Robotic Surgery free essay sample

The Cutting Edge Surgery has been a method used to help fix people’s problems for generations. Whether it is a broken bone, dislocation, cancer, or ruptured appendix, surgery has provided the option of fixing these problems for the afflicted patients. The history of surgery is vast, and over the ages it has developed into a much more refined practice. According to Tim Lambert in A History of Surgery, it started in the Stone Age, with incisions and holes in people’s skulls for unknown reason. Egyptians then furthered the realm of surgery by removing the organs of mummies to prevent rotting (Lambert). A big problem during this time was cleanliness; it was difficult to prevent infections in addition to controlling bleeding problems and pain. As generations passed, surgeons became more skilled in operating procedures, using alcohol and honey to prevent infections. In addition, surgeons gained more knowledge about the human body through dissections that became allowed by the church around the mid-14th century (Lambert). We will write a custom essay sample on Robotic Surgery or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The revolution of anesthetics wasn’t introduced until the 19th century; however it became a critical advancement in the field by allowing patients to receive pain relief by inhaling ether. This became especially important at this time, because new procedures such as the tracheotomy became a less intense procedure with the use of anesthetics. Options other than ether soon became available, such as chloroform, cocaine, and Novocain (Lambert). The surgical revolution didn’t end here, many technologies allowed for surgery to become a much more technical process. The 20th century led to the first eye surgery due to the invention of the laser, as well as improvements in heart surgery that led to the pacemaker, heart transplants, and artificial hearts (Lambert). In spite of all the groundbreaking steps that were made in this field, new steps are still being taken today. There is a new outlook that could prove to advance the field of surgery even further, and it is known as robotic surgery. Due to improvements in technology and programming, robotic surgery is now a better option than conventional surgery. Robotic Nurses Robotics can be used to aid in surgery in many different ways. Two main ways are using a robotic surgeon and using a robotic nurse. People may not realize that nurses can in fact have a negative impact in surgery. Research published by George Akingba shows that 31% of all communications in the Operating Room result in some sort of failure, and a third of those failed communications impact the patient (Akingba). Some of these errors are caused by team instability, which includes a lack of familiarity between nurses and surgeons, minimal staffing, and other random distractions. The use of a robotic nurse can possibly reduce the number of failed communications between surgeons and nurses (Akingba). In order for robotics to be a successful replacement, these robots must achieve a certain level of accuracy and speed. In order to determine how well a robot could achieve this, George Akingba and his team performed and recorded multiple experiments using a robotic nurse called Gestonurse. Their goal was to show that a robotic nurse could be used in an actual surgery (Akingba). In order to serve as a viable replacement, Gestonurse needed to be able to understand both verbal and non-verbal cues given by the surgeon, predict the instruments that the surgeon will require next, and doctors need knowledge of the boundaries and limitations of this fairly recent technology (Akingba). In order for Gestonurse to replace a nurse in an operating room it has to be able to replicate the same steps a regular nurse could perform. That means the robot must identify the hand gesture it is being given, match that gesture with a tool, find the tool, and transport it from the table to the surgeon. This is a difficult process for a robot to perform in a small period of time. George Akingba and his team decided to start by determining how well the robotic nurse could get instruments for the surgeon based on the distance between each instrument. They feared that the robot would not be able to distinguish between objects that were too close together (Akingba). For this experiment to be performed, non-verbal cues were assigned to surgical instruments using fingers. One finger is a scalpel, two fingers are scissors, three is a retractor, four is forceps, and five is a hemostat (Akingba). What the study found is that a robot can reliably identify and select the correct instrument for the surgeon when the instruments are separated by at least 25mm (Akingba). Next, the researchers tested different hand placements for these fingers in order to see if the robot would recognize the fingers being held up in different positions. The study showed that as long as they kept their hands parallel to the image plane, even by moving their hands in this plane, about 94% of the gestures were detected (Akingba). About 4% of the remaining error is explained by out-of-plane rotations (Akingba). For example, if three fingers are held up, but they are rotated in such a way that the robot needs depth perception to accurately view them, the robot will not always recognize each finger, and will underestimate the actual number of fingers being presented (Akingba). George Akingba and his team had one last component to test before making a conclusion. His team wanted to test how fast the robot could get the instrument to the surgeon compared to a human. They found that on average it took a human 3. 23 seconds to get an instrument for the surgeon, compared to the 4. 06 seconds it took the robot (Akingba). This results in a very minimal difference of only 0. 83 seconds longer for the robot to accomplish the task. Altogether, the experiments conducted showed the capabilities of robotic nurses in the Operating Room. During these trials, Gestonurse provided many advantageous features to surgery. Gestonurse was easy to use, and allowed the surgeons to use their hands. Additionally, Gestonurse responded to nonverbal commands that were fast and intuitive, without the need of a surgeon to wear a microphone or marker in order to use the system. And lastly, the hand gestures used by the surgeons were very accurately identified. Robotic Surgery On a more sophisticated level, robots can be used to perform an actual surgery. According to an article written by Anthony Lanfranco, Robot-assisted surgery can be done using three different types of robots; ARTEMIS, da Vinci, and Zeus. Artemis (advanced robotic telemanipulator for minimally invasive surgery) is a robotic mechanism that consists of two robotic arms that are controlled by a surgeon on a control console (Lanfranco). The da Vinci system uses a slightly more complex 3-part system, comprised of a vision cart with a dual light source, dual 3 chip cameras, a console for the surgeon, and 2 instrument arms on a movable cart and a camera arm mounted onto a cart. The Zeus machine is very similar to the da Vinci, however the console is in an ergonomically designed arrangement for the surgeon. In addition, Zeus has a third robotic arm that is voice controlled, allowing the surgeon to give audible instructions on where the camera should be placed for the best picture (Lanfranco). What this is essentially offering is surgery that can be performed by a robot that is being guided by a surgeon, which provides numerous advantages to doctors and patients. According to the article Robotic Surgery by Anthony Lanfranco, these systems enhance dexterity and allow the surgeon to better manipulate the instruments and the body tissues. Additionally, the systems produce greater control of hand tremors and sudden movements that doctors would normally have. Lanfranco adds that these robots help by allowing the surgeon to â€Å"sit in an ergonomically designed workstation† as well as â€Å"eliminate the need to twist and turn in awkward positions to move the instruments and visualize the monitor. † The advantage to this is that the system restores proper hand-eye coordination to the surgeon, and reduces the risk of slipping during a procedure as well as not being able to see clearly (Lanfranco). A video titled Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System records a patient who prefers robotic surgery because â€Å"a surgeon can focus in 10 to 12 times magnification† and that was very important to him. This same man, named Doug Mclean, ran in a marathon within about a month after his prostatectomy (da Vinci Surgery). This leads to another critical advantage of robotic surgery. These robots have been mainly used in laparoscopic surgeries, which are also known as Minimally Invasive Surgeries (Lanfranco). These laparoscopic surgeries provide the ability for surgery to be done without the need of a lengthy recovery period or a sizeable scar. Patients who would normally need to stay in a hospital to recover are now able to leave the hospital on the same day as their surgery (Lanfranco). After his prostatectomy, Marlow Gilmore said, â€Å"I had no idea that it would be this quick to get back to my normal, functioning self† (da Vinci Surgery). Despite its amazing advantages, some disadvantages are still present in Robot-assisted surgery. Anthony Lanfranco recognizes in his article that the limitations of these robots are still not well known. Additionally, he states that the cost of installing one of these systems is close to a million dollars. As new upgrades become available for these new systems, the cost might climb even higher. This makes them difficult for some hospitals to purchase. Lastly, these robotic systems are very large. They take up a huge amount of the operating room, and can sometimes result in overcrowding between the robot and the surgical team (Lanfranco). Haptic Feedback Researchers, however, are currently working on improving the technology associated with robotic surgery. One way of doing this is using haptic feedback in robotic systems. Haptic feedback is the process of giving surgeons the same â€Å"sense of touch† that they would receive if they were performing the surgery without a robot (Robotic Surgery). Associate professor Allison Okamura is conducting experiments to provide a touch sensation during these procedures, instead of feeling what she calls, â€Å"chopsticks that have grippers on the end† (Robotic Surgery). This process is a very difficult and complex problem to solve. In order to allow for doctors to feel these sensations, physics must be combined with technology and incorporated in the machines. The machine will need to use an advanced force sensor, which will measure the force applied by the robot, and exert the same force on the surgeon’s hand (Robotic Surgery). This will create a similar feeling to performing the actual surgery. Another option is to create a computer model that tracks the movements of the robotic tools. This will allow the data collected by the computer to be converted into haptic feedback for the operator (Robotic Surgery). There is much debate to which approach would be better. Force sensors are highly accurate; however they would need to be made of sterile materials in order to be used. On the other hand, a computer model would work well but it may not respond fast enough to be beneficial to the surgeon. Until a system has been developed and is proved to be beneficial, Allison Okamura is using a light operated system that uses red, yellow, and green lights to display if the right amount of force is being used (Robotic Surgery). A new era is approaching and Robotic Surgery is at the front of it. It may be a recent and developing field, but has proved to be beneficial thus far. While human nurses are still the most common, and most surgeons are not using robotic technology, these practices may become outdated in the future with minimally invasive procedures now becoming more available. Robotics has the ability to advance surgery and perform surgical methods that are not achievable by humans. While still incredibly expensive, robotics is now beneficial to the field of surgery, and as time passes this cost will hopefully become more reasonable. While people may be using conventional surgery more often, Robotic Surgery has become a superior alternative.

5 Minute Activities for Elementary School Teachers

5 Minute Activities for Elementary School Teachers Every elementary school teacher dreads that point  of the day when they don’t have enough time to start a new lesson, but yet, they have a few extra minutes to spare before the bell rings. This â€Å"wait time† or â€Å"lull† is the perfect opportunity for a quick activity  for the class. And,  what’s great about this type of  time-filler activity is that it requires little to  no preparation and the students tend to think of them as â€Å"play† time. Check out these ideas:   Mystery Box This five minute filler is a terrific way for students to develop their thinking strategies. Secretly place an item into a covered shoe box and ask the students to figure out what is inside without opening it. Allow them to use all of their senses to find out what is in the box: touch it, smell it, shake it. Suggest to them to ask â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† questions such as, â€Å"Can I eat it?† or â€Å"Is it bigger than a baseball?† Once they figure out what the item is, open the box and let them see it. Sticky Notes   This quick time filler helps students build their vocabulary and spelling skills. Write compound words in advance on sticky notes, dividing each half of the word into two notes. For example, write â€Å"base† on one note and â€Å"ball† on the other. Then, place one sticky note on each student’s desk. Then students can go around the classroom and find the peer who owns the note that  makes the compound word. Pass the Ball   A great way to reinforce fluency is to have the students sit on their desks and pass a ball while saying anything, from rhyming words to naming the capitals of the United States. This is a fun time filler where students will enjoy playing while reinforcing important learning concepts. The act of passing a ball engages students and keeps their attention, and encourages order within the classroom by limiting who is speaking and when. Should students get out of hand, use this as a  teachable moment  and review what it means to be respectful of each other.   Line  Up This is a great five minute activity to take your time lining the students up for lunch or a special event. Have all of the students remain in their seats and each student stands when they think you are talking about them. An example is, â€Å"This person wears glasses.† So all of the students who  wear glasses would stand up. Then you say, â€Å"This person wears glasses and has brown hair.† Then whoever has glasses and brown hair would remain standing and then line up. Then you move on to another description and so on. You can modify this activity to last two minutes or even 15 minutes. Line up is a quick activity for children to reinforce their listening skills and comparatives. Hot Seat   This game is similar to Twenty Questions. Randomly select a student to come up to the front board and have them stand with their back facing the white board. Then choose another student to come up and write a word on the board behind them. Limit the word that is written to a site word, vocabulary word, spelling word or anything that you are teaching. The goal of the game is for the student to ask his/her classmates questions in order to guess the word written on the board.   Silly Story   Challenge students to take turns making up a story. Have them sit in a circle, and one by one add a sentence to the story. For example, the first student would say, â€Å"Once upon a time there was a little girl that went to school, then she†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then the next student would continue the story. Encourage children to stay on task and use appropriate words. This activity is the perfect opportunity for students to develop and use their imagination and creativity. This can also be turned into a longer project in which students collaborate on a digital document. Clean Up   Have a clean-up countdown. Set a stopwatch or alarm and assign each student a specific number of items to clean up. Tell students, â€Å"Let’s beat the clock and see how fast we can clean up the classroom.† Make sure that you set rules ahead of time, and every student understands exactly where each item goes in the classroom. As an extra incentive, choose one item be the â€Å"trash of the day† and whoever picks up that item wins a small prize. Keep it Simple Think of the skills you want your students to grasp and prepare activities that correlate with that, then use those five minutes to practice those skills. Younger children can practice printing or coloring and older children can practice journal writing or do math drills. Whatever the concept is, prepare for it ahead of time and have it ready for those awkward in-between moments. Looking for more quick ideas? Try these review activities, brain breaks, and teacher-tested time savers.

Vincent van Goghs Starry Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vincent van Goghs Starry Night - Essay Example When analyzing iconography, the viewer defines the components of a work of art when considering its implications to the society. The ancient artists used art to interpret their ideologies and beliefs to the society. This study would help the viewer to highlight the main components of the art piece of visual image, and interpret it in a language that is easily understandable in the common society’s context. The renaissance artists applied variable techniques in their works to communicate to the society and gain recognition within the pieces that they had created. An artist of the post-impressionism period was Vincent Van Gogh. Bold use of color and vibrant brush strokes characterized his pieces to create magnificent artworks that applied the emotion involved in their completion. The painting was created when he had been confined due to insanity and is believed to depict the images that he viewed from his room. The painting is characterized with a cloudy night filled with swirly clouds that appear to be created using bold brush strokes. The stars and moon are distinctively placed to complement the entire atmosphere. The painting gives a feeling of close interaction with the heavens and leads an individual to assume a religious ambience. The application of the strokes in a swirling motion lead the viewer to a motion state where the scenery is not constant. Through applying the swirling lines and believed to be using the paints directly from the tube. Van gogh’s painting is told to have been completed during his confinement in the asylum. The paining suggests that he had completed its composition applying tremendous energy, and wild imagination to distort the figures to satisfy his ambition to generate an expressive art form. Below the swirling cloud, ar e hills that appear distorted with a village below in the painting. The mood of the towns depicts a serene atmosphere with the integration of fresh and dull colors to contrast the bright sky. The contrast depicts the mood created in the development of these elements and suggests that Vincent had cherished the calm moments. The image of the town obeys the principles of perspective with the buildings further into the picture presenting bright colors with fewer details. He tries not to involve the application of black color and combines a darker shade of blue to create the shadows. There is a distinct image within the center of the structure as a steeple emanates from what is seen as a church. This has been articulated in the faith that he might have possessed in the supernatural. Perhaps, he had been desperate and looked for an alternative to solving the unresolved mystery that he had sought in his lifetime. It is positioned to provide a pillar within the entire composition and hold t he pieces in place at the center of the town. The most dominant feature in the painting is a, tall dark, structure that in most principles of an artwork should be made more detailed as compared to the entire piece. However, one notices that the element had involved the application of dull colors to inhibit the details, but the use of the strong strokes suggested a distinct style that van gogh had been identified. The structure is not defined properly hence a conclusion to its nature is difficult in the composition. However, it extends to the sky and appears to have been amongst the finishing touches applied on the painting. His application of white and yellow strokes within the sky created a chaotic mood within his style and immediately attracted the viewer to the sky. The stars and the moon stand out in the midst of the dull colored sky creating a high tonal value in the sky. The color is applied carefully to determine his emotions with the violent strokes creating a disturbance in the peaceful atmosphere that the blue color is applied for. His expertise to

Reading and writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reading and writing - Essay Example d a huge a place in the society and as upsetting as it is, it is largely due to the fact that people are naturally attracted to such pieces of news that in turn causes the media to pander to the demands of the public. Even the most notable journalists resort to sensationalism in order to maximize profits and attract attention. (Mitchells, 2007) Sensational news directs unnecessary amount of scrutiny towards people, they can either be defamatory but certain people use such incidents to order to boost their own fame through notoriety. The case of O.J. Simpson epitomizes this aspect and another example of such an incident would be Bill Clinton’s alleged affair with a young white house intern Monica Lewinsky. Both of these cases remained in the limelight of media for a very long time and despite the fact that such pieces of news were largely scandals they were exaggerated beyond proportion and now such atrocious incidents have become highly infused in the popular culture of the American society. These are just a few notable examples but there are other cases as well that were subjected to intense Sensationalization. According to my personal beliefs, there is no way sensationalism can ever be justified because it contradicts the professional code of ethics that every journalist must abide by. The ethical code requires all journalists to refrain from making discriminatory references that might create discord amongst the society, factual reporting and adopting an objective or unbiased stance when it comes to the reportage of the news. However, despite the breaches of the aforementioned ethical code, sensationalism has become an important part of our society. (Mitchells,

Foreign Market Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Market Analysis - Essay Example product. The feel good factor is that it is pro-American country with the Filipinos and their government having very friendly relations with the U.S. The Philippines is the 19th largest export market of the United States with an approximate annual export of $8 billion. For launching a new product by JF’s Electronics, the Philippines can be the perfect launching pad as people there have liking for the U.S. products. Language is not a barrier, as the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country (buyusa.gov). The Philippines market environment for the mobile phone products, called the Cellular Mobile Telephone System (CMTS) is quite encouraging for the U.S. products. Let’s review different environmental aspects related to the Philippines economy, politics, legal, regulatory, technological, and social factors to ensure that the JF’s Electronics would succeed in providing a secure international platform to its new product – customized mobile phone. JF’s Electronics new product – the customized mobile phone would find a ready and ripe market as the mobile phone is a favorite digital device of the Filipinos. More than 22 million Filipinos have a mobile phone. The number of mobile subscribers is growing fast; in 2004 the growth rate touched to 34% to more than 30.2 million. In Short Messaging Service (SMS), this country is the world leader. As per the market report, carriers cover more than 200 million text messages a day in Philippines. The above scenario projected by the U.S. Commercial Service regarding the mobile phone market and the Philippine’s 100 years old friendly business relations with the U.S. are enough to build up confidence of the JF’s Electronics to enter in the Philippines market with its new product launch, i.e. customized mobile phone (buyusa.gov). The Philippines imports in electronics are into raw material to be used in export processing locations. Consumer goods, a subsector of electronics industry are 0.93

Iraq and India: Energy Trade Relations

Iraq and India: Energy Trade Relations Statement of the Problem The economic openness is the reality of today’s developed world. The asymmetrical distribution of resources and factor of production has required the economist and social scientists for mutual interaction and trade cooperation for the development of the global economy. The trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is more important these days because of the essential for formulating a feasible and beneficial strategy for the development of the both countries. The bilateral trade and Economic Cooperation between Republic of Iraq and Republic of India are unique. The trade and other related relationships between India and Iraq have its own significance for the economic development of both these countries. Both countries have been traditionally collaborative and had strategic and friendly relations. India has supported a free, democratic, pluralistic, federal and united Iraq  [1]. India-Iraqi ties flourished only after India had started cultivating. Iraq, in bila teral terms on the basis of mutuality of interests in the political sphere and complementarities interests in economic sphere subsequently. It is significant to note that Iraq was one of the few countries in West Asia with which India had established relations very early at the embassy level  [2]. However, India’s economic cooperation with Iraq was stronger than other west Asian countries due to its geographical location and natural resources. The looming threat of wars in Iraq had continuous uncertainty and a negative impact on India’s as well as global trade markets. India’s trade with Iraq tremendously weakened during war periods  [3]. But India’s focus on a strengthened and multi-faceted relationship with new Iraqis an outcome of the significant changes in the political and economic relations between two countries. India’s has been cooperating continuously with Iraq on the road to recovery in the post Saddam Iraq. Indo Iraq economic coopera tion was slow Initial Stage of Post Saddam Government. With the democratically elected government of Iraq in year 2005, it received a strongly re-boost to restart trade and cooperation with India. India actively supports the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq  [4]. Both countries Explore cooperation in e-Governance during Deputy Foreign Minister of Iraq, Mr Labeed Majeed Abbawi, visited India on 17-22 May, 2011. Indian business applied for contracts for restart trade and cooperation. Since there is revival in potential for Indo-Iraqi trade and commerce, a number of steps have been taken at the policy level that can positively impact Indian companies looking to do business with Iraq. At a broad strategic level, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed in 2013 between Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and India’s Ministry of External Affairs to update and discuss bilateral and international relations of interest. The two countries are looking to enhance the energy trading relationship, which forms a significant part of overall trade between India and Iraq. The government of India has proposed that it should be ‘strategic partnership’, which could include aspects like oil exploration, petrochemical complexes and fertiliser plants. To this extent, Iraq and India have signed MoU on Cooperation in the field of Energy to make further progress in the relationship in the sector. India aims to change the nature of the relationship with Iraq on energy from a buyer-seller one into one with equity partnership. Iraq and India have also signed MoU on Water Resource Development and Management that looks to cooperate and share expertise in the field on national and international levels  [5]. Such as Indian business applied for contracts for reconstruction projects to coalition provisional authority and more recently the activities of Iraqi business in India have been growing rapidly  [6]. H owever Project exports are perhaps the most significant factors in India’s economic relations with Iraq as well as other gulf countries. They are significant not only for their trade generating effect but also for a different kind of interaction they render possible in India’s external relations  [7]. Today in the globalised world the economies of Iraq have assumed a new economic as well as strategic importance for India. The economic reforms in India resulted becoming one of the fastest growing economies of the world. The growth of India’s economy has stimulated growth in the industrial sector. The higher growth in India’s industrial sector has further resulted in significant rise in energy demand. As India is not self sufficient in its energy requirement, major portion of her energy demand is fulfilled by Iraq petroleum imports. Thus in a situation of growing industrial output and demand for energy, India’s dependence on Iraq would significantly increase. Presently Iraq has become second largest supplier of oil to India only after Saudi Arabia. Thus the trade relations between India and Iraq are very crucial for the growth of Indian economy. It was reported that in India crude oil imports account for more than 96 Percent of her total imports from Iraq. This makes India to face severe deficits in her trade balance with Iraq. But the emergence of rich market of Iraq offered opportunities to India for balanced bilateral trade in 2012. Iraq requires India’s exports in terms of more goods, items, instruments and equipments and more investment in infrastructure, agriculture, machinery, power, healthcare and telecommunication. India’s former Commerce and Industry minister Anand Sharma promised him to encourage Indian businessmen to explore business opportunities in Iraq  [8]. India is appearing to correct this deficit with new investment opportunities, specifically in the energy sector, in one of the fastest growing economies in the region. India is also looking to counter the growing presence of China in Iraq. Beijing has already invested heavily in various projects around Iraq, and has even built its own airport near the Iran-Iraq border from where it ferries its workers to various oil fields in the southern part of the coun try  [9]. In the immediate future, India is looking at increasing its import of Iraqi crude and a senior minister in the Iraqi government has offered to up his country’s oil exports to India by as much as 30 per cent. That Indian oil companies shifted from Iranian to Iraqi oil in 2011-12. In recent year, bilateral trade between both the countries accelerated through Indian government maintained the huge demand of Iraqi crude oil. On the other hand Tubes pipe of iron steel products; Meat of bovine animals, frozen products and Indian basmati rice has found good markets in Iraq, overtake US long gained rice market since 2010. The market for exporting basmati rice would increase due to Iraq’s preference for the products and on the other hand Indian market provides a cheaper imports option. An important step to foster stronger economic bilateral ties between countries took place in an interactive session on certification of goods and exports potential of Iraq, organised by federation of Indian export organizations (FIEO) in April 2012 in New Delhi. Hussein Ali Rajab, the commercial councillor, embassy of Iraq, felt that India exports to this market should increase from $ 750 million to about $ 3 billion by 2015. It is directed that all Indian goods imported to Iraq must be certified by their designated inspection agency so that the buyer can release their goods in Iraq. The previous year, Indian tea exports suffered a setback as more than 200 containers of Indian tea that were being exported to Iraq were barred and returned due to quality issues. Indian steel firm Jindal saw won a 25 year contract to build and run a factory for manufacture oil and gas pipelines in south Iraq. This $ 198 million deal was part of Iraqi efforts to revive its long deserted industrial sector. As part of Indian effort in infrastructure development in Iraq, reliance Globalcom, in projects collaboration with Iraqi telecommunications and post company (ITPC), launched the a l-Faw cable landing station (CLS) for providing telecom service in the country. It is set to enhance internet speed for Iraqi domestic consumer. But presently, demand of India’s Indian productto Iraq and mutual business ties temporarily declined due to Iraqi political climate insurgency  [10]. India’s expatriate in Iraq, once substantial has dwindled to almost nothing. In response to high levels of violence, the Indian government in 2004 banned labour brokers from hiring people for Iraq. This ban was for six months and then was extended from time to time. The extended period of the ban was valid up to April 30, 2010 based on the recommendation of the ministry’s Gulf division. it had been decided not to extend the ban beyond April 30,2010. On 4 May 2010 Indian government lifted the ban on grant of emigration clearance for Indians wishing to travel to Iraq but cautioned that people should take care of their security while working or visiting the oil-rich country. After that Indians can now legally travel to Iraq for work  [11]. Lots of Indians (both legal and illegal migrants) came to Iraq via United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other gulf countries in the past 5 years  [12].More than 80,000 Indians are living in Iraq despite an earlier government advisory again st travel to the country that has been in turmoil since Saddam Hussein was ousted  [13]. The lifting of the ban was termed a step towards normalization of relations between India and Iraq  [14]. Indian Migration to Iraq got disturbed in June 2014 due to political as well as economic crisis in Iraq  [15]. [1] Annual Report 2011-12,Ministry of Overseas, GOI [2] Ajay N Jha, Indo-Iraq Relations: 1947-86: Need For Fress Iniciatives, in West Asia and Indias   Foreign Policy, ed. Verinder Grover( New DElhi: Deep Deep Publications, 1992), pp 437-461. [3] Ibid [4] Opcit 1 [5] Opportunities for India in Iraq’s restructuring, Spacesence News. Feb 06, 2014.  http://www.spacesense.in/news/13 (accessed June 2014, 27). [6] Azhar Muhammad, Indo-Iraq Economic Cooperation in Post Saddam Period, Journal of WestAsian Studies (Deptt. of West Asian Studies, AMU, Aligarh) Vol.23 (2009): pp 148-161. [7] Girijesh C Pant, India-Gulf Economic Relations: A Profiles, in West Asia and Indias Foreign   Policy, edited by Verinder Grover (New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications, 1992) p 65. [8] Iraq Calls for Balanced Bilateral Trade With India, Outlook, FEB 29, 2012. http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Iraq-Calls-for-Balanced-Bilateral-Trade-With-India/753569  (accessed June 12, 2014) [9] Kabir Taneja, India looks for larger presence in Iraq, June 22, 2013. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/business/india-looks-for-larger-presence-in-iraq (accessed June 21, 2014). [10] Sonia Roy, Iraq In Persian Gulf 2013: Indias Relations With the Region, by P.R. Kumaraswamy, pp 115-17. New Delhi: Sage Publication, 2014. [11] India lifts ban on travel to Iraq, The Siasai Daily, May 4, 2010. http://www.siasat.com/english/news/india-lifts-ban-travel-iraq-0 (accessed May 23, 2014). [12] Working in Iraq not worth the risks, says Indian worker in the country, IBNLive, June 16,  2014. http://m.ibnlive.com/news/world/working-in-iraq-not-worth-the-risks-says-indian-worker-in-the-country/479447-2.html (accessed August 2, 2014). [13] â€Å"India lifts ban on travel,† The Siasat Daily, May 4, 2010http://www.siasat.com/english/news/india-lifts-ban-travel-iraq-0 (accessed May 23, 2014). [14] Himanshi Dhawan, Ban on Indians travelling to Iraq lifted, January 9, 2010. http://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/india/Ban-on-Indians-travelling-to-Iraq-lifted/articlehow/6025044.cms(accessed  June 21, 2014) [15] â€Å"Indian faces the Iraq test,† The Hindu, June 21, 2014. http://www.hindu.com/opinion/editional/India-faces-the-Iraq-test/articles6134195 ece (accessed July 12, 2014). India: A Mixed Economy India: A Mixed Economy The present chapter is devoted to the introductory issues relating to the role of Direct tax laws in the development of International Business. Focus has also been laid on the need to present a hospitable environment for encouraging foreign investment and to protect the revenue base of the nation. The chapter has been classified on the following lines. 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Indian Tax Structure 1.3 Basic Principles Of International Taxation 1.4 International Business: Concepts, Scope And Structure 1.5 Need For International Business 1.6 Review Of Existing Studies 1.7 Statement Of The Problem 1.8 Objective Of The Study 1.9 Scope Of The Study 1.10 Limitations 1.11 Hypothesis 1.12 Research Methodology1.1 INTRODUCTION Rapid economic development happens to be one of the primary objectives of all developing economies and India is not an exception. This is possible mainly through the accumulation and proper use of capital. The developing economies lack adequate basic infrastructural facilities. In order to develop these, the government takes upon itself the responsibility for building up capital formation, through sound taxation policies. India is a mixed economy. Liberalization, privatization and globalization have further strengthened the role of tax policy in economic development. Both the public and the private sectors have to play an important role in ensuring satisfactory growth rate. For this, the government has to work out and provide adequate avenues for raising funds by private enterprises. This envisages the need to provide adequate incentives, rebates and reliefs in the form of tax deductions to stimulate the private sector. Here again a sound tax policy and a robust tax structure is inevitable. In order to accomplish the above objectives, the government enacted the Income Tax Act, 1961 repealing the act of 1922. The present Act has realized due weight age of taxation of International Business which has assumed much importance to the tax collector as well as to the tax payers. 1.2 INDIAN TAX STRUCTURE The Indian direct tax policy is structured in such a way as to ensure high progressivity both in terms of tax on income as well as on wealth. The act ensures that higher the level of income, higher shall be the tax incidence. By virtue of entry 82 of List I of the seventh schedule of the constitution of India, the Parliament is empowered to levy tax on income other than agricultural income. Therefore with due exercise of this power the Parliament has enacted the Income-Tax Act 1961. It is a comprehensive act embodied with 298 sections, divided in XXIII chapters, fourteen schedules, along with yearly Finance Acts coupled with Income Tax Rules, 1962. 1.3 PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL TAXATION There are two basic principle in International taxation 1) Residence Based Taxation- The principle of residence-based taxation asserts that individuals are taxable in the country or tax jurisdiction in which they establish their residence or domicile, regardless of the source of income. In the case of companies or firms, the place of incorporation or the place where control or management is exercised is deemed to be the place of residence. The principle of residence-based taxation of income envisages the taxation of global income. Accordingly, India follows residence based taxation in case of Residents. 2) Source Based Taxation- There are individuals/entities whose residence is in one country but their business is actually carried on in another country and their income is earned in the latter country. The principle of residence-based taxation would be inappropriate in such cases. So the country which provides the opportunity and facilities to generate income or profits should be given the right to tax such income. This forms the underlying basis of the principle of source-based taxation of income. India follows source based taxation in case of non-resident. 1.4 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; CONCEPT, SCOPE AND STRUCTURE International Business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions (private and government, sales, investments, logistics and transportation) that take place between two or more regions, countries and nation beyond their political boundary. Private companies, usually undertake such transaction for profit while government undertakes them for profit and political reasons. It also refers to all those business activities that involve cross border transactions of goods, services, resources between two or more nations. International Business not only refers to multinational companies having deals with foreign entities and making headways into the foreign market. It also involves small and independent companies or entities engaging in business with international clients through the medium of internet. International Business comprises a large and growing portion of the worlds total business. Almost all large or small companies are affected by global events and competition because most of the companies sell output and/or secure supplies from foreign countries or compete against foreign products and services. A multinational company would always consider its: MISSION i.e. what the company will seek to do and become over the long term. OBJECTIVES i.e. specific performance targets to fulfil its mission. STRATEGY i.e. the means to fulfil its objectives. The following factors have given a boost to the growth of International Business. Rapid increase in and expansion of technology Liberalization of government policies relating cross-border movement of trade and resources Development of the institutions needed to support and facilitate international trade Increased global competition An International Business may take any of the following mode: Import and export (goods and services) Tourism and transportation Licensing and franchising Turnkey operations Management contracts Direct and portfolio investment And much more MERCHANDISE EXPORTS are tangible goods sent out of a country. MERCHANDISE IMPORTS are tangible goods brought in. Imports and exports are countrys key international economic transaction. SERVICES are earning other than those derived from goods. Earning received are service exports and earnings paid are service imports. INTERNATIONAL TOURISM and TRANSPORTATION are important sources of revenue for airlines, shipping companies, travel agencies, and hotel. Greece and Norway is earning a significant amount of revenue from transportation. Bahamian country is dependent more on earning from foreign tourism than earning from the export of merchandise. U.S. has in recent years earned more from foreign tourism than from its exports of agricultural goods. TURNKEY OPERATIONS means construction or any other operation, performed under contract of facilities that are transferred to the owner as and when they are ready to begin operating. Licensing means use of assets such as trade-marks, patents, copyrights or expertise under contracts. This generates earnings called royalties. FRANCHISING is a way of doing business in which one party (the franchisor) allows another party (the franchisee) the use of trademark that is an essential asset for the franchisees business. The franchisee is also assisted on a continuing basis in the operation of business by providing components, management services and technology. Foreign investment involves ownership of foreign property in exchange for financial return. A FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT is one that gives the investor a controlling interest in a foreign company. A PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT is an investment that gives the investor a non-controlling interest in a company or ownership of a loan to another party. CONTRACT MANUFACTURING it refers to a type of International Business where a firm enters into a contract with a few local manufacturers in foreign countries to get certain components or goods produced as per its specification. It is also known as OUTSOURCING. It can take three major forms; Production of certain components such as automobile component to be used later for producing final products. Assembly of components into final product such as assembly of hard disc, mother board, floppy disc drive etc. Complete manufacture of the product such as garments. The major international companies such as NIKE, REEBOK, LEVIS, get their products or components produced in the developing countries under contract manufacturing. 1.5 NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS International Business helps both the countries to earn foreign exchange which can be used for meeting imports of capital goods, technology, petroleum products and fertilizers and consumer product and services at affordable price. International Business operates on a simple principle -produce what a country can produce more efficiently, and trade the surplus production so generated with other countries. If such an exchange pool of goods and services is distributed equitably amongst nations, it benefits all the trading nations. Producing solely for the purposes of domestic consumption restricts a countrys prospects for growth and employment. International Business helps developing countries to execute their plan to produce on a larger scale and thus create employment for people as well. International trade of goods and services has made it possible for the world community to consume goods and services produced in other countries. A number of corporate entities have improved prospects of their growth by plunging into overseas markets International Business can be more profitable than the domestic business. When the domestic prices are lower, business firms can earn more profits by selling their products in countries where prices are higher. Many firms set up production capacities for their products which are in excess of demand in the domestic market. By planning overseas expansion and procuring orders from foreign entities, they use their surplus production capacities and improve the profitability of their operation. Production on a larger scale leads to economies of scale, which in turn lowers production cost. 1.6 REVIEW OF EXISTING STUDIES No study seems to have been made in India to cover the various aspects of Taxation of International Business. This section presents a brief review of some of the important studies conducted on the subject of taxation. These studies would provide background material for the proposed work. Goenka (1983)1 emphasized the need for evolving an optimum direct tax planning process for our business entities, which will enable them to maximize their after-tax profits, so that these are available for establishing new industries and expanding the existing ones. Tax planning has emerged as an important tool for management decisions beginning with the settling up of an enterprise to the level of strategic, project and operational planning constituted at different stages of development of an enterprise and at different levels of policy formulation and operation. Tax planning would in no way lead to tax loss to the national exchequer; as the corporate sector progresses at a faster pace, Government can not only recoup the tax loss but improve upon the same. Agarwal (1987)2 has emphasized on tax incentives as an instrument of Fiscal policy to achieve the stated objectives of mobilizing saving and inducing investment. In the opinion of author, tax incentives offer a relatively straight forward means of promoting industrialization compared to other long term or complex measures that are more difficult to implement. However, tax incentive may not be used and may not yield the desired results. So tax incentives may be complemented with some of the other alternative measures to achieve the desired results. The study also revealed that the type, size and magnitude of tax incentives offered in different countries vary widely depending upon the needs and aspirations of their people. So incentive programme in India has undergone a number of changes from time to time and has a wide coverage. India is offering largest number of tax incentives as a part of its tax incentives package. Agarwal (1991)3 observed that significance of personal income tax can be judged in terms of its share in total tax revenue or national income. The contribution of direct taxes in general and of personal income tax in particular to the total tax receipts of Union Government of India has declined over time. India has depended more on indirect taxes for additional resource mobilization. Frequent upward revision of the exemption limit under the personal income tax tends to restrict growth of the tax base. The study covers the single major category of personal income tax payers individual. These account for more than 90% of the total number of personal income tax payers and their taxable income. The observed elasticity, progressivity and re-distribution impact of a tax is the net effect of interaction between tax parameters (such as tax schedule) and non tax parameters (such as income inequality). The study has concentrated on observed empirical functions and not on behaviouristic relations. So the discussion of tax evasion and tax compliance is beyond the scope of the study. Jain (1991)4, revealed that the private corporate sector has been looked upon as an important source of saving in India. The Government has succeeded in influencing the corporate decision processes at different levels and encourages them to save more. In Indian tax structure, there is a heavy tax on companys profits which reduces savings since it is assumed to be borne by the companies themselves; so the question of mechanics of corporate saving behaviour was probed into and she identified the possible channels through which taxes could influence corporate saving decisions. She insisted on revamping the tax structure. A reduction in tax rate would have a favourable impact on retention, resulting in utilization of more internal finance and ploughing back of profits. Tax reductions have to be combined with a corresponding review and reduction of tax incentives and fiscal incentives provided to the corporate sector. KADEL (2000)5 stated that Nepal, a small under developed country of the world economy, started using tax incentives to encourage private investments. The result was the introduction of tax holiday system and providing many other tax related facilities by Industrial Enterprise Act in 1962 and motive was to attract private investment. Since then, series of changes in tax rules were noticed. One of the objectives of all these changes was to create investor friendly environment and in turn increase investment. The author revealed that inflation is the main source of distortion for the corporate tax system in Nepal. Inflation rate and effective tax burden in Nepal are negatively related. The main determinant of fixed asset investment in Nepal is the availability of market or customer. The tax factor too as a determinant of fixed asset investment is playing only a small role in this regard. Across the four techniques of providing tax incentives i.e., tax holiday, accelerated depreciation, investment allowance and tax rate reduction, investment allowance is the best method to reduce the effective tax burden. Full tax holiday system is not preferable for both the reduction of tax burden and getting equity in the tax system. The proposed study will attempt to bridge the gap by focusing on international business. 1.7 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM India, the worlds largest democracy, has emerged as a strong player on the international arena. Indias role in international affairs is increasing at a higher pace. The thrust for major changes initiated by the Indian Government is to sweep away much burdensome regulation and create a business friendly environment for domestic and international business. Development took place through many reforms e.g. macro-economics reforms, tax reforms, finance reforms and freeing of capital markets, reforms in the regulation of business firms, revitalization of the Indian private sector, removal of exchange control and convertibility, trade reforms and foreign direct investment, reduction in licensing and quota raj as well as inspectors domain. Tax reforms, initiated in 1991, have sought to rationalize the Indian tax structure and increase tax compliance with the following steps: Reducing the rates of individual and corporate income taxes, excises, and customs and making it more progressive. Simplication of laws and procedures and introduction of Advance Ruling Introducing tax incentives in the form of exemptions and concessions. Easing out the rules relating to filing of returns (E-filing), TDS Laws relating to IB have also been simplified. Despite the above steps initiated by the government, the problem of ambiguity is continuing viz. (1) Business entities are not sure of their future tax liability in terms of rate of tax (to be applied in years to come, changing by virtue of Finance Act) (2) Retrospective amendment in the law has its own impact on foreign business entities.(Vodafone International Holding BV v Union of India) Vodafone was embroiled in a $2.5 billion tax dispute with the Indian Income Tax Department over its purchase of Hutchison Essar Telecom services in April 2007. It was being alleged by the Indian Tax authorities that the transaction involved purchase of assets of an Indian Company, and therefore the transaction or part thereof was liable to be taxed in India. Vodafone Group Plc. entered India in 2007 through a subsidiary based in the Netherlands, which acquired Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltds (HTIL) stake in Hutchison Essar Ltd (HEL)-the joint venture that held and operated telecom licences in India. This Cayman Islands transaction, along with several related agreements, gave Vodafone control over 67% of HEL and extinguished Hong Kong-based Hutchisons rights of control in India, a deal that cost the worlds largest telco $11.2 billion at the time. The crux of the dispute had been whether or not the Indian Income Tax Department has jurisdiction over the transaction. Vodafone had maintained from the outset that it is not liable to pay tax in India; and even if tax were somehow payable, then it should be Hutchison to bear the tax liability. In January 2012, the Indian Supreme Court passed the judgement in favor of Vodafone, saying that the Indian Income tax department had no jurisdiction to levy tax on overseas transaction between companies incorporated outside India. However, Indian government thinks otherwise. It believes that if an Indian company, Hutchison India Ltd., conducts a financial transaction, government should get its tax out of it. Therefore, in 2012, India changed its Income Tax Act retrospectively and made sure that any company, in similar circumstances, is not able to avoid tax by operating out of tax-havens like Cayman Islands or Lichtenstein. In May 2012, Indian authorities confirmed that they were going to charge Vodafone about Rs. 20000 crore (US $4.5 billion) in tax and fines. The second phase of the dispute is about to start. 3.) Lots of disputes and litigation are pending before the various court of law of the country which are deciding factors for tax liability of business entities.( Idea Cellular-ATT, GE-Genpact, Mitsui-Vedanta, Sabmiller-Fosters and the Sanofi Aventis-Shantha Biotech have tax cases pending in various high courts in the country) 4.) Uncertainty regarding the impact of direct tax laws and allied costs arising after the completion of total project particularly where in the international transactions, the gestation period of a project is too long ranging from 3 years or more. 5.) The effect of change of government policy due to tax avoidance treaty with other countries resulting in the total darkness regarding tax incidence on their profit after the completion of project. (India is negotiating the tax treaty with Mauritius to prevent evasion of tax. India wants to retain the right to tax capital gain arising to non-resident. India has already started raising tax demands against the companies and many of these cases are being disputed in various courts.) BRIEFLY, DOUBLE TAXATION, UNRESOLVED TAX DISPUTES, UNCERTAINTY IN THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL TAX RULES, HEAVY COMPLIANCE BURDENS, ALL CAN ACT AS A BARRIER TO THE EXPANSION OF CROSS-BORDER TRADE AND INVESTMENT, THEREBY HAMPERING INDIAS GROWTH RATE. 1.8 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY With a view to extract the gains of globalization and to develop international business in mutual interest, the present study is being undertaken with the following objectives: 1) to examine the role of direct tax laws in the development of International Business. 2) To appraise the Tax Professionals, Tax Executives and Entrepreneurs with the provisions of tax laws, connected with International Business/International Transactions and enabling them to take advantage of all tax benefits concessions (set-off carry forward),rebates (section 89) and reliefs(section 90 91), allowances(section 35), deductions ( section 80) and exemptions (section 10), available in our tax laws with due compliance of the requisites. 3) To suggest and propose measures to our policy makers that by making lawful amendments in the act, how our International Business can be strengthened. Broadly speaking, the study would address the following issues: What are the measures through which our tax professionals can manage their global tax risk and meet cross border obligation? How our business entities can complete their international transactions peacefully without facing any undue litigation or political harassment and thus maintaining effective relationship with tax authorities. What are the loopholes in the act which may be twisted by an assessee for their own benefit. It is required to be plugged or explained properly by the government by making amendments in the Act. The study also intends to make a comparative study of the tax rates of India with a few selected countries to encourage Indian enterprise to deal with countries having comparatively lower rate of tax . 1.10 LIMITATIONS Direct tax laws is a wide term which embraces in itself a variety of tax laws but the present study is restricted to Income Tax Act 1961. Income tax act 1961 is subject to change every year. This study is based purely on aspects of Income Tax Act 1961, for the assessment year 2012-13. 3) The nature of topic in itself is a big limitation. Till date, lacs and lacs of transactions have taken place in International Business and thousands of cases are pending in various Tribunals, High Courts and Supreme Court, waiting for the judgment. Whenever the final judgment will be pronounced, it will become a law and guiding factor for future policy makers and help for tax planning. 4) Other indirect tax laws like Customs Act, FEMA etc. are equally important in international business but we are restricting our study to the Income Tax Act only and leaving the scope for other research scholars willing in the same framework of study. 5) Further, the study has been conducted mainly from the point of view of the tax payer and not from that of the tax assessor or tax collectors, though it may be indirectly helpful to them in formulating appropriate policies and provides a basis for granting fiscal incentives based on national priorities. 1.11 HYPOTHESIS 1) The policy makers do not foresee at the time of framing the law that new techniques of tax evasion and avoidance may arise. The business houses with their expert legal brains, who are engaged mainly to seek loopholes in the law, take the maximum tax advantage due to the Government policy. They keep themselves within the framework of law but do not fulfil the intentions of the law, thereby tax avoidance arises. 2) The tax executives and business houses usually do not calculate the in depth risk of such transactions which arises due to higher gestation period of project. 3) Assessee do not forsee any change in the act with retrospective effect. 4) The assessee prefers a low rate of tax. 1.12 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The proposed study is descriptive and analytical in nature where in researcher uses facts or information already available and analyse these to make a critical evaluation of the material. Here researcher has no control over the variables. The researcher can only report what has happened or what is happening along with possible suggestions. So the study would be based on the various books, journals, Finance Acts, Explanatory Memorandum on the Budget of the Central Government, Reports of the various committees/commissions, Indian Economic Survey, Income Tax Act 1961, Income Tax Rules 1962, various announcements, circulars and notifications of Central Board of Direct Taxes, Budget speeches of Finance Ministers, Reports of Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Direct Taxes, Economic and Political Weekly, newspapers (Economic Times, Financial Express, Business Lines) etc. Moreover, websites of Income Tax Department, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Statistics and Comptroller and Auditor General of India have also been used for collection and analysis of data. The methodology may further be modified with the want of the circumstances. CONCLUSION This chapter laid the foundation for the research. It introduced the research problem and research question and hypothesis. Focus is also laid on the review of existing studies, limitation of the study and methodology adopted. Future outline In the upcoming chapters, an attempt has been made to discuss various Direct tax instruments which directly help in the development of International Business. These instruments have been specifically provided by our policy makers in our tax laws, keeping in view the national priority for development, growth and employment. At the same time, the need to augment revenue and resources have been duly kept in consideration, being an equal factor for development of the country. Such instruments as have been discussed in our future chapters have contributed its growth values in the development of International Business. These provisions and their impact with broad outlines and suggestions have been discussed in detail.

A Comparison of Christian Symbols in Song of Solomon, Sula, and Beloved

Although religion does not exist as a central theme in Toni Morrison’s work, it does set premise for a richly intertwined web of symbolism. Morrison’s novels focus on the lives of characters acting in the present day or recent past. For African Americans, events of the past are a crucial facet of culture as they seek to remember their history, the most influential of these events reaching far back into the years of slavery. Historians argue that for incoming slaves, Christianity offered a religious ground for the displaced individual, a soil in which to replant the symbols of their native spirituality. In interviews and articles regarding her works, Morrison seems to take on a tone of rejection towards the idea that the civilization of blacks was beneficial. However, through her use of blatant parallels to the Bible and obvious references to Christian doctrine, it is easy to see how a reader might interpret Morrison’s stance as one of affirmation of at least the Christianizing aspect of civilization. Because of the broadness of Morrison’s mix in usage of Christian symbols and African American folklore, it is important to define the two facets of faith itself: religion and spirituality. Religious structure is built upon dogma, rituals, history, and tradition; spirituality exists as the "unchanging foundation" to that religious structure. Carolyn Mitchell explains both concepts most clearly in her essay titled, "Biblical Revisions in Beloved:" "Religion is the worship of God; spirit is God; spirituality is the individual manifestation of God in everyday life and experience. Spirituality creates an authentic relationship to one’s own life, calling one to be wholly present in and accountable for this life" (29). However, her defin... ...er, ever near me, And the sacred past unfold" (Wright). The girls from childhood were blessings for each other, the escape from outside pressures that each needed. These "precious memories" flood Nel after Sula’s death when she reflects on her early years with Sula: " ‘We was girls together,’ she said as though explaining something" (174). The strength of the bond between Nel and Sula, as well as their failure to recognize the importance of each other before it is too, late follows through to the last page of the book. Nel is walking down a road alone; as she talks to herself crying for Sula, the sacred past unfolds before her (as evident through the authors use of the word "girl") and her epiphany serves as the resolution of the book: "All that time, all that time, I thought I was missing Jude . . . . O Lord, Sula . . . . girl, girl, girlgirlgirl" (174). Â   Â  

Downstream Petroleum Industry

Downstream – From Refinery to Customer The downstream sector encompasses the refining, storage, distribution and marketing of petroleum products: †¢Refining Process: Crude oil is processed and refined into more useful products; †¢Storage: The products from the refining process are stored at depots via pipeline, land (trucks & rail) and sea (barge/vessel). These storage facilities are also called tank farms or terminals †¢Distribution and Marketing: Petroleum products are distributed from storage locations to the end-user directly or through retail outlets The major products produced by a refinery are, Kerosene, Premium Motor Spirit (â€Å"PMS† – Gasoline), Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel), Fuel Oils, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Lubricating Oils, Naphtha and Tar Figure 1. – Schematic Representation of the Downstream Business ? The Nigerian Downstream Sector The Federal Government of Nigeria (â€Å"FGN†) participates in the activities of the oil industry (upstream and downstream) as well as actively supervising it due to its strategic importance to the economy. In the downstream industry, FGN regulates and participates through the following agencies / bodies: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (â€Å"NNPC†) –NNPC has powers and operational interest in refining, petrochemicals, product transportation and marketing. NNPC has nine wholly-owned subsidiaries, two partly owned subsidiaries and nineteen associated companies that manage the upstream and downstream activities. Those relevant to the downstream business are the Pipeline & Products Marketing Company (â€Å"PPMC), Kaduna Refining & Petrochemicals Company Limited (â€Å"KRPC†), Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Limited (â€Å"WRPC†) and Port Harcourt Refining & Petrochemicals Limited. Department of Petroleum Resources (â€Å"DPR†) – DPR is an arm of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and has responsibilities for the following: †¢Issuing of permits and licenses for all activities connected with petroleum exploration, production, refining, storage, marketing, transportation and distribution; Acting as an agency for the enforcement of the provisions of the petroleum Act, NNPC Art or any other enactment. Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) – The PPPRA came to being from a Special Committee that was set up to review Petroleum Products Supply and Distribution (SCRPPSD) drawn from various stakeholders and other interest groups to look in to the problems of the downstream petroleum sector. The functions of PPPA are: †¢To determine the pricing policy of petroleum products; To regulate the supply and distribution of petroleum products †¢To create an information databank through liaison with all relevant agencies to facilitate the making of informed and realistic decisions on pricing policies †¢To moderate volatilities in petroleum products prices, while ensuring reasonable returns to operators †¢To establish parameters and codes of conduct for all operators in the downstream sector. Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) – The PEF fund board was established to equalize the transport cost arising from the distribution of petroleum products to all parts of the country i. . the cost of transporting products from source to point of sales. This is to ensure that petroleum products are made available in all retail outlets at uniform prices in Nigeria, and to avoid shortage of petroleum products. Petrole um Subsidy Fund (PSF) – is a pool of funds budgeted by FGN to stabilise the domestic prices of petroleum products against the volatility in international crude and products prices. CBN is the custodian of the fund, while PPPRA administers it. Claims from / payment into the fund is subjected to duly verified volume of products lifted out of the approved depot and sold in-line with recommended open market prices. ? Marketing Companies The Nigerian downstream industry is comprised of two groups of marketing companies: Major Marketers – The companies in this group include AP Plc, Conoil Plc, Mobil Oil Plc, OANDO Plc, Total Nigeria Plc and Chevron Oil Nigeria Plc and accounted for 71% of total petroleum products sold. They belong to trade association called Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN). Independent Marketers – The Independent marketers, comprises largely indigenous petroleum marketing companies. The FGN introduced the Independent Marketing Scheme in 1978 because of petroleum products shortage of the 1970s and the lack of sufficient investment by major marketing companies in the rural areas. This led to the establishment of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in 1982. Membership is open to every independent marketer duly licensed and authorised to operate by the NNPC or other appropriate organisation in charge of this function. The trade group of these companies is referred to as the independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). Examples of Independent marketers are Zenon Petroleum, Capital Oil & Gas and Ascon Oil & Gas. OANDO Marketing Limited (â€Å"OML†) Oando Marketing Limited one of the companies within the Oando Plc group, is a leading oil and gas marketing company with over 500 retail outlets and a commercial clientele base that cuts across all industry sectors such as manufacturing, construction, oil & gas and telecommunications in Nigeria and the West Africa sub region. OML has been in the business of marketing and supply of petroleum products since 1956. OML markets a wide range of products including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO also known as Diesel), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), Aviation Turbine Kerosene(ATK), Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), Lubricating Oils and Greases, Insecticides, Bitumen, Chemicals, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG, also known as Cooking gas) and Oando insecticide Products and Uses AGO – fuel for some vehicles and marine vessels as well as for powering generators; PMS – fuel for most vehicles; DPK – fuel for cooking stove and used as a solvent to produce specialized products for road construction; ATK – fuel for aircraft; LPFO – fuel for power generation and for heating; Lubricants – lubricating oil for vehicles and equipments; Bitumen – used in the construction industry for paving roads; LPG – used as cooking and heating gas. Departments The departments in OML can be classified under the following: Core – Retail, Commercial, Marketing, Operations & Logistics and Engineering & Terminal. Support – Finance, Corporate Services (HR, HCM, Legal and Procurement & Services), ICA, EHSQ, Service Standards and Corporate & Marketing Communications. ? Retail Business Management and sales of Oando products to customers via sales outlets (over 500) nationwide is the function of the retail department. The sales focus is centred on the Total White Products (PMS, AGO and HHK), while Lubricants, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Insecticide sales provide a diversified revenue source for the team. Structure Sales is managed by Branch Managers located across the country, with each having responsibility over specific territories referred to as branches. Their activities are coordinated by Branch Coordination Managers and the department is led by the Chief Sales Officer – Retail, with overall responsibility for all activities. Retail Outlets †¢Company Owned Service Station (â€Å"COSS†) – The stations under this category are owned by OML and dealers are appointed to operate the stations on OML’s behalf. †¢Third Party Owned – These are outlets owned by third parties, which carry OML’s colour and brand. OML’s main responsibility is to supply these outlets with petroleum products and on their part the owners of the outlets agree to operate in accordance to standards agreed by both parties. There are two types of third party outlets: oGallonage – The stations and equipment under this category are fully owned by the third parties, while OML brands the outlets and supply products to it. oLoan Delivery and Equipment (â€Å"LDE†) – Here, OML provides equipments such as pumps, generators and canopies, as well as branding and supply of products. The retail outlets also serve as business opportunities via Non-Fuel Revenue (NFR) activities (such as Quick Service Restaurants) that maximize the returns on shareholders investments, improve asset utilisation and maximize our medium-long term capital gains. Commercial Department The core function of the commercial department is the sale of products (AGO, PMS, DPK, ATK, LPFO, Lubricants, Bitumen and LPG) to large volume end users hinged on effective relationship management. Sales are usually made in bulk to clients most often on pre-determined trade terms basis. Structure Sales is managed by Branch Managers located across the country, with each having responsibility over specific territories referred to as branches. Their activities are coordinated by Commercial Service Managers, based in the head office in Lagos. The department is led by the Chief Sales Officer, with overall responsibility for the activities above as well as for the below-mentioned specialized units: †¢Marine Unit – sale of petroleum products to (and management of relationship) upstream oil & gas companies as well as their service providers; Aviation Unit – sale of ATK and management of relationship with airlines. Services The commercial department offer a arrange of services in conjunction to the products it markets as it realized that customers want much more than just the products. Examples of such services include: Vendor Managed Inventory (â€Å"VMI†) Scheme – The Oando In-Support scheme (our in-house model of the VMI) is a means of opt imizing customers supply chain, whereby Oando becomes responsible for maintaining the inventory level of petroleum products at its customers’ location. The major benefit of this to the customer is that it can focus on its core function while Oando manages petroleum products inventory. For Oando, the VMI scheme allows it to secure Oando Sea Station – This is a Ship-to-Shore and Shore-to-Ship service station that provides fuels and lubricants for shipping companies, marine logistics companies operating in the Niger-Delta coastline as well as energy services organizations providing support to the upstream exploration and production companies operating in deep water coastal shores of Nigeria. Supply Contract – This service allows customers the opportunity to enjoy a fairly stable price regime at a committed volume over a period of time. It is a modified form of In-support suitable for customers whose operations cannot permit full inventory take over. Marketing The core function of the marketing department is to initiate business deals and provide platforms to enable the sales departments (retail & commercial) effectively achieve their goals and objectives. Structure The department is led by the Head, Marketing with overall responsibility for the following units: Lubricants Unit: The Lubricants unit is responsible for marketing Oando’s lubricants by creating product awareness through marketing promotions and supporting sales drive of lubricants in line with Oando’s goals and objectives. The unit also develops a high calibre technical sales support function while ensuring product quality assurance, cost management and service delivery to customers. A core responsibility of this unit is constantly identifying and initiating new/additional product lines for various target consumer markets. LPG Unit: – The LPG Unit is primarily aimed at sourcing for product, providing support and devising innovative selling methods to the sales team to ensure they meet their volume and margin targets as well as satisfying their customers’ needs. The team also provides the sales team with market intelligence to ensure that they strategically positioned to make sales. The unit, in addition, serves as an interface between the sales team and other support units within the organization i. e. Logistics, CCU, Engineering and EHSQ. Non-Fuel Revenue (NFR) Unit: – The Non-Fuels Revenue (NFR) unit is a strategic initiative developed to complement the shrinking margins on sales of fuel products and tap into the emerging opportunities of Non-fuel business from Retail outlets. Non-fuel offerings in retail outlets can also serve as a customer pull to increase fuel sales. Some NFR offerings include: Quick Service Restaurants (â€Å"QSR†), Automatic Teller Machines, Rent contribution from dormant assets (warehouses and offices), Income from Telecom Mast sites, revamp and increase lube bay rentals & lubes contribution to stations and car wash operation. Bulk Products Unit – The Bulk unit is responsible for developing and executing marketing plans to support the sales team in achieving their objectives in the sales of Bitumen and LPFO. The unit provides useful information about the construction sector of the economy, market trends, competitors’ activities and consumer preferences that helps in taking business decisions. It also provides back-end support for improving the quality of service delivery in our Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) concept. ? Operations & Logistics Department The Operations & Logistics (â€Å"O&L†) department is primarily responsible for product sourcing and distribution to customers. O&L is also responsible for product storage via warehouses and LPG Plants, and Lubricants blending via the Kaduna Lubricants Plant (â€Å"KLP†). Management of products at the terminals is handled by Engineering & Terminals department. Structure The department is structured into four units, each with a head responsible for activities in the unit. Overall departmental responsibility is with the General Manager, Operations & Logistics. Logistics oInbound – supply planning and product receipt; oTrade Procurement & Products – product sourcing; oOutbound – handles product received from NNPC depots; oFleet – Management of relationship with transporters. †¢Customer Care Unit oScheduling – handle delivery request and schedule the trucks; oDispatch – prepare the trucks for trips; oFleet – work with th e transporters; oCall Center – handle inquiries and complaints. †¢Warehouse & LPG Plant oWarehouse – storage locations for Lubricants and Oando Insecticide before final distribution to customers. Lubricants are received at the warehouses from KLP, while with Oando Insecticide (currently being imported), product is received into Apapa for distribution other warehouses. Currently, OML has 14 warehouses across the county. oLPG Filing Plants – storage locations for LPG. Currently OML has 7 plants across the country. †¢Kaduna Lube Plant – consists of two blending plants both located in Kaduna with combined capacity of 55 million litres per annum producing various range of lubricant products for commercial and retail customers. Terminals & Engineering Department The Engineering & Terminals department is responsible for managing infrastructural assets across board inclusive of the operations at storage terminals. Structure There are two main units: †¢Terminals – are storage locations (exclusive of warehouses and LPG Plants) where products are received, stored and eventually distributed. The following are the terminals owned by OML: oApapa Terminal 1; oApapa Terminal 2; oApapa Joint Venture (with Total Nigeria Plc); oOnne Terminal, Port Harcourt; oPort Harcourt Terminal. Each of these locations is headed by a Terminal Manager TM who reports to the Head of Terminals & Engineering. OML also stores product at third party locations such as Lister. Currently, Oando Terminals has capacity for holding various products as follows: oPMS – 80 Million Litres; oAGO – 33 Million Litres; oLPFO – 5. 67 Million Litres; oHHK – 5 Million Litres; oBitumen – 10,000 Metric Tonnes. †¢Engineering – execution of capital projects and maintenance of equipments and facilities. The activities in this unit are grouped as shown below: oProject – oversees capital projects less than N100M oRetail Network Maintenance – oversees maintenance and deployment of retail outlet equipment Retail Facility Maintenance – oversees maintenance of retail outlet infrastructure oTerminal & Depot Maintenance – oversees maintenance of facilities and equipments at terminals and depots Support Departments Environment, Health, Safety, Security and Quality Assurance (â€Å"EHSSQ†) – reduce operational and accident cost, elimi nate down time, ensure total compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements, deliver world class quality products and services to enhance customer satisfaction, while guarantying sustainable development in line with the Oando vision. Internal Control & Audit (â€Å"ICA†) – safeguarding OML’s assets, ensuring operational efficiency, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting. Service Standards – ensures and monitors service standards across various locations. Finance – provide OML with financial support for business and operational planning. OML Finance (head office) is divided into three main units namely: oTreasury; oManagement Information System; Financial Control. Corporate Services – supports OML business via the following services: oLegal – provide OML with cost-effective and efficient legal services support to and manage the inherent risks in OML’s businesses; oProcurement – assist OML in the acquisition of goods and services; oHuman Resource – provide OML with effective people management solutions. Marketing Communications – promote OML’s marketi ng initiatives through strategic product promotion and sales promotion.

Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes

Classic Christmas Carols for ESL Classes To use these Christmas Carols in English class, first, listen to a recording (or two) which you can easily find by searching on YouTube or other video sites with the title of the song. Print out the words, and follow along with the song. As you become more familiar with the words, start singing the along with the recording. Finally, sing the song as a class to bring in some Christmas spirit into the classroom. Another Christmas tradition is the reading of by Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. Classic Christmas Songs Jingle BellsSilent NightJoy to the WorldThe First NoelWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasOh, Come All Ye FaithfulHark the Herald Angels SingWhat Child Is This?We Three KingsAuld Lang SyneAway in a MangerDeck The HallGod Rest You Merry, GentlemenHave Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasLo, How a Rose Eer BloomingO Christmas TreeRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerLullay Thou Little Tiny Child Singing Carols in Class: Suggestions for Teachers Find a good recording of the Christmas carol and play it for the class twice without any text. Just let the students listen and do their best to understand.Provided a printed version of the lyrics with gaps for keywords. Practice together as a class as a listening gap fill exercise.  As a class, brainstorm the words that are difficult to pronounce. Isolate the words and practice as minimal pairs with similar sounding words to help students understand differences in vowel sounds.  Choose a specific carol a few weeks before Christmas. Spend five or ten minutes in each class understanding, practicing and perfecting your carol. For larger classes, have students break up into smaller groups and learn different carols.If you are teaching young English learners, put on a small concert for the parents of children in your class. Choose three to five carols and perfect them as a class. After the last class before Christmas, put on a mini-concert for the parents.If your students are outgoin g, have a recital. Each student can choose a favorite carol and the class can sing for each other. Its fun, but a challenge!

Term Paper on Movie

Term Paper on Movie A term paper – is a very serious assignment, which defines the quality of your performance during a term. It is very important to write a good term paper, as a weak term paper can lead to the failure of a class, and no student wants that. The topics for the term paper can be various, and one of them is a term paper on movie. In order to succeed in class a student is required to write a good term paper on any movie topic. Yes, it sounds easy, but really is something that not all students can accomplish successfully. And that is why a lot of step by step guides are written, on how to write a paper on any movie term paper topics. There are a lot of confusions at writing on movie term paper topics, as what is perceived as something good by a student in the term paper can be perceived something of low quality by the professor. In order to succeed with your term paper on any movie term paper topics a student has to show that he is familiar with the subject not like any other student, and possesses great knowledge not only on the subject but on everything related to the subject even remotely. The best way to show that you are proficient in the topic – is to choose a good movie term paper topic you really know something about, and have your personal opinion which you are ready to share with your professor. Such movie term paper topics can be found anywhere. You can either concentrate all your efforts on your favorite movie, and prove to your professor that this movie really is worth the time and has a lot to offer to the viewer, or you can try to analyze some classic movie, and find something interesting, a specific aspect, or comparison with other movies. This technique will easily grant you a good grade and praises from your professor. The only thing you have to keep in mind, that creativity is always encouraged. CustomWritings.com can assist you with your term paper, and provide sound and creative movie term paper topics, which can be transformed into exciting and interesting term papers, which will lead you to success with your academia. Contact CustomWritings.com right now, and we will help you with writing term papers on movie by any means possible. Â  Here is a list of possible movie essay topics: 1. Vampires in Movies 2. How to watch a movie 3. Movies vs Books 4. Practicalities of Renting a Movie 5. Movie Rating System should be Eliminated 6. Censorship of movies 7. Movies Make the Difference 8. Violence in the Movies 9. Bad Guys in Real Life, Goodfellas in the Movies 10. Movie classification 11. Sex in movie 12. Making movies 13. Music and Movies in Postmodern Society 14. Movies that teach health realated topics 15. Apocalypse Now Movie Review 16. Movies on Racism 17. Movie that affected my life! 18. Movie critic

An investigation into the effectiveness of Arbitration as an Literature review

An investigation into the effectiveness of Arbitration as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) within the U.K construction in - Literature review Example Corporate social responsibility calls for taking care of the interests of the various stakeholders of the business and amicable settlement of the disputes in the industry through ADR by avoiding litigations. According to the research conducted by Conlin et al (2009, p. 362) the causes of conflicts include technical problems commercial problems and interpersonal differences. Construction industry is complex in nature and the contracts between the parties envisage generally provision for arbitration of the disputes likely to arise in the course of business. According to Harmon (2003, p. 187) complex construction projects result into complex disputes inter alia due to poor documentation. The effectiveness of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution depends upon these provisions clearly spelt out in the contracts and the effective mechanisms for the arbitration available in the country. Apart from the commercial disputes, arbitration in respect of disputes arising out of employme nt of labour is also very important since this industry is labor intensive and involves employment of workers of the company or contractor, labour contractors and other sub-contractors. Objectives This paper seeks to analyze the effectiveness of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) within the U.K. ... Arbitration as ADR provides a forum for the experts in the construction field for taking decisions in line with the industry norms and established practices which makes the settlement process more effective. Simplicity and flexibility in the arbitration process enhances the working relationship among the parties to the dispute. Evolution of Arbitration in the United Kingdom Noussia (2010, p. 9) stated â€Å"Arbitration is the most traditional and well-known form of alternative dispute resolution. It arises mostly, though not exclusively, from pre-dispute contracts in which the parties agree that if a dispute arises, it will be resolved by arbitration.† Proliferation of industries in the aftermath of industrial revolution which started in the UK and the rise of Labor Party to prominence led to the passage of Trade Dispute Act in 1906. The intent of the legislations and regulations is to encourage conciliation and arbitration in the proceedings for resolving the trade disputes a nd avoid legal proceedings in the courts of law. In the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act, 1992, Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration have been recognized as important Alternative Dispute Resolution methods. The procedures relating to the commercial arbitrations have been streamlined as a systematic code of law by the Arbitration Act 1889 incorporating the established practices earlier adopted with suitable amendments. Brooker and Lavers (1997, p. 519) stated â€Å"disputes are a significant phenomenon within the UK construction industry and that they are a matter of importance to the disputants as well as to the other stakeholders such as developers, owners, non-owning occupiers,

To what extent does successful workplace learning depend on the social Essay

To what extent does successful workplace learning depend on the social context of the workplace environment - Essay Example This allows the organization to reach the potential growth and success that the organization dreams for. But to transform just a mere dream into reality, the organization must implement learning processes that would change the direction of the organization. This change in direction could change the future of the organization and its employees. As workplace learning is creating sustainable new knowledge, it is considered as an investment by the organization for their most important assets which is the workforce. The workforce could single handedly change the future of the organization, all they need is a training and development program but a program within the boundaries of organizational culture. An organization is a mixture of diverse culture and employees. The only element that combines these diverse employees from different race, religion and origin is the organizational culture. With the passage of time, organizations have become more cultural diverse and they have hired employe es belonging from different cultures and geographic locations. Although, this has been helpful for the organization as it has allowed organization to have diverse thinking and more creativity and better learning from different cultures.... Along with that, the research has highlighted some of the important dimensions that would include the definition of workplace learning, social context of workplace environment and lastly the impact of social context on successful workplace learning. A brief conclusion is also included to summarize and conclude all the major findings of this study. Successful workplace learning Workplace learning is a process that addresses the needs and interests of the employees. This learning process enables the employee to respond to the changing environment and to contribute in increasing the efficiency and productivity of the employee (Lai, and Lo, 2008). This learning process ultimately helps in meeting the employee’s personal and career development needs within the organization (Chen, Bian, and Hom, 2005). Learning at work allows the organization to develop different capabilities and skills and thus it is better able to achieve competitive advantage (Hamlin, and Stewart, 2011). Learning at work happens through the daily working practices of the workers and the biggest influence in this learning process is the work itself. A process that addresses the needs and interests of the employee helps in reducing the absenteeism rate, turnover rate, job dissatisfaction and all those factors that reduce the optimum performance to achieve the organizational goals. Successful workplace learning provides an opportunity for the employees of the organization to develop or improve their skills that would enable them to obtain the best possible outcomes for the business (Clarke, 2005). Employees are worthy investments for organizations as these employees are relied heavily upon for the success and betterment of the organization. Employees are considered to be the most valuable asset within