human colonic physiology obtained from the study of flatus composition. American Journal of Physiology. 272 (5 Pt 1): G1028–33. PMID 9176210Tangerman, Albert (2009). Measurement and biological significance of the volatile sulfur compounds hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide in various biological matrices. Journal of Chromatography B. 877 (28): 3366–3377. doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2009.05.026

The Rachel Wade Murder Trial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rachel Wade Murder Trial - Research Paper Example The prosecutors of the trial were legal representatives for the state of Florida, as well as for the parents and family of Sarah Ludemann. Assistant State Attorney Lisset Hanewicz spoke on the behalf of the victim (Judd, 2010). The defense was Rachel Wade and and her defense attorney, Jay Hebert. The jury of six also played a role - perhaps one of the largest roles - in the trial. Finally, no court situation would be complete without the presiding judge, Joseph A. Bulone. There were two witnesses present during the time of the murder, and they were also present for the trial. Jilica Smith had been in the vehicle with Sarah Ludemann when the girl had driven over to Rachel Wade’s house in the early morning of April 15. Janet Camacho, the sister of the boy in the love triangle, had also been present during the altercation. She had attacked and subdued Rachel Wade after Wade had stabbed Ludemann (Thalji, 2010). Another friend of Sarah Ludemann, Ashley Lovelady, though not present for the incident of April 15, was able to act as a witness for the behavior that had been displayed by both girls in the months prior to the murder of Ludemann. As the arguments between Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann had been lengthy and done most commonly over the Internet or cell phones, evidence against the prosecution and defense was great since most of these arguments had been saved or were easily accessible. Furthermore, the testimonies given by witnesses were able to further confirm that there had been difficulties between Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann. Most of the evidence that had been gathered had benefitted both sides of the trial. Since both girls had been fighting against each other for the past year, the evidence found was capable of speaking for and against both of the girls. Neither of the girls had roles of innocence in the year of fighting that had gone

Assignment for Multimedia and Internet Development Essay

Assignment for Multimedia and Internet Development - Essay Example It is my concept to produce a simple yet interesting website that does not need fancy colors to decorate on. My motto is "matter over manner". It is better to have meaningful yet simple website than to have a very decorative but lousy website. The software that I used was Macromedia Dreamweaver. To be able to have an interactive design, I made Macromedia Flash Buttons that act as my navigation buttons. The navigation buttons that I have made are placed on the left side. This left pane is placed permanently that whenever you click the navigation bars, it will never move. I also included a time and date pane with an updated time that shows seconds. For more interactive design, I included QuickTime applications that will play the music videos that I got from the internet. I coded it properly with right positions in the website so that it will not be disturbing to look at if people will view my website. I also put a banner that shows the logo and the wonderful picture of my favorite band , U2. For the photographs, the software that I used was PhotoShow. On the over-all design, I put graphic interchange format or GIF pictures so that there will be lots of animation. At the end of the page, I made a "Contact Us" pane so that if ever m website will be posted, people will be able to reach me through direct link. Also it will be a big help that I put it because I may be able to receive feedback. It is very important in communication the element of feedback because through feedback, there will be a continues flow of communication. In simple terms, there will be interaction. I think when crating a website, we should give such panes because there will be interactive communication among us and the viewers. Also in that reason, the viewers may enjoy viewing our websites. Storyboard U2 Homepage I. Index or Home Page A. Website Banner (U2 Logo and Picture) B. Left Unmovable Pane 1. Navigation Bars (Macromedia Flash Buttons) a. Home b. Gallery c. Album d. Songs e. Videos f. Contact Us C. Content 1. U2 Biography (Heading 1) a. Content b. Photograph of U2 with photo swapping c. Content d. Photograph of U2 e. Names of the band Members (Heading 2) II. Gallery A. PhotoShow application III. Album A. Photo Album (Heading 1) B. Photographs with scroll functions IV. Songs A. U2 Song (Heading 1) B. Animated GIF's C. Song Clips 1. With or Without You (mp3) 2. I still haven't Found What I am Looking For (mp3) 3. Where the Street have No Name (mp3) V. Videos A. U2 Video Clips (Heading 1) B. Animated GIF C. QuickTime Supported Logo D. Video Clips a. One b. Desire c. Vertigo d. With or Without You VI. Contact Us A. Thank you for visiting our site (Heading 2) B. Contact Us (Heading 1) C. Animated GIF D. Fill-in Space E. Buttons 1. Submit 2. Clear Website Review The main emphasis of the website is my fondness of the band U2. I decided to choose the software Macromedia Dreamweaver so that I can incorporate Macromedia Flash Applications. My goal here is to make an evaluative and persuasive website that will entail my viewer's interest in knowing me. By using Macromedia application, the task was not that hard to perform but of course, there are certain incapacities that I may not be able to do. There is also alternative software applications is doing this website but I guess, the most valuable would be

Development of Sediment Reference Sample for Toxicity Tests

Development of Sediment Reference Sample for Toxicity Tests Development of sediment reference sample for toxicity testing using Microtox Solid Phase test and Metal Fractionation using single extractions Abstract Chemical characterisation of pollutants using fractionation techniques and bioassays are useful monitoring tools for sediment quality assessment. However, a common criticism of sediment bioassays is the lack of an appropriate reference sediment sample which sample sediment toxicity can be comparatively assessed. In this study an approach of obtaining a reference sediment sample by cleaning the sediment samples with metals was tested. Metal fractionation was carried out by applying single extraction techniques modified from a sequential extraction scheme proposed by Tessier et al (1979). The total metal concentrations were characterised using nitric acid digestion. The sediment samples before and after the extractions were analysed using the Microtox Solid Phase Test (SPT). Comparison of total metal concentration with various sediment quality guidelines suggests that the sediments are polluted due to higher concentrations of Cu , Ni , Pb , Cd and Zn. The fractionation studies reveal t hat metals are contained mainly within Fe-Mn Oxide phase.The comparison of the results of the SPT with various sediment classification methods suggests that the sediments are moderately toxic to non toxic. However, the results of changes in the toxicity of sediment residues obtained after each extraction compared to unprocessed sediment toxicity results are not statistically significant. But the comparison of toxicity results of sediment residues obtained after HNO3 and NaOAc digestion with the toxicity value of replicate1 of unprocessed sediment suggests a marginal decrease in the toxicity of sediments while the comparison of toxicity values of MgCl2 , NH2OH.HCl, HNO3+H2O2 indicates an increase in the toxicity of sediment residued. The comparison of toxicity values of all sediment residues with that of replicate2 of unprocessed sediment indicates an increase in the toxicity of the sediments after extractions. Get wisdom, get understanding. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding (Proverbs 4: 5,7). Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8: 32). CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background: With the growing interest in the rules that govern the fate of pollutants in urban environments, the sediments of urban rivers pose a particularly challenging scientific problem as many persistent contaminants (e.g. metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs)) tend to concentrate in river bed sediments. Therefore, the assessment of sediment quality is recognised as a critical step in understanding the risks associated with man made pollution in the riverine system (De Miguel et al , 2005). Depending upon the conditions in the river, pollutants bound to sediment may become bioavailable and impose toxicity on aquatic organisms. Chemical analysis alone is not adequate to explain effects of chemicals present in the sediment (Beg and Ali, 2008) as they do not prove that adverse effects are occurring (Luoma et al , 1995) , thus for optimal characterization and assessment of pollution , issues concerning both concentration and toxicity should be addressed (Mowat et al , 2001). Therefore, because of the need to establish a cause -effect relationship between the concentration of pollutants and consequent environmental damage and to measure the possible synergistic effect of complex mixture of chemicals(Girotti et al , 2008), Microbial toxicity tests based on bacteria have been widely used in environmental toxicity screening due to the similarity of complex biochemical function in bacteria and higher organisms (Mowat et al , 2001) .Among the bioassays solid phase tests are useful and widely used as test organisms are exposed to whole sediments which include water soluble and non polar substances and thus offer a high relative realism for toxicity assessment of sediments. However, sediment toxicity tests require reference sediment exclusive of contaminant with similar physico chemical characteristics as the test sediments (Guzzella , 1998). The microtox test based on bacterial bioluminescence which uses V. Fischeri bacteria as test organism represent one of the most suitable test for sediment toxicity assessment as it can be used on extracts as well as directly to the sediment (solid phase test) ( Calace et al , 2005). As it is now widely recognised that the total concentrations of Heavy Metals indicate the extent of contamination, but they provide little information about the forms in which Heavy Metals are present, or about their potential for mobility and bioavailability in the environment (Lake et al , 1987) , knowledge on metal speciation in the sedimentary environment may be of more importance for hazard assessment than the total metal concentrations( Farkas et al , 2007). For this reason, sequential extraction procedures are commonly applied because they provide information about the fractionation of metals in the different lattices of the sediments and other solid samples (Margui et al , 2004). It is against this background that an investigation into establishing a reference sediment sample for solid phase bioassays was undertaken in relation to Microtox solid phase test utilising single extractions of metal fractions using -same conditions and procedures described in the sequential extraction procedure mentioned in Tessier et al 1979 . Aims and Objectives: The main aim of the study is to assess whether the approach of cleaning the sediment with metals using single extraction steps of sequential extraction is an appropriate alternative to develop a sediment reference sample or not. In order to obtain a reference sample exclusive of metals, the following procedure was adopted: Each extraction step described in the Tessier scheme was applied to separate aliquots of sediment samples using the same extraction conditions and chemicals described in the scheme (see section 3.8 for details). After the extraction step washed and dried residue sediment samples were analysed for toxicity using the Microtox solid phase test. A reduction in the toxicity could be expected as the metals were removed using chemicals. Microtox solid phase test was also conducted on unprocessed sediment so that a relative comparison between toxicity measurements could be made. The objectives of the investigation are summarised as follows : To characterise the sediments for total bio available metal concentration for eight heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu,Fe,Mn,Zn,Pb,Ni) using nitric acid digestion method. To characterise various fractions of metals as described in the Tessier Scheme using single extraction procedures. To determine the level of toxicity associated with unprocessed and processed sediment sample using the Microtox solid phase test. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Urban River Sediments and Pollution: Urban rivers have been linked with water quality issues since the nineteenth century when it was usual practice to discharge untreated domestic and industrial waste into water courses. Since then the situation has been improved due to e.g. the management curtailment of pollution at sewage treatment plants. However, because of high population densities in urban areas due to variety of sources of pollution the degradation of urban rivers is still important today (Goodwin et al , 2003). When released into the river environment many anthropogenic chemicals bind or adsorb on to particulate matter and depending upon river morphology and hydrological conditions such particulate matter along with associated contaminants can settle out along the water course and become part of the bottom sediments(Vigano et al , 2003). Thus , sediments are considered as repositories for physical and biological debris and for many pollutants (Calmano et al , 1996). Further more , under various physical , biological and chemical conditions (e.g. aqueous solubility ,pH, redox , affinity for sediment organic carbon , grain size of sediments , sediment mineral constituents and quantity of acid volatile sulfides) these contaminants may become bioavailable and result in a toxic impact on aquatic biota(Ingersoll et al , 1995). Nowdays, escalating evidence of environmental degradation have been confirmed where water quality guidelines for contaminants are not surpassed but, still organisms in or near the sediments are adversely affected (Ingersoll et al , 1995). Thus, with a vision to protecting aquatic biota, improving water quality and managing problems of resuspension and the land deposition of dredged materials, sediment quality assessment has been a crucial scientific and legislative issue in recent years. ( Calmano et al 1996 ; Nipper et al 1998). 2.2 Water Framework Directive (WFD) : The European Unions(EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) which came in effect on 22 December 2000, is one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation and is likely to transform the way water quality is being monitored within all member states ( Allan et al , 2006). The main objective of the Directive is to improve, protect and prevent further deterioration of water quality across Europe and it aims to achieve and ensure good quality status of all water bodies throughout Europe by 2015. Thus the necessity of addressing water quality issues associated with urban rivers has been increased within Member States(Goodwin et a, 2003). Under the WFD , three modes of monitoring strategies are specified and at each strategy level chemical monitoring , biological/ecological assessment , physico-chemical and hydro morphological tools have been covered to assess the water quality status of the body(Allan et al,2006). In the WFD, EU commission places emphasis on establishing quality standards related to the concentrations of priority substances and substances which may cause harm in water , sediment or biota . (Crane , 2003). 2.3 Sediment and Pollutants Sources in Urban Rivers : Urban river system is much more complex in its sediments and pollutant sources. Sediments may be released into urban rivers due to erosion of land surface through variety of physical and chemical processes, the rapid run off from impervious surfaces, routing through drainage network, retention tanks and winter gritting roads (Goodwin et al, 2003). These sediments may contain or associated with pollutants such as hydrocarbons , garden and animal wastes , fertilisers , pesticides , oils , detergents , deicing chemicals , street litter (Hall, 1984 ; Chapman, 1996) and trace and heavy metals (Collins et al, 2007). Moreover, Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) events also augment the pollutant and sediment load due to its own contaminant load and the erosion and wash out of in-sewer sediments (Fierros et al , 2002). Due to the wide variety of sources and river dynamics there exist a wide spatial and temporal variation in the properties of sediments. 2.4 River Sediment Composition and dynamics : River sediments are mainly composed of mineral particles originated from the parent rocks due to erosion process, particulate organic matter adsorbed on mineral particles or particle sized organic matter which originates from plant detritus and animal debris, adsorbed nutrients and toxic inorganic and organic pollutants (Chapman , 1996). However , with respect to their behaviour in nature , sediments can be classified in two distinctively different groups a) fine sediments with particles smaller than 50m (i.e silt and clay) and b) coarse sediments with size exceeding 50m ( i.e. sands and gravels) (Salomons et al , 1984). The erosion, transportation and deposition of sediment is a function of river flow velocity, particle size, water content of the material (Chapman , 1996) , channel structure and degree of turbulence(Goodwin et al , 2003). Under certain hydraulic conditions sediments can be transported in suspension or by traction along the bottom which is often called Bed Load. The suspension mechanism initiates the movement of fine particles while the Bed Load causes the movement of coarse particles (Chapman , 1996). More over, within urban catchments rapid runoff and CSO events trigger river flow events with short peak times and high peak flows which step up transport of sediments and associated pollutants (Goodwin et al , 2003). 2.5 Sediment Quality Assessment: Historically, the assessment of sediment quality has often been limited to chemical characterisation. It helps to classify what are the contaminants and what is their concentrations(McCauley et al , 2000) and it provides information about the condition of sediments and processes within them(Wolska et al , 2007). However, quantifying contaminant concentration alone can not provide enough information to evaluate adequately potential adverse effects, possible interaction among chemicals or the time dependent availability of these materials to aquatic organisms ( Ingersoll et al , 1995) because it is impractical to analyze all the compounds and their synergistic/antagonistic effects contributing to toxicity(Plaza et al , 2005). As the bioavailability of pollutants to aquatic biota and their effects on the biota is the key concern in sediment risk assessment , ecotoxicological testing (bioassays) of sediments which study the toxic effects of sediment contaminants on living organisms ( e.g . fish , plants , bacteria , algae) has been extensively used ( Rand et al , 1995). Thus, to understand the fate of pollutants in sediments and their impacts on aquatic biota , a tiered biological and chemical assessment methods have been implemented (Calmano et al , 1996) . The sediment quality triad methodology, one of the most widely used tiered approach based on weight of evidence combines 1) Identification and quantification of contaminants (i.e. chemical analyses ) , 2) Measurement and quantification of Toxicity based on bioassays (toxicity tests) and 3) Evaluation of in situ biological effects(e.g. Benthic community structure) (Calmano et al , 1996 ; McCauley et al , 2000 ). Principal advantages are that it can be used for any sediment type (Calmano et al ,1996) and as both biological and chemical components are used , environmental significance of contaminated sediments is addressed (McCauley et al , 2000). However the cause -effect relations are not always identified due to the synergistic/antagonistic effects of chemicals causing toxicity in sediments (Calmano et al , 1996 ; McCauley et al , 2000) . Furthermore, the assessment is very site specific and does not allow empirical calculations of chemical specific guidelines ( Mc Cauley , 2000). 2.6 Metals in Urban Sediments and Sources : Metals are natural components of biosphere (Luoma , 1983) and they are introduced in to the aquatic environment through many lithogenic and anthropogenic sources(Zhou et al , 2008). Chemical leaching of bedrocks , water drainage basins and run off from banks are considered as the major lithogenic sources of metals (Zhou et al , 2008) while emissions from industrial processes ( e.g. mining , smelting , finishing , plating , paint an dye manufaturing) (Rand et al , 1995) and through urban sewage, house hold effluents, drainage water, business effluents , atmospheric deposition and traffic related emissions transported with storm water (Karvelas et al , 2003) are the major anthropogenic sources of metals in the aquatic environment. Upon discharge to the aquatic environment metals are partitioned between solid and liquid phase (Luoma , 1983) and eventually as a result of settling metals associated with solid phase accumulate in bottom sediments(Farkas et al , 2007).Thus , sediments are m ain sink of metals in aquatic environment(Morillo et al , 2002). A comparison of typical concentration of metals in urban river sediments is presented in the Table 2.1. Table 2.1 : Concentration of metals in urban river sediments(g/g) (reproduced from De Miguel et al , 2005) Cr Cu Fe(%) Mn Ni Pb Zn River Henares, Spain (97-180) (7-270) (0.8-3.16) (150-445) (11-128) (17-1280) River Seine , France 84 2.91 162 429 River Sowe , UK 47.9 164 411 786 Semarang , Indonesia (12.3-448) (5.2-2666) (53.7-1257) Danube River, Austria 43.5 53.9 187 Tiber river , Italy (18.2-54.2) (13.3-45.5) (3.6-33.5) (12.4-43.1) (53.4-417.6) River Po, Italy (118-223) (45.2-179.9) (4.5-5.2) (355-1159) (99-237) (39.3-71.8) (127-519) River Sherbourne 38 71 2.9 481 19 118 196 River Manzanares (18-1260 (11-347) (1.9-9.1) (305-1276) (5-47) (42-371) (70-591) In brackets : minimum- maximum values ; in italic :arithmatic mean values 2.7 Toxic metals and their forms in sediments : Although some metals are essential micronutrients (e.g. Mn, Fe, Cu,Zn) , almost all metals are toxic to aquatic organisms and human health if exposure levels are sufficiently high (Luoma , 1983). Among the toxic metals cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, mercury and arsenic are of prime importance due to their association with anthropogenic inputs. Under different physical, biological or chemical conditions the toxicity of metals in sediments is a matter of bio availability (Jennett et al ,1980). Thus in order to estimate the bio availability of metals and their potential toxicity it is desirable not only to determine the total concentration but also the different chemical forms or ways of binding between metals and sediments(Albores et al , 2000). In sediments depending upon various physical, chemical and biological conditions , metals partitioned into different chemical forms associated with a variety of organic and inorganic phases (Farkas et al , 2007).In river sediments metal can be bound to various compartments e.g. adsorbed onto clay surfaces or iron and manganese oxy hydroxides, present in lattice of secondary minerals such as carbonates, sulphates or oxides, occluded within amorphous material such as iron and manganese oxyhydroxides, complexed with organic matter or lattice of primary minerals such as silicates (Gismera et al , 2004). Due to natural and anthropogenic environmental changes these associations can be altered and metals can become more or less bio available or mobilized within different phases. These influential factors include pH, temperature , redox potential , organic matter decomposition , leaching and ion exchange processes and microbial activity(Filgueiras et al ,2002). Thus in relation to their mobi lity and bioavailability, in order of decreasing interest the major metal fractions are : 1) Exchangeable ,2) Bound to carbonates , 3) Bound to Fe-Mn Oxides , 4) Bound to organic matter and 5) Residual . 2.7.1 Exchangeable Metals : In this fraction , weakly adsorbed metals retained on the solid surface by relatively weak electrostatic forces that can be released by ion exchange processes in the sediment are included(Filgueiras et al , 2002). These metals are considered the most available form of metals present in the sediments (Morrison , 1985). 2.7.2 Metals Bound to Carbonates : Metals in this fractions are co-precipitated with carbonates which exist as cement and coating (Morrison , 1985) and this phase can be an important adsorbent for metals in the absence of organic matter and Fe-Mn oxides (Filgueiras et al , 2002). 2.7.3 Metals bound to Fe-Mn Oxides : Metals in this fraction are associated with Iron and Manganese oxides which exist as nodules , concretion and cement between particles or simply as a coating on particles. Iron and Manganese oxides are considered as excellent scavengers of metals and are thermodynamically unstable under anoxic conditions (Tessier et al , 1979). 2.7.4 Metals bound to organic matter : In this fractions metals associated with various forms of organic materials such as living organisms, plant and animal detritus or coatings on mineral particles are included. This fraction is considered to be less mobile due to their associations with humic substances of higher molecular weights(Filgueiras et al , 2002). 2.8 Sequential Extractions : A sequential extraction procedure (SEP) also known as sequential extraction scheme (SES) can be used to determine above mentioned binding fractions of metals in the sediment. In this process, given sediment sample is subjected to a series of increasingly strong , phase specific reagents under controlled condition which extract our metals from the particular physic-chemical phase of interest(Bird et al , 2005). Depending upon target fractions, a wide variety of chemical extractants can be used (see fig.2.1) and thus in the literature various sequential extraction schemes are available which differ in the use of extractant, target phase and the order of attack to separate particular form of metals. The majority of the schemes are variants of a scheme proposed by Tessier et al (1979). Many researchers have reported difficulties in comparing the results of SES due to their wide variation in the use of chemicals and target phase. Thus, in an effort to harmonize the different methodologies and to make the comparison of results easier , Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) proposed a three step extraction procedure along with a reference sediment material to certify the protocol (Mossop and Davidson , 2003). 2.9 Advantages and problems of sequential extractions : The application of sequential extraction techniques , though time consuming provide valuable information about the origin , mode of occurrence, biological and physic-chemical availability , mobilisation and transport of metals within the sedimentary matrices(Tokalioglu et al , 2000).However, since their initial development, sequential extraction schemes have been criticized for the lack of selectivity of reagents, issues of re adsorption and redistribution of metals solubilised during extraction and changes in speciation due to sample pre- treatment and its general methodology ( Gleyzes et al , 2002). In the sequential extraction scheme, the reagents are expected to attack only the target phase without solubilising the other phases. However, it has been found that the reagents are not selective and may affect other phases also. Thus the sequential extractions are termed as operationally defined fractionation techniques. This lack of selectivity may cause re-adsoprtion and re distribution of metals among the target phases. Moreover, incomplete dissolution of some phases and changes in pH may also lead toward re adsorption and redistribution problems (Gleyzes et al, 2002). Various researchers have reported the problem of re adsorption and redistribution for many sequential extractions for each phase. Despite these limitations sequential extractions are widely accepted for metal fractionation in sediment samples to assess the mobility and bioavailability of metals . 2.10 Single Extractions : To reduce lengthy procedures and thus making sequential extractions a part of routine analysis, various alternatives(e.g. microwave heating and ultrasonic shaking) to conventional extraction procedures have been employed (Albores et al , 2000). One of the alternatives to reduce the lengthy and laborious sequential process is to use single extractions. In single extractions the same reagents and operating conditions as the sequential extractions are applied to different sub- sample (Albores et al ,2000) and, except for first step , the metal concentrations in each individual step can be obtained by subtracting the results obtained in two successive steps(Filgueiras et al , 2002). Initially this technique was suggested by Tack et al (1996) in which first three steps mentioned in Tessiers Scheme were extracted simultaneously while, for organic matter bound metals, it was suggested that the sample should be extracted first for reducing metals and should then be re treated with hydrogen p eroxide step to remove organic matter and thus release metals bound to this phase. 2.11 Bioassays : A useful monitoring tool Bioassays measure changes in physiology and behaviour of living organisms resulting from stress induced by biological or chemical toxic compounds which can cause disruption of e.g. metabolism. Thus, bioassays help to establish cause / effect relationship between the concentrations of pollutants and consequent environmental damage (Girrotti et al , 2008). Historically fish and macro invertabrates bioassays are the first in the series of toxicity bioassays involving animals. As these bioassays were found useful in assessing the acute toxicity of chemicals and effluents and often predicted their effects of aquatic biota and habitat, they have been extensively used in the screening of chemicals and regulatory compliance monitoring (Blaise et al , 1998). However , these conventional bioassays require longer test duration along with additional time(e.g. acclimatisation) for preparations of the test (Ribo and Kaiser , 1987). Moreover toxicity was found a trophic level property and thus it was realized that protection of aquatic resources could not be ensured by conducting bioassays solely at macro organism level (Rand et al , 1995). Therefore an urgent requirement of cost effective , multi trophic and faster bioassays was strongly felt which led to development of micro scale testing procedures involving bacteria , protozoa , micro algae and micro invertabrate (Blaise et al , 1998). Distinct advantages of microbial testing procedures include :1) ease of handling ,2 ) short testing time , 2) reproducibility of results (Mowat et al , 2001) and 4) cost effectiveness (Wadhia and Thompson , 2007). 2.12 Sediment Toxicity Tests : As Van Beelen (2003) stated, toxicity is not a substance property only , but it is the c

Revenue Management and Pricing Essay

Springfield Nor’easters was a new Class A minor league baseball team, which would start the first season in June 2009. The marketing director, Larry Buckingham, had to design the price scheme for the new season. Springfield was the third largest city in Massachusetts with 55,338 residents and around 60% of the households were families with children below 18. However, Springfield offered few spectator opportunities for sports fans, the only way to attend a professional baseball game is to drive to other cities. Springfield Nor’easters, the first professional baseball team in the region, will compete in one of the 19 regional leagues under Minor League Baseball (MiLB). Each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) was affiliated with minor league teams and they funded players’ salaries as well as bat and ball expenses, while minor league teams were responsible for uniform expenses, league dues, office and travel expenses, etc. Nor’easters’ financial goal for the first year is break even and their income will come from tickets sales, concession sales and sponsors from local institutions and organizations. To design his tickets offers, Buckingham found that it’s important to both analyze the remaining data from a survey done in 2005 by League Sports Association and conduct a more detailed survey specific to the local market. Buckingham then figured out that his primary research objectives were to know how many people would come to the games and how much to charge them, and he made several observations while interviewing some counterparts of other minor league teams. First off, he needed to price seats on par with competition such as movies, bowling and other sporting events. Secondly, it’s important to have a well-designed mix of season tickets, group sales and individual tickets. Thirdly, he should consider promoting group sales with special promotions. Last but not least, concessions were critically important with at least a 39% profit margin. Buckingham kept three criteria in mind while designing the survey questions: maximum information yield for management decisions, question clarity for respondents, and ease of data analysis. He decided to conduct this survey by  mailing 10,000 postcards that would direct recipients to a website where they could complete a questionnaire and then get entered into a drawing. The online questionnaire was pretested three times and several questions were changed afterwards according to the feedback. The mailing list for the postcard was drawn from two sources. One half was taken from Springfield census tracts of households with income above the poverty level and the other was obtained from the mailing lists of four sports-related organizations in Springfield. Ultimately, 625 responses were tabulated. Luckily, Buckingham found that the sample respondent characteristics were fairly representative of the Springfield market. Buckingham knew that his real goal was to maximize not only ticket income but also concessions. He wanted to make sure the prices of different packages were set appropriately. Also, while calculating the concession sales, he was told to note that attendance would drop from around 100% (individual game) to 97% (5-game), 95% (20-game), 90% (38-game). With these things in mind, Buckingham started to analyze the survey data and calculated the optimal prices. We found that the actual pricing policy is much more complicated, there are a wide variety of seats, and more games (full season = 70 games). To have a more-close-to-situation price for comparison, we exclude the special and upscale tickets. Then average the rest’s ticket price (â€Å"Diamond Boxes†, â€Å"Field Boxes†, â€Å"Dugout Boxes†, and â€Å"General Admission†), and come up with a result of $9.25 per game. To sum up, our proposed price ($10/game) is slightly higher than the actual price, and the reasons are as followed. 　　First, in the actual stadium, there are some high-class club and seat that will compensate for other cheaper tickets. Second, there may be more advertisement, sponsorship, and special event revenue which haven’t been counted in the case. Third, the actual stadium may have more seats (ex. grass seating), so the ticket price can be lower ours. Lastly, however, global recession may be a cause, but we do not consider it to take a great part. Though the ticket price per NBA game actually increases through years, taking into account the improving but still sluggish economy in 2012 and the difference in popularity, it’s not likely that Springfield Cardinals is able to set price high.

Lord of the flies by Willam Golding

Lord of the flies refers to the story of a group of English boys marooned on a tropical island after their plane was shot down during a war. But the book’s exploration of the idea of human evil is to some extent based on Golding’s experience with the violence and savagery of human beings during World War II. Lord of the flies dramatizes a fundamental human struggle: the conflict between the impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully and impulse to seek brute power   over others, act selfishly, behave in a way that will gratify one’s own desires, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence. The first set of impulses might be thought of as the â€Å"civilizing instinct†, which encourages people to work together toward common goal and behave peacefully; the second set of impulse might be thought of as the â€Å"barbarizing instinct†, or the instinct toward savagery, which urges people to rebel against civilization and instead seek anarchy, chaos, despotism, and violence. The Lord of the flies shows the great struggle of the boys to rescue from the horizon. The children made a group and started doing work to attract the attention of the passing ships. They elected their own leader and started finding their way to rescue from that place and chose Ralph as their leader. Ralph elected Jack as the leader of the hunters. Ralph, Jack and Simon set off on an expedition to explore the island. When they returned from hunting, Ralph declared that they must light a signal fire to attract the attention of passing ships. The boys began to do so; they started using the lens from Piggy’s eyeglasses to ignite dead wood. They were very innocent and do not know the importance of the work and were interested in playing more than igniting fire. So because of their insincerity towards work the fire quickly ignites the forest. And the fire becomes out of control. One of the youngest boys disappears from the group and they think that he has presumably burned to death. All the boys started enjoying themselves without grownups except Jack and Ralph. After some time Ralph and Piggy see the ship passing by the horizon. But when ship passes signal fire burned out; it had been a hunter’s responsibility to maintain it. After that Ralph accosts Jack, but the hunter has just returned to his first hunt, and all the boys were uncontrolled and excited and start dancing. When Piggy criticizes Jack because of his insincere deed, Jack hits him. It was really a problem to keep the single fire lit so the boys become afraid. Ralph and Jack both do not liked each other, they wanted a separate group. Jack was violent in nature so he declared himself the leader of new tribe and the group of the boys divided in two parts. They all had lost their innocence and civilization. Ralph was civilized and wanted every one to live in civilized manner but most of the other boys went into bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of hunters chanting and dancing was baffling and distasteful to him. The first hand knowledge of the evil that existed with in all human beings was tragic for Ralph. But this knowledge also enabled him to cast down the Lord of the Flies at the end of the novel. His story ends semi-tragically although he was rescued and returned to civilization, when he saw the naval officer, he wept with the burden of his knowledge about humanity. All the children adopted barbarism and lost innocence and civilization. They took care of the small children. Children of Lord of the Flies did a great effort to rescue from the horizon and tackled the situation very tactfully.   In the novel children tried to free themselves from the power of others by doing different kind of deeds and Jack tried to snatch away the powers of the Ralph. Reference Sir, Golding, William. (1997). Lord of the flies. New York: RIVERHEAD.