E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

E-commerce - Essay Example Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the technology company as well as models which it follows also provides different associations with the company and the way in which it is now linking to a booming market. Business Issues The main business that Loving Outdoors has created is based on moving to the outdoors with different supplies that are required for clothing, footwear, camping, fishing and nutrition. They also supply outdoor kits that are readily available for those who expect to spend more time in the outdoors. Each of these are divided by product on the main website and have developed into a large variety of brand models and high quality items known for those interested in the outdoors. Loving Outdoors has combined this with reviews, interaction, blogs and information through polls and newsletters to help with the needs of customers and to make the information easier to find. This allows consumers to have easier connections to the different information that is available while providing more opportunities to highlight the best items that are a part of the outdoor company (Loving Outdoors, 2011). The first business concept which is looked at with the company is the information technology which is used for e-commerce and how this defines the roles that are required with the online business. ... This is also inclusive of information which is found easily and applications which are used for managing customers through both automated and customer support systems (Chaffey, 2007: 81). For Loving Outdoors, the strength in this comes from the blog, newsletter and polls that are on the website, which immediately offers information and interaction. This is combined with the straightforward navigation for different items available and the customer support that is known by the company. However, some difficulties in basic navigation and the large amount of products available cause the IT infrastructure to be limited without newer and high end components that are a part of e-commerce. Another relation that is created with Loving Outdoors and the business issues comes from the supply and value chain that is a part of the online store. When examining this, one can see a limited number of items that are available. However, these are noted to have a diversity of brands and a large diversity of types of equipment. For example, if looking at fishing rods, one is able to access almost 50 different items that are available. This is more than a regular store and offers more convenience of shopping. Even though there are a large number of supplies by value, the supply number is not as high as expected with the shipping from a main warehouse being the main objective with the Loving Outdoors items. Since everything is done through e-commerce, it requires continuous additions with the supply and demand while continuing to add to the value of the company. The concept of the supply and value chain that is a part of Loving Outdoors relates to the gaps that are in the main concepts for supply chain management. This includes the three phases of procurement of materials, processing

Retrenchment Strategy Essay Example for Free

Retrenchment Strategy Essay Since the beginning of the US financial crisis in 2007, regulators in the United States and Europe have been frustrated by the difficulty in identifying the risk exposures at the largest and most levered financial institutions. Yet, at the time, it was unclear how such data might have been used to make the financial system safer. This paper is an attempt to show simple ways in which this information can be used to understand how deleveraging scenarios could play out. To do so the authors develop and test a model to analyze financial sector stability under different configurations of leverage and risk exposure across banks. They then apply the model to the largest financial institutions in Europe, focusing on banks exposure to sovereign bonds and using the model to evaluate a number of policy proposals to reduce systemic risk. When analyzing the European banks in 2011, they show how a policy of targeted equity injections, if distributed appropriately across the most systemic banks, can significantly reduce systemic risk. The approach in this paper fits into, and contributes to, a growing literature on systemic risk. Key concepts include: * This model can simulate the outcome of various policies to reduce fire sale spillovers in the midst of a crisis. * Size caps, or forced mergers among the most exposed banks, do not reduce systemic risk very much. * However, modest equity injections, if distributed appropriately between the most systemic banks, can cut the vulnerability of the banking sector to deleveraging by more than half. * The model can be adapted to monitor vulnerability on a dynamic basis using factor exposures. About Faculty in this Article: Robin Greenwood is a Professor in the Finance unit at Harvard Business School. * Author Abstract When a bank experiences a negative shock to its equity, one way to return to target leverage is to sell assets. If asset sales occur at depressed prices, then one banks sales may impact other banks with common exposures, resulting in contagion. We propose a simple framework that accounts for how this effect adds up across the banking sector. Our framework explains how the distribution of bank leverage and risk exposures contributes to a form of systemic risk. We compute bank exposures to system-wide deleveraging, as well as the spillover of a single banks deleveraging onto other banks. We show how our model can be used to evaluate a variety of crisis interventions, such as mergers of good and bad banks and equity injections. We apply the framework to European banks vulnerable to sovereign risk in 2010 and 2011.

Calorimeter used for calorimetry

Calorimeter used for calorimetry Introduction What is a Calorimeter ? Definition: A calorimeter is a device used for calorimetry, the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes as well as heat capacity. The word calorimeter is derived from the Latin word calor, meaning heat. Differential scanning calorimeters, isothermal micro calorimeters, titration calorimeters and accelerated rate calorimeters are among the most common types. A simple calorimeter just consists of a thermometer attached to a metal container full of water suspended above a combustion chamber. To find the enthalpy change per mole of a substance A in a reaction between two liquids A and B, the liquids are added to a calorimeter and the initial and final (after the reaction has finished) temperatures are noted. Multiplying the temperature change by the mass and specific heat capacities of the liquids gives a value for the energy given off during the reaction (assuming the reaction was exothermic.). Dividing the energy change by how many moles of X were present gives its enthalpy change of reaction. This method is used primarily in academic teaching as it describes the theory of calorimetry. It does not account for the heat loss through the container or the heat capacity of the thermometer and container itself. In addition, the object placed inside the calorimeter show that the objects transferred their heat to the calorimeter and into the liquid, and the heat absorbed by the calorimeter and the liquid is equal to the heat given off by the metals. Functions: As one of the devices used in the science of calorimetry, the calorimeter plays an important role in measuring heat capacity in a number of secure environments, as well as the physical changes that occur with the incidence of specific chemical reactions. This is some information about the general function of the calorimeter and how measuring calories related to the process of identifying heat capacity. Calorimeter is a term that is derived from the Latin word calor, which literally translates to heat. While most people understand the concept of calories as they relate to weight gain or loss, fewer individuals are aware that calorie content is determined by the ability of the substance to generate heat or energy as a result of the consumption. What the calorimeter actually does is identify the rate and scale of the production of that heat or energy and translates into numerical designations that can be used to adequately measure the production and the assimilation of heat and energy. Thus, when thinking in terms of counting calories, what is actually happening is thinking in terms of how much heat and energy will be generated and expended as a result. Calorie measurement has several important applications. One of the most common has to do with health matters. Because the calorie content of some foods is judged to be quite high, the result is that the energy or heat created by the consumption of the foods must make best use of that produced energy. If there is no efficient use of the calories, then the result is energy stored in the form of fat for later consumption. That is why the calorimeter is so important. Proper measuring of calories allows people to more properly plan food intake to ensure that the body has enough heat or energy to function, but does not store excess energy as fat. Types of calorimeter There are a number of different types of the calorimeter that help to measure energy and heat production: 1 :: Adiabatic Calorimeters An Adiabatic calorimeter is a calorimeter used to examine a runaway reaction. Since the calorimeter runs in an adiabatic environment, any heat generated by the material sample under test causes the sample to increase in temperature, thus fuelling the reaction. 2 :: Reaction calorimeters A reaction calorimeter is a calorimeter in which a chemical reaction is initiated within a closed insulated container. Reaction heats are measured and the total heat is obtained by integrating heat flow versus time. There are four main methods for measuring the heat in reaction calorimeter: Heat flow calorimetry Heat balance calorimetry Power Compensation Constant Flux 3:: Bomb calorimeters A bomb calorimeter is a type of constant-volume calorimeter used in measuring the heat of combustion of a particular reaction. Bomb calorimeters have to withstand the large pressure within the calorimeter as the reaction is being measured. 4:: Constant-pressure calorimeter A constant-pressure calorimeter measures the change in enthalpy of a reaction occurring in solution during which the atmospheric pressure remains constant. 5:: Differential scanning calorimeter In a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), heat flow into a sample—usually contained in a small aluminum capsule or pan—is measured differentially, i.e., by comparing it to the flow into an empty reference pan. 6:: Isothermal titration calorimeter In an isothermal titration calorimeter, the heat of reaction is used to follow a titration experiment. This permits determination of the midpoint (stoichiometry) (N) of a reaction as well as its enthalpy (delta H), entropy (delta S) and of primary concern the binding affinity (Ka). 7:: X-ray micro-calorimeter The detector and X-ray micro-calorimeter, works by sensing the heat pulses generated by X-ray photons when they are absorbed and thermalized. X ray micro-calorimeter diagram. The temperature increase is directly proportional to photon energy. This invention combines high detector efficiency with high energy resolution, mainly achievable because of the low temperature of operation. Micro-calorimeters have a low-heat-capacity mass that absorbs incident X-ray (UV, visible, or near IR) photons, a weak link to a low-temperature heat sink which provides the thermal isolation needed for a temperature rise to occur, and a thermometer to measure change in temperature. 8:: High-energy particle calorimeter In particle physics, a calorimeter is a component of a detector that measures the energy of entering particles. 9:: Heat-loss calorimeter Cross-section view of a heat-loss calorimeter. The heat developed inside the cell is collected by the inner copper cup. Then, it flows through the silicone-rubber which serves as a thermal resistor and the outer copper cup, to the flowing water surrounding the outer copper cup. 10:: Gas calorimeter A gas calorimeter which uses an ultrasonic resonator is in prototype state. It is based on the following mechanism: Periodic temperature changes are produces in the gas-filled resonator cavity by heat absorption, These temperature changes lead to variations of the velocity of sound c via the temperature dependence of c, The change of the velocity of sound results in periodic changes of the tuning of the ultrasonic resonator, The detuning of the resonator is measured by lock-in techniques, The device is simultaneously calibrated an additional heat source at a frequency different from the one to be measured. Gas calorimeter types: Junkers Gas Calorimeter Also known as Gas Calorimeter, Junkers Type Used for determination of calorific values (1000 Kcal/m3 26000 Kcal/m3) of fuel / flue gases at low pressures (2† to 12† W.G) Boys non-recording gas calorimeter The P5615 Boys Gas Calorimeter Set supplied by Cussons has been developed, from apparatus designed by the late Sir Charles Boys F.R.S., to provide a simple but accurate method of ascertaining the calorific values of a wide range of gaseous fuels currently in use. As such it is a necessary item of equipment in any thermodynamics laboratory and is applicable to craft and vocational courses in gas engineering and technology. DESCRIPTION The two main items of equipment in the apparatus are the Boys non-recording gas calorimeter fitted with appropriate burners in the base, and a precision, Hyde type gas meter with a capacity of 2.0 litres/rev consisting of a specially designed measuring drum housed in a gas-tight casing and sealed with water. The whole set is manufactured to a very high standard and is supplied with all necessary accessories including thermometers with reading lenses, measuring vessels and a general purpose set of four burners for town and coke oven gas, natural and methane gas, butane, propane, acetylene, ethylene and propylene. Tru-Therm H Gas Titrator Gas Calorimeter The Tru-Therm Model H real time natural gas calorimeter is a continuous measurement calorimeter instrument that determines calorific Heating Value, Specific Gravity, and WOBBE measurement of natural gas, with continuous rate of update of 10 seconds. Calorific Heating Value is determined by the stoichiometric micro combustion of natural gas. Natural gas and air are supplied to a small instrumentation burner (about 1/2 inch cube) where the flame temperature is directly measured by a thermocouple. The thermocouple provides a signal to the Measurement Engine Control Computer, which in-turn regulates the flow rate of gas to achieve the maximum temperature of combustion. This occurs at the Stoichiometric Point. The gas flow rate that corresponds to this temperature is determined by a precision flow-meter which is sensed by the Measurement Engine Control Computer. Differential Thermoelectric Tritium Gas Calorimeter A device for measuring the amount of any reactive gaseous component in a single gas or in a mixture of two or more gases. The device comprises a reaction chambre, at least one means for supporting a removable catalyst suitable for catalysing the reaction between the reactive component and the gas or gases and at least one heat sensor for detecting and measuring the heat produced or absorbed by the reaction between any reactive component and one or more other gases Exhaust Gas Calorimeters The Exhaust Calorimeter comprise a multi-tube exhaust gas heat exchanger in which the exhaust gases pass through the tubes and the cooling water flows outside the tubes. An exhaust gas sampling point with shut off cock is provided. The cooling water circuit is fitted with a flowmeter on the inlet and a flow control valve on the outlet side. Note that the unit must be arranged for contra flow that is the exhaust gas and cooling water must flow through the heat exchanger in opposite directions. Temperature measuring points are provided for exhaust gas inlet and outlet, and cooling water inlet and outlet. The instrumentation is sufficient to enable the heat content of the exhaust gases to be accurately determined.

Drama: Alive And Well Essay -- essays research papers fc

Drama: Alive and Well There have been many dramatic plays over the centuries. Many of these plays have died in their time, while others have lived on. What makes these plays endure time and continue to be influential over time? Perhaps it is the storyline or the interesting nature of the play is what makes these dramas last. I think that it is the focus on human nature and its essential truths that keep these plays alive. Most of the plays, still enacted in theaters today, deal with social issues that people can learn from and relate to. Social relationships seem to remain constant over time. Technology has changed dramatically, but human interaction is still basically the same. Human relationships have been recorded and interpreted by many authors in different literary genres through time. Drama has produced many lasting works. They have lasted because peoples ability to relate to them in any time frame due to the social theme, specifically, individualism, reality versus fantasy, actions and consequences, social standing, lies and deceptions, and human talents. In ancient Greece, the people believed in many gods. It was thought that going against the will of these gods would result in punishment. The famous Greek writer, Sophocles, made a very good interpretation of this relationship between the people and the gods in the tragedy titled "Antigone." This play focused on the actions of the characters in the play, and the consequences that would result. It made a direct link between the consequences and the power of the gods. Creon, the stubborn king, would not bury Polynices even though it was the will of the gods. The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon of this. He says â€Å"all men make mistakes, it is only human... a man can turn back on his folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends† (Sophocles). Creon would eventually lose his son and his wife in this ordeal. Creon was too stubborn to succumb to the gods, and that was the consequence he faced. We can relate to this scenario today. The gods may not be that are the source of our consequences, but everyone knows that actions always bring about consequences, either by law or just life. This play may urge a reader to consider his actions when thinking of what happened to Creon. ... ...erie" and its theme of escape is recognized by many people and is then kept alive in the literature world. Tennessee Williams’ ability to bring us into the mind of Tom makes the play interesting and gives it a lasting effect. The ability to relate to characters in drama and to the social theme is the key to the lasting effect of these plays. There are many other reasons for the plays' remaining existence, but none compare to the personal relationships that are built in the dramas such as "Doll's House" and "Everyman." People enjoy this relationship, and it is those people who keep the plays in existence by purchasing the paperback or attending the play at a theater. Works Cited Anonymous. Everyman. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 1060-1071. Jokinen, Anniina. Everyman: an Introduction. 29 October 1999. http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (2000-MAR-27). Sophocles. Antigone. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 738-776.

Movie Review of Donnie Darko :: Film Cinema Movies

Donnie Darko: A Review What comes to mind when you think of a modern adolescent coming of age movie? Is it alienation, rebellion, probably first love? In Donnie Darko (2001), writer/director Richard Kelly employs all of these familiar themes; then he adds humor, witty satire, time travel, apocalyptic prophecy, and a bi-pedal, six foot tall nightmare of a rabbit, who instructs the young and confused Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) through haunting visions and an eerie voice that runs through Donnie‘s head. Ok, so maybe this sounds like a plotline lifted straight from the WB's primetime lineup (minus the wit), but Kelly uses these seemingly absurd, unrelated elements to create an amazingly complex and clever story that Buffy could only dream of. Donnie Darko begins with a panoramic, morning shot of a mountain range, setting the stage for a film as wide open as the landscape. The camera pans around, focusing slowly on a distant figure, lying unconscious in the middle of a mountain road. The silence is broken only by soft, sporadic blue notes, echoing from a piano. As the camera draws closer, the figure rises, giving the audience their first glimpse of Donnie Darko. With a chuckling smirk, he picks up his bicycle and heads back home. Immediately, Kelly forces the question, â€Å"Why the hell is this kid lying in the middle of road?† This is the first question that the viewer is forced to ponder and it is definitely not the last. Kelly wastes no time establishing the film’s dark tone. Not even five minutes into the movie, an eerie voice instructs Donnie to â€Å"Wake up.† In a trance, he rises from bed and follows the voice out of his house and to a golf course. He finds the above mentioned rabbit, Frank, who slowly says, â€Å"Twenty-eight days, six hours, forty-two minutes, twelve seconds. That is when the world will end." Donnie's only response is, "Why?" He and the audience will spend the rest of the movie trying to find the answer. And, to make things more complicated, a jet engine (which can’t be accounted for) crashes through Donnie's room while he is asleep on the golf course. When he arrives home, he is faced with yet another question: why did Frank lead him out of his room and save his life? The question you are asking now is, â€Å"How can you possibly call this a coming of age story.† The answer is exactly what makes the film great.

Madly desirous for glory Essay

In the second letter Walton writes about his progress to Archangel. In the letter he describes his crew. Walton’s description of his ship’s master suggests that he is the embodiment of goodness. He frequently applauds the courage of his lieutenant. The lieutenant is ‘madly desirous for glory’. In this letter the theme of alienation arises. Like Victor, Walton’s ambitions isolate him from his family and friends: ‘But it is a still greater evil to me that I am self educated.’ Shelley’s choice of words are designed to anticipate Victor’s need of a friend. It does this by implying that Walton is annoyed that he had no one to teach him, and that he had no companions. The third letter that Walton sends simply expresses confidence in his quest: ‘I write a few lines in haste to say that I am safe – and well advanced on my voyage.’ Shelley may have decided to add a short letter to show that Walton maybe playing down the dangers of his voyage. He finishes the letter by saying: ‘Heaven bless my beloved sister.’ This clearly shows that Walton is a caring person.  The fourth letter is when Walton catches a glimpse of the creature. The crew take Victor on board. Walton believes that he has found a friend in Victor, and confides his ambition. This letter emphasises the admiration and affection that Victor inspires in Walton, who sees great nobility in this ‘divine wanderer’. In some ways Walton can be seen as a double to Victor Frankenstein. Walton rebels against his father’s decision for him to not go to sea. This is very similar to Frankenstein’s father, who dismissed Victor’s interests in science. Walton decides against the life of ease, he explains that ‘My life might have been passed in ease and luxury,’ he explains, ‘but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my way.’ Shelley has added this to show a relationship between Victor and Walton. This shows that they have similar characteristics, and desire the same things from life. The fact that Walton is introduced before Frankenstein may show that Shelley was preparing the reader for Victor’s desire for knowledge. Although the two characters can be related to each other, they also have significant differences. Walton is not quite so alienated as Victor. Rather then rejecting companionship, Walton longs for an intimate friend to share his hopes and dreams. To add to this point, Walton is also is not so isolated in his search for knowledge, whereas Victor, whose ‘midnight labours’ and ‘secret toil’ keep him completely secluded. The fact that Walton had a crew around him prevented him from falling into the trap of Victor’s individualism. The first chapter begins in an embedded narrative, with Victor telling his story to Walton. Victor begins his story by describing his early life in Geneva, his tranquil domestic life and the young orphan Elizabeth, who becomes part of the household. Victor’s interest in science eventually takes him to university at Inglostadt. His experiments lead him to the discovery of a secret life force. He constructs a human form out of dead tissue and brings it to life. Horrified by his actions, Victor abandons the creature. One of the main themes portrayed by Shelley in this novel is that of birth and creation. When Victor gave life to the creature, he usurps the role of God. Victor imagines how, ‘A new species would bless me as its creator and source†¦ No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.’ This shows that Victor’s main crime is not what he had done, but what he failed to do. He failed to ‘father’ his creation. Victor is an isolated individual. However, unlike Walton, Frankenstein’s isolation is self imposed. It is also ironic in the sense that Victor rejects his family and friends, whilst this is simply what the creature longs for. Victor claims that the rejection of his family is necessary in order to continue the quest for the secret life. Alienation is a key factor in this novel. Victor chooses to isolate himself from others, whereas the creature’s isolation is imposed upon him, due to Victor abandoning him, and people being generally scared of his appearance. However the creature does desire companionship, and he says that he becomes violent when he realises that he will never have this, ‘I am malicious because I am miserable.’ This shows that the creature is humane in the sense that all he wants is a companion, much like any human. So the fact that the creature only becomes ‘malicious because I am miserable’ represents that people become monstro us when the are isolated, and rejected from society. When Victor creates the creature, he is flooded with a huge feeling of anti-climax. Victor repulses the creature on first sight. He refers to the creature as ‘the wretch’ and is horrifies by the thing that he has given life to. This shows that Victor is only concerned with physical appearance. This shows intolerance of imperfection and a flaw in Victor’s character. Victor rejects the creation; this is like a father rejecting his child. When the creature came to life Victor may have realised the enormity of the monstrous deeds that he had committed. The passage in the novel shows Victor to be a monster, as he does not even try to understand the monster’s cries for help. He has forsaken any duties he is expected to perform as a father. When the creature ‘awoke’ from his ‘sleep’ he convulsed. When Victor awakes from his sleep, his muscles also convulse. This could be one of the first signs that the creature is a double of Victor. Victor even describes the monster as ‘my own spirit let loose from the grave†¦ forced to destroy all that was dear to me’ Victor has given a clear expression of the notion that he and the creature may be doubles, with the creature acting out Victor’s own aggressions. Shelley’s description of the creature is full of pathos. The first things that the creature desires are love and affection, as all newborn things want. However, Victor denies him this. When Victor awakes from his dream, he finds the creature reaching out a hand towards him. Victor rejects this appeal for help from the creature.  This passage from the novel may parody ‘The creation of man’ by Michelangelo, which shows God stretching out his hand to give life to Adam. The analogy of this is that Victor is playing God and that the creature is Adam. Another parody is the story of Prometheus, who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to the people on earth. The analogy of this is that Victor has stolen the power of life from the God’s and given it to the people. This is the reason for the book has the subtitle ‘The modern Prometheus’. Victor may be seen as monstrous in this passage, as he is usurping the role of woman, which goes against the laws of nature.